The Perfect Burn_A Thrilling Romantic Suspense

by Madyson Grey

  “I don’t know what I would do without my mama and my husband,” she said, looking at each one. “I wish Daddy were here, too. I miss him so much. But I’m so grateful for both of you. I love you both so much.”

  Both Lena and Rafael assured her of their love for her, too, and they all clung to one another for a long moment.

  “Have you eaten?” Lena inquired after she had recovered from her initial shock.

  “Yes, we had soup and crackers just before you came home,” Rafael told her. “Had I known you’d be home so soon, we could have waited for you. Have you had supper?”

  “No need to wait for me,” Lena said. “I haven’t had any supper, so I’ll just go in and rustle up something for myself, since you two have already eaten. Do you want anything more, or did you have enough?”

  No one could ever say they went hungry as long as Lena had access to a kitchen. She was ever mindful of people and their need for food.

  “I don’t,” Victoria said. “I think I would like a cup of hot chocolate, though. Rafael can make it while you get yourself some supper, won’t you, honey?”

  “Of course, I will, my love,” Rafael said. “I’ve had enough supper, too, but I’ll make me a hot chocolate, too. Might even have a piece of that pecan pie I saw in the fridge. You want one, too, Vic?”

  “Uh, yeah, a real little piece. It does sound good. Comfort food, I think,” Victoria replied.

  So the three of them went into the kitchen. Victoria sat at the table while Rafael made the cocoa and put pie slices onto plates for them, and Lena opened a can of tomato soup and heated it up for herself. She fixed a slice of bread with peanut butter and honey, too. They all sat at the table and talked over the happenings of the past couple of days. Lena told them all about her dad’s fall and trip to the hospital, and of his condition.

  “You should go help Grandma take care of him for a few days after he comes home from the hospital,” Victoria said.

  “I had planned to do that until I got home and saw the shape that you’re in. Now I don’t know who needs me the most,” Lena said.

  “Grandma and Grandpa do,” Victoria said firmly. “I have Rafael to care for me, and I will be all right. Really I will.”

  The pain meds that she had been given had taken away most of the pain and she was able to talk better. She also felt that they were beginning to wear off. It was getting along towards eight o’clock in the evening and she was exhausted. She’d had no sleep the night before. She had been running on adrenalin up until now, but now she was about to crash.

  As soon as she had finished her pie, she excused herself and said she needed to go to bed. Rafael was finished, too.

  “Good night, Mama,” Victoria said, giving her a hug. “I’m so thankful for you.”

  “Good night, honey,” Lena said. “Sleep well. You’re safe now.”

  What she really wanted to do was to go upstairs and tuck Victoria into bed as she had done a number of times when Victoria was little. But she was a married woman now, and it was Rafael’s job to tuck her in. So she resigned herself to just giving Victoria a good night hug.

  The couple took their cups of cocoa that had been topped off up to bed with them. As they got ready for bed Victoria wondered if Rafael would expect her to make love tonight, as they did every night. She really was not up to it yet.

  Not only was she still very sore from her ordeal, she was also repulsed by the very thought of sex at this moment. She hoped it would pass, and pass soon, but for now, she hoped that Rafael would be understanding.

  She needn’t have worried.

  Rafael came over to her where she was looking at herself in the bathroom mirror. She gingerly touched her swollen eye, and then looked woefully at her butchered hair.

  “I’m gonna have to go to a hairdresser tomorrow and see if anyone can do anything with this mess. This looks hideous. I should get a wig to wear out in public until it grows out some,” she told Rafael.

  “I can make that happen,” he told her.

  He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her gently around to face him.

  “I just want you to know that I know you’ve been through something that no woman should ever go through,” he said. “I don’t know how it feels to be raped. I can’t even begin to understand what you must be feeling. But I want you to know that unless and until you want to make love with me, that I won’t pressure you into it. I won’t do anything you aren’t ready for.

  “But you’ll have to be open with me, and tell me what you want and when you want it. I want you to heal inside and out, physically and emotionally, and I hope that someday you will again enjoy making love, and that the memory of this awful experience will fade away.”

  “Oh, Rafael,” Victoria said in an anguished tone. “I feel so repulsed right now by just the thought of sex. But I love you so much, and I know that this will pass, and I will heal, as long as I know you love me and will be patient with me. Right now, I just need you to hold me and make me feel safe.”

  Rafael put his arms around Victoria and held her close for a long moment until she pulled back a little and said, “I’m exhausted. I need to go to bed.”

  So Rafael helped her into bed on her side, and then went around and got in on his side. They sat there in bed and drank their cocoa until the sleeping pill that Victoria had taken kicked in and she could hold her eyes open no longer.

  “Please hold me while I go to sleep,” she implored.

  Rafael held her for a long time after she went to sleep, his mind still churning over the events of the past thirty-six hours or so. Finally, when he knew she was out cold, he slipped out of bed and took an over-the-counter sleep aid so he could get to sleep also.

  Thanks to both the sleeping pills and complete exhaustion, both Rafael and Victoria slept until eight o’clock the next morning. Even then, they both felt a little groggy when they did awaken. Especially Victoria. The pills she had taken were stronger than the OTC ones that Rafael used.

  When Rafael realized what time it was, he forced himself out of bed and went in to take a cool shower in an attempt to clear his head. He had an appointment with the contractor at nine. He barely had time to groom, dress, and gulp down a cup of coffee before heading out the door. Fortunately, his meeting was there on the developing property, and he could quickly cover the three-quarters of a mile on the quad that he’d purchased just for running back and forth from home to the park and back again.

  He arrived at the meeting spot just as Jack Trueblood, the contractor, was getting out of his pickup. They discussed plans for the day, which included laying the foundation for the pioneer farmhouse and the footings for the barn.

  “Missed you yesterday, Rafael,” Jack said casually.

  “Oh, yeah,” Rafael said. “Did you need me? You coulda called.”

  “Not really. Not bad enough to call,” Jack said. “Everything all right?”

  “Not really. We’ve had a rough couple of days.”

  Rafael proceeded to give Jack a condensed version of the occurrences of the past two days. Jack expressed great sympathy for the ordeal, and asked Rafael to pass along his thoughts to Victoria. Then they got down to the business at hand.

  Chapter Seven

  After Rafael left, Lena went upstairs to check on Victoria. Rafael had told her that Victoria was awake, but still in bed. Lena carried a cup of coffee up with her in case Victoria was ready for it. She found her sitting on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands. Victoria looked up when she heard Lena come in through the open bedroom door.

  “Mornin’, Mama,” Victoria said.

  “Mornin’, honey,” Lena replied, crossing the room to sit by her daughter.

  “How’re you feeling this morning?”

  “Awful, just awful,” Victoria moaned. “My head hurts, my face hurts, everything I’ve got hurts. I’ve got to get up and take a pain pill, but I haven’t made it to my feet yet. Is Rafael gone?”

  “Yeah, he had to meet with the contractor
this morning. He left about ten minutes ago. Can I get the pills for you? Where are they?”

  “I think I left them downstairs somewhere in the kitchen. I’m really not sure. They’re here somewhere, but my head is too fuzzy to remember where I left them.”

  “I’ll find them,” Lena assured her. “Do you want to stay in bed or get up?”

  “Oh, I’ll get up in a bit,” Victoria said. “I feel like I need a shower again this morning. I still feel so dirty. I just couldn’t scrub it all off last night.”

  “Oh, baby girl, I’m so sorry,” Lena said, holding Victoria’s hands. “I wish I could make it all better. I’ll go look for your meds while you get in the shower. You’ll feel better afterwards.”

  “I’m sure I will,” Victoria said, pushing up off the bed. “I’ll come down as soon as I’m dressed.”

  “Okay, honey.”

  Lena left the room to go hunt for the elusive pain meds while Victoria got into the shower. After she got out, she brushed her teeth. She examined her bruised face and decided that makeup wouldn’t help much this morning. She tried some, but it almost looked worse than without it.

  She put on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved knit top, shoes and socks, and went downstairs. She didn’t feel up to making the bed. Maybe she would ask Lena to make it for her this once.

  Lena had found her meds by that time, so she took a pain pill with a glass of water. She realized that she was actually hungry, so she asked her mama to cook her some oats. After eating her oats, a piece of toast with peanut butter, and a bowl of applesauce, she did feel a whole lot better. The fact that the pain pill was taking the edge off of her pain helped considerably.

  Victoria didn’t do much that morning except kinda lay around in the family room. She picked up a book she was reading, but with her eye still quite swollen, it was too difficult to read. So she turned on the TV and found a movie to watch. Lena brought her a cup of herbal tea to sip on while she rested.

  “Mama, I hate to ask this, but would you please go up and make our bed? I just didn’t feel like doing it this morning, but I don’t like to leave it unmade.”

  “Of course, honey,” Lena responded warmly. “I’ll be glad to make it for you. If you don’t need anything more down here, I’ll just run up there right now and do it.”

  “Thanks, Mama, I sure appreciate it. Hopefully, I’ll feel better tomorrow.”

  Lena went upstairs and made the bed. Then she went into the bathroom and tidied it up, too. It wasn’t much of a mess, but she straightened the towels and wiped down the sink and countertop. The rest of the master suite looked fine, so she went back downstairs.

  “I think I’ll make a nice pot of vegetable stew for lunch,” she told Victoria. “Does that sound all right to you?”

  “Sounds wonderful,” Victoria said. “Maybe some cornbread, too?”

  “Sure. Cornbread, too,” Lena promised.

  Rafael came back to the house about noon. He sniffed the air appreciatively when he walked into the family room. The aroma of simmering stew and baking cornbread filled the room, making him realize that he was ravenous. He had slept so late that he hadn’t had time to eat breakfast, so he was really hungry now.

  “How’re you doing, honey?” he asked, walking over to where Victoria lounged on the sofa.

  “Not too bad,” she said. “I just feel totally wiped out. Could be the pills I’ve been taking, but everything hurts when the pain pills wear off, so then I take another. I think they make me woozy.”

  “Could be,” Rafael said. “You want to try Tylenol, or something like that instead?”

  “Yeah, maybe. Next time I need one, I’ll just take a couple of Tylenol. See if they work.”

  Rafael leaned over to kiss her gently on the forehead. He was almost afraid to touch her because of all the bruises everywhere. He didn’t want to hurt her, but when he leaned over her, she pulled him to her to kiss him on the lips. Carefully. Her cut lip was still sore, but she needed a kiss anyway. It was a brief one, but one they both needed.

  “Are you hungry? Lena’s got lunch about ready, I think. At least it smells ready,” Victoria said.

  “I am starving,” Rafael said emphatically. “I slept too late to eat breakfast before my appointment with Jack Trueblood this morning.”

  “Poor baby! You must be starved,” Victoria said sympathetically. “Let’s go eat. I’m kinda hungry, too.”

  “By the way, Jack sends his sympathies and hopes you feel better soon.”

  “That’s thoughtful of him. Tell him thank you when you see him next.”

  The two went into the kitchen to find Lena taking the pan of cornbread out of the oven. It looked and smelled so good, that Victoria thought it even made her feel a little better. Soon the three of them were sitting down to steaming bowls of vegetable stew and generous hunks of cornbread slathered in butter and dripping with golden honey.

  “That really hit the spot,” Rafael said, wiping his mouth with a napkin after he had cleaned up seconds. “Thank you, Lena. This was delicious.”

  “Yes, it is, Mama,” Victoria added.

  “You’re welcome,” Lena said beaming. “I love to see people enjoy my cooking.”

  “You’ll love us, then,” Rafael said as he grinned across the table at Lena. “I, for one, enjoy your cooking.”

  “Me, too,” Victoria chimed in. “I think eating has made me feel a little better.”

  She got up from the table and started to pick up her dishes to carry them to the dishwasher.

  “You just let me do that today,” Lena commanded, reaching for the dishes in Victoria’s hands.

  “I can carry my own dishes to the dishwasher,” Victoria protested. “I’m not broken, just badly bent.”

  Rafael chuckled at that remark.

  “Now I know you’re going to be all right,” he said, putting one arm gently around her shoulders.

  “Of course, I will,” Victoria stated matter-of-factly. “I’m too stubborn to let a couple of thugs get the best of me. Now, will you please take me for a walk outdoors, honey? Or do you have something else you need to do now?”

  “Sure, I’ll go for a walk with you,” Rafael said.

  “I’m kinda scared to go outside by myself,” Victoria confessed. “I know it’s silly. Those guys are in jail for one thing, and for another, they probably don’t know where we live. Especially since we just moved recently. But I would just feel better if you’re with me. I don’t want to go far, but I just need some fresh air.”

  “You’re not being silly,” Rafael told her. “You’ve just been through a very traumatic experience. You’re bound to have fears. Rational or not, they’re very real. We’ll get past them together.”

  They both took light jackets out of the coat closet near the front door and put them on before going outside. They walked maybe a quarter of a mile around their property before Victoria tired and wanted to go back inside. While she rested, Rafael tended to some business on the computer that had to do with Thornton Enterprise.

  He had two main things he wanted to accomplish that afternoon. One was to advertise that there was an empty unit in the strip mall in Long Beach that would soon be vacated. The adult bookstore manager was in jail. As it was a franchise, the parent company had been notified to come pack up their inventory and get it out of the building.

  The other thing was to work on legally changing the name of Thornton Enterprise to Thornton-Rivera Enterprises, Inc. He and Victoria had discussed names at length, and finally settled on this one. They both felt that the Thornton name had such long-standing distinction that they should keep it. But they both wanted to add Rivera to the name, too. So those to projects were his mission for that afternoon.

  While he was working, Victoria called a couple of beauty salons to inquire about having a hairdresser come out to their house to do her hair. She was very self-conscious of the way she looked, and so hoped to find someone who would come to her to try to do something with the mess the kidnappers had ma
de of her hair.

  On the third try, she found a pleasant-sounding woman who said she would be glad to make a house call. She was free that afternoon at three-thirty, so she would see Victoria then. After giving directions to her house, Victoria hung up to wait for the woman to come.

  Shelly Cobb rang the doorbell of the Rivera home at precisely three-thirty. Lena answered the door and let Shelly in. After introductions, Lena took her into the family room where Victoria was reclining on the sofa. She got up when the other two women entered the room.

  Shelly tried not to gasp when she saw Victoria, but it was hard to keep from it.

  “Pretty bad, isn’t it?” Victoria said with a wry smile. “I’m Victoria, and you must be Shelly.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Victoria,” Shelly said, crossing the room to shake hand with Victoria. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually react like that to a stranger. What happened to you, if you don’t mind me asking.”

  “I was kidnapped, beaten, and raped on Monday. Plus they chopped my hair off every time I gave them an answer they didn’t like. I know I look hideous, so don’t feel bad. I know—Mama show Shelly a picture of me, so she knows what I really look like. I don’t want her to have only this impression of me.”

  “Good idea,” Lena replied and hustled off to take a recent portrait of the couple off of the upstairs wall where it hung. She returned with it in just a minute and handed it to Shelly to look at.

  “Oh, my!” Shelly exclaimed. “You are beautiful! Those guys really did a number on your hair, didn’t they? And your face. Well, let’s see what I can do with your hair. Where do you want me to work?”

  She handed the photograph back to Lena.

  “I think the kitchen is as good a place as any. There’s plenty of room in there. I have a stepstool I can sit on. And the sink is handy if you need it.”

  The three women went into the kitchen to set up for the haircut. Lena made a place on the counter where Shelly could set her travel kit while Victoria retrieved the stepstool from its resting place and set it in the middle of the floor. She sat down on the stool and Shelly placed a cape around her.