by BJ Wane
Kenny pulled over and parked several houses down from the address of the woman who had become the bane of his existence. Finally, he thought, relieved when he saw the large truck that had been in the neighbors drive the last several nights was gone. He had waited almost a week after the botched mugging to attempt a break-in, knowing she would be more cautious after his theft of her purse, only to find she was never alone late at night. The man he had spotted entering her place more than once was big and tended to keep a vigilant eye around her place, definitely not someone he wanted to tangle with.
He wished he could risk leaving work and get this done during the day when there was a better chance of both of them being gone, but that would require taking a full day off so he could sit and wait for her to leave and that would leave him with no alibi if he needed one. Jackie was sitting in their apartment, ready to swear he hadn’t left it all night if need be. He was still debating the wisdom of making this one last effort to get hold of any incriminating pictures this Hannah Hershberger might have. It’s been several weeks since Connor’s body was found and so far, no one seemed to be looking for him. On the contrary, according to the last news report, which was days ago, the police still had no leads or suspects to follow up on.
But Kenny has never been one to leave his fate up to chance. The coast looked clear, the woman’s house dark and deserted, as well as the neighbor’s. Why risk her eventually hearing about the murder then putting two and two together when he could be in and out of her place in thirty minutes? He’s been committing B and E’s since he was twelve, knew how to pick any lock and disable any alarm. If he hadn’t grown so fond of snorting coke, he would’ve stuck with home robberies and never had to do that stint for possession that still gave him nightmares.
Checking the street, he saw it was clear and got out of his car. Dressed in black head to toe, if anyone was up at this hour and happened to spot him, they wouldn’t be able to identify him. It took him only seconds to cut off the electricity, less than a minute to get in through the basement window despite the lock, and thirty seconds more to disable the backup alarm right before it went off. “Damn I’m good,” he praised himself as he went upstairs to look for an office and her computer as well as her camera.
Hannah was still reeling from hurt and uncertainty as she pulled into her drive. Not bothering to drive into the garage, she got out and walked on shaky legs to the front door, dismayed that Mitch hadn’t thought to leave the porch light on. Fumbling with her keys in the dark, she managed to get in only to discover the lights were out in the whole house. “Oh….damn!” she muttered as she groped for the small entryway table and rooted for the flashlight that was kept there. “Great, now I’m cursing. What other vices am I going to succumb to?” she wondered aloud. She had to admit, at this moment it felt damn good to vent her frustration, especially since she didn’t know how to assuage the guilt or the sadness plaguing her over how the night ended. She didn’t even want to contemplate about what the future might hold.
She aimed the flashlight ahead of her as she moved down the hall, intending to get Roxy from her crate when two things happened simultaneously; she remembered Roxy had been staying at Mitch’s when she was gone, crate free lately, and the electricity suddenly came back on, the small lamp she left on in the great room casting a dull amber glow that did little to lift the darkness everywhere else.
A sound from the kitchen drew her attention and added to the disquiet of the house. Panic threatened and the urge to run assailed her when she heard footsteps, but when she saw a man dressed all in black come towards her, surprise and fear kept her rooted in place.
“I know you,” she gasped before she realized her mistake.
Kenny swore, cursing his fucking luck. First he forgot to flip the electricity back on before coming up from the basement and now he was confronted by the very person he was trying to avoid. Her startled acknowledgement of his identity made his heart hammer with anxiety and as she turned to flee, all he could think was he had to stop her.
Hannah turned to run only to feel her head jerked back by her hair, then the man she remembered seeing at the Arboretum was pulling her around and the side of her face exploded in a fiery burst of pain as he backhanded her. The blow knocked her against the wall before she slid to the floor, terror a huge knot lodged in her throat as she struggled to rise.
“What do you want?” she managed to gasp, wondering what on earth she had done to make this man hate her so.
“Do you have me on film, you fucking bitch?” he snarled in her face as he stooped down in front of her, preventing her from standing.
“What are you…oh?” Like a light bulb snapping on, Hannah had a sudden flash of memory, recalling the picture she had caught of him coming out of the closed off garden that day at the Arboretum. But for the life of her, she couldn’t imagine why that would matter to him. “Yes, but why…” Her inquiry ended on a scream that tore through the air when he stood and delivered a brutal kick to her abdomen, his face mottled with rage.
“Fucking bitch, I knew it! Where is it?” Kenny demanded, his frustration and anger blinding him to her pale, pain-filled face and deafening him to the sound of a vehicle door slamming shut out front as he kicked her again. “Tell me, God damn it, before I cut you like I did Connors.” Withdrawing his knife from his boot, he had no time to spill her blood like he was itching to do before the front door was thrown open and he was faced with a madman.
Hannah’s scream made his blood run cold as Mitch got out of his truck. Calling her name, he ran next door and burst in to see an intruder standing over her wielding a knife, a shocked look on his face at his sudden interference. “You son of a bitch,” Mitch swore very softly when he noted the red swelling on Hannah’s face and her shocked, pain-filled eyes. Without thinking, he struck out with his foot, knocking the knife from the man’s hand before taking him to the floor.
The smaller man was no match for Mitch’s size and strength, not to mention his rage, and with only two heavy fisted punches to his face backed by anger fueled adrenaline, he was knocked out cold. Rising, he quickly turned to Hannah, his face paling when she cried out in agony, blood running down her legs.
Agonizing pain, sharp and jabbing like an icicle, lodged in her pelvis right before Hannah felt a warm gush of blood between her thighs. She fought to even her breathing as ice cold terror took hold of her. “Mitch, oh God, it hurts,” she moaned as the pain spread to encompass her whole abdomen. Mitch’s face swam before her as white dots danced before her eyes right before the room spun and everything went black.
“Jesus, Hannah,” Mitch moaned as he quickly dialed 911. Praying she’d wake up and scold him for blaspheming, he ran and found some towels. But she didn’t move, and no matter how tightly he held the towels between her legs, the blood kept coming. Guilt and remorse threatened his composure as he remembered the broken condom and realized Hannah must have gotten pregnant. Apparently her husband had been the one with the infertility problem. Sirens hailed the approach of the police and ambulance, and just in time. The mother fucker who had hurt her was rousing and Mitch knew if the police hadn’t just arrived he’d be going at him with his fists again. Now, all he could do was pray there would be no permanent physical damage to Hannah because of his assault. The emotional damage was a given, but he would bear that burden with her and vowed they would get through this together.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Hershberger,” the doctor told Hannah, his hand on her shoulder feeling more like a lead weight than a comforting clasp. “If it’s any consolation, you’re going to be fine and there’s no reason you can’t get pregnant again.”
Hannah knew he meant to be reassuring, but right now the pain of her loss was too acute to care about anything else. “When can I leave, doctor?”
“In the morning, if you feel up to it. The police are waiting to take your statement then someone will be in shortly to take you to your room. Rest is the best medicine right now. In a few days, you’ll never know you
were pregnant.”
She’ll know, Hannah thought dully, she’ll know and remember how she lost a miracle before she even knew one had been granted her. She managed to stay awake long enough to talk to the police and promise to get the picture with her assailant caught in the background to them. They mentioned a murdered victim being found in the Arboretum whose death coincided with the day she and Melanie were there and they suspected the attempted car break-in and her mugging were attempts to get her camera to destroy any incriminating photos. Thankfully, whatever was in the IV bag hanging above her was potent, and she felt her lids drooping by the time they left, the pain ebbing with each drip. Miscarrying after spending more than a decade thinking she couldn’t conceive was enough emotional trauma to deal with, she really didn’t want to dwell on how close she had been when a murder had taken place or how she had caught the murderer on film.
She barely recalled the ambulance ride to the hospital, but she did remember hearing Mitch’s angry voice making demands that were continually denied. Hannah was just thinking she wasn’t ready to face him again when the curtain to the emergency room cubicle parted and he stood before her. He looked as ravaged as she felt, but somehow she couldn’t rouse herself enough to care right now. Right now, all she wanted was the oblivion the medicine was promising her.
“I’m tired, Mitch. I don’t feel like talking right now. Do you mind?”
Her blue eyes were full of pain and unquenchable sorrow, her voice little more than a broken whisper adding to Mitch’s guilt. A myriad of emotions engulfed him, the foremost was a feeling of such profound depth he hesitated to give it such a mundane label as love. In a few short weeks, the pure, wholesome girl next door had wiggled so deeply under his skin, he knew she was there to stay. But now wasn’t the time to discuss their future.
“I’ll go up with you, stay the night.”
He had that tone, the one that brooked no argument, the one that usually curled her toes and dampened her vagina, the one she never argued with. Until now. “No, but thank you for the offer. Please Mitch, give me some time.”
Mitch had no choice but to step aside when two orderlies came in to take her upstairs to her room. He walked with them to the elevator then squeezed her hand as he bent over and kissed her. “I’ll be back, sweetheart.”
Hannah awoke the next morning with nothing more than a dull ache in her lower abdomen and a loss that pulled at her like a noose around her neck, threatening to suffocate her. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to go home to the comfort of her roots and her family. No matter her sins, she knew she’d always be welcomed back home. She held onto that reassurance as if it was a lifeline tossed to her in a sea of chaotic emotions.
She had just signed the dismissal papers and was about to call a cab when Anna, Olivia and Kayla came in. Hannah cringed inwardly as they expressed their condolences and worry, wishing she had been able to escape the hospital without seeing anyone.
“What can we do?” Anna asked her. They all watched helplessly as Hannah struggled back into the white leather miniskirt and stretchy top, refusing their help.
“I could use a ride back to Aunt Mary’s house,” Hannah said, ignoring the way the simple task of getting dressed left her drained. With her mind set on returning to Ohio as soon as possible, she no longer thought of her aunt’s house as home.
“Sure, sweetie,” Olivia told her as she cast questioning looks at her sisters-in-law. “But wouldn’t you rather wait for Mitch? He was heading up here as soon as he dropped your camera off with the police.”
“No.” Hannah answered more sharply than she had intended, but Mitch was the last person she wanted to see right now. In a softer tone, she said, “Please, I just want to get out of here.” She knew better than to reveal her plan to pack her things and leave as soon as she called Aunt Mary and got her permission to take her car to Ohio.
“What’d Mitch do?” Kayla asked accusingly despite finding it hard to believe he had been anything but supportive last night. They all saw the protective and possessive way Mitch had watched over Hannah at the club and knew he was as gone over her as their husbands were over them.
“Nothing,” Hannah said, refusing to let them believe anything bad of Mitch who had been as supportive as he has been since the day she met him. Has it really been only a couple of weeks? That was hard to believe considering the impact he has had on her life. “He saved me and I’ll always be grateful to him for that.”
“I think, no, I know Mitch wants more from you than gratitude,” Anna told her as an orderly wheeled her downstairs with the three of them following.
Hannah didn’t comment until she was in Olivia’s car and they had pulled away from the hospital. “Right now, I don’t have any more to give anyone. Please try to understand. Growing up in a peaceful community, I never had to deal with anything like this, not even as a bystander.”
“Not to mention losing your baby,” Kayla said, refusing to let her keep silent about the trauma she suspected affected Hannah the most. “That would devastate any of us.”
Devastate didn’t begin to cover her emotional turmoil, but Hannah lapsed into silence, instinctively knowing her well-meaning friends won’t let up if she didn’t. She thanked them for the ride and sent them on with a promise to call tomorrow. When Mitch showed up at her door a few minutes later, bringing an ecstatic Roxy with him, she gave him the same promise, except it was harder not to cave in front of Mitch than it had been in front of her friends. But, like a thief in the night, Hannah broke both promises after resting most of the day then packing her few belongings and getting on the road home just after midnight. A pang of longing as well as a plague of second thoughts struck her as she backed out of the drive past Mitch’s truck. But neither deterred her from silently returning to where she belonged.
Mitch watched Hannah drive away, his frustration and sorrow eating a hole in his gut. That rigid independent streak she has when it comes to dealing with problems on her own that he has always admired now pissed him off. Hannah had never asked him for anything except sex, never expected anything more than sex and now that she needed more, she was leaving. He didn’t confront her when she refused to see him, refused to talk to him and didn’t pursue her now. In less than twenty-four hours, she was subjected to the depths of his sexual domination, confronted by a jealous ex-lover, attacked in her own home and lost a baby she hadn’t even known she was carrying yet. Any one of those happenings would have sent most women running. Suffering all of them at once had to be devastating, and for someone of Hannah’s faith and strict moral background, doubly so. He instinctively knew there was nothing he could say or do at this point that would help her cope beyond offering her comfort, besides that, he needed time to deal with his own guilt over what had befallen her. If he was struggling with forgiving himself for his neglect with not only the condom, but in not paying more attention to what was happening in Hannah’s life other than planning for their next sexual encounter, then how could he expect her to forgive him?
Sighing in regret and worry, he stepped away from his bedroom window where he had watched Hannah drive out of his life without looking back. When he stopped at the police department with Hannah’s camera this morning and showed them the picture she had inadvertently taken of her assailant right after the murder at the Arboretum, they had connected all the dots and had Kenny Gonzalez cold for murder as well as the attacks on Hannah. She was free from further threats and harm from him, but not the results of his attack. Although not as acutely as Hannah, Mitch too felt the loss of their unborn child, surprised at how desirable having a child with Hannah was. He hadn’t thought past his growing feelings for Hannah and the determination to keep her in his life. Now, the thought of making not only a home, but a family with her excited him as much as having sex with her has each and every time they were together.
Watching Hannah discover her sexuality as a mature woman had been as exciting as slowly unwrapping a gift to reveal the surprise inside, savoring the
anticipation as each layer peeled off came closer to revealing the prize. The only question remaining was, how damaged did the events of last night and his neglect leave Hannah and what would he have to do to overcome both? He knew one of her biggest hurdles was coming to terms with how she responded to not only him last night, but to Colin and Jason being a part of giving her such pleasure. He suspected the longer she was away and dwelt on all that had happened the more likely it was she would look at her attack and miscarriage as some sort of penance for what she perceived as her sins.
Even though, in his opinion, nothing could be further from the truth, he had to consider how much he was willing to give up for her if she refused to return to the club, given that she’d be willing to return to Lexington at all. Mitch stripped and slid into bed, missing her soft body already as well as the pesky, tongue licking ball of fur that had wormed her way into his heart as surely as Hannah had. Could he give up the club as well as his more dominate sexual preferences for Hannah, a woman who was still uncomfortable with words like pussy and cock? Lying there in the dark, remembering the little catch in her voice when she starts to orgasm, the surprised pleasure that lights up her eyes each and every time she bursts with pleasure, as if she can’t believe it’s happening again, the stunned glazed look on her face when she comes down to earth, the more important question was, could he live without ever bringing Hannah such pleasure again?
The answer was a swift, unequivocal ‘no’. So, he would give her a little time and space then do what he had to to see she returned to where she belonged, with him, in his life and his bed.
Chapter Seventeen
Epilogue
Two Weeks Later
Nothing felt right, Hannah thought as she picked up a stick and tossed it for Roxy. No matter how hard she tried to immerse herself back into her Amish life, nothing felt the same. Her old clothes felt confining and hot, making her wonder how she stood them in this heat for so many years. She loved being outdoors, tending the livestock and working in Grandma’s garden, but she missed the excitement of meeting new people who wanted to hire her to photograph their special event, had liked being able to give them a lasting memento for them to cherish. She enjoyed walking around and visiting with old friends but missed her new friends. The simpler way of life here was peaceful, but she missed the challenges she had faced and conquered living on her own in Lexington as well as the modern conveniences in Aunt Mary’s kitchen. How quickly she had gotten used to putting together a meal or dessert from scratch with the help of all the fancy small appliances that her grandmother never even heard of.
