Mandy began slamming the back of her head against the metal cot frame. She prayed for a quick death while she also prayed for Jett's understanding and forgiveness. She knew deep down, Jett was her soul mate even if he was not aware of it. She honestly thought she could play David's game and be patient, but patience had never been her strong point. The flashbacks just kept on coming as she waited for nice David to turn into monster David.
"Stop that right now, Melissa!" David screamed in a combination of fear and anger.
"No! See you in hell, asshole!" Broken insanity overruled fear for Mandy.
David rushed forward and pulled Mandy down the cot to slam her head on a pillow then decided for her own safety to break both of her forearms. He deafened himself to her screams of agony. No one else could hear her. He'd seen to that.
After Mandy fell unconscious, David felt it safe to leave her to retrieve some medical supplies at a pharmacy he had seen close by. Her brain injury made her mental and he believed she would come around eventually. He would make her love him again, even if that meant beating it out of her. He hopped on his new motorcycle registered under an associate's name and took off.
Twelve
"IT’S BEEN FOUR days Rylan with no sign of her. Maybe she really is with him by choice. What she believes I did to her was so terrible that she doesn't want to reach out to me. So don't you dare tell me that I can't drink myself unconscious!" Jett roared drunkenly.
He knew with it being past the forty-eight hours, there was a damn good chance, she was not going to be found alive. Yet deep down, his soul refused to let her go, refused to believe her dead. The worst-case scenarios possible haunted his mind. He was a complete mess. He wanted to remain strong for Mandy, but after three days of hearing Rylan's department members say that Mandy had either has been killed or had run away, all of his fears had been incited and overwhelmed him. He just needed a day to decompress but Rylan was not going to let him have it.
"Do you love her, really love her, Jett?" Rylan asked.
"God damn straight I do. What kind of question is that?"
"Then get off your ass, sober up and get out there and keep looking for her. You share a special bond and she needs you more than ever right now. And you are failing her miserably." Rylan growled. "Have you even stopped to consider that maybe she is terribly hurt and the thought of you rescuing her is the only thing giving her the strength to hold on and stay alive?" Rylan scolded Jett, trying to pull him out of his inebriation.
"There are clues to her whereabouts Jett. We just need one damn break. Unless you want me to tell Mandy you were having a self-pity party while she was fighting for her very life, get your fucking ass up right now." Rylan growled in anger and disdain.
"You wouldn't dare." Jett glared at his brother.
"Damn straight I will. You now have ten seconds Jett." Just then, Rylan's cell phone rang. It was the department calling with the break they needed. David was at a pharmacy getting a large amount of bandages, antibiotic creams, and splints. He ordered his officers to keep the man under surveillance with the undercover car. Further informed them, if they allowed David Smith out of their sight, it would be the last thing they ever did for the department.
After hearing only Rylan's side of the conversation, Jett sobered right up. Adrenaline flooded through his body when he realized that David Smith had been found and prayed Mandy was still alive. "You're not going without me!" Jett growled, his eyes furious as his anger surged to the forefront and his hands clenched into fists.
"You have mere seconds to clean yourself up." Rylan rushed about in Jett's living room while he called in all available units to meet up with them. There was no way that mass murderer, David Smith, was going to get away. Not on his shift. He'd been informed that David was holed up in an abandoned warehouse that was owned by none other than Xavier. Rylan's suspicions had come true and that made this even more dangerous.
"Let's go. I have some bad news for you about Xavier. I will explain on the way."
"What the hell does Xavier have to do with this, Rylan?"
"Get in the damn car Jett. We need to go. If Mandy is with David and Xavier, there's a good chance she's been severely harmed and traumatized. She is only to going to allow someone she trusts near her and even then you will have to break through the trauma." Rylan explained from experience. He walked out and into the elevator leaving Jett full of fear and questions as they left the club and raced off into the day.
When they arrived at the warehouse, it took everything Rylan had along with the help of several other officers, to keep Jett from storming into the warehouse looking for Mandy. In the end, they locked Jett up in the back of the police car swearing, kicking and spitting mad while the team stormed the place to arrest David Smith.
Inside the warehouse, David was armed and refused to surrender until he heard Mandy's weak voice begging him to. She screamed at the police officers to shut the fuck up or she would fuck them all up herself. She didn't see David smirking. When silence reigned, Mandy told David if he wanted to prove his love to her, he had to surrender. Once David had been handcuffed and escorted out of the building, a few tried but no one could get near Mandy because she had started screaming and fell into complete hysteria. She resembled the wild and trapped animal Jett had seen her as.
Jett listened to the patrol car's radio, feeling a sense of absolute helplessness, as it all went down. Then he heard Rylan yelling over the radio for the officers to release Jett right now. Mandy was in critical condition and would not let anyone near. She was screaming for Jett to save her from them all.
At the same time, he saw an officer running full out to the patrol car and opened the door for Jett. He had deep scratches from Mandy on both cheeks. Jett flew out of the patrol car while another officer was bringing David Smith out to take his place. Before anyone realized what happened, Jett flew at David. "If you hurt her you son of a bitch, death will be preferable compared to what I will do to you!" Jett roared and landed two punches on David's face before three officers could restrain him.
"She will never love you, she loves me! She is my wife!" David mocked and taunted Jett.
"Keep telling yourself that, you murdering piece of shit!" It took hearing Mandy screaming at the top of her lungs to force Jett to push the cops away and high tail it into the warehouse. The moment he flew through the door, he heard Mandy screaming in absolute terror. He ran toward the sound of her screams.
Rylan caught Jett and forced him to stop. He handed him the keys to her chains and cuffs and explained the critical condition Mandy was in. He further told Jett that he was going to have to become the Dom, not the loving boyfriend. It is the only thing that might break through her terrorized hysteria.
Jett quickly agreed and rushed into the room where Mandy was struggling fiercely. It only took him a matter of seconds to understand the severity of her condition. He reached out and ever so gently felt the bloody towel wrapped around her head and felt the bones of her skull shift causing her to scream bloody murder. He then felt the bandages over her arms only to find the bones there poked through the skin of her forearms too. He had to turn away to wipe away his tears and compose himself before he approached her again.
Her screams once again increased the closer he got to her. He knew if she didn't stop struggling she would kill herself. Without further thought, Jett rushed over and grasped her head refusing to let her move it.
"Stop moving right now, tigress. It's okay, I'm here now." He growled loudly.
"Screw you, Jett Damian!" Mandy screamed hoarsely then froze. "Jett? Is it really you? My vision is blurry and I can't see you. My arms, throat and head are in excruciating pain. Please save me. I'm so sorry I left. It is all my fault. I panicked and left because I was afraid. I have fallen very deeply in love with you. Hm. You sound like you, at least."
"Shh, tigress. It really is me. I'm here and you are never leaving my sight again. Do you hear me, tigress? I am just as deeply in love with you and I'm not lettin
g you go. Do you remember that I once promised if you left me, I would hunt you to the ends of the earth and baby, here I am."
"Please say those three words again, Jett." Mandy whispered in awe.
"Which three words would those be?" Jett asked with a smirk.
"Jett dammit Damian!" Mandy yelled, not knowing his middle name.
"That would be Jett Michael Damian, sweetheart."
"Shut the hell up, Rylan!" Jett growled at the same time Mandy said with honey in her voice, "Thank you, Rylan."
Rylan ignored Jett and answered Mandy with, "Anytime, sweetheart. Thank god Jett saved your life." He smirked like crazy at Jett who rolled his eyes in return.
Jett turned his attention back to Mandy. "I love you more than life itself, tigress. I love you, Mandy O'Neal and I will love you for the rest of my life. Please forgive me, I was a fool to let leave my side. I will never make that mistake again. Now, I am going to unhook you from the chains. Don't you dare move, tigress or your punishment will be swift."
"Yes Master." Mandy replied in all seriousness.
Jett released her from the chains with extreme gentleness, lifted her up into his arms and carefully cradled her to his chest. His heart swelled with love when she pressed her head over his heart and sighed in contentment.
"This is my place Jett, don't forget it." Mandy murmured as she rubbed her cheek slowly over his heart. "Thank you God for sending Jett to save my life." Mandy murmured slowly while someone put a neck brace on her to prevent further damage.
Jett could not stop the tears from falling as he kissed her face gently all over. "I was worried I had lost you and would never hold you in my arms again." He admitted, his voice full of concern and love both. He could see how her eyes tried to focus on his face but were unable to. He knew in that moment that her head injury was much more severe than they all originally guessed.
"Sweetheart, you will ride in the ambulance to the hospital now and I will meet you there."
"No! I won't do it. You can’t leave me, you promised." Mandy became hysterical and wrapped her damaged arms around Jett's upper chest with a death grip. She wasn't going anywhere.
"Mandy, honey. It's Rylan. It is okay, I will drive you and Jett to the hospital myself. You don't have to go into the ambulance but you need to at least agree to let the EMT ride along with us and the ambulance to follow us, just in case of an emergency."
"No."
"The EMT will ride with us and the ambulance will follow or I will strap you into it right this instant. This is not up for debate, tigress." Jett roared in a severely commanding voice, putting his foot down on her stubbornness. It was enough to get her to admit defeat and agree.
"Yes master. The EMT can come with us, but you will not leave my sight and I don't give a shit what the damn hospital staff have to say about it." Mandy growled and refused to budge on the issue.
"No argument here, tigress. I am going to carry you to Rylan’s van now." Jett said with a chuckle.
Rylan ordered the minivan to be brought up to the door since it was the only vehicle besides the ambulance having the room they need to transport Mandy safely. He was staying with Jett and Mandy while his team remained behind to work the scene and interrogate David Smith. This time, David would die in prison and Mandy was free to spend the rest of her life, safe from harm.
At the hospital, the staff was quite used to Jett's presence when it came to Mandy O'Neal and said not a word. They all remembered his last visit with Mandy to their hospital. Jett stayed out of the way, holding her hand. The staff quickly realized, Mandy's vitals remained stabilized as long as Jett was holding her hand, even during surgery. They dressed him in surgical wear and ordered him not to move, especially during surgery and gave him a stood to sit on. They had a second team if need be to take care of him but he had a stronger stomach than they thought. He watched in silence as they repaired her forearms and her skull which was full of compound fractures all over the back. The surgeon himself was shocked that she managed to survive for as long as she did and stated that while cruel, her immobility was all that had saved her life. The surgeon placed a permanent shunt in her brain and warned Jett that he would have to make sure she was extremely careful in the future. One more knock to the head and she would not survive it.
Back on the intensive care unit, Jett alternately sat and slept in the recliner right next to Mandy's bed. He refused to leave her side after all, he took the promise he made very seriously. He remained by her side until she woke up one month later trembling badly in fear.
John and Hunter had brought Jett meals and clean clothes while Rylan updated him on the case and explained about the betraying bastard, Xavier and his part in Mandy’s kidnapping. He also found out from Rylan that Xavier was the reason the surgical team had to repair Mandy's crushed windpipe. He was thankful Xavier was dead, because he passionately wanted to torture the son of a bitch but had to be content that he was being eternally punished in Hell.
"Jett? What am I doing in a hospital?" Mandy croaked out the moment her eyes opened and focused on him. She almost didn't recognize him. Jett had grown a mustache and beard. He dropped so much weight, to the point of looking anorexic and his eyes had dark circles around them. In other words, he looked like hell warmed over.
"Tigress. My God, You are a beautiful sight for these sore eyes." Jett smiled at her in a way he never had before, his face and eyes were full of the love he felt for her.
"Master, are you okay? You look a little worse for wear." Mandy carefully reached her casted arm up and caressed the unfamiliar terrain of his face with the tips of her fingers. She was surprised when Jett broke down and shamelessly allowed his tears to fall.
"Oh, Jett—please come here." She wiggled her fingers on both casted arms, urging him onto the bed with her and watched as he debated with himself, his vulnerability and fear of hurting her clear on his face. "You will not hurt me, please come here. I need you––now please." She whispered.
Jett, unable to resist her command, flew off the recliner and gently crawled into the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. Laying his head on her chest, he was reassured by her steady heartbeat, his arms snaking around her waist, he sobbed as if his life was ending. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I should have never let you walk away from my side. I should have at least escorted you and made you listen to my explanation. Mandy, I never allowed Xavier to be in the hall that night, I was expecting a female Domme that I knew would be very careful with you and maybe even excite you. I didn't see him until it was too late. Please forgive me for fucking up where you are concerned."
"Shh. It is in the past, I am alright. You are here and you saved my life, that's all that matters now." It did not matter that she only had fuzzy bits and pieces of memory. All that mattered was Jett was in obvious pain and had been for some time, to look like he did. She didn't need to be told that he had indeed kept his promise to stay by her side. Now it was his turn to get the comfort and nurturing from her that he needed. She was elated that Jett trusted her enough to allow her to see him at his most vulnerable. Mandy kissed his hair and forehead repeatedly and did her best to maneuver her arms around him. A memory of holding on, praying for him to rescue her came to mind.
"It didn't matter what happened to me, all I cared about was making it back to you. You kept me alive when all I wanted to do was die. I tried to play David's game, but I couldn't do it in the end. He shot Xavier for trying to kill me and when he heard Xavier gloat over what he did to me in that hallway. Jett, I am sorry to tell you, it was Xavier who contacted him in prison and told him where to find me once he stole my case file from John when it arrived. David had enjoyed explaining it all to me when he lost I had lost consciousness."
"I think I overheard Rylan talking in the warehouse and I am not strong enough to testify all over again, Jett. I just can't."
Jett knew Mandy had the right to know the truth about him, about how he'd actually given up hope for her return and she needed to know there
was not going to be a trial because David committed suicide that very morning in his cell and was dead when the jail guards rushed to his aid. No. Right now Mandy needed the comfort of her own truth in order to heal. He silently promised that he would tell her everything when she was strong enough to handle it.
David had left a note for Mandy, Rylan told him. In it he stated that he had heard her screams for Jett very clearly and knew that if he couldn't have her and her love in his life, the least he could do out of love for her, was to release her with his death.
Rylan kept the note with him knowing Jett would burn it the first chance he got. Mandy deserved to have the choice of whether she wanted to read the note or not when she was strong enough to handle the news. Until that time came, it would remain in his safe for her.
Holding Mandy in his arms and knowing she was finally safe and going to be okay again, he knew one thing for sure––now and for the rest of their lives, he would be everything Mandy wanted and needed. As for the new sub Melissa, she had been interrogated and found to have had no knowledge of Xavier's plans and was therefore innocent of any charges. She was having an extremely hard time with what happened to Mandy, but Jett just did not have the time or patience for her. Mandy needed him more right now. So when John offered to take care of her and her needs, Jett allowed it, for now.
Epilogue
DEAR JOURNAL,
It’s me again. It still feels weird writing my feelings down on paper. But Jett says that it is good for me and very therapeutic. There is an intense amount of vulnerability to this, even if I am the only one who will read it, for now. One day I hope to be strong enough to sit down with Jett and allow him to read this whole journal.
His Every Fantasy Page 19
