CHAPTER 68
The next morning when Beth awoke, it took her a few seconds to realize where she was. When she did, the memory of what happened the night before came flooding back. Thankfully Garrett's side of the large bed was empty when the tears began to run down her face.
"What have I done?" she choked as she stumbled from the bed and into the bathroom. The bitter bile rising in her throat and mouth. Beth had only been with two men before that night, Craig and then Adam. She'd never had a casual affair or a one night stand. When she'd given herself, it had been to men she loved with all her heart and soul. What occurred between she and Garrett was nothing like that. It wasn't even a cheap substitute. It was the desperate act of a woman who was frantically trying to keep her daughter from being taken away from her and an attempt to open the door for their escape back to the man and the family she loved. But still it felt like a betrayal .
Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand and reaching for the spigots to the shower, she turned the water on as hot as she could stand it and scrubbed her skin until it was red and sensitive to the touch. But still she could not wash the feel or the scent or the taste of him away.
Knowing that he could walk in at any moment, Beth tried to stifle the sound of her bitter sobs, only succeeding in turning them into panicked, high pitched squeaks of pain. "Adam I'm sorry." She whispered against the slick tile as she crumpled to the floor of the shower.
The sound of Garrett knocking on the door and calling her name, jolted her. She wasn't ready to face him or anyone else.
"Leandra honey, Cassie's awake. Do you want me to bring her in here? Her bottle and cereal are ready." Thankfully he didn't turn the handle and invite himself in.
Dear God how could she even think about touching her child after what she had done? Forcing her legs to support her, Beth turned the shower to cold and let the frigid water numb her body and sober her tears.
"I'm washing my hair." She lied. "Do you think Helen would mind?"
Garrett laughed. "Who cares if she minds? She's paid well. I'll have her take care of Cassie's breakfast and bring up yours."
The thought of food sickened her, but she couldn't let it show. "That sounds wonderful." She forced her voice to remain steady.
"I've brought your robe and a change of clothes in for you. They are laying on the bed." He told her through the door. "We can move your things and the crib in here later."
The thought of sharing a room with Garrett permanently sickened her, and the thought of her daughter being in the same room while he groped and violated her was even worse.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." She called out over the water, her mind reeling.
Garrett's voice changed as he thought about the way she'd given herself to him the night before. For Garrett it was magic. In his most vivid fantasies, he never came close to imagining what really holding and touching her had been like.
"Leandra?" he said softly through the door as he heard the water turn off. Beth quickly wrapped herself in a towel, praying he wouldn't open the door. He didn't.
"Last night was magic." He told her. "You have no idea how happy ." he didn't finish the sentence. Instead he laid his hand flat against the wooden door as if to touch it was to touch her. The next moment Beth heard him walk away. Gathering all of her strength, she somehow managed to dry herself and get dressed.
Sitting through breakfast with him and pretending to be in love was pure torture. Every time he looked at her or touched her, the events of the night before flashed through her mind and she wanted to die. But she survived. She survived in the same way she intended to keep surviving. She survived because her daughter depended completely on her, and because she knew that no matter what happened here at this villa, one day she would be with Adam. His love and his touch would wipe away all of this. It was all she had to hold on to.
"Leandra, I have some news that might upset you." Garrett admitted when they were finished. Beth couldn't imagine what could upset her any more than she was already.
"Rick is flying back here tonight. He'll be staying with us a few days."
Beth didn't have to hide how she felt. It wasn't a secret and in fact her perceived fear of Shafer was what had begun this deception in the first place.
"I wish he'd leave us alone Garrett. You know how much he frightens me." She admitted. "And I'm afraid for you. He's dangerous."
Garrett smiled and came to kneel in front of her chair. "I will be fine my sweet Leandra." He stroked her hair as he looked into her face. "He won't touch me or what we share. I won't let him."
A shiver ran down her spine and Garrett mistook it for an extension of her fear of Shafer instead of the real reason, the fact that his touch repulsed her. She closed her eyes tightly as he pulled her into his arms.
--------------------
In the basement of the old Palace of Justice, Joe and Claudia jumped when they heard the sound of the door being opened. They'd been lying on the two bunks, wrapped tightly in blankets to ward off the cold. Both sat up to see who was at the door.
Claudia gasped when she saw. "Ritchie!"
Ritchie and Amanda were bound and gagged when they were shoved into the room, the guards not even stopping before they closed the door and locked it behind them.
Ritchie's head turned toward the sound of the voice he'd been worried he'd never hear again. He couldn't see her, but her scent and presence were undeniable.
Rushing to his side, Claudia pulled the blindfold and the gag from his mouth and began to rain kisses on his face before letting his lips capture hers. Tears streamed down her face as his mouth caressed and tasted her.
"Untie me Claudia. I need to hold you." He whispered against her mouth, and Claudia eagerly complied.
Helping her to her feet, Ritchie pulled her against him and held her as tightly as he could. And then, as if to reassure himself that it wasn't a dream, he framed her face in his hands and began to explore every inch of her with his eyes. She was scared and she looked tired, but she was all right and they were together.
"I was so scared." She said. But her fears were silenced by his mouth claiming hers once again, and his strong arms wrapping tightly around her. For the first time in weeks she felt truly safe. Ritchie was there and things were going to be all right . somehow.
Across the room, Joe staggered over to where Amanda knelt on the floor. They'd taken his crutches so he couldn't walk more than a few steps before falling. He untied her and removed the gag and blindfold.
Amanda wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's good to see you Joe." She admitted.
"I wish I could say the same thing Amanda. But I wouldn't wish this on you or anyone." He said as she helped him back to the bunk and they sat down. For a few minutes they silently tried not to intrude on the young lover's reunion.
When Ritchie and Claudia finally moved to sit down across from them, their arms still holding one another, Joe finally spoke.
"This isn't looking good." He admitted. "Claudia and I heard some of the guards talking, and there is a guillotine somewhere in this place."
Amanda and Ritchie both swallowed hard.
"We don't know much about our captors except that there is an immortal among them. We haven't seen him, but we felt him a few times this week." Joe continued.
"I'm sure Duncan is doing all he can to find us." Amanda told him.
"Well even if he doesn't know where to look, we have a friend who does . or at least has an idea of where to look." Joe told them. "Methos saw the men take Claudia. He followed and somehow managed to get himself on the plane they brought us over on. He had them convinced he was the co-pilot if you can believe that."
Ritchie and Amanda were shocked Methos was involved, but not that he could pull off a stunt like that. The old man was crafty.
"Did you get a chance to talk to him?" Ritchie asked.
"Not really. They were watching us pretty close. And he may have lost us when they kicked him off the plane and brought us here. But he won't give up." Joe said convincingly.
"But you did tell him about Beth didn't you?" Ritchie pushed.
Joe shook his head. "Afraid we didn't get a chance to tell him anything."
Amanda and Ritchie shared a worried look across the room. They hoped Joe was right. They hoped somewhere in his anger his friendship still remained deep enough to help them.
The next morning when Beth awoke, it took her a few seconds to realize where she was. When she did, the memory of what happened the night before came flooding back. Thankfully Garrett's side of the large bed was empty when the tears began to run down her face.
"What have I done?" she choked as she stumbled from the bed and into the bathroom. The bitter bile rising in her throat and mouth. Beth had only been with two men before that night, Craig and then Adam. She'd never had a casual affair or a one night stand. When she'd given herself, it had been to men she loved with all her heart and soul. What occurred between she and Garrett was nothing like that. It wasn't even a cheap substitute. It was the desperate act of a woman who was frantically trying to keep her daughter from being taken away from her and an attempt to open the door for their escape back to the man and the family she loved. But still it felt like a betrayal .
Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand and reaching for the spigots to the shower, she turned the water on as hot as she could stand it and scrubbed her skin until it was red and sensitive to the touch. But still she could not wash the feel or the scent or the taste of him away.
Knowing that he could walk in at any moment, Beth tried to stifle the sound of her bitter sobs, only succeeding in turning them into panicked, high pitched squeaks of pain. "Adam I'm sorry." She whispered against the slick tile as she crumpled to the floor of the shower.
The sound of Garrett knocking on the door and calling her name, jolted her. She wasn't ready to face him or anyone else.
"Leandra honey, Cassie's awake. Do you want me to bring her in here? Her bottle and cereal are ready." Thankfully he didn't turn the handle and invite himself in.
Dear God how could she even think about touching her child after what she had done? Forcing her legs to support her, Beth turned the shower to cold and let the frigid water numb her body and sober her tears.
"I'm washing my hair." She lied. "Do you think Helen would mind?"
Garrett laughed. "Who cares if she minds? She's paid well. I'll have her take care of Cassie's breakfast and bring up yours."
The thought of food sickened her, but she couldn't let it show. "That sounds wonderful." She forced her voice to remain steady.
"I've brought your robe and a change of clothes in for you. They are laying on the bed." He told her through the door. "We can move your things and the crib in here later."
The thought of sharing a room with Garrett permanently sickened her, and the thought of her daughter being in the same room while he groped and violated her was even worse.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." She called out over the water, her mind reeling.
Garrett's voice changed as he thought about the way she'd given herself to him the night before. For Garrett it was magic. In his most vivid fantasies, he never came close to imagining what really holding and touching her had been like.
"Leandra?" he said softly through the door as he heard the water turn off. Beth quickly wrapped herself in a towel, praying he wouldn't open the door. He didn't.
"Last night was magic." He told her. "You have no idea how happy ." he didn't finish the sentence. Instead he laid his hand flat against the wooden door as if to touch it was to touch her. The next moment Beth heard him walk away. Gathering all of her strength, she somehow managed to dry herself and get dressed.
Sitting through breakfast with him and pretending to be in love was pure torture. Every time he looked at her or touched her, the events of the night before flashed through her mind and she wanted to die. But she survived. She survived in the same way she intended to keep surviving. She survived because her daughter depended completely on her, and because she knew that no matter what happened here at this villa, one day she would be with Adam. His love and his touch would wipe away all of this. It was all she had to hold on to.
"Leandra, I have some news that might upset you." Garrett admitted when they were finished. Beth couldn't imagine what could upset her any more than she was already.
"Rick is flying back here tonight. He'll be staying with us a few days."
Beth didn't have to hide how she felt. It wasn't a secret and in fact her perceived fear of Shafer was what had begun this deception in the first place.
"I wish he'd leave us alone Garrett. You know how much he frightens me." She admitted. "And I'm afraid for you. He's dangerous."
Garrett smiled and came to kneel in front of her chair. "I will be fine my sweet Leandra." He stroked her hair as he looked into her face. "He won't touch me or what we share. I won't let him."
A shiver ran down her spine and Garrett mistook it for an extension of her fear of Shafer instead of the real reason, the fact that his touch repulsed her. She closed her eyes tightly as he pulled her into his arms.
--------------------
In the basement of the old Palace of Justice, Joe and Claudia jumped when they heard the sound of the door being opened. They'd been lying on the two bunks, wrapped tightly in blankets to ward off the cold. Both sat up to see who was at the door.
Claudia gasped when she saw. "Ritchie!"
Ritchie and Amanda were bound and gagged when they were shoved into the room, the guards not even stopping before they closed the door and locked it behind them.
Ritchie's head turned toward the sound of the voice he'd been worried he'd never hear again. He couldn't see her, but her scent and presence were undeniable.
Rushing to his side, Claudia pulled the blindfold and the gag from his mouth and began to rain kisses on his face before letting his lips capture hers. Tears streamed down her face as his mouth caressed and tasted her.
"Untie me Claudia. I need to hold you." He whispered against her mouth, and Claudia eagerly complied.
Helping her to her feet, Ritchie pulled her against him and held her as tightly as he could. And then, as if to reassure himself that it wasn't a dream, he framed her face in his hands and began to explore every inch of her with his eyes. She was scared and she looked tired, but she was all right and they were together.
"I was so scared." She said. But her fears were silenced by his mouth claiming hers once again, and his strong arms wrapping tightly around her. For the first time in weeks she felt truly safe. Ritchie was there and things were going to be all right . somehow.
Across the room, Joe staggered over to where Amanda knelt on the floor. They'd taken his crutches so he couldn't walk more than a few steps before falling. He untied her and removed the gag and blindfold.
Amanda wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's good to see you Joe." She admitted.
"I wish I could say the same thing Amanda. But I wouldn't wish this on you or anyone." He said as she helped him back to the bunk and they sat down. For a few minutes they silently tried not to intrude on the young lover's reunion.
When Ritchie and Claudia finally moved to sit down across from them, their arms still holding one another, Joe finally spoke.
"This isn't looking good." He admitted. "Claudia and I heard some of the guards talking, and there is a guillotine somewhere in this place."
Amanda and Ritchie both swallowed hard.
"We don't know much about our captors except that there is an immortal among them. We haven't seen him, but we felt him a few times this week." Joe continued.
"I'm sure Duncan is doing all he can to find us." Amanda told him.
"Well even if he doesn't know where to look, we have a friend who does . or at least has an idea of where to look." Joe told them. "Methos saw the men take Claudia. He followed and somehow managed to get himself on the plane they brought us over on. He had them convinced he was the co-pilot if you can believe that."
Ritchie and Amanda were shocked Methos was involved, but not that he could pull off a stunt like that. The old man was crafty.
"Did you get a chance to talk to him?" Ritchie asked.
"Not really. They were watching us pretty close. And he may have lost us when they kicked him off the plane and brought us here. But he won't give up." Joe said convincingly.
"But you did tell him about Beth didn't you?" Ritchie pushed.
Joe shook his head. "Afraid we didn't get a chance to tell him anything."
Amanda and Ritchie shared a worried look across the room. They hoped Joe was right. They hoped somewhere in his anger his friendship still remained deep enough to help them.