16
EPOV
I was running…my boots dodging and leaping over fire hoses as I sprinted towards my apartment building. Even the cop who asked me to come with him was left in the dust behind me. I've always been a fast runner.
A boom sounded and the bottom of the building became invisible in the uprising flames.
"SIR, GET BACK HERE NOW!!", I heard a voice calling me from behind but I ignored it.
Then, I hit a wall. Not an actual wall, a tall, burly fireman that wore a helmet, held a radio, and was standing beside a fire engine. He was an older man, but he was no weakling. I guessed he was a hardened Captain or something. And he was blocking me from my building.
"Hey, where are YOU goin?", he shouted at me as I struggled against him.
"That's my building, I LIVE THERE!!", I tried to push him out of my way but two more younger firemen were helping the Captain block me now.
"MY WHOLE FAMILY IS IN THERE!!", I screamed, "TANYA!!"
"Help this man and see if his family is with the survivors, please.", the older fireman said to the younger ones.
"KATIE!!", I bellowed, two men forcing me backwards against my will, "NO!! LET GO OF ME!!"
They rushed me away from the building and over to the grass across the road where some people in their pajamas stood, watching and crying.
"These are all the survivors we got out so far, Sir, do you see your family?", the fireman asked me as my legs began to tremble.
"No.", I felt tears rise up in my eyes, walking back over to the burning building.
"Alright, let me just tell you…", the fireman said to me over the roar of the noise, "the fire began at around 3am – a lot of people were asleep when it broke out. We have ten men inside looking for survivors. What floor do you live on?"
"Ninth.", I shouted out clearly, feeling tears falling down my face as I blinked, "My wife and daughter—"
"Stay calm, Sir, hold on.", the fireman clicked on his radio and said, "Ladder 12, Ladder 12, what floor are you on?"
"Sixth floor.", a quick voice came back.
The fireman with me clicked on and said, "Ninth floor, female adult, female child."
"What apartment, Sir?"
"9B." I kept watching the building, counting floors with my eyes, the ninth floor looked untouched by the fire at the moment, at least to me from here.
"9B.", the fireman said into his radio, "Apartment 9B."
"Copy that.", a male voice said, then nothing.
"I can't sit here, I have to get in there.", I leapt up and began to walk towards the building again, but again was stopped by more than one fireman.
"I know where they ARE!", I shouted, "I can show you, come on!!"
"Sir!", another fireman shouted at me, "The first five floors of your building are on fire. Every so often another explosion. You are not going in there, under ANY circumstances."
"Well, can't we get a ladder or something to get up there to help people?!", I asked, getting grave stares back from them.
"We know what we're doing, Sir, just please.", the fireman said to me, "I have kids, I know what you're going through, but—"
"Are your kids trapped in a burning building?!" I screamed, completely enraged at the man suddenly, "MY WHOLE LIFE IS IN THERE AND YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN?!!"
"I know, Sir, I know…", the fireman was trying to be understanding but he wasn't doing me any good.
"Oh, fuck!", I woke up and grabbed my cell phone out of my jacket pocket, dialing my home number, "Why didn't I think to call—they might be asleep, but if the phone rings, they'll wake up."
"Good idea.", a fireman said to me and I let it ring until the machine went on.
It was my voice, saying, "You have reached Edward, Tanya…"
And then Katie's voice came on and added, "AND KATIE CULLEN!!"
My eyes closed and I trembled, feeling warm tears trailing down my face as it seemed to take an eternity for the machine to pick up.
Then my voice was chuckling and said, "Please leave us a message and we'll call you right back."
Then I yelled with all my might.
'TANYA, WAKE UP AND PICK UP NOW!!", I screamed like a maniac, "THE BUILDING'S ON FIRE, WAKE UP, TANYA, NOW!! KATIE!! SOMEONE, PLEASE WAKE UP AND ANSWER NOW!!"
The machine cut me off and I hung up, dialing it again and screaming into my phone like a crazed person three more times. I was almost crying, wondering if the smoke had already killed them in their beds when, as I was screaming, I heard a click and my voice halted in its tracks.
"Daddy?" a little groggy voice answered and I grabbed the fireman next to me, letting him know I got an answer.
"Baby, yea, it's Daddy.", I almost sobbed, "Where's Mommy?"
"Asleep, I think.", she said, "Are you mad?"
"No, baby, I'm not mad. I love you, I'm never mad at you…" I was sobbing now, trying to hide it, "Go wake Mommy up but don't hang up the phone, okay?"
"Okay Daddy, hold on.", she said and trailed off as I said to the fireman next to me, "My family is alive in there, GET THEM OUT NOW!!"
He ran off to alert his superior and they were talking on their radios.
"Katie!", I couldn't wait anymore, I hated not hearing her now, "KATIE!"
"Edward…" a woman's voice was calling me as my eyes began to open a bit.
It was dark and I heard my voice breathe, "Tanya?"
Focusing more, I blinked a couple times and remembered where I was. Curled up in my box with only one little circle above giving me light and air.
"Bad boy…" Raven's voice scolded from the circle, "First you say Katie…now Tanya…you have so many other women on your mind. You're supposed to be focused on me now, you little slut."
Shit.
My hands were shaking as a bigger window opened in the box, a very large circle, letting a bit of light in as Raven's face stared back at mine.
"Put your head through.", she ordered and I carefully did as she said, finding there was just enough room for my head to stick outside the box, leaving the rest of my body inside it.
"Tongue.", she said without emotion.
I stuck my tongue out, my fists clenching inside the box as she opened a clothespin, letting it clasp onto my tongue.
"That's Tanya.", she said playfully, then put another one on my tongue, adding, "And that's Katie."
She stood up and walked away, letting me suffer there alone for awhile. It wasn't really that bad of a punishment, actually. I thought she was going to stick my tongue with the needles. Glad I was wrong about that. I tried to look around to see what they were planning to do with me next but from this hole my head was stuck in, I could only see the floor.
My body was kneeling in the box, bent over, my hands on the floor of the box.
I tried to think of Bella in the mall with Rosalie and Alice, looking at lingerie and that made me smile a little. I can't wait to see what she brings home. Maybe I'll have her model it for me.
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BPOV
"No, I'm not going to model it for you.", I laughed at Emmett and Jasper's suggestion in the middle of Victoria's Secret.
They were laughing, too, and I knew they were kidding, but my face still felt red hot just the same.
"Edward will love that.", Jasper raised a brow, looking at it on the hanger, holding it up to me, trying to get a visual, "He loves crotchless, trust me."
"Stop!", I yanked it out of his hand, walking towards the dressing rooms as Alice and Rosalie waited for me over there.
"These boys are bad!", I informed my friends as I closed myself into the pretty dressing room, hating the mirrors inside while I undressed.
I knew the girls were outside the room, waiting to see what I was trying on so I announced, "I think I'm gonna head home after this store."
"I don't think so, Bella.", Alice quickly came back with, "We've been hired as personal shoppers and we're not done yet. Sorry."
"I just have a lot of work to do today.", I grumbled, stepping into a black lace body stocking, moving it carefully up my legs as I sat on the silk little bench behind me, "Edward's not there so it's a good chance to go over all my tapes and make good notes."
"You have three more days off to do that now hush.", Rosalie sighed.
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EPOV
"Hush!", Raven's voice shouted as my voice cried out again, my face wet with tears I couldn't hold in, "It's all over, sweetness…"
My feet kicked out of reflex as the dangled a few feet off the floor, bound with black leather cuffs that jingled with any movement. My chest was spider webbed with intricate knots and white ropes that expertly came together at my back and hung from a metal hook overhead. My arms were folded behind my back and cleverly bound with lots of rope that held them in place above my spine and another rope went from the back of my collar to the hook to hold my neck and support it so it wouldn't just dangle painfully. I was suspended in the air, legs apart, facing down, at eye level with Raven as she stood before me.
"It's all over.", she kissed my lips that trembled, "Don't cry anymore, my pet. I'm done playing with you from behind."
She dropped the last toy into the large plastic box at her feet and gave a nod to Dylan.
"Sterilize all those toys, Dylan.", she smirked at him, "We're finished with them for now."
"Yes, Raven.", he picked up the box and left the basement.
I was trying to compose myself but at the moment I was in bad shape. My body couldn't stop violently trembling and the tears wouldn't stop leaking out of my eyes as I panted, deeply pained. I hate being raped.
"Shhh, shhh, shhh…", Raven kissed my face all over and I wanted to cringe and yank my face away, but I didn't.
"That was very hard for you, I know…but you took it very well, my pet. You're very strong.", she complimented.
A sob forced its way out of my throat against my will but Raven was loving this. She loved breaking men and she enjoyed breaking me most of all, God knows why. Why are these sick women so attracted to me?
"Awwww…", she played with my tears, drawing a heart on my cheek as I tried to slow my breathing, "Let me feed you, my pet. That'll make you feel better."
She left the basement as I hung there, my arms killing me, my chest sore from the many tight ropes holding me afloat, my legs uselessly open and limp behind me.
All I could think was – I want to go home. I want Bella.
It was dim in here and there was no way to tell what time it was. It had to be getting late…I should be out of here soon. I once asked her what time it was during a session and HELL I'll never do that again. She liked to believe that I was enjoying my time with her and never wanted to leave.
Soon, she was coming back down the basement stairs with a plate full of shrimp, not breaded but cool and wet, as she preferred it.
"This is nice and light for your stomach, Edward.", she smiled at me, peeling the shell off a few of them.
My breathing was more under my control now and I tried to forget the pain as she brought the first shrimp to my lips.
"Lick.", she smiled.
I licked around the white shrimp, tasting its sweet juice but not daring to bite until she allowed me to. She was also testing me today, to make sure I remembered all her rules. I guessed so far I was doing pretty well.
"Good boy.", she talked to me like a dog, "Eat."
I gently took the shrimp into my mouth and chewed it without a word, glad for any rewards I could get, especially after the last hour I just went through.
"Good?", she asked me and I nodded. The food was always top quality here, just like the pain.
I swallowed, still not allowed to speak yet as she brought me over another shrimp, saying, "Eat."
Dylan came in with a large bucket of water, a huge yellow bath sponge floating on top. He walked around behind me and I heard water sloshing.
My body tensed as my eyes moved sideways, wondering what was going on in my blind spot.
"Relax, love…", Raven put another shrimp to my mouth and said, "Eat."
I took the shrimp into my teeth and Raven said, "The water is nice and hot. Dylan's going to give you a nice washing, that's all."
I winced at that and Raven laughed at my expression.
"I don't think my pet likes another man washing his body.", Raven kissed my cheek as the wet hot sponge was squeezed above my lower spine, a delightful steamy cascade of soapy water poured generously over my flesh, running down over my buttocks, and it felt so fucking good that I couldn't even hold in the moan that came out of me.
"My pet is spoiled, isn't he?", she said to me as I felt the sponge moving up and down the backs of my legs.
My eyes widened a bit and I shook my head.
"You want me and only me to do everything for you, don't you, pet?", she gave me another shrimp, adding, "Eat. I can't feed you and wash you at the same time, can I?"
I shook my head, praying she wasn't getting mad.
"And you do want to be nice and clean, don't you?", she asked as I nodded.
"So behave and let Dylan wash you.", she suggested, "Believe me, he gets no pleasure out of it. He does what he's told and so will you. Eat."
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BPOV
"Eat.", Alice said to me as we sat in the food court, surrounded by bags, a slice of pizza staring up at me.
"I'm not that hungry.", I admitted, "I don't feel right. I'm not sick…but I just…don't feel right. Can you drive me home?"
Emmett and Jasper were talking to each other a couple feet away, in hushed voices, sitting at the table with us.
"What are you two whispering about?" Rosalie asked them before I could.
"Nothing.", Emmett smiled wide, like a kid caught stealing cookies, "Guy talk. Nosey woman!"
Rosalie play hit him and Jasper grinned at me weakly, making me even more nervous.
"What's the matter, Jasper?" I asked, half smiling.
"Nothing, Bella.", he shrugged, looking at his watch, "Just that…Emmett and I are working tonight and we should get back. It's after 5."
"Oh, okay." I jumped up, glad to see this mall day end so I could get home and get to some work before Edward got back.
I started picking up bags and so did Alice and in a minute we were walking towards the exit doors. I saw Emmett walking way ahead of us, on his cell phone, muttering quietly but still sounding pissed off.
He clicked his phone closed and became playful again, in a second, and that reminded me of Edward. I guess I was really no fun today because I was missing him so much. This felt like a wasted day that I could've had with him and even though I knew Edward said it was good for us to have a break from each other so I could think, I still hated being without him.
We can't say I love you to each other anymore.
That is just depressing the hell out of me, too. We admitted our feelings for each other, but Edward had spoken what I feared was true. It didn't change anything. He still had to leave in 8 days.
I said I was going to find a way out for him. I can't even solve a rubik's cube.
Jesus, what am I going to do when our time is over if I can't live without him for one afternoon?
Alice dropped me off at my apartment and I went in alone, not really wanting any company tonight. Emmett and Jasper had come in one car to the mall together, so they quickly drove off after thanking us for a nice day. I suspected maybe they were late for work or something, they looked very tense and strange.
I told them to say hi to Edward for me at the club and they again looked fake and smiled and said, "Sure thing, Bella. See ya."
Something isn't right with them. Maybe it's a stripper thing. Maybe they didn't like Alice or Rosalie. Nah. We all had a fun day. Unless they were acting, like Edward does on his jobs.
Rosalie and Alice knew me well enough by now that when I wanted to be alone, I was best left alone, so they respected that.
The first thing I did, after tossing my bags onto my bed, was vacuum. The apartment was very neat and Edward did a fantastic job keeping it clean but when I get in this mood, I like to vacuum. I have no idea why, but it relaxes me.
So for ten minutes, I just stared at the vacuum as I moved it back and forth…back and forth…it lulls me…in a way. I thought about Edward alone at Fire, cleaning and painting. Maybe he'd get hot and have to take his shirt off.
Oh, Bella, you are pathetic. Stop it.
I glanced at the clock in the kitchen and it said 5:35pm. I should've eaten lunch. Now I'll be starving by the time Edward comes home to take me on our date.
A buzzing sound was coming from the vacuum cleaner and I noticed it was right against the counter bottom. I sighed and turned off the machine and pulled it backwards, feeling under it to see what got stuck in there.
I yanked out a long paper and saw an envelope. Oh, my letter from Charlie a couple days ago.
A flash came to mind, remembering my apartment rapist taking the mail out of my hand and tossing it over the counter. Oh, and there's my Lillian Vernon catalog too! They must've fallen under the counter and I had forgotten all about them.
I smoothed out the envelope and smiled at my Dad's handwriting. Whenever I was in the dumps, my Dad would find a way to talk to me. He strikes again.
Before I knew it, I was sitting on the sofa and opening the letter, wanting to hear about what was going on with him and hoping to forget my own problems for awhile.
I sat back and read:
Hey Bells !
I'm sitting here at my desk, at 2:30am, bored out of my mind. I'm glad I live in a peaceful town, but sometimes I would love some action.
I'm not just writing to you because I'm bored, either, so don't think that. You're my girl and I always want to know how you are.
So, how are you? How's college life? How are your grades?
I hate how this letter sounds so far. It sounds like an interrogation, not a letter from a dad to his daughter. Sorry, Bells.
Billy and I went fishing last weekend and you won't believe how many we caught. When you were little, we used to fish, remember? And we hardly caught anything.
Oh, by the way, I'm enclosing that background check you asked for on that Cullen guy that's dating Rosalie, if they're still dating, I know how fast Rosalie goes through boyfriends.
You wanted to know about crimes and there was nothing there but then I checked other things. You can decide whether or not to tell Rosalie, but this poor guy is a widower, at the age of 26. Yikes. And he has a daughter, too. But for some reason she doesn't live with him. She lives with his wife's parents in Jacksonville, Florida. Ben and Angela Cheney.
What a shame. There was an apartment fire. The little girl survived but not the mother. Tell Rosalie this might be too intense of a relationship for her.
I put Charlie's letter aside and went to the other papers he had mailed. I had wanted Edward to tell me about this himself but I couldn't stop reading what I had before me.
There was a copy of an article about the fire. Edward's name and face was kept out of it but the title read, "Fireman dies saving little girl."
I read the whole article three times with tears in my eyes. It didn't give lots of detail but it seems the bottom few floors were on fire and a rooftop rescue was attempted when the father of this little girl called her on the phone from his cell and she answered it. The father and the firemen talked to the girl while firemen got to the roof of the building, leaping onto it from the building alongside it.
Then they harnessed a fireman and slowly lowered him down to the fire escape outside the little girl's apartment.
The fireman could see the little girl inside but she didn't know how to unlock the window to get out there. The father was telling her what to do but there was a problem with the window being stuck or something, according to the other firemen who were in contact with the one on the fire escape.
I ached, thinking of Edward on his cell phone trying to tell his daughter what to do to get out of there as the building burned before his eyes.
The fireman was about to tell the girl to stand back and he'd break the window but then tragedy struck.
That's when the first signs of fire appeared and the floor was burning, starting to cave in from the fire below it.
The fireman crashed through the window and had the little girl in his arms and were about to start being pulled up back to the roof when another explosion happened, setting both the fireman and the little girl aflame.
The firemen on the roof kept pulling them up and the fireman never let go of the little girl, even though the harness rope nearly burned through before theyreached the rooftop.
When they got there, the fireman was dead, the little girl alive but severely burned.
Oh God, I pray that Edward couldn't hear their screams on the phone or the radios…Jesus, he probably did.
I kept imagining the whole thing, hearing Edward screaming and I was crying, sobbing from the pictures in my head.
Edward, I love you…but I have no idea how to help you. I have to recommend someone else to be his doctor. It can't be me. I'm not good enough and he deserves the very best.
I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes, rewinding my tape and picking up my notebook, going to a clean page, about to write about this new information.
I stopped it and heard Edward's voice moaning and growling as my own voice gasped out, the sounds of flesh slamming into the counter over and over again. The old me would've been terrified and hurriedly stopped the tape…but I had already changed in the last few days.
I wanted to hear it…and I wasn't ashamed. I was making love to the man of my dreams and it wasn't dirty at all to me. Especially wonderful were Edward's sounds and breaths, even as we finished and came down from our blissful interlude, I could hear his mouth kissing my back.
Sitting back in the sofa, I hugged my arms around myself and closed my eyes, remembering…dreaming…longing.
"Bella…", his voice whispered to me from the tape as his mouth made more sweet kissing sounds on my body. I could hear my own ragged breathing very faintly.
After that, I listened until I heard my own voice a few minutes later gasping and saying, "The tape player is still on." And then nothing – a hard click sound.
I stared out the window, knowing that was our last session on tape and then I heard Edward's voice saying, "Edward – session five. Bella…this is me. Hopefully, you won't hear this until after I've gone…so…I can say anything I want to say…"
I sat up, frowning but riveted.
He cleared his throat and said, "I want to thank you…for caring about me. I know now that you do. I hope…I KNOW…that you'll be a wonderful psychiatrist someday. You have the gift. Not that I would know, you're the only shrink I've ever talked to, but…I can see in your eyes how much you care. I'm sorry I'm so difficult for you…too hard to reach. But you tried your best. I am thankful for that."
He paused then said, "So here's what I can never tell you to your face, Dr. Bella. I deserved to lose my wife. I deserved to lose my baby. I wasn't good enough for them and I left them when they needed me most. I let them burn."
His voice was crying and it was killing me to listen to this and not have him here to hold him. Was I asleep when he recorded this? GOD!
"A glass of milk and $27.00…", he wept quietly, "That's what drove me out of my house that night. God, I am nothing, Bella, NOTHING! Can't you see that yet? I should have died that night. I DID die that night. We never should have even met if things were the way they should be. I'm sorry that you had to get mixed up with me. I'm sorry. I'm not good enough for you, either…and I never could be. Please just…forget me. Pretend it was all some dream or something."
He sniffed and took a couple of breaths and said, "Be safe and be happy. Those are two things you could never be with me. I'm sorry if I ever hurt you, Bella. I didn't want to. It was very amazing…being part of your life for awhile. Thank you…for trying to fix me. Goodbye."
Tears rolling down my cheeks, I heard the click where Edward stopped recording and I stood up, going to my purse for my cell phone.
I scrolled to Edward's name and hit it. It rang nearby and I followed the musical ring tone to his duffel bag, grabbing it and putting it on the bed.
I pulled everything out of the bag before I even looked closely at it.
Then I had Edward's cell phone, a cop uniform, handcuffs, a gun that wasn't loaded and some t-shirts and jeans…and a little notebook.
I didn't care about his privacy anymore, I was afraid for him. Afraid he might try to hurt himself, not sure when he actually taped this.
Opening his notebook, I flipped through to a blank page then went back one page.
Saturday – 12pm – Raven.
I remember him mentioning Raven…
Wanna hear some scary stories? I can tell you about Raven.
"Painting at the club, huh?", I was shaking as I scrolled down from Edward's name to Emmett's, hitting his name to call next, "You little liar."
I looked at the clock and now it was about 6:45pm.
"Bella, what's up, girl?", he answered with a very happy sounding voice.
"Emmett, where is Edward?" I got right to it, not in the mood to be lied to at the moment.
"Ummm, he's downstairs.", Emmett said.
"You're lying." I said sternly.
"How do you know?" Emmett asked, not admitting anything.
"I'm a psychiatrist, that's how I know.", I shot back, "Don't lie to me, I want to know where he is now."
"Bella, that's his business.", Emmett said, his tone serious now, "If you want to know, ask him."
"Emmett, I'm worried about him!", I let my panicked voice out now, "I need to know he's okay, I found his book and it says Raven today at 12 – and he said he'd be home around 7. Emmett, that's seven hours! He told me that she likes hurting him!"
"Alright, Bella, hold on.", he sounded like he was moving and maybe going out to the back alley of the club, "Okay, I can talk now. Listen, this is what I know. He should've left Raven's place at 5. He hasn't called Victoria yet to check in so that means he's still there. I called Victoria from the mall at 5 to see if he got out but she said no. I've been waiting to hear from him but so far, nothing. And Victoria said she won't call after Edward until tomorrow. She says he's being…punished."
"Because of what I did to her last night!", I finished, tears of rage in my eyes.
"Yea.", he sounded so sad.
"Bitch!", I spat out, pacing the floor as my eye caught the police uniform on my bed.
"Give me the address.", I ordered Emmett, grabbing a pen and going to my kitchen.
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EPOV
Raven held the chains over her head and used them to rise herself up and down as she fucked me again. I was laying on a wooden table and she was on top of me, impaled on my cock as my hands balled into fists at my sides, my wrists cuffed to a leather strap fastened around my hips, my ankles cuffed in leather also, together, a chain going from those cuffs up to the ceiling.
Screaming out hard, she was coming. I closed my eyes and willed myself to forget the pain and let myself orgasm, too, before punishment was delivered upon me again.
I panted harder, thrusting my pelvis up and down until I was about to come.
"Raven, may I please come?", I asked as instructed.
"Not yet.", she kept bouncing mercilessly on me as I groaned, clenching my eyes, trying to hold it back.
After a few seconds, I could feel it about to explode out of me and I heard myself whimpering, "Please…please….."
"Now.", she said, allowing me as I screamed, my body jerking as I ejaculated into the condom I was wearing.
A few moments went by before she moved and spoke to me again.
"Mmmm, my good little fucker.", she stroked my face as my eyes half opened, "That's the tenth time in a row. You are special."
She kissed my chest and began to move herself up off of me and commented, "See, this is why I want you all for my own. But Victoria wants me to wait a bit. So I'll wait. I want you…and I'm going to have you. Would you like to belong to me, pet, full time?"
"Yes, Raven.", I closed my eyes and breathed, feeling too weak to even talk very well.
"I knew it.", Raven sounded morose, "She is keeping us apart."
"So tired…", I half mumbled as Raven came back over to me, removing my condom and cleaning me with the sponge and new hot water.
She ignored my babbling and said, "I hate releasing you. I just can't ever seem to do it. It's like…you're meant to be mine. You are mine."
"Raven…", I breathed, "Please…I'll come back, I swear. But if you don't release me when it's time, Victoria will send someone here."
"She hasn't called yet and it's after 8.", Raven informed, "She doesn't really care about you like I do. Just stay with me."
Her lips kissed mine and I tried to kiss back but I was so weak, so worn out.
This is where Raven and I always have our problem. When it's time to let me go, she doesn't want to. Eventually, as I tell her it's time to let me go, she takes her anger out on me. This is how things escalated last time.
So I decided not to press too hard this time on her letting me go. Maybe she'd get bored of me in a couple more hours and release me on her own.
"You'll like it here with me.", she kissed my chin and went over to a handle in a wooden post to my left near the upper part of the wall.
She turned it and I heard chain slowly grinding. I peeked down and started feeling the chain connected to my ankles tighten and begin to raise my feet up off the table a bit.
"Raven…", I looked at her a bit nervously as she kept turning the handle, making the chains completely lift my legs off the table now until only my shoulder blades and head were on the surface.
Raven stopped turning the lever and easily moved the table out from under me, allowing me to fall back until I now hung upside down, hands still pinned at my sides.
Her lips met my stomach and she kissed me there, saying, "Sleep, my angel."
She sat on the floor under me and a couple feet back, smiling at my face and humming a song to me, like a lullaby, to sing me to sleep.
I shuddered, knowing anything I wanted to say now would just provoke her. I was going to have to play nice and be quiet until Victoria decided to let me out of this.
Bella is going to be so worried about me. Shit. Emmett will take care of her.
Closing my eyes, I pretended to fall asleep as she sang her eerie little melody.
Later, after Dylan had convinced Raven that letting me hang upside down would kill me eventually, I was placed in a small cage, very like a giant bird cage, my legs dangling out of the slats as my body leaned back against the iron posts, my eyes trying to close in some form of half sleep as my cage dangled from the ceiling, my arms wrapped around my body, trying for a bit of warmth.
I was still naked but a lot more comfortable than before. Cages didn't scare me, they calmed me down.
Cages meant no one could get in here to do anything to me. Cages meant rest. All the horrible things happen outside the cage. A cage is where you go in between your torture sessions, while the Mistress is sleeping.
Raven must have gone to bed. I wonder what time it is. I wonder if I'll get out of here tomorrow.
"HANDS UP, POLICE!!", I heard a woman's voice screaming suddenly from upstairs and I jumped out of my skin, listening and sitting up.
"Don't you fucking move or I'll blow your head off!!", the woman shouted again as my brow furrowed.
"Bella?", I felt my chest tighten. It better NOT be. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part.
"Take me to the basement." I heard the Bella-like voice demand, then yell, "NOW!!"
I heard movement up above me and my arms lowered over my penis, in case company really was coming down here.
Finally, the basement door opened and light poured down in here, not touching my cage as footsteps descended the steps.
It was hard for me to see anything, being in the dark then having the bright light suddenly.
I could see Dylan's silhouette and another small silhouette next to him, wearing a policeman's hat.
"She bought him.", Dylan said to the cop behind him, "He's a male prostitute, he's here willingly."
"Shut the fuck up! Let him out.", the woman's voice barked, shoving Dylan towards my cage.
Dylan uncranked the wench, lowering my cage to the table below. Then he unlocked it with his key and took a step or two back.
Another large cop's shadow came down the stairs and he said, to the woman officer, "Cuff this guy upstairs, let me handle this, alright?"
The smaller officer went up with Dylan but I was still sitting in the cage, not moving.
The cop came up to the cage, towering over me and lit his flashlight under his face, smiling, and saying, "Hey, Bro."
"Emmett…", I whispered, looking around, "What are you doing?"
"Breaking you out.", he informed.
I still hadn't moved.
"Where's Raven?", I asked.
"Cuffed, upstairs.", Emmett smiled, "It's safe, Edward, you can come out."
I started to crawl out of the cage and Emmett tossed clothes on the table next to the empty cage.
"I brought some of my clothes for you to put on.", Emmett said, "Wasn't sure where yours would be and didn't want Bella seeing you…you know…this way."
"That WAS Bella?!", I asked, sounding a little angry, but it was more like worried, concerned…stupefied. And she wants to counsel crazy people? She's one of them! In fact, she's their leader!
"Oh yea.", Emmett smirked, "This was all her idea. She had your cop uniform and cuffs and gun. She was going to come here on her own but I couldn't let her do that. You'd kill me, first of all."
Putting on Emmett's sweatpants, I agreed, "Definitely."
"And second…it wasn't right for Victoria to leave you hanging here again, especially after last time.", Emmett waited while I slowly put the big, soft shirt on, wincing a little as it touched my back.
"I'd never let you go through that shit again.", Emmett continued, "Don't forget, I've been down here before, too, you know."
"I know.", I almost had tears in my eyes, and I had to hug the guy, "Thank you, Em."
"Come on, let's get outta here before Bella beats Raven over the head with her nightstick.", Emmett led the way up the stairs.
"Raven didn't see my face.", Emmett told me as we got to the top of the stairs, "Bella got her while she slept. The guy I never saw before. He must be kinda new. So we're in the clear."
Just then, as I moved towards the kitchen to get my clothes and car keys, Bella came running in, facing me, stopping when she saw me. I froze, seeing her eyes reflect so many things: hurt, worry, anger, betrayal, love, relief…
She plucked the keys out of my hand and looked at Emmett.
"Edward is going with me. You can follow us in your car, alright?", Bella asked Emmett, completely ignoring me.
"Uh, yea.", he hesitated, looking at me.
I nodded at him, silently telling him it was alright as we left the kitchen exit.
Emmett pointed out my car to Bella and she opened the driver side, getting in as I took my seat in the passenger side.
She started the engine and looked behind her, taking off her cop hat and throwing it in the back seat before she peeled out, going down the concrete path that would take her out of the estate and onto the road.
When I finally had the guts to look up into her face she was crying and speeding at the same time.
"Bella, do you want me to drive?" I tried to ask but I got cut off in mid sentence.
"I AM SO MAD AT YOU RIGHT NOW!!", she shouted, the tears falling down her face.
"I know."
"HOW THE HELL CAN YOU LOOK RIGHT INTO MY FACE AND TELL ME SOME BULLSHIT ABOUT PAINTING AT THE CLUB WHEN YOU KNOW DAMN WELL YOU HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO BE TORTURED ALL DAY BY THAT PSYCHO BITCH!!"
"Well, I was—"
"AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR SO CALLED FRIENDS AND MINE KEEP ME BUSY SHOPPING FOR SEXY UNDERWEAR ALL DAY WHILE YOU'RE BEING BRUTALIZED?!!!"
"Hey, they ARE my friends, Emmett just risked his ass to help you get me out of there!", I tried to at least make that point clear.
I didn't blame her for screaming and being angry, but I couldn't let her say Emmett and Jasper weren't true friends.
Bella was crying harder and I almost suggested driving myself again.
"I JUST DON'T GET IT, EDWARD, I REALLY DON'T!!", she wept and yelled at the same time, "I CARE ABOUT YOU, I LOVE YOU AND I WANT TO SAVE YOU BUT I CAN'T DO IT ALONE! YOU HAVE TO WANT IT, TOO! AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU WANT IT. YOU'VE GOTTEN USED TO THIS LIFE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE!! ONE DAY, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE IN A BASEMENT JUST LIKE THAT ONE – DON'T YOU SEE THAT?!"
I laid back in the car seat, aching all over and replied, "I told you, Bella. My few hours in there today paid me 50 grand! Unless I rob a bank, there's no other way for me to get that kind of money that fast. You don't know – my daughter needs it."
"I do know!", she said, wiping her right eye, and she pulled the car over hard along the side of the road, staring right into my scared face.
"I know about the fire and I heard your message on the tape. And I am telling you right now, the lies stop here! You will tell me everything I want to know, you will be honest with me no matter what, and you will do as I say from now on during our time together! Or you can get out now!!", she shouted.
"This is my car.", I almost smiled but held it in.
Only Bella could make me smile after the day I've been through.
She looked surprised by that fact for a second then frowned more.
"I don't care whose car it is!!", she barked, "Are you with me or are you out?"
I didn't need long to decide.
"I'm with you, Bella.", I said, sincerely, honestly, completely.
A tear fell from her eye and she turned the wheel, going back onto the street again, at a more normal pace now.
Finally, she spoke and her voice was small and frail sounding.
"Are you okay, Edward?", she cried, "Do you want to go to the hospital?"
"I'm fine, Bella.", I hated seeing her cry, "No hospital. There would be questions."
"What did she…", Bella began to ask and then cried again.
"Please don't cry, Bella.", I felt tears in my own eyes now, "I'll be fine. I just need a long hot bath…"
"Alright.", she nodded, trying to stop crying.
"And a night in bed.", I added.
"Okay.", she said.
"And my Bella.", I added, last but not least.
She sobbed again and we had to pull over again so I could hold her…and she could hold me…carefully. Poor Emmett behind us, he must've thought we were nuts or something.
We cried without words for awhile and then Bella started us driving again, wanting to get me home to take care of me.
It was going to be a rough night. I knew when Bella saw my body she would be sick but I thought maybe I could hide it - No. I can't hide from Bella anymore. No matter what, I owe her the truth. The ugly, bare, truth.
I wanted to tell her I was sorry, so sorry for hurting her this way, which is exactly why I didn't want to tell her where I was going this morning, but now I see how wrong I was thinking I could shield her from it. Bella is not a child and she's not stupid. She loves me – and that is stupid, but it's not her fault. I was so wrong to lie to her. I would never do that again.
Once we got to Bella's place, Emmett was giving us all his favorite things to treat my wounds and he asked if we wanted him to stay.
"I'm alright.", I rubbed my eyes, "I'm tired, mostly, and a little sore. It'll heal."
"Call me, Bella, if you need me.", Emmett hugged her and she thanked him again for going with her to rescue me.
Even I hugged him again before he left.
After he left, Bella turned and went into the bathroom, starting to run a bath. I slowly followed her and hugged my arms around Emmett's large shirt, glad it covered most of my skin.
The water was steaming as it began to fill the tub and Bella wiped her eyes, taking a deep breath and looking at me with so much love and pain in her eyes it made my eyes cry again.
"I'm here for you, Edward.", she said, not reaching out to grab me and I was glad for that.
"I know, Bella.", I heard my voice crack.
She sniffed and stood up before me, not crowding me, giving me my space.
"This is going to be hard for both of us.", she said openly, "But we'll get through it together, alright?"
"Yes, Bella.", I shivered a little.
"Alright.", Bella put a hand to her stomach, then took it away, "Would you like me to help you undress?"
"I'll do it.", I said quietly, looking at the floor.
"Okay.", Bella closed her eyes and another tear fell but she didn't wipe it away.
"Would you like me to leave you alone?", she asked.
"No.", I heard my voice answer, "I don't want to hurt you anymore but…I don't want to be alone right now, either."
"It's alright, Edward.", Bella sniffed again, "I want to stay. I want to take care of you. I told you, I'm with you to the end. I mean that."
And with all my emotion, I answered, "I know you do."
Slowly, I began to take Emmett's shirt off and watched her eyes as I raised my arms up, slipping it off. To her credit, she didn't make a face or scream out. I could see lots of dark red lines, welts mostly, and not many cuts, from the single tail whip. They would take a couple days to fade a bit, over a week to disappear altogether, from my flesh, at least.
But they were ugly marks. I knew that.
These same marks were surely on my back and ass, too, as well as my inner thighs as I carefully took off the thankfully big soft sweatpants I was wearing.
Bella sniffed a lot and wiped her eyes as I stepped into the tub, closing my eyes and cringing a bit as I sat in the clear water.
Then she was dipping a washcloth into the water and with the finesse of a skilled doctor, began to apply hot pressure with the cloth to certain marks on my back, letting the water do its work as my eyes closed, tears of relief and emotion moving slowly along the peaks and valleys of my face as she once again, showed me how deep and true her love was.
Anyone can say the words I love you – but Bella could say it without opening her mouth to me. She said it to me all night long. With the strength of 100 men she stayed with me for the rest of the night, washing me, drying me, massaging Emmett's medicines into my skin while I shivered all over. Her sweet voice telling me she loved me and that I was going to be alright was always there.
She was going through Hell with me and didn't complain once.
She dressed me in the nightshirt she gave me and long flannel pants and covered me in blankets, laying beside me and stroking my cheek like I was the last man on earth and so precious to her.
She talked me to sleep with stories of her summer camp adventures as a kid, taking me to a young, innocent place I so desperately needed just then. I heard tales of first kisses, canoe rides beneath the moon, and pranks against mean camp counselors.
At last my eyes began to close in the dark beside her and I said, "Bella…I know that I said we couldn't say I love you anymore to each other, but is it okay if I take that back?"
It sounded like she was smiling when she answered, "If you want to, if it's the truth, yes."
"I want to take it back.", I said, surely.
"Alright.", she said, "You have it back."
"Bella?"
"Yes, Edward?"
"I love you."
"Thank you, Edward.", Bella's voice said softly, "For being honest."
A pause went by between us and my frown was creasing my forehead.
"Bella?"
"Yes, Edward?"
I paused again.
"Do you…love me…still?"
I am so needy. After all she did for me tonight, I still need to hear it…still want to hear it.
"No way.", she scoffed, "You're a big pain in the ass."
A very long pause rose up between us then.
"Edward?"
"Yes, Bella?"
"Of course I love you.", she said.
I smiled and my whole body felt magically healed right at that moment.
"Stupid.", she added.
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See next chapter soon!
YES! Edward is FREE!!
From Raven, anyway.
Love you!
WinndSinger