PART THIRTEEN
Irons had wasted no time once Ian had Sara out of the house. He had ordered a complete lockdown: nobody in, nobody out.
"Elliot," He carefully explained to the young man standing in front of him. " I want you to take Lilly to her quarters. I want you to make sure that she is entirely alone. Do you understand what I am saying?"
"Yes Sir." Elliot had never seen his employer this rattled before.
"And stay with her until I notify you. Is that clear?"
"Absolutely Sir." Elliot turned and faced a paling Lilly. "Ma'am if you would come with me, I will make sure you are safe."
"What are you going to do Kenneth?" She searched his face, reaching out to touch his cheek. He grabbed her hand and kissed it softly.
"We'll find him Lilly. I just need to know you are safe.' He released her hand and tried to smile. 'Now please, go with Elliot here. He will guard you well." Irons bent slightly and kissed Lilly's forehead. "Elliot, take her now please."
"Please Ma'am, we have to go." Lilly allowed the man to lead her away from Irons and down the hallway to a waiting elevator. Two armed guards stood by the open doors and waved them in. "Are you all right?" He asked concerned as he watched her hands shake.
"I'll be fine…what was your name, Elliot?" She tried to calm her voice.
"Yes Ma'am, Elliot Chambers."
"How long have you been employed by Kenneth?" Small talk seemed more comforting than silence.
"Ten years Ma'am." Elliot smiled broadly. "Six years in this position."
"Really?" She searched her memory to try and place the man standing next to her. "I don't recall having ever seen you before."
"I started out as an assistant to the cook, then worked my way to different serving positions…"
"Wait, I think I remember something…about four years ago, that Christmas Party that almost went wrong." She studied his muscular form. 'Yes, you kept a fight from getting out of hand."
"That was me. I kindly ushered a gentleman that had too much to drink to a taxi." He smiled softly at the memory. "Mr. Irons invited me to train for this work." The elevator doors opened and Elliot stuck his head cautiously out to check the hallway. "It's clear Ma'am, come this way." He quickly led her to the door of her quarters and opened his palm for her key. "Please wait here till I check the room out." Carefully he unlocked the door and disappeared for a few minutes. Lilly looked uncomfortable down the hallway, searching for some hidden attacker. She jumped as Elliot returned. "Come on in Ma'am, it looks clear, but please stay near the door while I check the rest of the rooms.
"Of course." She entered the room and stood next to the still opened door as she watched Elliot go into her bedroom first, then into the guest bedroom. She looked around haphazardly and noticed a vase. There was something about it that caught her attention. She looked up as Elliot reappeared.
"So far so good Ma'am." He smiled warmly, trying to reassure her. As he disappeared into her workroom she picked up the vase and turned it around in her hand, trying to figure out what was wrong. She looked up as Elliot came out of the final room and stood in the doorway. "Everything seems to be fine here." His grin widened, as Lilly's eyes grew wide in terror. "What is it …" Before he could finish, strong hands wrapped around his neck and twisted. Lilly dropped the vase, but even the sound of shattering glass couldn't mask the sound of breaking bones.
"Hello Lilly." Dark, empty eyes stared at her as the now limp body was discarded to one side. Lilly looked at the tall man and then at the door. "You could try to get out, but you know I would be there before you raised on foot."
"What do you want." Lilly felt panic rise in her throat. She desperately looked around for something to protect herself with.
"Lilly, why do you speak to me like that." It was Ian's voice and face, but filled with a maniacal perversion. "Aren't you glad to see me?"
"Stay away from me Nottingham!" She spat the word out as she moved away from the door. "Just stay away from me."
"Don't be afraid of me Lilly." From his pocket he pulled out a syringe. "I don't plan on hurting you at all." His smile sent cold chills throughout her body. "I just want to talk to you. It has been a very long time."
"You're an abomination Nottingham." Lilly moved to try to keep furniture between herself and the man before her.
"You can't mean that Lilly. You were the one that didn't let them kill me." With lighting speed, he crossed the distance between them and grabbed her throat with one hand. "You were the one that begged them to simply put me to sleep." He narrowed his eyes as he stared at her face and neck. "Why didn't you let them just kill me Lilly?
Why?"
"Nottingham please, just let me go. We can discuss this." She felt his hand tighten and found breathing difficult. "We can go downstairs and talk to Kenneth."
"Can we?" He loosened his grip slightly. "Can we talk to Kenneth Irons?" He moved forward, forcing her against a table. "I don't think Kenneth Irons really wants to talk to me or anyone else."
"He would…" As she spoke, she felt behind her, trying to feel for anything she could use as a weapon. Her hand found then wrapped around a tall vase. "He would talk to you if I asked him too."
"I don't think so." Nottingham bent his face inches from hers. He inhaled deeply. "You still wear Lavender. It brings back mem…" He didn't see the vase coming until it was too late and crashed against the side of his head. He was stunned just enough to release his grip on Lilly's throat. She bolted from him and headed for the door. "BITCH!" He roared as he caught her by the waist and held her close to his body. "You're no better than he is." He growled into her ear then threw her across the room. She landed hard, her head hitting an end table with a loud and sickening thud. She moaned softly as she tried to get up. Nottingham, however, reached her first and pulled her roughly by the hair to her feet. "I should just snap your pretty body in two and leave it for him to find." She struggled in his viselike grip. Pulling her by the hair, he moved to retrieve the dropped syringe. "But then I wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing him beg."
"Please, stop." Lilly cried as he turned her around and gripped her hard. He gazed at the thin rivulet of blood streaming down her face and then gently licked it. "Please."
"Blood and fear Lilly." He grinned as he lifted the syringe and with his teeth, pulled the protective cap off and spit it out. "They have the most wonderful taste." Her eyes widened as the needle disappeared in her exposed skin. "Don't struggle. Isn't that what you told me?" She stared into his face as her eyes became heavy. "Go to sleep now Lilly." He cooed as she became limp in his embrace. With ease he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Soon we will all be together again." He smiled as he looked around the room once more then with Lilly in his grasp, disappeared through the door of the workroom.
Irons had wasted no time once Ian had Sara out of the house. He had ordered a complete lockdown: nobody in, nobody out.
"Elliot," He carefully explained to the young man standing in front of him. " I want you to take Lilly to her quarters. I want you to make sure that she is entirely alone. Do you understand what I am saying?"
"Yes Sir." Elliot had never seen his employer this rattled before.
"And stay with her until I notify you. Is that clear?"
"Absolutely Sir." Elliot turned and faced a paling Lilly. "Ma'am if you would come with me, I will make sure you are safe."
"What are you going to do Kenneth?" She searched his face, reaching out to touch his cheek. He grabbed her hand and kissed it softly.
"We'll find him Lilly. I just need to know you are safe.' He released her hand and tried to smile. 'Now please, go with Elliot here. He will guard you well." Irons bent slightly and kissed Lilly's forehead. "Elliot, take her now please."
"Please Ma'am, we have to go." Lilly allowed the man to lead her away from Irons and down the hallway to a waiting elevator. Two armed guards stood by the open doors and waved them in. "Are you all right?" He asked concerned as he watched her hands shake.
"I'll be fine…what was your name, Elliot?" She tried to calm her voice.
"Yes Ma'am, Elliot Chambers."
"How long have you been employed by Kenneth?" Small talk seemed more comforting than silence.
"Ten years Ma'am." Elliot smiled broadly. "Six years in this position."
"Really?" She searched her memory to try and place the man standing next to her. "I don't recall having ever seen you before."
"I started out as an assistant to the cook, then worked my way to different serving positions…"
"Wait, I think I remember something…about four years ago, that Christmas Party that almost went wrong." She studied his muscular form. 'Yes, you kept a fight from getting out of hand."
"That was me. I kindly ushered a gentleman that had too much to drink to a taxi." He smiled softly at the memory. "Mr. Irons invited me to train for this work." The elevator doors opened and Elliot stuck his head cautiously out to check the hallway. "It's clear Ma'am, come this way." He quickly led her to the door of her quarters and opened his palm for her key. "Please wait here till I check the room out." Carefully he unlocked the door and disappeared for a few minutes. Lilly looked uncomfortable down the hallway, searching for some hidden attacker. She jumped as Elliot returned. "Come on in Ma'am, it looks clear, but please stay near the door while I check the rest of the rooms.
"Of course." She entered the room and stood next to the still opened door as she watched Elliot go into her bedroom first, then into the guest bedroom. She looked around haphazardly and noticed a vase. There was something about it that caught her attention. She looked up as Elliot reappeared.
"So far so good Ma'am." He smiled warmly, trying to reassure her. As he disappeared into her workroom she picked up the vase and turned it around in her hand, trying to figure out what was wrong. She looked up as Elliot came out of the final room and stood in the doorway. "Everything seems to be fine here." His grin widened, as Lilly's eyes grew wide in terror. "What is it …" Before he could finish, strong hands wrapped around his neck and twisted. Lilly dropped the vase, but even the sound of shattering glass couldn't mask the sound of breaking bones.
"Hello Lilly." Dark, empty eyes stared at her as the now limp body was discarded to one side. Lilly looked at the tall man and then at the door. "You could try to get out, but you know I would be there before you raised on foot."
"What do you want." Lilly felt panic rise in her throat. She desperately looked around for something to protect herself with.
"Lilly, why do you speak to me like that." It was Ian's voice and face, but filled with a maniacal perversion. "Aren't you glad to see me?"
"Stay away from me Nottingham!" She spat the word out as she moved away from the door. "Just stay away from me."
"Don't be afraid of me Lilly." From his pocket he pulled out a syringe. "I don't plan on hurting you at all." His smile sent cold chills throughout her body. "I just want to talk to you. It has been a very long time."
"You're an abomination Nottingham." Lilly moved to try to keep furniture between herself and the man before her.
"You can't mean that Lilly. You were the one that didn't let them kill me." With lighting speed, he crossed the distance between them and grabbed her throat with one hand. "You were the one that begged them to simply put me to sleep." He narrowed his eyes as he stared at her face and neck. "Why didn't you let them just kill me Lilly?
Why?"
"Nottingham please, just let me go. We can discuss this." She felt his hand tighten and found breathing difficult. "We can go downstairs and talk to Kenneth."
"Can we?" He loosened his grip slightly. "Can we talk to Kenneth Irons?" He moved forward, forcing her against a table. "I don't think Kenneth Irons really wants to talk to me or anyone else."
"He would…" As she spoke, she felt behind her, trying to feel for anything she could use as a weapon. Her hand found then wrapped around a tall vase. "He would talk to you if I asked him too."
"I don't think so." Nottingham bent his face inches from hers. He inhaled deeply. "You still wear Lavender. It brings back mem…" He didn't see the vase coming until it was too late and crashed against the side of his head. He was stunned just enough to release his grip on Lilly's throat. She bolted from him and headed for the door. "BITCH!" He roared as he caught her by the waist and held her close to his body. "You're no better than he is." He growled into her ear then threw her across the room. She landed hard, her head hitting an end table with a loud and sickening thud. She moaned softly as she tried to get up. Nottingham, however, reached her first and pulled her roughly by the hair to her feet. "I should just snap your pretty body in two and leave it for him to find." She struggled in his viselike grip. Pulling her by the hair, he moved to retrieve the dropped syringe. "But then I wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing him beg."
"Please, stop." Lilly cried as he turned her around and gripped her hard. He gazed at the thin rivulet of blood streaming down her face and then gently licked it. "Please."
"Blood and fear Lilly." He grinned as he lifted the syringe and with his teeth, pulled the protective cap off and spit it out. "They have the most wonderful taste." Her eyes widened as the needle disappeared in her exposed skin. "Don't struggle. Isn't that what you told me?" She stared into his face as her eyes became heavy. "Go to sleep now Lilly." He cooed as she became limp in his embrace. With ease he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Soon we will all be together again." He smiled as he looked around the room once more then with Lilly in his grasp, disappeared through the door of the workroom.