Chapter 53
Hours later, they arrived back at the hotel after their shopping and having eaten dinner. The children were so tired that they asked to go to bed. Clay and Taya also admitted how exhausted they were because of the rescue and the hurried flight to Hawaii. Knowing that Mac was probably just as tired because of the emotional roller coaster of the day AJ suggested that they all retire.
Once in their room Taya sank wearily onto the bed. Even though the room had been Neville's the bed was a full sized one instead of a twin. It wasn't their king size bed from home, but it would do for one night. AJ asked if Taya would like some help getting her clothes off and she wearily nodded her agreement.
Offering her one of his T-shirts to sleep in he tenderly slid it over her head when he had gotten her down to just her panties. Carefully tucking her into bed and climbing into bed next to her he took her into his arms and asked, "Can you talk about what happened over there now?"
"Not right now, I just need you to hold me. I need to feel your arms around me."
"You know that I'm always here for you, darling, and whenever you feel ready to talk I'm ready to listen."
Within moments Taya was asleep in his arms.
In the room AJ had shared with Mac, Clay looked at the bed and then his wife and said, "I may have to sleep in the room you shared with him, but I'll be damned if I'll sleep on the same sheets. You'll need to call the maid and have the bed changed."
Shaking her head sadly Mac told him, "Clay, they change the room everyday so the sheets were changed this morning."
"I guess that'll be all right," he told her and began to undress.
As he removed his shirt Mac got a glance of his back for the first time. With a gasp she hurried to his side and gripping his arm asked, "Clay, why didn't you tell me you were hurt this badly?"
"Because I was a lot more concerned with the fact that you were going to marry Chegwidden for the most of the day."
"You should have told me, and I could have gone and done the shopping for you and you could have been here resting."
"I didn't want to let you out of my sight today."
"Is that because you love me or because you didn't trust me around AJ?" asked Mac.
Looking her in the eye he admitted the truth and said, "Both."
Sighing, because she knew it was the truth, Mac asked if there was anything she could do to help make him feel better.
Telling her that he had pain relievers with him and all he needed was a glass of water, Mac hurried to get him his water. The pain relievers quickly knocked him out.
Restless as the pain relievers wore off in the middle of the night, Taya tried to roll to a more comfortable position only to find that there were arms around her pinning her to the bed. In her half drugged state, her mind convinced her that it was Fahad that was holding her captive. Moaning in her sleep she struck out at the man she believed was holding her prisoner. She muttered, "No, not again, please, no!"
AJ was instantly awake and realizing that his wife was having a nightmare, he pulled her close and tried to quietly wake her. "Taya, darling, wake up, you're having a nightmare. You're safe here with me."
In a quivering voice she questioned, "AJ?"
"Yes, darling, it's me. Who did you think I was?"
"It was Fahad that captured us and he raped me. He told me he was going to give me to all the guards, but then somehow changed his mind and decided to just have me for himself."
"Oh my, darling, I'm so sorry that happened to you, but you're home now safe and I won't let anything else happen to hurt you."
"What I found here at home hurt me more emotionally than the physical pain I went through at Fahad's hands."
To be continued…
