Morgan, Nicole - Sweet Salvation [Sweet Awakenings 2] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Nicole Morgan

  He leaned in a bit closer to her, dangling the syringe in front of her. “If you are a good girl and give it up, I will give you your candy a little early. I wasn’t going to give it to you at all today.” He shrugged off her shock at that statement. “It’s not as if we have any customers coming in. There’s really no need to make you feel good.”

  “Please,” she whispered.

  “What’s that? Are you begging me?” He smiled at her. “Give me the damn fork then, you whore!” He screamed the words.

  Startled and scared, she threw the fork across the room. As soon as she did it, she cringed. Why had she given up so easily? But she looked up at his hand and knew why. She had become so addicted to the drug that there was absolutely nothing she wouldn’t do for it. She was a whore.

  He laughed at her when she began to cry again. He always seemed to get some sort of perverse satisfaction out of her fear. “That’s my girl.” He came to her and brushed his dirty fingers across her face. “Do you want your candy?”

  She nodded as she tried to swallow the fear she felt welling up inside her. She wasn’t stupid. There was no way he was going to just give it to her. She hated this. Why couldn’t she just die? It would end all of her pain. She wanted to die so bad.

  She shook her head no and cowered further into the corner. She knew she had been forced to do it in the past. But every time, it was worse than the last. At least when she was under the influence of the drug she could pretend she was someone else, somewhere else.

  He came toward her and grabbed her by the back of her hair, causing her to scream in agony. They were both startled by the sound of the door opening.

  “What’s wrong with her now?” Her mother stood in the doorway. She was clearly under the influence of one of her many drugs.

  “Your bitch of a daughter won’t do what she’s told.” He bit out the words in a fit of rage.

  Shelby watched his expression as he perked up for a minute as though he had the best idea. She hated that look, and she had seen it before. It was always right before he did some of the most horrific things to her.

  Shelby watched as he cornered her, preventing her from being able to move away as he turned sideways from her. Her mother dropped to her knees in front of him and began doing just as he asked. So she sat there with their bodies just inches from her face. She had tried to look away, but his grasp on her hair tightened. Forcing her to watch and smell. The smell of his body was putrid.

  They made her shower every day. But he smelled like he hadn’t bathed in over a week. She fought her nausea with everything she had. She knew if she got sick, the beating this time would be so much worse. She had thrown up on him before. It angered him beyond any realm of sanity. The last time he beat her after she had gotten sick, and she was sure that he would kill her.

  Maybe she should get sick. Maybe he would finally kill her then. She didn’t even care anymore. She didn’t want the drug, she just wanted to die. She was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of his straggled cry as he released himself into her mother’s mouth.

  He looked down at her and laughed. It was an evil sound. He was a perfect example of what the term monster entailed. He wasn’t human. No human could behave the way he did.

  Her reaction was instantaneous. She threw up. There was a massive amount of projectile spewing from her. Before she had a chance to stop gagging on her vomit, she felt the first blow. She instinctively curled her body into a protective ball. Why she did it she wasn’t sure. She should just lie there and let the blows kill her.

  She heard herself screaming as they laughed at her and felt the full force of the attack. There was more than just his set of hands hurting her. She could feel her mother’s frail hands abusing her body as if she was nothing more than a sack of potatoes. The blows and the pain seemed to continue on forever until she eventually passed out.

  She woke up later to the feeling of a sore body. She tried to move to make herself more comfortable. She couldn’t budge. She turned her head and looked all around her. The room was dark

  She started to scream. But when she did, she realized her throat was scratchy. Had he tried to choke her? She didn’t remember it if he did. She could smell something. Vomit? Hers? They must have left it. They hardly ever cleaned up anything.

  She began to curse and scream as much as she could. Why hadn’t she died? Why was she still alive? What had she done to deserve this?

  Rex had just gotten to the top of the stairs and was unlocking the door when he heard Shelby’s scream. He pushed the door open and dropped the grocery sack on the floor as he ran through the condo looking for her and shouting her name. He found her in the bedroom. She was on the bed asleep, shaking as she tossed and turned. She was covered in sweat and was screaming that she wanted to die.

  “Shelby, wake up! Baby, please wake up!” He was shaking her, but her eyes wouldn’t open. “Baby, please, it’s me, Rex. Look at me. Open your eyes and look at me!”

  Finally, her movements slowed. Her eyes opened in a jolt as she stared at Rex for a moment. Finally, reality sunk in, and she clung to him. She was trembling uncontrollably, and he could feel the sweat that drenched her body seeping through his own clothes.

  “Shhh, it’s okay, honey. I’m here.” He sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap as he cradled her body against his. “I’m here, baby. I’ve got you.”

  She was clutching him as though she was afraid that if she let go she would fall from the highest cliff. “Rex? Is it really you? Are you really here?” She was still disoriented from the dream. This one seemed more real than the previous ones. She could almost smell the smells and feel the pain.

  “Yeah, honey, it’s me. I’m here. I’m right here, and I’ve got you. Just hold on to me, honey. It’ll be okay.” His heart was breaking. He had never seen her like this before. She had cried after Brent raped her, but never like this. Never with so much fear and soul.

  “Don’t let go of me, Rex. Hold me.” She was still shaking and knew it was out of her control. If she stayed in Rex’s arms, she knew it would eventually go away. She just needed him and she would be fine.

  “Never, I’ll never let go, honey.” He took a deep breath, almost afraid to ask the question that he knew he had to. “Do you want to tell me about it, honey?”

  She surprised him and herself by nodding yes. “I think I have to.” She started to pull back from him a bit and looked up at him and then at her shaking hands. “Give me just a minute, Rex. I–I just need a minute. Could you get me a glass of water?”

  He didn’t want to leave her, but if she was willing to talk about it, he was going to do whatever it took to make it easier on her. “Sure, honey. I’ll be right back. Just–oh, God, honey.” He held on to her tighter for a moment. It was an embrace that was just as much for him as it was for her. He needed to feel her and to know that she was okay.

  “I’m okay.” She attempted a small chuckle. “Really, I know I don’t look like it, but I am. I’m not going to lie to you. I was scared. But you’re here now. It was just another dream. I remembered more and–I would rather just go wash up in the bathroom and take a minute before I explain it all.”

  “Sure, honey. I’ll be right back.” He reluctantly released her and walked down the hall. He was surprised when he saw the front door still open and the sack lying on the floor. He had forgotten all about it. When he had heard Shelby scream, he felt a fear rip through his soul like he had never known before. Not once in all of his close calls as a SEAL had he ever felt that scared.

  He closed the door and locked it. Picking up the groceries, he stuffed the entire bag into the refrigerator. He didn’t even bother to unpack its contents. He just wanted to get back to Shelby as quickly as possible. He grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and picked up the rose bouquet that he dropped on the floor. He headed back to the bedroom as he tried to gather all of his strength. He knew she needed him to be strong for whatever she had to tell him. He could not and he would not lose his coo
l. He walked into the bedroom and heard the shower turn off.

  A minute later, she walked into the bedroom wearing another one of his T-shirts. Their eyes met, and she smiled at him. “Sorry, I think you might have to buy some more clothes or shirts anyway. I’m becoming rather attached to the feel of yours.”

  He set the bottle down and came toward her. “I kind of like seeing you wear my shirts.” He kissed her forehead and framed her face with his hands. “Do you feel better?”

  “I just had to rinse off. I felt so icky. Let’s sit down, Rex. I’ll tell you everything I remembered.” Shelby led him to the bed and sat.

  He was surprised at how fast she had turned around her demeanor. He hoped she wasn’t hiding behind a false sense of bravado for him. He didn’t want her to hold anything back, but he also didn’t want her to talk about it if she wasn’t ready. “Honey, do you need more time?”

  She took a large drink of her water bottle and set it down. She turned to him and placed one of her hands on his face. “I need you, and I need to tell you what I remembered. I know that when I talk to you about it, I will be able to keep it in the past where it belongs. But if I don’t talk to you about it, I won’t be able to move past it. I can’t have secrets from you. I need to share this with you. I need to feel your strength. Do you understand that?”

  He nodded in complete awe of her. Even since those early days in the hospital, she had given him her complete trust. “I understand, sweetheart. I will listen to what you have to say. Just tell me whatever I can do.”

  “You can hold me while I tell you. Hold me tight like you’ll never let me go,” she said.

  “That I can definitely do. Come here, honey.”

  So he held her. He sat up against the headboard and held her tight. She told him all that she remembered and surprised herself by not crying. She was stronger this time. It seemed easier to talk about it while she lay in his arms. She felt safe. No matter how many times he made her feel better, she was always surprised by the security he gave her.

  When she had said everything there was to say, he spoke. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, honey. I wish you hadn’t remembered that.”

  “I’m not. I know it sounds crazy. But I feel like everything is coming to a head. I would much rather deal with this now than later on. I would hate to have dreams like that and experience them for the first time when we had children.” She was tracing her fingers along his forearm.

  He cocked his head. “Children, huh? Why don’t you tell me, how many children are we going to have?”

  She pinched him. “Oh, stop it. I know we never talked about it seriously, but I want children, I want your children. I want –”

  “I was just teasing, honey. I want children, too. This actually leads me to something I was sort of wondering about.” He hesitated. As much as he knew she leaned on him, he also knew that she was reluctant to lean on him too much.

  “What were you wondering?”

  “Well, I’m assuming that we’ll be getting married sooner rather than later. At least, I hope so anyway. But I was thinking that maybe you could quit your job.” Shelby quickly interrupted him.

  “Rex, I don’t think–” Rex cut her off just as quickly.

  “Just hear me out, okay? Look, I love you, and I feel like we have wasted so much time that we could have had together. If there’s one thing I learned losing my parents at a young age, it was that there are no guarantees for tomorrow.”

  He brushed the hair away from her neck and placed a kiss there. “I guess what I was hoping was that maybe after we get married we could travel a little. I don’t know. We could see the world. Then when our family comes, we will have had that time together. I just really want to take advantage of all that we have. I don’t want us to take one day for granted. Would you at least think about it?”

  She smiled. He was so sexy when he was dominant, but when he was unsure of himself, he was even cuter. “You’re not going to club me over the head and drag me back to your cave until you get your way, are you?” she teased.

  “Would that work?” he teased right back.

  “No, but regardless, I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to take care of me. Financially, I mean. I don’t mind working, and I–”

  “Shelby, please. Are you kidding me? I have more money than I could ever begin to spend on my own. I love you. There is no one I would rather spend my money, correction, our money, with. We’re not two separate people anymore. We’re a team.” He started laughing. “We’re a united front.”

  “What’s so funny about that?” she asked him, surprised by his sudden change in mood.

  “Look over there on the dresser. Do you see those roses?” He pointed across the room.

  “Oh, my gosh, Rex. I can’t believe I hadn’t noticed them. They’re so beautiful. Red and white roses. It’s such an interesting combination.” She got up from the bed and lifted the bouquet to smell them.

  “They are pretty unique, huh? Funny story about that.” He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Oh? Tell me about it while I put these in water.” She slowly walked down the hall, giggling because he wouldn’t release her. It was like walking with a two hundred and twenty pound man attached to her back.

  When they finally got to the kitchen, she turned to look up at him. “Since I am somewhat constricted, could you reach the vase in that cabinet above the sink?”

  Removing only one hand from her, he reached over her head and pulled it down. He handed it to her and closed the cabinet. “Are you going to let me go?”

  “Uh-uh. I kind of like you being bound to me like this. Maybe we’ll spend the rest of our lives just like this.” He bent down and nibbled on her ear.

  “Well, that should certainly make my next gynecologist appointment more interesting,” she teased.

  He let go of her. “Enough said. Talk about a mood killer.”

  She poked him in the ribs. “Tell me about the roses. You said there was a funny story.”

  He leaned against the counter and watched her as she snipped the ends off each rose before placing it in the vase. “Well, I saw a dozen red roses. I instantly was overcome with insane jealousy as I was forced to relive the time you threw yourself at Mitch.”

  “Stop.” She rolled her eyes and nudged him.

  “Anyway, then I noticed this bouquet. It was the only one like it. I saw it, and I just thought of you. But then I ran into Colleen, and she told me that all the colors of roses have a special meaning.” He shrugged. “Do you want to know what I learned?”

  She had placed the last rose in the vase and was arranging them. “Well, I know that red has to do with love and passion, and I think I remember hearing that white has to do with purity or something like that, right?”

  “Pretty much, but she also told me that red and white roses mixed together stand for unity.” He smiled at her as she looked over her shoulder at him. “That’s what we are you know, united. God, I can’t believe it. You make me say the cheesiest things.”

  She had finished arranging the roses and set the vase on the kitchen table. She walked over to him and traced a finger down his chest. “You know, Rex, I can think of many different ways that people can be united. How about you? Can you think of any?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him and strode away from him as she headed toward the bedroom.

  As he followed her down the hall, he watched the seductive sway of her hips. He came in the room as Shelby pulled off his shirt and threw it on the floor. She used her finger to summon him to her.

  “Oh, baby, I swear I am going to love being married to you.”

  He stood in his kitchen sharpening his knife. He had wanted more time to prepare, but he could tell that wouldn’t be possible. The asshole Rex Metcalf was putting the pressure on her. He knew it wouldn’t be long and he would be forcing Shelby to have sex with him. That was something he couldn’t allow to happen. It was his job to protect her. It was his job to save her.

/>   He walked to the wall that held her photos. He set his knife down on the small table he had placed in front of her pictures. A small candle sat on the table. With his hand, he gently traced the outline of her face on one of the many snapshots tacked to the wall.

  He stood back and smiled. He would be with her soon. The excitement of it sent shivers down his body. He wanted her so bad. Unzipping his trousers, he reached in as he began to rub himself. He imagined that it was Shelby’s hand on him, stroking him, pleasing him. He loved her so much. Just at the thought of her, he started to vigorously please himself, knowing that soon he would no longer have to just rely on his hand.

  He came with that thought swirling around inside him. He would soon have her, her body, her heart, and her soul. She would be his, just like God had intended her to be.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Shelby left Mr. Peterson’s office and started to head toward her car. She felt bad leaving the firm but knew Rex had been right. They had wasted so much time. And neither of their lives had been easy. There was no reason to take what they had been given for granted. She had offered to give them a month’s notice to give them time to find another secretary, but Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, who were both hopeless romantics in their own right, had declined. They told her they would start looking tomorrow and asked her to just stay on until they found someone, and she could train them on the duties and responsibilities of the job.

  She had just started her car when her phone rang. She looked at the number and saw that it was a tall, dark, and handsome man calling her. “Hi, Rex,” she said with a smile on her face.

  “Hey, gorgeous. I’m going to be a little late getting home. I wanted to make sure that you made it home okay.”

  “Actually, I just left work.”

  “Just now? Were you running behind or something?” he asked.

  “No, but my day ran a little longer than I expected since I was giving notice to my employer, Rex.” She smiled. She hadn’t exactly confessed to him that she had decided to quit.