Shelter from the Storm Read online

  “You know what the worst part was?” Joe asked no one in particular. “Pretending I loved her. If I’d known how easily she’d give it up, I wouldn’t have even bothered. She’s nothing but a whore, Robert. Nothing but a whore.”

  Jennifer couldn’t breathe. It was too much, the pain, the humiliation, the fear. She listened to Joe grunt as he repeatedly thrust into her.

  “Please!” Robert was closer now.

  Joe dragged his knife superficially across Jennifer’s back, slicing it open. “No distractions!”

  Jennifer’s knees began to weaken.

  “Not quittin’ on me already, are you? Come on, baby, we’re just starting to have some fun. You know you want it, huh?” Joe goaded as he felt her weakening. “Geez, this is a bit disappointing, Robert. She used to have better stamina. She used to…take it…like a real pro.” He thrust into her one last time and came before releasing his hold on her.

  Jennifer fell bonelessly to the ground, landing facedown in the filth. “All that training, gone to waste. Just another piece of alley trash, that’s what she is.” Joe climbed on top of her and straddled her back. Then he viciously lifted the back of her shirt up and pulled down the waistband of her skirt, exposing her lower back. “But, make no mistake about it. This piece of trash is mine!” he said. Then he carved the word into her, laughing and taking pleasure in her muffled screams of pain.

  Jennifer was only vaguely aware of the sounds of someone retching nearby. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. She was far away. Someplace warm. Someplace safe. If only she could imagine a place like that and hold onto it. She was covered in her own blood, trails of the sticky substance streamed down the side of her waist and pooled on the ground beside her, covering her hands. They were raw from scraping against the tar. She tried to move. If only she could get some leverage, she could turn. Maybe then she could sit up and right her clothing.

  “Oh, God. Jesus.” Robert was crying. He was on his knees beside her.

  “He’s gone?” Jennifer was still facedown in the alley.

  “He just walked away. I’m going to go get help. Okay? Jesus! I’m afraid to leave you.”

  “Help me up. Take me back to the dorm.”

  Robert helped her move into a sitting position. “We need to call the police!”

  “Robert! Look at me!”

  The boy wiped at his tear-stained face.

  “Nothing happened. Do you hear me? You don’t want to get involved in this. You’re going to take me back to the dorm and we’ll never speak of this again. We’ll never see one another again. It didn’t happen.”

  “But, Jennifer, you… You were raped.”

  “Joe’s dangerous. He’s insane. Now that he’s found me, if you continue to show an interest in me, you’ll get yourself killed. I’m not worth it, Robert. Go find yourself some nice, normal girl.”

  “You expect me to just forget about this?”

  “If I can, you can. You’re never to tell a soul. Promise me.”

  He started to cry again. “But I just stood there. What kind of a man does that make me?”

  “A smart one. An alive one. He would have just as soon killed me. I need to clean myself up so I can go back to my room. Can you help me?”

  “Of course.”

  “And you won’t say another word about this? Not to anyone?”

  “No.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  “That’s it?” Mac growled. He was pacing back and forth in front of the French doors in the living room. “He just dropped you off?”

  “He was a kid, he was eighteen. We both just wanted it behind us. Plus…Joe…scary.”

  “God, I’d love to get my hands on that fucker!”

  “Dead, remember?”

  Mac stopped and looked at her. He nodded once and rejoined her on the couch. “You’re tired. I can see it in your eyes, your face.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  “Exhausted, but I want to finish this.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  She interlaced her fingers with his. “We’re close to the end. Shall I continue?”

  Mac lifted their clasped hands to his lips, kissed the inside of her wrist, and nodded.

  “Joe moved to San Diego. He started to follow me. I did my best to stay with people…lots of people. I went to school year-round, so I could continue to live in the dorm. I tried to stay away from him, to keep my distance. But I couldn’t, not always. So, there were other instances. As the year went on he became more and more desperate, more and more obsessed. It seemed he was forever watching, forever waiting. I could feel it, feel him.

  “Why didn’t you ever go to the police?”

  “I was too ashamed, too embarrassed, too weak,” Jennifer admitted, unable to look him in the eye. “He told me if I told anyone, he would kill me. I…believed him.”

  “You sure you don’t want to come home with me for spring break?” Rachel asked.

  “Nah! I’ve got work. Plus, I’ve got a paper due as soon as break is over and I’m a bit behind.”

  “I don’t like you being alone.” Rachel nervously bit her lip. “What if that guy, the one that hit you shows up again?”

  Joe had started to get sloppy. He was leaving bruises where they showed.

  “He’s not going to. I told you, I’m not seeing him anymore.”

  Rachel zipped up her backpack. “I wish you’d report him. It’s not too late, you know.”

  “It’s over. Let it go.”

  “Is it? Someone’s been calling here and hanging up when I answer. It started right after you came home with that black eye. Who is he? What’s going on? You’re my friend, Jennifer. I care about you.”

  Jennifer turned and looked out the window. “I care about you too. That’s why I’m not telling you. There are some things you’re better off not knowing. This is one of them. Go home. I’ll be fine.”

  “What if—”

  “It’s only for a week. All of my shifts are during the day. I’m just going to stay holed up here. I’m going to be study-girl. Plus, I haven’t seen or heard from the guy in weeks. He’s probably moved on to a girl who doesn’t say no.”

  “Call if you change your mind? I won’t be far from here. I can come back and get you any time.”

  “I’ve got the number.”

  Rachel picked up her backpack, gave Jennifer a hug and walked out the door. It was mere seconds later that Jennifer heard a knock.

  “Forgot your keys again?” She unlocked the door and swung it open. “Joe!”

  She tried desperately to close it, but she was too late and far too weak. Joe stepped back and hit the door, full force, with his shoulder. Jennifer was thrown back, her head smashing into the wall behind it. When she opened her eyes she was dazed and Joe was there, his height, his size, intimidating as always.

  “Did you miss me?” He cocked back his fist and punched her.

  Jennifer heard her nose break. Blood began to gush down the front of her face. She looked down and watched as drops fell onto her new white Keds.

  Joe grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanked her head up and looked her in the eye. “’Cause I’ve sure missed you.”

  He followed the stream of blood intently with his eyes as it wound its way down her neck. He reached up with both hands and pulled open her starched white blouse.

  Jennifer moaned as she heard the tearing of fabric. Buttons flew everywhere.

  “He had come prepared. He’d planned it all out, every detail. He gagged me. He tied me to the bed. For three days I lay there while he used, tortured and raped me. He was mad. He left me only to get food for himself. I wasn’t given anything to eat, anything to drink. By the third day I had given up any hope it would end. I began to pray for death.”

  “You smell.” he said as he climbed off of Jennifer. “Christ, this place reeks of sex!” He bent over her and inhaled deeply. “You know? I kind of like it. Well, I’m off to shower. Don’t go anywhere.”


  She was feeling almost delirious. Jennifer watched through hooded eyes as Joe walked into the bathroom and closed the door. She heard the old pipes squeal in protest when he turned on the hot water. Then she heard something else, the jangling of keys outside in the hallway. She turned her head toward the sound. At first she thought she was hallucinating. Rachel was standing in the doorway, backlit by the stark light of the hallway.

  “Oh, God!” Heedless of any danger, Rachel ran into the room.

  Jennifer’s eyes darted to the bathroom door in warning. Joe was now singing, merrily, in the shower.

  Rachel released Jennifer’s gag. “Are you all right?”

  “Get out of here. He’s insane,” Jennifer croaked, her voice dry.

  Rachel’s eyes swept over Jennifer’s naked body, taking in the cuts and bruises. “I’m not leaving you here like this.” She ran to the desk and began to frantically search through the drawers. “Scissors! Scissors!” she quietly chanted.

  “Use his knife! It’s on the nightstand!”

  Rachel grabbed it and swiftly cut through the silk scarves Joe had used to bind her feet. She then ran around to the far side of the bed and made short order of cutting through the one securing her left arm to the bedpost.

  “Just one left.” Rachel rounded the bed. “You’re almost free. Can you walk?

  As she began to slice through the last of the bindings they heard the water turn off. Their eyes met. “Go!” Jennifer whispered.

  “We’ll leave together.”

  As she felt the knife slip through, severing the last of the silk scarf, Jennifer heard the door open. Before she could shout out a warning he had grabbed Rachel by the hair and thrown her, headfirst, into the wall. Rachel slid to the floor, unconscious, releasing the blade. Jennifer flew off the bed and scrambled, sprawling onto the floor, searching desperately for the weapon.

  Joe effortlessly kicked it away before wrapping his hand around her throat. “You know what?” he said, squeezing. “You’re beginning to bore me and that’s dangerous. The only reason you’re still alive is that you can be amusing…on occasion.”

  Everything was spinning around her, the room in which she’d been trapped began to fade to black. Relief came as she felt the welcome slowing of her own heartbeat. She was so close…so close. Then he released her.

  “It’s not going to be that easy,” he spat, his face just a hairsbreadth from hers.

  Jennifer rolled onto her side and coughed. She watched him slip his shirt on and step into his jeans.

  “Touch me again and I’ll kill you,” she gasped.

  He laughed. “You don’t stand a chance against me, baby. You never have.”

  Using the bed for leverage, she climbed, slowly to her feet. She felt unsteady, weak. The room around her swirled and she had to fight down a wave of nausea.

  “Look at you,” he said. “You can barely stand. And you’re not nearly as pretty as you used to be.”

  “Fuck you!”

  “That all you’ve got? I don’t mind telling you, this is turning out to be a real disappointment. I thought we’d get to spend a beautiful week together, just the two of us. There’s no fight left in you anymore. It’s no fun when you don’t fight back.” He glanced down at Rachel’s unconscious form.

  “I need to build my strength back up. Like you said, we have a whole week. Give me a few days to rest and I’m sure—”

  He spun around and backhanded her. “Shut up. I’m thinking.”

  Pain shot through her cheek and eye. He’d broken her nose that first day and her eye had already been black. She had some broken ribs too, she was sure of it, and at least two broken fingers. She caught a glimpse of herself in the nearby dresser mirror.

  “I’ve never had a redhead before. I hear they have a reputation for being really feisty.” He reached down and cupped his crotch.

  Bile rose up in Jennifer’s throat and she started to gag.

  He grabbed her arm and pushed her, roughly in the direction of the bathroom. “Go clean yourself up.”

  She stumbled and collided with the dresser, its corner digging into her rib. She had to hold on with both hands to keep from falling.

  “If you’re a good little girl, I’ll let you watch me play.”

  She could see Joe’s reflection in the mirror in front of her. He was looking down at Rachel and smiling. It was the same, sick smile she’d seen dozens of times. She glanced down at the clothes iron that had been left out. It was sitting there, right in front of her on the dresser. She wrapped one, shaky hand around the handle.

  “Joe?”

  “Yeah?”

  As he turned to look at her, Jennifer swung. With every ounce of strength left in her, she swung. Joe never saw it coming. The first blow merely stunned him. Whether it was the second or the third that shattered his skull, she wasn’t sure.

  “Playtime’s over.”

  “Rachel came to a few seconds later. She found me, still standing there, naked. I was covered in blood, the iron in my hand. She called her father. He was a detective with the SDPD at the time. Within minutes the place was teaming with cops,” Jennifer finished.

  “There was an investigation?”

  “Not really. I was in pretty bad shape. Rachel had a concussion. It seemed pretty clear to everyone that he’d attacked her while she was trying to help me escape. They thought it was self-defense.”

  “You were protecting yourself. You were protecting Rachel.”

  “She saved my life.”

  “Remind me to thank her,” Mac said softly, as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “Although by the sound of things, you turned around and saved hers.”

  Jennifer leaned her head back on the sofa and closed her eyes.

  “I’m not the first man you’ve been with…since Joe. Am I?” Mac asked.

  “No,” Jennifer replied. “But you’re the first one, the only one, I’ve told.”

  “It means a lot to me that you did.” Mac ran his hand over her hair. “What is it that really made you decide?”

  Jennifer pulled away and climbed to her feet. Putting distance between them would make this next part easier. She opened the French door and stepped onto the balcony. It was still dark outside and the sky seemed shrouded in a surreal, purple glow.

  Mac followed her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, making tiny circles with the pads of his thumbs.

  “It’s past midnight. It’s a new day,” she whispered, gazing out over the sleeping city.

  “That it is. Maybe we’ve done enough talking for tonight.”

  “It’s better we do this now, finish this now.” Her voice started to falter. “In the long run, it will hurt less.”

  “What will hurt less?” Mac asked, confused.

  “If we end things before we get more involved.”

  “Don’t you want me anymore? I thought we were off to a good start here.”

  Jennifer spun to face him, her eyes glistening with tears. “Of course I want you! There’s nothing wrong with you!”

  “And I still want you,” he said gently as he took her hands in his.

  “How can you?” She saw her own pain reflected in his eyes and it was too much. “How can you possibly want me? I’m n—”

  “Because I love you.”

  She turned away, heart pounding. “You don’t have to say that.”

  “Hey, look at me. You don’t have to say it back. There are no strings here. I’m not asking you for anything.” He moved around to face her. “Jennifer, I love the woman you are. You’re kind and strong and smart. You’re sexy as hell. I swear, every time you look at me, you take my breath away. And when I make love with you? When I’m inside of you? I feel as if I’ve finally come home.”

  “Mac—”

  He placed his fingertips over her mouth. “I love you, plain and simple.”

  Tears rolled, unchecked down her face. “Been working on the speech long?”

  Mac nodded. “My entire life. I’ve just been waiting
for the right girl so I could try it out. How did I do?”

  “God, if I wake up now, I swear I’m going to be really pissed.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, rested her head against his chest and sighed. “I don’t deserve you. I’m going to work really hard with Arlene, I promise.”

  “Don’t make your work with Arlene about me. It’s about you. Do it for you, because you want it.”

  Jennifer’s stomach audibly growled. She glanced down at it. “Well, that was romantic.”

  “Oh!” Mac stepped back. “I almost completely forgot! Speaking of romantic…”

  “What?”

  “I’d like to whisk you away tomorrow. One of Sara’s friends is having a birthday party, a sleepover thing. Apparently, the invitations went out before Sara started at the school. The girl’s mother called earlier this evening and said Jamie wants to include Sara.”

  “Sara has a friend?”

  “It seems so.” Mac led Jennifer back into the living room and locked up.

  “Did you accept?”

  “I didn’t want to without checking with you. I gave her a tentative yes. We were supposed to call back and confirm hours ago. One of us needs to ring her in the morning. Sara really wants to go.”

  “That’s good. Right? We should let her. But, what if—”

  “We’ll only be a phone call away. I’m not taking you far. We won’t even leave the city limits. What do you say? Twenty-four hours? Just the two of us?” Mac asked, hopefully.

  “What if this Jamie’s family isn’t nice?”

  “I’ve met the mum, the father’s out of the house. They divorced a few years ago. Her name’s Carmen and she’s an emergency room nurse over at Mercy Hospital. They live close by in the home she grew up in. Jamie is an only child. There are no guns in the house. Carmen’s a Democrat. She doesn’t believe in spanking. She’s on some low-carb diet and it’s killing her because she misses potato chips. I think she’s okay. You can call her in the morning and chat.” Mac walked over to the kitchen.