Rising Up: Finding Me book 1 (30 page)

"Mason look at me, I never in a million years wanted to hurt your feelings and I know I have, so how about we start this all again and I go and get some clothes on and you can take me to see our new forever home.  What do you say?"

"On one condition."  He looks serious again.

"Okay, what condition?"

"That you get that sweet ass naked and in the shower so I can come and soap your gorgeous body.  I'm going to count to five Ginny, so hurry up now."

"5......"

I jump up laughing and start running pulling my top over my head and throwing it at him.

"4......."

My shorts are off nearly tripping me up as I step out of them.

"3...."

I've reached the bedroom.

"2......"

I'm in the bathroom trying to get the shower working but my hands are fumbling.

"1......"

I'm just about to jump in when he grabs me and lifts me up in his arms and carries me inside.  My laughter bubbles up and I'm clinging to him as he slides me down his body but his deep kisses and the magic of his tongue dancing with mine end the laughter as we consume each other. 

Lifting my legs up around his waist and my back against the wall he slowly enters me and he leisurely makes love to me under the warm water, this time when we come together it is quietly and softly our mouths absorbing each other’s pleasures.

Mason insists on feeding me before we head out to the house.  So an hour later we are ready to go, I've packed a couple of bottles of water to take, the weather is hotter every day now.  I can see and feel Mason's excitement as we drive out of the city leaving the tall buildings and bustling streets, after half an hour I start to fidget, I know I’ll need to pee any time soon, it's a major down side of pregnancy. 

I suddenly wonder if this house has the water turned on because I'm definitely going to need to use the bathroom today.

"What's up babe, are you getting excited?"  He throws me a sly grin, the bastard knows damn well what's up with me.  "Shall I slow down and let you get a proper look around." 

"Stop sniggering like a school boy and if you don't want to be mopping up a puddle from your lovely new leather seats you'd better get a move on Buster."

"Right away, you're the boss!"  His foot hits the floor and we speed off. 

I'm not really that desperately in need of the little girl’s room, I am pretty excited about the house.  Mason has refused to give me any details I think he wants to see my genuine reaction because he'll know straight away if I like it or not, he can read me like a book.

The next bend on the dirt track brings us out of the woods and there in front of me is the most perfect house I've ever seen.  I love the quaint old American style wrap-around porch and can see that there’s the left overs of an old-fashioned swing seat there.  I reach for the door handle but Mason is already stood there with it open, I hadn't even noticed him get out of the car. 

Without taking the hand he has held out for me, I start walking towards the steps leading up to the front door, I can feel Mason next to me and I'm sure he hasn't taken a breath yet he's so nervous.  I reach for the door and push it open and gasp at the size of the open plan living area, I can't stop the thoughts of what I can do here rushing through my head like a roller-coaster.  Mason finally takes a breath in and I know he is about to ruin it by asking me a stupid question.  Oh shit, I'm going to start crying again so I whirl around to face him and I see him relax.

"I know exactly what you are feeling Ginny because I felt it too.  It's our home isn't it?"

I can only manage a feeble nod as my chin starts to wobble I run in to his open arms and let him rock me.  "Even the baby likes it.  Can you feel him moving between us?"

"I sure can and I think that we can take it as his seal of approval.  Can I show you around or do you want to see for yourself?"  I think I can detect he is still wary of my early over-reaction.

"Mason my love I want you to take me over every inch of this place."  His eyebrows rise hopefully as he gives me his panty-dropping half smile.  "Yes, yes I heard what I said and you know very well that wasn't what I meant, well for now anyway."  Now it's my turn to tease him back so I let my tongue lick over my lower lip before I bite softly down.

"Steady Missy, or you may get a more thorough look at the ceiling than you were expecting so soon into the tour."

I laugh loudly and then decide I really need to pee after all.  "Where's the bathroom Mason?"  He point to a door at the back of the kitchen area and I scuttle off flipping him the finger as he laughs at me.

We spend the rest of the afternoon talking over our ideas for both inside and the outside space, and since I've never thought of living somewhere with so much land I let Mason's head run wild, but manage to rein him in when he starts talking about horses.  We're sat outside with the sun setting in front of us and it is pretty damn idyllic.

"No to horses Mason, they require way too much hard work and if I'm going to cleaning up baby poop for the next few years I'm sure as hell not clearing up after a horse."

"What about a dog?  Do you see a dog here with us babe?"  I can see he is keen on this idea, and I am too.

"I would definitely have a dog here, I was never allowed one as a child, my mother wouldn't allow it.  But I want a proper dog none of those yappy little things that all you do is trip over it all day long." 

"Agreed, we are both far too tall to have anything small, we'd look ridiculous.  So I think babe we ought to get back home and eat, I'm famished so you and Cookie must be too."  He stands up and reaches for my hand and pulls me to my feet, and we brush the grass and dust off our jeans and hand in hand walk back to the car.

My iPod is plugged in to his stereo system and Tom Odell is singing 'Grow old with me' probably one of my favorite tracks when Mason stops it and makes it start from the beginning again.

"What a perfect song for the day we've just had here today, Ginny.  This is great!"  He beams his smile at me and I can't help but match it with my own.

"Yes Mason, just perfect."  I rest my head back and decide to close my eyes for a few seconds but I'm asleep in just moments.

Mason

Monday morning brings us back to reality with a massive bang.  Lake calls both Imogen and I into his office, and I see Theo is already seated, but he immediately stands and hugs Ginny before shaking my hand.

Lake is looking very angry and is hardly able to contain himself.  "Imogen come and have a seat."  He leads her towards a chair next to Theo.

"What's going on Lake, what are you looking so angry about?"  I sit next to Ginny on her other side and reach across for her hand, clasping it gently in mine.

"Imogen do you remember ever seeing or reading any contract pertaining to yours and Mr. Williams' sexual relationship and the activities that may occur during it?"

"What? No! I don't know what you are talking about?"  She turns to me and I can see the panic in her eyes.  "I never signed anything, Jake wouldn't let me near his office and he had Damien to deal with all his personal shit.  Why Lake, what has happened?"

"Imogen, the lawyers for your parents have produced a copy of a document they say is signed by you allowing Jake to treat you as he sees fit and to discipline you accordingly.  It also proclaims to say that you agreed to have sex with other and multiple partners.  Are you telling me that this is not true?  That you have never signed any agreement with him."

"Jesus Christ! Lake are you fucking serious.  They've produced it?  Have you seen it yet?"  I can't believe I'm hearing this.

Theo turned and took Ginny's hands.  "Think back Heidi, Shit sorry Imogen. Did you sign any paperwork at all even something seemingly innocent?"

Her face whitens even further.  "My employment contract. He never gave me time to read it properly, he said not to worry about all the jargon and technical speak and just to skim through it and sign where he'd put sticky tabs.  I promise you that is the only thing I ever signed for him.  I very rarely saw any paperwork, I never really had much work to do there, he just wanted to know where I was all of the time

Lake has his head in his hands but doesn't seem to upset any more.  "Okay Ginny, that's good.  We can get all that information from his confiscated hard drive, I'm sure he kept everything backed up and ready to produce if and when anything like this occurred."

"He did, he scanned everything even his fuel receipts and dry cleaning bills.  He was very meticulous, but wait, how come this is in the hands of my parent’s lawyer.  How did he get hold of it?  Surely any contract I allegedly signed would have nothing to do with them but everything to do with the other four men.  I don't understand."

"I don't know that yet.  We are now in close discussion with the lawyers of the four men to see if they knew of this contract or if he had ever used one before.  I am waiting on Mr. Halloran's reply this morning, because as you said if it existed he would know about it. 

Otherwise I think this is something that only ever existed between your parents and Mr. Williams with the girls they provided him with.  Which is why Theo I wanted your input too, did you ever see any paperwork lying around your father’s office, I know he was teaching you advanced programming at the time.  Can you ever remember seeing any files or documents either on the computers or in paper form?"

I watch Theo closely knowing that he is trying to atone for leaving his sister there alone, and I can almost see him mapping out the scene in his head.

He starts to speak slowly, I can tell he is searching the memories he had locked away when he left home.  "He had a sort of safety deposit box.  It was always locked and kept out of my sight, but one day I found it and opened it hoping it would be a secret stash of porn mags."  He looks at all of our faces, mine and Lakes' both understand where he's coming from but Ginny scowls.  "Gimme a break Sis I was sixteen and permanently horny."

She shrugs.  "Fair enough."

Lake is stood up pacing.  "So Theo what was in there?  Not porn presumably?"

"No, it was paperwork with girls’ names on and copies of their handwriting, their signatures were written multiple times.  I used to wonder about that and never worked it out, I suppose I just forgot over time."

"Where did he keep this box?  Did it move after you found it?"

"No, he never knew I'd opened it and it wasn't long after that we started falling out and arguing.  That was about girls I knew and why I never brought any of them home."

"Why didn't you?"  Ginny looks surprised.

"Because our parents were fucking weird, they were always over familiar with any girl I ever spoke to, and wanted to know if they were my girlfriend and what I liked to do to them.  Seriously fucking weird!"

"Back to the box Theo, where could we find it now?"

"I'll bet it's still in the back of the garage behind an old tea chest full of mum's old dance costumes, he's probably discovered much simpler ways to blackmail girls now, especially with Rohypnol available, if you know where to find it."

Ginny's head shoots up.  "Jake used it on me, sometimes just enough to make my recollection hazy but other times to completely wipe my memories. 

Well I think it was just once, but shit what do I know any more.  But if the others believed it was consensual, wouldn't they question why he had to drug me first?"

"Okay, I'll chase that up too.  Right I'll get the police to search his garage and find that box.  It gives us proof that your parents’ actions were premeditated and it wasn't coercion.  But as for your work contract we need to dig a bit deeper over that one, because I'm sure one of the pages you signed would have been his consent form.

I'll get Lucas looking for any employees who left soon after you started and he can take it from there.  Don't worry Ginny, you keep letting us do that and you keep growing that baby of yours."

But then Theo threw an enormous spanner in the works.  "Have you talked to Melanie, I mean Maddie.  I will get used to it I promise Ginny.  She used to spend a lot of time with our parents even when Ginny was out at dance practice or whatever pathetic idea my mother had for that month.  She may have seen things, she was pretty close to dad wasn't she."

"I'm sure she doesn't know anything Theo, she just liked being away from her awful family."

"It doesn't hurt to ask babe, let Lake talk to her."

"Fine, but she would have said something by now if she had wouldn't she, I mean she's been with me through all of this." 

I know I didn't have to say anything and so did Lake because Ginny said it.  "Apart from when she opened the door."

The silence is broken by Lake's phone ringing and we all jump.  "Come on let's get away and grab some coffee, not you Imogen you can have herbal tea."  I see her face perk up at the thought of coffee and then drop quickly again.

"I hate herbal bloody tea, it tastes like piss and I hate you Mason Reynolds."  She grumbles alongside us as we walk to the elevator.

"No you don't you love me."  Giving her the little half smile I know gets her going.

Maddie walks ups as we are waiting.  "Hi Theo, it's good to see you here.  Checking up on your baby sister again, you always did watch out for her when you were still at home, I'd see you hanging outside the dance studio or the gym, not so much after though, but hey it's good to see you with her now."

"Well that was strange."  Ginny whispers.  "I've never heard her mention you before at all, strange she brings that up now."

"And in such a bitchy way too."  Theo replies.

My stomach falls and I think I'm going to ask Lucas to do some digging on her past too.

I ask Theo to take Imogen back to our place, she looks exhausted and need to sleep.  I go up to Lucas' office and see if he can do some digging on Maddie as a sixteen year old, unfortunately he's out for the day. 

Heading back down to my office I call in to Lake again.

"How bad is it looking Lake, don't sugar coat it for me, it's just you and me now mate."  I run my hands through my hair and lace my fingers together behind my head. 

"I know, and it's a serious clusterfuck.  Ginny was right about Peter Jenkins being the kindest to her.  He has a daughter from a previous relationship and Williams and Ginny's parents blackmailed him into employing Ginny and then leading her to Williams by threatening to introduce his fifteen year old daughter to some of their other friends. 

He has admitted taking part in the rape but he believes his drink was spiked that night also.  The other three are being strung up by their balls, photographs and videos on their personal computers have shown them with Jake raping Ginny and other young women.  They are a bunch of seriously sick bastards."

"I've just tried to get hold of Lucas but he's out, I'm interested if he can find any wronged ex-employees, I'm sure he will.  But on a more personal level, do you think Maddie is more deeply involved in this?  You know her better than any of us, what's your gut instinct?"

"Shit Mase, I think she has something she's hiding from us.  She had a very troubled childhood, and maybe she has seen or heard things, but unless I just ask her outright I don't see what more I can find out.  She has become so separate and self-contained lately, we hardly have a relationship going anymore."

"Are the two of you still together? 

It's been strange since the night we announced the baby, Ginny rarely sees her now especially since she moved out."

"I honestly don't know, we spend a few nights together through the week and she may stay one of the weekend nights, I love being with her but I don't think I am in love with her.  She's got a great sense of humor and fucks like a demon, but neither of us seem to be prepared to push ourselves that extra inch to commit fully."

"You can't say fairer than that man.  I've got shit loads of work on my desk so I'm going to plough through that and then head home, I sent Ginny back with her brother, he's a good guy. 

Did you know he now owns and runs therapy centers for children and young adults who have been abused?  He's actually thinking of opening another in this area, I think he feels guilty for leaving Imogen and wants to reconnect with her."

"He's lucky she's as forgiving as she is.  Anyway, I hear you bought yourself a house on Saturday.  How did you get away with that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"  Managing a laugh I walk away my head spinning at the depths of evil Ginny's parents have stooped.

Clearing my mind I spent the remainder concentrating on the cases on my books, and they need my help and full support as much as Imogen does. 

Leaving at five thirty on the dot I try Lucas again but he's not answering his cell.

I hope Imogen is still resting so instead of going straight home I chance knocking on Luc's door.  He opens the door and is startled to see me.

"Hi Mase, I'm a bit busy right now can I catch up with you later?"  He looks like he's hiding something.  He's probably got a girl in there.

"Oh okay sure, have you finally got over your dry spell?  I'll speak to you later, it's not urgent, you go and have some fun."  I walk away and down to my place, excited to see Imogen.

Imogen

Theo is walking me home and is quietly thinking, and I know that he's working out how to tell me something important.  I love that I can still read his emotions even after so long apart.

"What's going on Theo?  You look like you've got something on your chest you need tell me about."  I worried about how much more crap is going to be thrown at me, how did this ever happen?

"I have, and it's really serious and I want to tell you but we need to go and see Lucas because I believe he already knows about this and is trying to dig a bit deeper.  I've text him and he's at home so we need to go there now."

"Theo, you're scaring me.  Is this something else I'm going to have to cope with?  I think I've reached my overload point.  Too much stress is going to affect my baby and I won't let that happen."  My hand subconsciously strokes my bump.

"No, I think it's something that will put your mind at ease and explain a lot of missing pieces in this tale."

We've reached Lucas' apartment and he opens the door quickly to let us in.

"Lucas, thanks for meeting us.  Did you manage to find anything else out?"  Theo reaches his hand out to shake Lucas’

"No worries mate, you look worn out Ginny."  He kisses my cheek and leads me to a recliner chair.

"Thanks, it's turned into a really shitty day.  But I do think I owe you a huge 'Thank you' for finding me such a perfect home."  At least my smile is genuine about this one thing.

"It's great isn't it?  I knew you'd love it and I'm sure you are bursting with renovation ideas.  I think Mason is setting up at meeting with the architect and constructors this week so can I tag along, if you don't mind that is?”

"Hey Imogen, I'd like to see it too."  Theo’s smile is so endearing, I never realize how much I missed him after he left, he was never mentioned, they cleared his room and wiped him out of our lives, the feeling of hatred I have for my parents is rapidly getting out of control. 

"Hell!  Why not, the more the merrier.  But can we get down to the real reason we are here."  My smile fades at this point.

Theo starts to talk first.  "I believe that Maddie has nothing to do with any of the horrendous goings-on that our parents have done.  But I do think that she was involved with Dad.  I saw a few things when I was still at home and I have been digging deeper since we have reconnected.  It looks like she was sleeping with Dad."  He holds up his hand to stop my protestations.  "Just listen to what Lucas and I have discovered please."