AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Gladys,’ I said, ready to talk some sense into her.
‘Don’t you Gladys me. I’m old enough to decide, Sonny Jim. You are the closest person I have left, and I live for the moments when you’ll come round and bring some life into my house. Plus, you’d miss my biscuits too much.’
‘It would rip you away from everything.’
She let out a rich chortle. ‘Away from what? Sitting in there rotting and watching life pass me by? You think you are the only one looking outside and wishing? No, I’m right there with you. We are both alone and I’m not accepting you up and leaving me here while you run off into the sunset. I’ll be right there with you.’
I gave up arguing. I had the impossibility of getting to Esther and getting us both away alive. Fuck it. If we made it, Gladys may as well join our band of runaways.
‘There is it, acceptance. Now go save your girl. If you get yourself killed, I’ll be very disappointed. I’ll be packed and ready to go.’
What a crazy, but wonderful, old bird she was.
THIRTY-SEVEN
ESTHER
The TV flickered to my left with pictures that I couldn’t focus on, had grown numb to. The idle chittering of the contestants on the reality show nipped at my ears as I lay on the couch and stared at the ceiling. There were twenty inset lights above me. I’d counted them, as well as anything else I could count to pass the time.
The second week had inched by with barely a thing to amuse me. My phone hadn’t been returned when I came home, and there were no other online accessible devices in the apartment. All I had was the TV and the chirpy people on it, with their lack of problems. I reached for the remote and flicked through the channels, groaning as nothing took my fancy, throwing the remote to the side in a huff.
The door opened, and I sat up, ready to accost Maeve to find any news from the outer word. Maybe even ask about Alec...
My eyes widened as Harold stood there, the door closing behind him and locking with a heart skipping click.
What the hell was he doing there?
‘You shouldn’t be here,’ I said, my pulse thrumming in my neck as he walked toward me.
‘What’s a few days amongst fiancés?’ Harold said, his face pulling into a saccharine grin. ‘It’s my apartment, after all.’
He loosened his tie, his chunky fingers dragging at it until it lay limply around his neck. When he sat down heavily on the sofa next to me, I scooted to the left, making a space between us.
‘You are supposed to leave me alone until the wedding.’
‘Indeed. But seeing as you’ve been whoring yourself out to the help, I thought you weren’t one for rules.’
‘It wasn’t like that.’ My words were forced, anger burning in my chest, but knowing that it wasn’t safe for me to step out of line. I didn’t doubt that he’d hit me again.
‘I don’t blame you. Your mother was just the same. It’s in your blood. But look where it got her. Take it as a warning. I will not tolerate cheating. Seek your pleasure elsewhere and you’ll end up without the organs to feel pleasure. Fuck with me and you might well end up in a shallow grave.’ His words were soft, almost loving as he reached out and petted my thigh, sending waves of nausea running through me.
My body froze as he pushed his hand between my thighs, stroking upward until he cupped me, his body pressing against my side as he breathed against my ear. Repulsion made me tremble, made me want to reach out and tear his face right from his skull. ‘This is mine. No-one will even touch your cunt again. I’ll fuck you when and how I please, and you’ll thank me every time.’
A sob choked me as he added more pressure, grinding his fingers against my leggings.
‘I can feel your heat, Esther. You are going to be a fine little fuck. Ah, and look, tears too.’ He leant to the side and licked his way up my cheek, catching the escaping tear and moaning in a way that turned my stomach. I needed to get away. I needed help. ‘My favourite.’
‘Stop,’ I whispered.
‘No,’ he said, rubbing at me in a way that made me want to curl into a corner and cry.
‘Please. I don’t want it like this.’ I screwed my eyes closed as he shifted his weight against me, his hard cock thrusting meekly into my thigh.
‘I’m not sure how much you don’t understand that I don’t care what I want. I take what I want. You will give it willingly, or unwillingly. It makes no difference. If you struggle, I’ll have you chained wide. If you cry, it’ll only make my dick harder. if I want you to, you’ll drop to your knees at a click of my fingers and swallow me down no matter who I’m in a meeting with.’ His fingers pressed harder against me, making me squirm in pain. ‘Even in front of your own fucking brothers. And you’ll do it or face the consequences.’
How was I supposed to survive him? Everything about him made me feel sick. I was supposed to be getting him to sleep with me, so I could pretend the baby was his, but even the thought of it made me want to jump from the balcony.
‘Does that feel good, Esther?’ he said, continuing the painful pressure against me.
