by R. Linda
“What happened to them? I mean I know they’re de-dead, but…”
“You replaced them, that’s all you need to know,” I told her, thinking back to a year-and-a-half ago when he brought Sally home.
She was meant to become my wife. He had followed her home from the train station one night and brought her back here. She had a lot of fight in her and she refused to back down. She was leaving this house one way or another; unfortunately for her, she left here with lungs full of water.
Sally, after punching me in the face and attempting to smash my father over the head with a saucepan, failed to meet his expectations. He wasn’t convinced that she would ever make me happy, so he drowned her in the kitchen sink. That was the first time Kat helped me get rid of a body. Sally ended up at the bottom of the lake.
Lucy let out a soft cry and squeezed her eyes shut. She looked pale and sick like she was about to throw up.
“Hendrix, I don’t want to die. Please don’t let him kill me. I’ll do anything, just please don’t let me die,” she begged, gripping my shirt tight in her fingers.
“I won’t. You will be fine, okay. Just follow Kat’s lead and stick close to me. I won’t let him hurt you,” I told her, wrapping my arms around her to provide some comfort as we sat down on the bed, surprised that she didn’t push me away. “Just, please, make it believable. He’s screwed in the head, so if you act well enough, he’ll think it’s real.”
She was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably now as the reality of the situation fully sank in. Earlier, it was just conversation, but now it was going to happen.
She had just fallen asleep in my arms when the garage door crashed open. He was cursing and throwing things. It was only when there was a loud crash in the hall just above Lucy’s room did she wake up. I’d stupidly left the basement door open and Lucy’s too.
“What’s going—” she started to ask, but I covered her mouth with my hand to keep her quiet.
She nodded her head in understanding. I rushed over to lock her door, knowing it was too late for the basement door. I didn’t want him trying to get in here while he was drunk. Who knew what he would do?
I heard his footsteps on the stairs first, then Lucy’s breath hitched as she realised he was coming. The door handle started rattling when he tried to open it.
“I know you’re in there, you little bastard. Bring your girlfriend out to meet me properly,” he shouted and laughed through the door.
Lucy’s eyes widened in fear, she pulled her knees up to her chest as she watched the door shake. I sat back down next to her and wrapped my arm around her again. He wouldn’t get inside her room, not in the state he was in.
“He’s drunk. It should be over soon. He’ll pass out or find something else to do. He can’t get in here,” I whispered to her before bringing my hands up and covering her ears so she didn’t have to listen to him anymore.
The yelling and screaming and crashing lasted for another twenty minutes, muffled slightly by the sound-proofed walls, but I just sat silently with Lucy and waited. When it was finally quiet, I removed my hands from her ears.
“He scares me so much, Hendrix,” she whispered through her tears.
“I know, love. He scares me too,” I admitted to her, shifting so she could lie down.
“Get some sleep. I’m going to sleep right here on the floor, okay, so he won’t bother you.”
“Thank you.” She sniffed and pulled the covers up to her ears, rolling over to face the wall.
I slumped down beside the bed and hugged my knees to my chest, knowing I wouldn’t get any sleep. I just hoped he’d passed out or gone to bed before finding Kat in my room.
Hendrix
SOME TIME THROUGH the night, Kat had woken up. I could faintly hear her pottering around the basement through the crack under the door, probably cleaning and tidying up since she had slept the entire day. I took the chance to check on her while Lucy was asleep and Ray was passed out.
“You okay?” I asked, keeping my voice low when I made my way into the kitchen where Kat was washing the rest of the dinner dishes.
“Yes.” She turned to smile at me and I knew it was only masking her pain, but she had become so good at hiding her emotions and her pain that I almost believed it was a genuine smile.
“Want to talk about it?” I asked her, curious as to why my father had suddenly decided to beat her that badly.
“I was just stupid, Hendrix. A mistake. It was nothing; won’t happen again. How’s Lucy?”
“Terrified. I explained everything to her.” I watched Kat’s eyes widen in surprise and her mouth fall open.
“And?” she asked, biting into her lip, looking almost hopeful.
“You need to teach her everything she needs to know to keep him happy. We’re having a family dinner tomorrow to formally introduce them.”
“So, she’s agreed?” Kat asked. I shrugged my shoulders in response. She had no other choice. It was agree or die.
“She doesn’t want to die. She’ll do whatever it takes to live.” I hated that it had to be that way, but we didn’t have any other options.
“This isn’t living, Hendrix. This is surviving.” She shook her head and dried her hands on a towel before coming over and grabbing my shoulders. “I’ll help her as much as I can. Go get some rest. We’ve got a big day,” she said in a motherly tone. I kissed her head and walked back down to Lucy’s room, locking the door behind me.
In the morning, after my father had got his hung-over self up and into the shop, I let Kat into Lucy’s room. She was armed with a suitcase full of clothes that I’d pulled out of the spare room, along with various other girly things I didn’t understand. To be honest, some of the things she had in her hands looked like torture devices—things my father would find pleasure in using on me.
“It’s a curling iron, Hendrix, for your hair,” Kat said, waving these round metal tong things in my face, but all I heard was iron, which was enough to make me jump back away from her as I began to feel the burning pain on my lower back. A pain so real it felt like it was happening all over again.
Ray had come home from work one day and was not happy with the way I was presented. My shirt was too wrinkled, and I looked like a slob. I never did anything right and if he wanted me to look neat and clean then he had to do it himself, he’d said.
He decided to teach me how to iron my shirt properly—while I was still wearing it. That was the worst pain I had ever experienced; so bad I blacked out from it. A red-hot iron pressed into my back fusing the material from my shirt into my flesh resulted in third-degree burns, and the only time I had ever been to the emergency room for treatment.
“Oh, Hendrix, I’m sorry. I didn’t…” Kat started to apologise when she saw the look on my face, dropping the tongs instantly and taking a step closer to me. I held up my hand to stop her.
“It’s okay,” I reassured her with a smile before leaving her alone with Lucy so I could go and help my father in the shop. I didn’t want Lucy asking any questions, it’d only scare her more.
He didn’t like me to interact with the customers too much, so as soon as I got out there, I slipped the greasy overalls on and went to work on one of the cars on the hoist. I didn’t come out from under that car until it was time to go back and get lunch. Slipping my overalls off and scrubbing my hands, I made sure I was clean before opening the door to the house. My father seemed to be in a good mood today. I could hear him laughing from the office as I shut the door, effectively blocking out all sound between the house and the workshop.
The sounds of soft chatter drifted down the hall, coming from the kitchen, and I made my way to the voices. It was strange hearing two gentle voices; the house was usually eerily silent. I peered around the door and could hardly believe what I saw. If it wasn’t for their hair colour, I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between Kat and Lucy. Lucy was standing there with Kat, helping her prepare lunch, and she looked every bit the way my father would expect her
to. The heels, the dress, the apron, the hair curled and pinned back. She looked perfect.
“Stop gawking, Hendrix,” Kat said over her shoulder, turning to smirk at me.
“How did you—” I wondered how she knew I was there.
“I heard you gasp. What do you think?” she asked as she gently grabbed Lucy’s shoulders and turned her around to face me.
“Lucy, you look lovely.” I smiled at her and slowly stepped into the kitchen, still cautious of how afraid she was to be there. I didn’t blame her. I was terrified most of the time too.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Kat’s a great teacher. It will take a bit of getting used to; I’ve never worn clothes like this, or this much make-up, but if…”
She stopped talking, and I moved closer to her. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re doing great. He will be pleased. Just do what Kat says, answer his questions, don’t say anything out of turn and stick close by me. Okay? If you can convince him tonight, every other day will be easier, yeah?”
I looked to Kat for reassurance that it would be easier for her after tonight. She nodded slightly.
“Well, we’ve had the whole appearance lesson already. Lucy knows how to do her make-up and hair and what to wear. I was showing her around the kitchen and how I prepare meals. Then, after lunch, I will teach her my daily routine and chores and show her how to make dinner. Tonight will be a special one.” Kat smiled and picked up a plate of sandwiches, passing them to me. The perfect wife, in my father’s eyes meant a Stepford wife; a traditional fifties homemaker. He was old fashioned.
“Okay, thanks for lunch,” I said before looking at Lucy, “I know it’s hard but relax; you’re going to be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you. We will get through it.” I left the girls in the kitchen to finish their lessons.
Lucy was going to be great. She just had to get through tonight. Tonight would be the hardest, and I just hoped I could help her do it. I had to help her do it. If he didn’t think she was right, it would be game over for her. I’d grown too attached to her over the weeks I spent in the bar talking to her. I couldn’t let him hurt her.
My father was still in his office when I returned with lunch. I knocked on his door and waited for him to call out to me. I was surprised when he opened the door for me with a huge smile on his face.
“Well, well, well, boy. Looks like you did something right for a change.” He laughed. I had honestly never seen him look so pleased, but I had no idea what I had done.
My eyes drifted to the monitors on the wall that were easily hidden by a drop-down screen should my father have a meeting in his office or something. The girls were busy tidying up the kitchen and my father was watching appreciatively. I tore my gaze away before I made myself sick. I hated that he watched everything.
“I brought lunch,” I said as I tried to ignore his greedy eyes and his statement about me doing something right.
“Never mind that. We should be celebrating,” he said, sitting down and putting his feet up on the desk.
He opened the drawer beside him and pulled out two thick cigars, lighting one and passing it to me before lighting his own. He had never once offered me a cigar or declared a celebration like this. I had no idea what was going on, but I took the cigar and gratefully inhaled, letting the smoke burn as it filled my lungs.
“Seems you’ve gone and got yourself a good one this time.” He smiled and took a long puff of his cigar. This time? He was the one who had picked all the girls in the past, not me.
“A good one, sir?” I questioned, feeling uneasy, my stomach began to twist itself into knots. It was never a good thing if he was pleased. It usually meant hell to pay for us. He didn’t answer me. Instead, he picked up the newspaper that rested on his desk and threw it at me. I looked from it to him and saw him smiling in an encouraging way, so I slowly unfolded the paper and laid it on the desk in front of me. My jaw dropped. That was not good—not good at all. But for as many reasons as it was not good, it was also great.
The headline of the paper in front of me read: “Senator’s Daughter Missing.”
Lucy was the goddamn senator’s daughter. There was a picture of her across the front page and a whole article describing how she was last seen at work a week ago, how her family were worried about her as no contact had been made, and how they were appealing to the public for help.
Fuck. This was bad.
All that publicity, a senator’s daughter, for God’s sake.
But it was good. Judging by the expression that was plastered across my father’s face right then, it was good for Lucy. She was valuable to him, which meant he wouldn’t be in any rush to get rid of her. He wouldn’t want to risk losing her. He could cash in on her. Maybe demand a ransom or something. However, this also meant there was most definitely someone looking for her. Someone with money and power—and a means to end it all.
“She’s going to make you very happy, son. I can feel it.” He laughed and clapped his hands together. “She’s almost royalty. Whew!” He hooted, and I gulped. I needed to speak to Lucy about this.
“Go on, get outta here, boy. Go see your woman. And make sure your mother is preparing for dinner,” he said. I didn’t need to be told twice. I jumped from my seat and quickly made my way back into the house.
We were screwed. She was the daughter of an important political member. Every bloody cop in the state would be looking for her. And that was great. She might have a chance at freedom. But it was bad for me and for Ray. If we were caught, we’d get life in prison for sure. There’s no way they’d stop looking after they found Lucy. They’d investigate everything. Every missing person over the last however many years. It would all tie back to Ray… and me.
Kat and Lucy were cleaning the bathroom when I barged in there. “You’re the senator’s daughter?”
Lucy spun around to face me, eyes wide with fear. “How did you find that out?”
“The newspaper, Lucy. Your face is plastered over the front of every goddamn paper in the country.”
“Relax, Hendrix. This isn’t Lucy’s fault.” Kat stood up and moved between Lucy and me in a protective way. Did she think I was going to hurt her?
I sighed and dropped my head. Running a hand over my face, I looked back up at Lucy, who seemed to be confused. “I’m sorry, Lucy; it just threw me that’s all. Ray is beyond happy right now. He thinks you’re royalty. He’s going to love you, and that scares me as much as him hating you. I wish I’d known earlier.”
“Scares you? Why?” Lucy asked before pausing for a second. “You know what? Don’t tell me. I haven’t spoken to my family in months, maybe even a year. We lost contact. They know nothing about me. They don’t care about me. The election is coming up soon, so my father probably thought he could use this to his advantage.”
“It’s okay; we’ll deal with it. As for Ray, he wants a celebratory dinner. A feast,” I explained to Kat, glad that Lucy didn’t want to know why Ray loving her could be as bad as him hating her, yet somewhat relieved that her family didn’t care about her. Maybe they wouldn’t look too hard.
All I could do was hope that Ray didn’t suddenly decide that he wanted Lucy. It was something he would do—deciding that he was head of the household and he was entitled to keep the royalty to himself.
I helped the girls with the rest of the chores and preparing dinner. While they served it up, I set the table and made iced tea. We were just taking a breather when we heard the door open and my father’s heavy footsteps in the hall.
“Let’s do this,” Kat whispered from the other side of Lucy as I reached down and grabbed her shaking hand.
“I don’t think I can,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. Her hand twitched in mine as though she were fighting the urge to pull away.
“You can,” I reassured with a gentle squeeze to the hand I was holding.
“No-no, I…” She shook her head. Her breathing picked up. She was panicking.
“Hey, remember one thing, okay?” I
moved to stand in front of her and tilted her face up to look at me.
“W-what?”
“Remember how you felt about me before I brought you here. Remember the bar and the way we danced. Remember the flirting and the butterflies in your stomach and remember I came back every night because I liked you. Remember you felt it too before I ruined things. Okay?” I pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and she stiffened in my arms but nodded. It was probably a terrible idea to remind her of the way she felt before I kidnapped her, but those feelings were real. I knew that, and she knew that. If she could tap into those, she’d have no trouble at all convincing my father this was real.
“Okay.”
Hendrix
I MOVED BACK to Lucy’s side and grabbed her hand again. The contact of my hand on hers made her flinch momentarily before her fingers tightened around mine in a vice-like grip. I glanced down at our joined hands and saw her white knuckles. She was terrified, and with every heavy thud of his boots down the hall, her breathing became shallower and shallower. But at least she wasn’t shying away from me.
“Deep breaths, Lucy. It’s okay,” I whispered as we waited for him to appear in the dining room.
She trembled beside me, her nails tearing into the skin on my hand. It seemed like his walk from the front door to the dining room was never going to end. Time just seemed to stop and all there was, was the thud, thud, thud of his feet slowly bringing him into the room.
“Well, well, well. It’s about time you showed that pretty little face of yours and introduced yourself.” He sneered at Lucy when he finally rounded the doorway. I didn’t like the look in his eyes one bit as they slowly raked over her from head to toe. I angled my body slightly in front of Lucy to shield her from him as I introduced them.
“This is Lucy,” I said to him, trying to keep my face relaxed as a smile spread over his face. “Lucy, this is Ray, my father.” I rubbed soothing circles on her hand to keep her from freaking out.
