CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Ellie's stepsisters, Anya and Stephanie, sat at their lavish dining table, smiling cattily as they told their mother who they had seen in town.

Anne-Marie's eyebrows went up and she gave a tinkling little laugh, the smile never once reaching her cold eyes. "So, that's where Isobel's little torment has been, with that creature from the woods. Well done, girls. I'm sure she'd love to hear about this." She looked at her two daughters, proud that they looked so beautiful in her eyes. No-one else thought that, they thought they were plastic and cold, but they wouldn't have dared say that to the mother. "I don't suppose you found out exactly where he lives in the forest did you?"

"No," Stephanie said absently, admiring her new set of nails. "I think that man you know from the tailors...what's his name...Richard Castell? Well, I think he might know, you know how he knows everything about things in town."

Anne-Marie nodded, another cold smile touching her mouth. "Yes, I think I may invite him for dinner tomorrow night, see what he knows," she said, steepling her fingers in front of her as she thought of the man they were talking about. He had always been fond of the way she entertained him, enjoying being whipped and beaten. No-one else knew of his predilection for pain, giving it and receiving it, no-one except her stepdaughter Ellie, and she was now safely tucked away with that beast of a husband. Richard had often come in handy when Ellie had needed to be taught her place, and the fact that he had immensely enjoyed himself had only added to Anne-Marie's own pleasure. She got up from the table and went to make a telephone call.

The next evening she sat smiling at the dark-haired man opposite her, reaching out and brushing her nails over his hand none too gently, just the way he liked. His dark eyes sparkled as he stared at her and a smile curved his lips. Anne-Marie knew that it wouldn't take much at all to get the information out of him she wanted, and later that night she knew all she needed to know, and she lay back on her bed grinning. Isobel would be most interested to find out where Becky had gone.

***

Isobel put the phone down and her eyes narrowed. So that little bitch was still alive somewhere was she? Damn. She had thought she was out of the way for good, and that her husband's money would go to her now his daughter was gone. But to find out she hadn't simply died of exposure somewhere...! She hit the telephone table and then closed her eyes in irritation as her husbands slurred voice called her from his study, plastering a loving look on her face as she went to give him more whisky. A few more bottles of that stuff - with the added ingredient she made sure she always placed in it - and he would be dead. Then this house, and all his money, would be hers. All she had to do was get rid of his damn daughter.

***

Becky woke up the next morning and blushed as she felt Glenn's big arms around her, holding her close to his naked body. The events of the last evening replayed themselves in her head and her blush deepened. They had awoken shortly after they'd made love and Glenn had gone to tend to the stew, bringing her a bowl of it and feeding it to her, smiling as he did so. His own food he had wolfed down, never taking his eyes off her. As soon as he'd finished it he had put the bowls to one side and then pinned her down, starting to make a feast of her body as he loved her again. That had taken a long time and she had learned things she never knew about sex, and she wondered if her hair was curly this morning after all the little shocks he had doled out.

She studied his face as he slept, touching his scar as she had done before, but this time she felt as if she had a right to touch him - he was hers now. His eyes opened at the gentle exploration and he smiled, the change in his expression softening his face and making her smile in return.

"Good morning, Rebecca," he murmured, pulling her face towards him so he could kiss her.

"Good morning," she replied once he had freed her lips, her smile turning into a beaming grin. "Shall I go and make breakfast?"

He shook his head and grinned wickedly. "No, you're not going anywhere," he growled, grasping her hips in his big hands.

"But, aren't you hungry?"

"Oh yeah, I'm hungry," he murmured, bending his head to nibble at her neck. "But I've got all the nourishment I need right here."

She giggled as his beard tickled her skin and he growled again, pretending to bite her savagely, making her laugh even more. He managed to keep her in bed for almost the entire day, only once venturing out to get an armful of food and dump it in the middle of the bed, before he came back down next to her and pulled the sheet away so he could look at her pretty body possessively while they ate.

The next morning Becky woke up to find Glenn nuzzling her breast with his lips, a big smile appearing as he saw her wake up. She frowned when she realised he was fully dressed. "Why are you dressed?"

He moved back up the bed and put his hands under her head, lifting her for his gentle kiss. "Because I have to go into town to fetch the supplies, remember?"

"Oh. Can't I go with you?" she asked, staring into his warm hazel eyes, not wanting him to go.

"I didn't think you'd want to, not after seeing those two women in town. Listen, I won't be long, and you can get some dinner cooking while I'm gone, can't you? You wouldn't want me to starve to death, would you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and grinning down at her.

She smiled and shook her head, knowing he was right and that she should stay here. The last thing she wanted to do was see anyone else who knew her. "Okay, I'll stay here. What would you like for dinner?"

His eyes ran down her body and he grinned again. "I could think of one or two things, but I suppose I really will starve to death if I don't get proper food inside me! You can cook whatever you like honey, anything you make will be wonderful," he said, bending to kiss her and then drawing back with obvious reluctance. "I'd better get going."

Becky sat up and watched as he left the room, glancing back at her once and then closing the door behind himself. She heard the cabin door open and then close and then she slid to the edge of the bed, sighing. It felt strange to be here on her own, especially when she would have been glad to see him go only a few days ago. She would have used the chance to escape and go somewhere that no-one would hurt her. But now she trusted him, and she felt a lot more than that too. She couldn't define what the warm feelings were that were running through her, but she knew she didn't want to be away from him now.

After having a shower and getting dressed, she went into the kitchen and started looking for something to cook, coming up with a package of beef that would make a decent goulash. A search of the cupboards later and she had all the spices she needed, too. At least he had a well stocked larder, she thought, starting to chop onions and red pepper, her mind focussing on her task instead of the way Glenn had been so gentle with her. She sighed as he kept intruding on her thoughts and tried to concentrate on what she was doing, her heart doing little flip-flops in her chest whenever an image of him popped into her head. She couldn't help smiling as she thought of the playful way he had acted, and she wondered how many people had ever seen that side of him. She was willing to bet it wasn't too many. He had mentioned a friend called Mark before, and she wondered if he lived anywhere nearby, and if she would get to meet him. He must be his only friend, she thought as she browned the meat and vegetables, stirring the contents of the pan absently as she tried to imagine Glenn surrounded by friends, having a beer and laughing. It just didn't fit him somehow. She decided she would ask about this Mark person when Glenn got back.

She had just poured some stock into the pan and put the lid on, setting it to boiling, when she heard a tapping noise and she walked into the main living area, wiping her hands on a tea towel. A frown creased her forehead when she heard it again and realised someone was knocking on the door. Surely Glenn hadn't managed to get back already? she thought, and she opened the door without a second thought, freezing when she saw who was on the other side.

Isobel stood there, looking cold and uncomfortable, but with a smile on her face. It didn't look right on her as Becky had rarely ever seen her smile, especially not at her. "Hello, Rebecca, my dear. I've been looking all over for you," the older woman said, a strange expression on her face.

"How did you find me?" Becky asked, surprised that her voice wasn't shaking, because certainly the rest of her was.

"That doesn't really matter, what's important is that I did," Isobel said, suddenly looking worried. "Rebecca, I had to come to you, it's your father."

Becky stared at her and then frowned, wanting to close and lock the door, but torn because she needed to know what Isobel wanted. "What about my father?" she asked at last.

"He's ill, maybe dying. He's...he's been asking for you. Rebecca, you must come back and be with him!" the older woman said, looking as upset as someone like her could look.

Becky felt her heart leap into her throat. "What's wrong with him? Has a doctor been..."

"Of course a doctor has been! It's his heart, it's giving out. I think it must be the alcohol," Isobel said, and for a moment Becky overlooked the fact that this woman had encouraged him to drink.

"I'll come...I...I'll write a note," she stammered, hating the idea of going anywhere with this woman. But she couldn't leave her father in her clutches if he was so ill, she would have to help him, be with him.

"There's no time. Please, you must come now!" Isobel said urgently, and grabbed Becky's wrist in a steely grip, trying to tug her out of the door.

"But..."

"Rebecca, you don't understand! Even now, he could be drawing his last breath, I took a risk even leaving him, and I only did it to find you!"

Becky took a shaky breath at her words. She had to see her father, regardless of what had happened in the past. She stepped out of the door and closed it behind her, heedless of the fact that she had no coat on, letting Isobel lead her through the woods to where she assumed the car would be. When they got to the clearing she saw a sleek black car sitting there at the edge of it, looking totally at odds with the surrounding snow. Obviously it had snow chains on the wheels, because there was no way it could have got here without them. She couldn't see inside, but she automatically went to get in when the door opened, stepping back one step when she saw a strange man sitting inside.

"Who...?" she started, breaking off when she felt her stepmother's hand on her back.

"Get in the damn car!" Isobel hissed at her, giving her a shove that sent her sprawling against the side of the vehicle.

"What are you doing?" Becky asked, her face going white as she realised something was very wrong.

Isobel laughed maliciously and leaned close to the girl, sneering. "I'm getting rid of you once and for all, that's what I'm doing. I had to get you out of that cabin without a struggle, and I did it so much more easily than I would have imagined!" She pushed Becky again and then the man in the car reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into the car before she could even scream.

Isobel got in after her and slammed the door shut, staring at her with amusement as the man held her struggling form close to him. "This is Richard Castell, a friend of Anne-Marie's. He was good enough to let us know where this little place was and also to find out when that freak you're living with was going to be out. Obviously I had to pay him back for his efforts, and he asked if he could have some time alone with you."

"But...my father?"

"Oh he's perfectly all right, probably drunk by now I should imagine. He wouldn't want to see you anyway, even if he was ill, don't you know that by now?"

"You let me out of here, right now!" Becky yelled, trying to kick out at the woman. "You can't do this!"

"Oh, I think you'll find I can do whatever I want. And that includes letting Richard here have a good half an hour with you," she leaned closer to Becky and grabbed her chin painfully. "And that will be just before we leave you in the middle of nowhere."

Becky's eyes widened when she read the sincerity of that statement and she struggled even harder. She had nothing left to lose now and everything to gain, so she hit out as violently as she could, please to see her fist connect with Isobel's haughty face and knock the woman backwards. She managed to hit the man behind her a few times as well, and he gave a muffled groan as she drove an elbow into his stomach, loosening his arms a fraction. It was enough to be able to tug out of his grasp and she lunged forward, her fingers formed into claws as she attacked Isobel's face, raking them down one side of it and drawing blood. The older woman screamed in horror and instantly tried to protect herself, her looks the thing she treasured the most.

Becky moaned in pain when the man behind her grabbed her hair and pulled hard, but she was not going to give up, she promised herself, even if he ripped the hair from her head. She twisted frantically and backhanded him, making him let go. With Isobel still clutching her face and the man behind her slightly stunned, she took her chance and went for the door, flinging it open with surprise. She had expected it to be locked, but Isobel probably didn't expect her to fight back. She never had before. Frantic to escape the confines of the car, she fell out onto the ground, the snow soaking instantly through her clothing and making her gasp. But it didn't slow her down. She leapt to her feet and ran off into the trees, purposely heading in a different direction from the cabin. If she went straight back there they would come and get her, and she wasn't going to let that happen if she could help it.

The sound of movement back at the clearing made her try and run faster and she felt the branches of some of the trees tear at her bare arms. No matter how fast she ran she could still hear someone coming after her and she looked back, seeing the man almost on her, giving her a renewed burst of strength. Pain swept through her body as his fist connected with her shoulder, sending her sprawling into the snow.

"You're not going anywhere, you little bitch!" he snarled, bending to roll her over onto her back.

Becky lashed out with her feet, and kicked him hard between the legs, too scared at the moment to be pleased at the howl of pain he gave. Isobel came up just behind him, blood trickling down her cheek, and her eyes flashed fire at the girl on the ground when Richard collapsed on the floor in front of her, his hands holding himself carefully.

Becky wasn't sticking around to see what she would say, and she scrambled to her feet, turning to run again. But Isobel rushed forwards and pulled her back down by the hair, making her land awkwardly, her breath leaving her lungs in a rush. She looked up, ready to fight and then froze when she looked straight down the barrel of a gun.

"Did you really think I'd let you go?" the older woman hissed, cocking her head to one side. "Oh, don't panic just yet, Rebecca dear, I'm not going to shoot you. Not unless you force me to. No, I'm going to leave you out here somewhere to die, that's what I'm going to do, then you'll be out of the way for good."

"Why?" Becky asked her, starting to become resigned to her fate. "I would never have come back. Why bother finding me?"

"Simple, my dear, because you're the one who will inherit your father's estate when he dies, and he'll die soon if I have my way. With you dead, the money all goes to me."

"No-one would ever have found me to give me the money," Becky pointed out, trying to stall for time. Surely Glenn would come back soon.

"I found you, didn't I? You weren't that well hidden. But you will be soon, I'll make sure of it." She gestured with the gun for Becky to stand up, and she did so slowly, never once taking her eyes off the gun. She was aware of the man getting to his feet nearby and she tensed when he walked up to her.

His eyes ran slowly down her body and he gave a smile that chilled her far more than the snow did. "I'm going to enjoy taming you," he said, one hand coming out and brushing almost gently down her face. It was so similar to the way Glenn had caressed her that she closed her eyes in despair, wondering if she'd be able to live through this so she could see him again. From the way Isobel had been speaking, she very much doubted it.

****See? You all knew bad things were going to happen! Sorry if it's a bit rushed, but I was totally stuck for a while!****