by Lexy Timms
It was a new emotion she hadn’t seen him wear, but it was enough to help her remember that something strong was growing between them. Leaving with Tim was the best way for Katherine to put an end to his outburst, but she knew that getting away from him was now her top priority.
As if on cue, Tim tugged at her arm, pulling her body towards him. “I know you hear me, bitch,” he yelled, as the taxi driver looked up at his rearview mirror. “This ain’t got shit to do with you!” He continued to shout profanities at the worried driver, who immediately returned his attention to the road.
“What do you want, Tim?” Katherine asked yet again, a question that continued to ring true in her head.
For the life of her, she couldn’t understand his thinking. He went through so much trouble, spending his time and money to humiliate her, as if he treasured his wife so much that he would do anything to have her. Then, once she was with him, all he wanted to do was degrade her. It wasn’t enough for their marriage to fail.
No, Tim wanted to make sure Katherine would never be happy again. As far as he was concerned, she should be punished for all eternity for walking out on him. Tim was the type of man who sought revenge until the death, and the way Katherine had walked away from him was an ultimate betrayal, despite the torture he put her through.
Like many abusers, accountability wasn’t one of Tim’s strong points. Never did he consider Katherine’s reasons for wanting to escape, only the fact that she had deserted him. Leaving him behind in the house he had built especially for his perfect wife. There was an image he wanted to present to the world, and Katherine’s disappearance had made that nearly impossible, and that was a defeat he wasn’t willing to accept.
“What do I want? I want my wife, Katherine! Isn’t that obvious?” His tone was laced with annoyance, and was as condescending as ever.
Tim was the only person who had ever made her feel small, like she didn’t know a thing in the world. He considered her beneath him because she had no higher education, and the longer Katherine spent around him, the more she found herself believing it, all over again.
“You don’t want me, Tim,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Katherine hated when Tim got so upset he was beside himself with anger. There was no reasoning with a man consumed by rage. Early on in their marriage, when he first began to scream and yell at her, she learned that silence was her best defense.
Her survival instincts for dealing with Tim were rapidly returning, and she was grateful but still ashamed. Her thoughts kept returning to Ben, as she wondered what he must think after the night’s events. He had looked so shocked when Tim so callously announced himself as her husband.
She was so caught off guard that words escaped her, so when Ben looked to her for an explanation, she had nothing to offer and stood there, mute. She cringed at the memory, wishing again she had told Ben everything before it was publicly thrown in his face.
“Tomorrow, we’ll go to whatever little shit hole you’ve been living in to get your things. You’re coming back to LA with me, but for now I need some rest. I can’t believe you’ve had me chasing you around again,” Tim huffed, bumping Katherine’s arm roughly as he ruffled his shoulders in frustration.
Pressing harder against the car door, Katherine focused on the window, hoping they would be wherever they were going soon. While she was in no rush to be alone with Tim, any space had to be better than the back seat she was currently cornered in.
When the taxi finally pulled into the circular driveway of Tim’s hotel, Katherine was thrilled to climb from the backseat, then carefully followed him to the reception counter. As always, he had booked the very best room in the nicest hotel in the city. Tim never cared much about prices, instead demanding the top of the line in everything he did.
“Hello, Mr. Marshall,” the receptionist greeted him as they walked through the lobby. “Oh, and is this Mrs. Marshall? I didn’t know you would be joining your husband tonight.” The blonde hostess was more than overzealous.
It was standard practice for the hotel staff to learn the faces and names of their elite clientele, but it was often intrusive when the façade was further from reality than they could imagine. It was true that technically speaking, Katherine was Mrs. Tim Marshall. She could only imagine what the hostess would think if she knew that Katherine had been on the run from him for two years, finally establishing a new life for herself without him.
The blonde only saw Tim’s account with the hotel, so when she led them to the large wooden desk at the back of the room, she didn’t notice any of Katherine’s silent attempts to gain her attention.
“I have the presidential suite all set up with your favorite beverages, and your dinner will be served shortly,” the woman spoke cheerily as she typed away on the keyboard of her computer.
“Sounds great,” Tim nodded, shocking Katherine.
Just that quickly, he was back to being the likable professional everyone wanted to be around, smiling and shaking hands as he chatted with the young blonde woman, asking for recommendations on restaurants and things to do in the city.
For Katherine, it was like the twilight zone, watching the man who had just threatened and humiliated her be treated with so much dignity and clout. For a second, she wished she possessed the level of selfishness necessary to destroy someone else’s life, because if she screamed at the top of her lungs in the hotel lobby the way Tim did at the charity event, he would instantly lose his mind.
The mechanical cries of a printer began chiming and the hostess bent to retrieve a print out before asking Tim for his signature. “If you need anything at all, just give me a call,” the woman said, far too suggestively. Tim thanked her for her help before extending his arm towards the elevator, as if Katherine had any choice but to follow him.
It was all an act; her old life was like a Broadway play. And as soon as the doors to the elevator shut, Katherine was thrust into another character, back to the victim being berated by her abusive husband.
“You need to be more like that hot receptionist. She knew her place.” Tim grunted as he flashed the keycard over the sensor. The presidential suite opened to a special floor, so you had to have a special key just to gain access to that level of the hotel.
Too afraid she would start an argument if she responded, Katherine remained mute. The stench of alcohol was strong on Tim and she knew it was only a matter of time before things got worse. She had to try her best to calm him down, and steer clear of anything that would set him off, like talking back.
“Wasn’t she sexy?” Tim asked, tormenting her. He loved to throw other women in Katherine’s face.
“She was very nice,” Katherine answered quietly.
“I didn’t ask you if she was nice. She had—” Tim’s words faded as a thought crept into his mind. “Why did you dye your hair?” He asked the question as if he just noticed the change.
“Huh?” Katherine stalled, trying to find the best way to answer him.
Tim was overly controlling, and he liked to know about any and everything Katherine did before she even thought of doing it. To cut her hair would have been drastic enough, but the fact that she dyed it, showed defiance.
“You heard me!” Tim grabbed a handful of her hair, pushing her forward just as the elevator doors opened.
The suite was impeccably decorated, situated on a hill so that the city itself lit the room up with the bright lights of the skyline. It was a totally different view of San Francisco, and Katherine’s breath was taken away for a brief moment when she took in the view.
Satisfied with his punishment, Tim brushed past Katherine on his way into the room, and she prayed the argument was over. She didn’t care to be ridiculed about changing her hair color, and if he asked her why she dyed it, it would become obvious it was to evade him.
“Get in here!” Tim barked from the back of the hotel room, and Katherine solemnly followed with heavy shoulders.
Decorated with a modern design, the room s
creamed luxury. Floor to ceiling windows made up the outer wall, with the exceptional view. From the foyer, Katherine could see the living room as well as the small kitchen, where Tim was now standing, pouring a glass of brandy.
“There she is. The woman of the hour. Here’s a toast to you, Katherine Marshall, for making me chase you around the world just to have a simple conversation,” Tim held a drink in his hand, sliding another glass across the table towards Katherine.
Nodding his head, he urged her to lift her glass and she did. “Here’s to making sure you learn I’m not the kind of man you can walk away from,” Tim cheerily announced, raising his glass.
The alarm bells began ringing in Katherine’s head and she knew how the night would end before the amber liquid hit the back of her throat. Tim was going to go off the rails, and she had to protect herself from whatever he chose to throw her way.
She had learned to recognize the signs and always knew before things went bad that they were heading in the wrong direction. Katherine knew she needed an escape plan. Glancing around the room, she tried to familiarize herself with the landscape in case it could help her later.
Walking into the living area, she sat on a sectional sofa that faced a large television. Sitting quietly, she waited patiently for Tim to follow and continue his tirade, hoping she would take the bait and launch into an argument with him.
He liked having a reason to escalate things to the next level so he could then blame her for her bruises the next day. But in this time away, Katherine had grown from the woman he was used to. She didn’t need to fight with him, because he no longer owned her acceptance and self-validation.
Katherine didn’t need Tim anymore, and for an insecure person, that was a dangerous place to be. He needed her to be dependent on him if he was going to control her, and without that power his frustration only grew.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you?” Tim asked, standing over Katherine’s small frame.
She glanced up at his massive body that was shadowing her like a dark cloud. He was much more muscular than she remembered. Katherine closed her eyes as she waited to learn just how much stronger Tim had gotten in her time away from him.
Chapter Four
Ben
STILL IN SHOCK, BEN stood on the stairs of the hotel for much longer than he anticipated. When an older man disrupted his thoughts by asking for the time, he decided to return to the event.
As Ben walked through the front doors, Will excitedly walked towards him with the look of a man who needed a favor. Knowing it was time to put on a brave face, Ben straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath just before Will arrived with a graying woman beside him.
“Mr. O’Leary, it’s so nice to finally meet you,” she introduced herself, stepping in front of Will to extend her hand to Ben.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Ben took her hand into both of his.
“Pattie Hayes,” she said, before Ben could ask her name. She was a sassy gal, and the men shared a smile thinking of how hot she must have been in her day.
“I’m very glad we got to meet,” Ben added.
“I asked Will here if you would be at the event tonight and he promised to introduce us,” she explained, turning the spotlight on Will, who was as red as a beet.
“That’s what friends are for,” he joked, raising his hands in the air as he shrugged.
“Well, I won’t take up your whole evening. I just wanted to introduce myself. You have a great night, Mr. O’Leary,” the woman said, placing her hand on Ben’s forearm as she excused herself.
“Please, call me Ben,” he begged.
“I think I like ‘Mr. O’Leary’ better,” Pattie said with a wink, before prancing across the lobby towards the main room of the charity event.
“Oh, I’m so sorry about that,” Will immediately began explaining, once the woman was out of hearing distance.
“It’s fine. I needed something to clear my mind anyway,” Ben chuckled, as he glanced back to the front door, remembering the episode with Katherine and her—husband.
“She has the biggest crush on you ever, and always calls before events to see if you’re going to be there,” Will added, telling his old friend about the cougar who had demanded his attention.
“Is she a big donor?” Ben asked.
“I’m sure she will be now,” Will chuckled.
“So, you’re just pimping me out then?” Ben asked, and the two men laughed together.
“I’m sorry, bro. She saw you go outside and I think she thought you might leave and didn’t want to miss her opportunity. I had to stop her from following you out the front doors.” Will shook his head.
“Yikes, I’m glad you did. That would have been awkward.”
The two friends looked at each other for a long moment, and without words, Ben let Will know things only got more dramatic after he followed Katherine out. It was never like them to hash out the details of their love lives. When he was trying to understand women, Ben went to Rachel. Generally, he and Will were all about a good time together.
“They’re going to begin the exit process soon. Do you want to go ahead and head out or find Rachel?” Will asked.
“Did you two ride together?”
“No, she met me here. I had to come way early to set up and check on the presentation,” Will explained.
“Right. I think I’ll see her at the office. You two have a good night,” Ben extended his hand before pulling Will into a hug.
“You let me know if you need anything, Ben.”
“No problem.”
“I mean it,” Will insisted.
“I know,” Ben smiled before heading back down the front steps of the hotel.
Standing on the curb, he tried to piece together how things had gone south so fast, but it was impossible. There was no way he could have predicted the drama filled night he’d experienced. Tapping on his smart phone, Ben alerted his driver that he was ready to leave, and told him to meet him at the back entrance.
Ben needed a bit of time to himself, taking deep breaths as he walked down the narrow sidewalk beside the hotel. His mind was blown, and his heart ached in a way it never had before. Plus, a part of him felt deeply responsible for Katherine’s safety, so knowing she was with someone behaving so aggressively made him uneasy.
His worst fear was that Katherine thought he deserted her. When the big man refused to back down, Ben was ready to do whatever it took to get rid of him, but things had changed with his revelation. There was no way he was going to interfere with a marriage, and that’s what Katherine was in.
Why she hadn’t told him was a mystery that just made no sense. There had been plenty of time in their private moments together to tell him she was married, but Katherine had decided against it. She hid a really major part of her life from him, and the look on her face when her two worlds came clashing together was devastating.
He didn’t know whether to defend or console her. She looked broken, and terrified, but Ben wasn’t sure of what. The man was barking too loudly for anyone to think clearly, and Ben just wanted it all to be over as quickly as possible.
He should have fought harder for her, but he was frozen when she stood silent after Tim said they were married. She didn’t deny it and now Ben walked through the crowded parking garage at the back of the hotel wondering if there was anything more he could have done for her.
She was always meek and he had left her in the hands of a man who didn’t seem to know her worth. Whether he was her husband or not, Ben had watched the man disrespect Katherine, and that was enough for him to dislike the guy.
No matter how he looked at the situation, Ben couldn’t begin to understand why Katherine would be married to such a jerk. She was too special not to know she deserved to be treated like a queen.
“Mr. O’Leary!” A loud call from across the parking garage startled Ben as he turned to see his driver.
“Back to the house,” Ben said, before climbing into
the back seat.
“Is everything okay, sir?” He asked, sounding concerned.
“Yeah.”
After a pregnant pause, the driver closed the door before walking around to the driver’s seat to let himself in. Ben raised the partition as he searched for a little clarity on the way home. He had thought tonight would have a perfect ending—returning home with Katherine to relax as after a night of being sought after as ‘Mr. O’Leary.’ But instead he was going home alone, knowing that his woman was with her husband that he hadn’t know existed.
It was a wild triangle Ben couldn’t believe he had found himself in, trying to get to the bottom of things without causing any further trouble for Katherine. She had to understand how confused he was, so Ben decided against calling her, leaving it up to her to offer any sort of explanation.
But the idea of never hearing from her again brought an awful pain to his stomach. Their relationship had just begun to bloom and now he feared she would be snatched from his life altogether.
The evening clouds finally opened up and the rain trickled down the car window, obstructing Ben’s view of the city. Searching for the silver lining, he told himself the rain represented a clean slate.
It wasn’t that far from the event venue to his home, so the ride was relatively short. Ben’s driver remained concerned about his employer, but maintained his distance when Ben didn’t invite him in, as he was prone to do when he wanted to talk.
“If you need anything, just let me know,” he reminded Ben before leaving for the evening.
Alone in his massive home, Ben felt lonely. More so than he could recall from any other time in his life, his adult life anyway. Things didn’t feel right and he didn’t like not knowing where Katherine was or even that she was okay. He needed answers, but remained helpless without a way to contact her.
