Reasonable Doubts (19 page)
Authors: Evie Adams
CHAPTER 14 - ANNA
When I woke up Marcus was gone. We never seemed to talk after the sex. I had music on lightly and I was trying to clean the wood stove, getting full of ash, and trying to clean through the conflicting feelings inside me. I was beginning to like it here, the days, and especially the nights.
But I wasn’t here by choice. I was trapped. That was my problem. I always needed freedom, I was claustrophobic trapped in this cabin, trapped in this life. I needed the choice at least to stay or go.
I tried to put it all out of my mind, then he came up behind me. Put his arms around my waist and his lips on my neck and it felt so amazing, so safe. And I hated it all the more.
I shrugged him off and, turned to him, “Get your hands off me,”
He fell back, surprised, but then smiled and came closer again, wrapping his arms around me and speaking into my ear, “You belong to me, I know you like fighting me off, but it's becoming a little boring isn't it? Why not admit to yourself you want me, your body does, doesn’t it?” He ran a finger down my stomach, and sent a shiver down my spine.
“I hate you,” I told him, not sure if I meant it anymore.
“It would be easier if you liked me, but you don't like easy do you?”
“If you cared for me, you wouldn't keep me prisoner here, if you loved me you wouldn’t do this.”
“You're here because it's best for you and because I want you here, and you please me. That's all, there'll be no more talk of love and all of those things.”
“What happens when I no longer please you?” I asked, turning my back on him.
“I don't think we'll have to worry about that for a while yet, sweet.”
“You can take any woman, there are plenty I'm sure that would come willing to you, why me and why like this?'
His eyes narrowed and darkened as he stared at me, turning me to him and holding me against him, “Because no one else has pleased me as much as you. You’re the only one I want right now.”
“It’s not fair for you to have all the power. It should be up to me to go or stay.”
“And if it was, what would you choose?”
“I don’t know.” I told him, honestly.
“That’s why I won’t let you decide.”
“I have bills, responsibilities, a life.”
“All taken care of.”
“A boyfriend.”
“Do you really? How many times have you thought of him since you’ve been here?”
“Still.”
“Also taken care of, he’s been informed you’re safe and sound. And hasn’t put up much of a fight I take it. You’re free to send a note if you want.”
“I feel trapped, claustrophobic here, in a one-room cabin.”
“Want to go out on the lake?” he asked.
He tried to show me how to start the boat and drive it, but it was so old and it wasn't turn key, push gas, go so I was out of my element. It was pull cord, choke engine, adjust throttle, and maybe more. But it was a beautiful day, sunny, warm breeze, and an excuse to wear a bikini and soak up the sun and watch him in his bathing suit.
The boat was old, but more 'classic' than run down with age. It seemed like a heavy boat, made of dark mahogany, and didn't get tossed around by the waves at all, “Why the old boat?” I asked, surely they could have new one, easier to handle.
“It's one we had since I was young, the classics never go out of style.”
We rode out far from the shore, but it was still just barely visible on the horizon. The other side of the lake, the other shore couldn't be seen, it was a wide expanse of crystal blue water, the sun hit it and it shimmered like ice.
The fishing poles were in the water and we caught fish almost immediately. “I catch, you clean, I cook, how about that?”
“I don't know how.”
“It's real easy, you stick the knife in here, slice like this, and wash out the insides like this, he showed me with the long thin knife, that sliced with ease.
“I'm not really dressed for cleaning fish.”
“You could take it off, no one out here but us and I've already seen what you have.”
“And you gave me these marks.” I answered, without looking at him, they didn't hurt, but they were awful purple marks on my ass.
“You came to enjoy it though. Pain before pleasure, you know.”
“It seems all you are is pain.” I was frustrated the way this was going, never a simple day between us. I took it out on the fish, becoming good at gutting them, only because I imagined his face on their bodies, I cut quick through the underside, disemboweling them, the sliced off their heads. He watched me work, I hoped it made him uneasy.
“It would be easier for you if you admitted you wanted me, that you like how I treat you, that you wouldn't want it any other way.” He came closer, “Admit you like my touch,” he was behind me now, his finger traced a path down my back and sides, down to my ass, near the marks he had placed, I felt he was about to kiss me from behind, and I could barely stand it, barely stand not wanting to fight him off again. “Admit it in the sun, just like you did in the dark.”
I turned around to yell something at him, I wasn't quite sure what yet, and there he was, right behind me. I was ready to meet those insolent eyes, but they were pain and confusion, he gasped and breathed in and held his stomach. I realized I still had the knife in my hand, and I had cut him deeply in the stomach, blood poured from his gut and pooled on the deck of the boat, he sat back to catch his breath and I rushed towards him, “Oh my god, Marcus, what happened?”
He reached out and grabbed my hand, “The knife,” he said.
I still held it tightly, but released it to him when I realized he was trying to shake it out of my hand before I did any more damage.
“Oh Marcus,” I cried, “Please, start the boat, tell me how to get you back and get some help,”
He smiled a groggy smile that was infuriating, “Admit you like my touch,” he said.
“Not now, Christ, you're bleeding to death in the middle of a lake and I can't help you.”
“Admit.” He spoke again, the insolence in his eyes, his voice weak, but his eyes intense on me.
“Fine, I admit it, now start the boat,” I pleaded with him, and he relented, he moved over to the engine, and pressed an electric start button, all the pulling and cranking before just another game for him.
“Keep the needle on 270,” he said, pointing to the compass above the steering wheel. I drove in, holding pressure on his stomach and the boat filling with blood, “Please don’t die,” I told him as I held him. His eyes closed and he seemed to sleep, or worse, “Please,” I begged him.
CHAPTER 15 - MARCUS
I woke up next to my father. He stared at me, and I forgot what was happening for a moment. I tried to sit up and blinding pain hit me in my stomach.
“Hurts doesn't it? Maybe you should lay still.” He said.
“Anna?”
“She was here, by your side until the nurse said you'd be fine and would wake up soon. Kid's taking it pretty hard.”
“She should be, she stabbed me.”
“Yes, she did. But you were pissing her off while she had a knife in her hand. That's the sort of mistake you make only one time, son. She may not be Sicilian, but she could become an honorary member if she keeps doing stuff like that. Anyway, she cares enough to sit by your bed for 20 hours straight and not sleep.”
“She doesn't care, she fears me.”
“Maybe. Call it what you want, just don't anger her when she has a knife in her hands.”
I remember the knife in her hand and how angry she looked when she turned around. And I remember how her face changed when she realized what she had done. Tears welled up immediately, but she didn’t shrink or cry, she battled to save me, drove the boat and held me.
After that the world went black on me. There’s no profit in thinking how I almost died, could have died, but I guess I owed her my life. It’s a terrible thing to be in debt to someone, especially that big of a debt. Did she care for me? I guess it would have been a good opportunity for her to let me bleed to death in the boat and go wherever she wanted to, to escape. But she didn't. She saved my life maybe, but also almost ended it.
“And anyways, you lost a lot of blood, had to give you some of mine as a matter of fact, and I expect you to get better and return it.”
“I'll try.”
“You'll be back to normal in a few days or a week I guess, all stitched up. That nurse almost made us bring you to the hospital, but she took good care of it, and Anna did the rest. Sal offered to take you to a Veterinarian, do you believe that? I guess Gianni's wife was a vet or something like that and she did a good job with you too.”
“Yeah, I heard that story.” I answered.
“Well, I'll tell you another one. Me and your mom. I loved her dearly, but took far too long to let her know that. And that was one of the reasons we separated. Don't make my mistakes. Leave here, take her with you. You don't need any of this life and the headaches. You have options. Use them. I never had options.”
“And what? Sal takes your place?”
“Maybe, maybe not. I'd rather my brother, Carmine, but it's not up to me.”
Carmine would be a good choice, steady, honest loyal. But not me.
I wasn’t sure if I had the energy to argue with him, thankfully, the Nurse and Priest walked in.
“Ah good. Perfect timing. The patient is ready to be moved I think.”
“Where are you going?” I asked. He was in no condition to be moved anywhere.
“Not me. You. I’m evicting you. You’re too old to be living with your father, especially when you have a place of your own and someone prettier than me to look after you. I love you, but I love you better when you visit.”
The move was painful, Gianni pushed me up the path in a wheelchair after I gave up on trying to walk. Every jangle stirred up the pain in my stomach. Gianni took the chair up to the cabin, and I was excited to see he again.
Tess opened the door, “Welcome home,” she said, Anna was in back of her, looking sheepish, if she was a child she would be hiding in the folds of Tess’s dress.
Gianni lifted me out and helped settle me on the bed, every jangle hurt. There is no way to protect you stomach from jostling, not like a hurt arm or leg you can hold close, or overcompensate for with the other arm or leg, when your gut aches, every movement except your eyes hurts.
“Anything you need from us, or are you two alright?” Gianni asked.
“I think I can handle him,” Anna said, standing next to Tess now.
Taking care of me and doting on me like I was a child or invalid annoyed me. “Gianni, can you sweep the place for knives? I don’t want another accident to happen.”
“Then you had better be nice to me,” Anna said, with a devious smile.
“You’ll be fine, just rest, and don’t play with your stitches, or else we’ll have to fit you with one of those lampshades we put on dogs.” Tess added, and they left together, “We’re close if you need anything.”
And there she was, standing over me, smiling slightly still. “It seems I’m you captor now. What will I do to you?”
“How about apologize for stabbing me?”
“I am sorry about that. But you could thank me for saving your life.”
“You only had to save it because you almost took it,”
“Yes, and I just apologized for that. That’s the last time you’ll hear me apologize for that.” She sat down next to me on the bed. “I know you hate this, being powerless, being at my mercy, but you’ll have to get used to it for now.”
She traced her hand over my crotch. “But it can go easy for you, and very, very comfortably.” Her hand stilled at my cock, but even the thought made me wince in pain as my stomach clenched.
She smiled at that, and added, “Or it can go rough,” and she let her body fall on me as she kissed me.