This one gets a little rough. Just a friendly heads up.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Juliet opened the door slowly with a frown on her face. It had been a fun afternoon until Shawn made the her own message clear to her. He was going to stay gone. In her head it was a good thing, but her heart screamed that it absolutely wasn't.
She closed the door and looked up to see Declan directly in front of her. Her heart stopped. She tried to recover, to smile. "Hi honey." Juliet gave her best effort to be happy to see him.
"Where have you been all day?" Declan's voice was stern but not angry yet. "Burton had no idea where you went off to." Why would Gus lie to him?
"I went to my dad's movie theater." Juliet said honestly, not seeing the harm in it.
"You went to some stupid movie, and you went dressed like that?" Declan scoffed. What was wrong with jeans a nice blouse?
"I didn't think it was a problem." Juliet tried to defend herself.
For the second day in a row, Declan hit her. A quick slap, nothing ferocious but obviously a warning shot. "You didn't think it would be a problem, Juliet? You thought? You seem to be really terrible at that lately." His words stung as much as his hand had.
"Why are you being like this?" Juliet mumbled, her hands at her side. Last time she covered her cheek, he had hit her harder.
"I'm trying to slap some sense into you, damn it!" Declan shouted. "You're and O'Hara who is soon to be a Rand. You don't belong in $50 outfits at some movie. You're a princess soon to be a queen. Act like it." Declan growled in her face before storming off. That's why Gus had lied. He had tried to protect her. She should have lied, too.
"You're sleeping in the guest room tonight!" he shouted before he was out of the foyer.
"Good. I planned on it anyway." Juliet thought she had mumbled under her breath.
She hadn't said it quietly enough. Declan stormed back and without warning pushed her back into the door as hard as he could.
Juliet cried out in pain when the solid metal doorknob was thrust into her back. She fell to the floor in a heap. She couldn't believe it when Declan didn't offer to help or even try to apologize. All she heard was footsteps getting farther away.
Her life was down spiraling fast and she didn't know how to stop it. She couldn't wait around and hope it got better, not with how quickly things were souring.
It wasn't long before Gus was at her side, helping her up. "I came as soon as I heard you scream." Gus said as he draped her arm over his shoulder. He carried her to the kitchen and set her down against one of the cupboards.
Gus stayed with her a moment, a supportive hand on her shoulder. He waited for her to speak, but she didn't say a word. She did her best to suck in her bottom lip and steel her pride.
"Juliet, what happened?" Gus asked her softly. "You need to tell me what happened. You need to tell someone, Juliet. You can't let this slide." Gus coaxed her.
"He hit me again, Gus. He yells at me for the dumbest little things, and if I try to say ANYTHING..." her voice broke and she screwed her eyes shut to keep from crying.
"I'm sorry, Juliet. You really don't deserve this, not at all." Gus sat next to her and draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close.
Juliet finally broke and began to openly sob into Gus's favorite purple button down shirt. Juliet stopped after a short moment and sniffled heavily. "I, I'm sorry Gus. I didn't mean to cry on your favorite shirt."
"No no, you don't worry about it. Just let it out." Gus patted her upper back, missing her wounded mid to lower back by sheer luck. "Juliet, I know again that this isn't my place, but you need to do something."
"What can I do, Gus? I'm trapped. My father isn't going to help. Even if he WOULD believe me, he'd probably take Declan's side." Her heart was breaking all over again thinking about how her own father favors Declan and money over his own daughter's happiness and safety. "I can't just lay down and follow every little order. What the HELL would the point of living be?"
Gus stopped any kind of movement and his eyes seemed to glaze over, going somewhere else. "Juliet, this is going to sound drastic, but I think I have an idea."
"What's that?" Juliet sniffed, her crying finished for the time being.
"Like I said, it sounds crazy, but... I think you need to run, Juliet. You need to get out of here, as soon as possible." Gus told her his true feelings on the matter.
"Where would I go? If I just left and bought a house, it'd be all too easy to find me." Juliet pointed out.
"I know a guy who can help. He's my best friend, and though one of the most immature people you'll ever meet, he's a damn good guy." Gus stopped his train of thought when he felt hard, brown piercing eyes on them.
"Burton, you are now the most fired man I have ever known." Declan said from the kitchen doorway. "Get the Hell out of my house." Declan now pointed behind him.
"You can't fire me, jackass. I quit." Gus said standing up and straightening his shirt. With one sorrowful look to Juliet, he made his exit.
"You, my dear fiancé, aren't running anywhere." Declan said with disturbing calm after he was sure Gus was gone and no longer a problem.. He walked right up to her as she tried to make herself smaller.
It did no good. Declan pulled her up by the hair, earning himself a squeal of pain. Once Juliet was on her feet, Declan hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her to one of the guest rooms.
"What am I going to do with you?" He shook his head and threw her on the bed like a rag doll, before turning around and locking her in.
In his blind rage, the dumb ass didn't take her phone. Without hesitation she shot Gus a quick message, having seen his number a million times from the staff call list on the fridge.
Gus, Declan locked me in spare room. Not sure what he has planned. Call your friend. Get. Me. Out. Signing off wasn't necessary. He'd know who it was.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Gus was packing up after having talked to his parents. He had lived on the grounds of Declan's mansion, but he having quit, acted as an immediate eviction. His parents were more than happy to take him back till he was on his feet again.
His phone vibrated and he expected it to have been a parent. When he saw it was Juliet, his heart went rightfully into panic mode.
Gus, Declan locked me in spare room. Not sure what he has planned. Call your friend. Get. Me. Out.
That's all he needed to see. He had to go to his friend's ASAP. Luckily, he was nearly finished packing already. Gus was a very neat and efficient person who was nothing of a pack rat. Gus's life was cleanliness.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"You'd better be home, damn it." Gus grumbled as he walked up to the old dry cleaners'. The bike was there. He wasn't sure where his friend got the money for it, but he didn't care right now.
A steady stream of hard knocks assaulted the front door before it finally opened. "Oh, thank God!" Gus exclaimed aloud.
"Dude, what the hell? Shouldn't you be working?"
"I need your help, Shawn." Gus said sternly.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Shawn asked, worried for his best friend in the world.
"I'm fine, I guess. I have a friend who isn't though." Gus began. "Listen, she's a great girl who's stuck with a giant, abusive dick. It's getting worse every day and she needs out. Can she crash here a while until we can get something more permanent for her?"
"God yes. I'm not a monster, Gus. I can't leave a damsel in distress. Is she hot?" Of course he needed to know that if she was going to be living with him.
"Yeah, but that's not important." Gus dismissed. This was important to him, damn it. "I'll tell her you'll host her, so get this place ready for another person. How soon can she move in?"
"As soon as I pull out the couch and get sheets on it." Shawn said, beginning to talk as fast as Gus was. It was like it was contagious.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Juliet. I'm coming to get you. My friend will host you. Be there in ten.
Juliet smiled up at the ceiling. That was the best text message she had ever received. She really owed Gus and his friend. Big time. Now she only had to wait.
That would be easier said than done. The door was unlocked and thrown open. Declan stormed in and stuck his hand out. "Give it to me."
"Give what to you?" Juliet played dumb.
Without hesitation, Declan wound up and back handed Juliet, knocking her backwards onto the bed with a shriek. "The phone, damn it!"
Juliet laid there motionless, she didn't know what to do. She was shocked by every part of her existence. The phone was there in her hand, so it wasn't hard for Declan to pry it away from her.
His eyes quickly skimmed over her conversation with Gus. He was visibly fuming by the end. "Didn't I tell you that you weren't going anywhere?" he chuckled. It was the most sickening thing Juliet had ever heard.
Before she knew what was happening, Declan was on top of her. "Stop! What are doing?!" Juliet screamed and tried to push Declan away as he undid her jeans and pulled them down her legs.
Declan struck her again when she tried to fight back as he tore her t-shirt over her head. "You're not going anywhere. I won't say it again." He hit her one last time for good measure, leaving her in tears. She could hear the lock on the door click from the other side. She was trapped in a second story bedroom with no phone and only wearing her bra and panties. This was looking pretty rough for her escape plan.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Gus sat in his Toyota Echo near the base of the hill. On the top of the hill was Declan's mansion. And Juliet. Between him and Juliet, however, were two squad cars. Of course a powerful and wealthy man like Declan would have at least half the police department in his wallet.
The bottom line was that Gus wasn't getting Juliet out. Not like this. Tonight, he would enact Plan B.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Alright, so this guy no doubt has her phone, he may have beaten her, and she's locked in a second story bedroom?" Shawn summarized the situation as he finished putting one of the full black outfits he and Gus wore when they had to hit the Jackal Switch.
"Yes. That's why we need this rope. We need to sneak in unseen and get her out of there before this ass hole can do damage." Gus finished describing the scenario.
"Let's do this." Shawn pulled the ski mask over his head.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The two friends arrived at the base of the hill around midnight. The coast was clear but they couldn't just go up the middle.
Without too much trouble, they were able to climb an unwatched section of the gate and run up to the side of the house under the shadow of the well kept tree line.
"Dude, this place is huge. Where the hell are we?" Shawn whispered. Gus was shocked he hadn't read the initials on the gate's door at the base of the hill.
"This is where my friend is being kept." Gus didn't think Shawn knew her, so her name didn't matter until formal introductions were made.
Without much more, the pair got within quiet shouting distance. They could see a light on in the room, so they knew where she was. She was still up, which didn't surprise Gus. How could she sleep?
"Great, the window's closed!" Gus hissed in defeat. "How do we get her attention?" Gus asked as rain began to fall. "Really, now rain, too?"
Gus's question was answered when he saw Shawn throwing rocks up at the window, missing twice but finally getting the third.
Shawn bent down and began to rummage through the backpack Gus had brought to find the rope. When he looked up again, the window was already open.
He handed Gus the rope and after three tries, he got his shot. "Tie it off securely and come down!" Gus said just loud enough for her to hear.
It was only a minute before Shawn and Gus could make out a figure slowly making it's way out the window. Shawn caught long, beautiful blonde hair first, that reminded him of a certain someone. His eyes drifted lower...
"What the hell, man!" Shawn threw his arms up in the air. "He took her clothes, too?" Shawn spat in disbelief. "The poor thing is probably embarrassed. She doesn't have anything to be ashamed of, but still." Shawn noted her slender and fit body, though now was not the time.
The girl was down and now speed walking her way to the two figures in black, her arms covering her chest that was only covered by a black lace bra.
Gus took his mask off and smiled, not because of her clothing situation of course, but because she was out.
"Thank you Gus, thank you so much!" Juliet jumped forward and crushed the man in a tight hug. "And you, thank you as well." Juliet threw her arms around the still masked man as well.
He didn't return the hug, but Juliet wrote it off due to awkward circumstances of her current outfit. "Get me out of here." Juliet said with a smile, the three of them turning and going back the way they came.
They had to lift Juliet over the gate first, fence hopping not being in her skill set. It served no problem for the boys, however.
The three got into the car, soaking yet.
"Again, I can't thank you two enough." Juliet said sincerely, ringing out her now soaked hair before tugging at a bra strap that threatened to stray. "Where are we going?" Juliet asked, still having no idea who the man in the passenger seat was.
"My place, I guess." Shawn said as he pulled off his mask. "Hey." Shawn turned around in his seat and waved awkwardly.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Not exactly sure if I was still in the T rating... I think I came pretty close to the line on that one. Probably bumping up to M pretty soon If I don't get objections.