“Come now Mr. Templeton,” reverting back to his polished well-educated speaking voice. He withdrew a key from his pocket and unlocked the handcuffs. “I will give you fifteen minutes to clean yourself up in the lavatory. We must prepare to visit my fiancé. She will be most surprised to see me. I don’t want to keep her waiting.”
* * * *
Waking in Todd’s arms was a wonderful way to start the day. They were sharing a quiet breakfast together when Todd’s cell phone rang. “That was Mike. Ed Templeton wants to turn himself in. I need to go.” He kissed her briefly and all but ran out the door.
Rachel took advantage of the quiet morning to fulfill her promise by going on a walk with Brutus through the woods. She still had feelings of guilt for leaving him at home so much. Walking the fire trail Todd had shown her only yesterday, she replayed their afternoon together in her mind. She gasped in astonishment when she saw Todd’s A-frame home come in to view. Why hadn’t she noticed it yesterday? They couldn’t be more than half a mile apart traveling through the forest. She smiled and turned to head for home. Brutus raced off ahead of her and then sat down to patiently wait for her to follow.
“I’ve done it,” she said to Brutus when she finally caught up with him. “I’ve fallen in love with the charming, handsome, stubborn and hard-headed Sheriff Todd Bradley. When I’m with him, I feel wonderful, when I’m not, all I do is think about him and wonder when I’ll get to see him again. Should I tell him? Will he think it too soon, or feel I’m rushing him?” Brutus barked and ran towards the cabin as they drew near. Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t pay any attention to the black sedan parked in her driveway.
“Rachel darling, didn’t you get my message?” Jake said, walking across the patio towards her.
Startled out of her reverie, she was shocked to see him. “Jake. What are you doing here? Yes, I got your message, but I didn’t really think you were serious.”
“But I was serious, my dear. Are you going to invite me in? Ah, Brutus, it is so nice to see you again,” he said, extending his hand to Brutus. Brutus leaned in closer to Rachel.
“You never answered my question, Jake. What are you doing here?” she asked again, this time the undertone of anger was more prevalent in her voice.
“I am here to consult with a business associate of mine on some real estate I am considering buying in this area. Rachel, I would love a cup of tea. Can we go inside?”
Rachel opened the door and walked into the cabin, with Brutus beside her and Jake right behind. Her blood ran cold as his words sank in.
He was meeting with a real estate associate? He couldn’t be talking about Ed, could he?
“Darling, may I use your restroom to wash my hands? This dreadful red dirt sticks to everything.”
“It’s down the hall, door at the very end. I don’t have tea, would you like some coffee instead?” she asked over her shoulder.
“That would be fine. I won’t be but a moment.” Jake walked through the kitchen and down the hall to the bathroom. He turned the taps on and crept back into the hall.
Brutus noticed him standing in the hallway and walked over to see what he was doing. Jake grabbed his collar and quietly led him down the hall out of Rachel’s sight and ear shot.
Quietly, Jake slipped back into the kitchen. He walked up behind Rachel, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. Pushing away from him, she turned around to face him. “I got your message, Jake. I’m not going back with you. We are over-through-finished–done.”
His face hardened, and his ice blue eyes gained a cruel intense look about them. He sneered and advanced again. Grabbing Rachel by her braid, he forced her head back and crushed his mouth to hers in a painful kiss. “You don’t make the rules…I do. You need to learn to follow them.”
* * * *
Todd and Mike were waiting at the entrance of Bell Rock Park. “Something doesn’t feel right about this, Mike. It’s too easy,” he said, pacing back and forth. “He’s not showing. We were set up. He’s running or… Oh God, Rachel, he’s heading back to the cabin and we walked right in to his trap.” Gunning the engine to life, Todd tore off down the road with the sirens wailing and lights flashing. “How could I be so stupid? If anything happens to her, I’ll kill him with my bare hands. Shit! I’m twenty miles away.” Calling Mike on the radio, he said, “Turn off sirens when we get to the bridge. If he’s there, I don’t want him to know we’re coming.”
* * * *
“Rachel, my darling, I do not want to have to hurt you. Who has turned you against me?”
He’s lost his mind!
“No one turned me against you, Jake. I caught you in bed with another woman. I won’t take your infidelity. You told me you couldn’t live without me. Well then, why aren’t you dead?”
He chuckled at her attempted wit and continued to speak. “I did not love her. I used her body, pretended it was you, my sweet. You were gone for so very long. I have needs. I merely sated my sexual appetite with another in your absence. Why do you continue to hold that against me? You idolized me, worshipped me.”
“No, Jake. I thought I loved you but I don’t. I realize now that I never did.”
Rage turned his face white, then purple. Yanking her back by her hair, he screamed in her face. “You do love me! You have to!” He reached for the kitchen knife on the counter.
“Jake, please don’t hurt me. I’m not worth it,” she whispered the plea.
“No one leaves Jake Vanderhuff. You of all people should know that! If I can’t have you, then I’ll make it so no one else will want you either.” He slid the tip of the knife blade across her throat, pushing her head forward, he ran it across the back of her neck and down her back. He raggedly breathed in her ear and whispered, “You really should keep a closer eye on your pet, Rachel. He should not be so curious. He might get…hurt.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. “You bastard, what have you done to Brutus?”
“I’m not exactly sure. He is either sleeping or dead. I wasn’t sure how much to give him. Who knows? Maybe he is dreaming of romping through a field on a warm summer day.” He gave a cold maniacal laugh that made Rachel cry even harder.
I’ve got to get away from him
. Judging the distance to the door, she thought she might be able to make it if she could slow him down. She jabbed her elbow hard against his stomach and stomped her foot down on his arch. As he howled in pain, Rachel lurched forward. Jake took a downwards swipe with the knife as she tried to get free. She felt her hair tearing and a hot burning sensation searing across her back, but she managed to break free of his grip. Bolting to the door, she almost made it outside before he caught her again.
“You want to play rough? I like to play rough, Rachel.” He brutally kissed her and squeezed her breast until she cried out in pain. He rubbed his arousal against her leg and let out a savage moan. Sexually aroused by the act of violence, he forced her down the hall to her bedroom. “I always enjoyed having sex with you, although you were a little stoic for my tastes. Let’s do it again. Only this time, let us do it my way.” Ripping the front of her shirt, he leered at her and threw her on the bed. Jake removed his jacket and loosened his tie as he circled his prey.
Her back burned like fire, but at the moment, she was more concerned about being raped in her own room than worrying about the pain.
* * * *
Todd pulled up, blocking the entrance to Rachel’s driveway. Mike pulled up behind him. “Go up to my place and backtrack down the fire trail. We’ll have him on both sides. He’s here, I can feel it.” Drawing his weapon, he ran towards the cabin until it was almost in sight, then started to slink his way through the trees. Ahead the cabin sat quietly, too quiet.
Where the hell is Brutus? Where is Rachel?
He continued to use the tree line to hide his approach. Quietly, he made his way around the backside of the cabin. Looking in the window, he saw no one in the office. The next window he looked in, he saw Brutus lying on the floor. A wave of dread passed over him. Brutus had died protecting Rachel. Crouching down, he crept along the wall, the next room was Rachel’s bedroom. He looked in and what he saw made his blood run cold. She was on the bed struggling against a man who was ripping at her clothes. He was going to rape her!
No longer worrying about a stealthy approach, Todd ran to the front of the house and kicked at the door. Splintering wood finally gave; sprinting through the house and down the hall, he yelled for Rachel.
“Todd, help me!” she screamed.
Dragging her off of the bed, Jake grabbed what was left of her hair and pulled her in front of him like a shield, the knife held menacingly at her throat.
Todd stopped at the doorway with his gun drawn and ready. “Let her go, buddy. No one has to get hurt.”
Jake was beyond reason. He was even more dangerous now that he was cornered. “No, Officer, you’re wrong. My fiancé needed to be punished. She ran away from me. Now I am going to take her and the Star home with me, where they belong.”
“She doesn’t have the Star,” Todd said, trying to buy some time. Mike would be along any second.
Shaking his head in disgust, he said, “What kind of fool do you take me for? I know she has it, and she is going to give it to me.” He pressed the knife harder against her throat. Rachel made a small cry of pain as the blade cut her flesh. His shaft was hard. Rubbing his swollen member up against Rachel made him tremble with desire. He never knew that causing pain and fear could be such an aphrodisiac. He smiled an evil and malicious grin. He was thoroughly enjoying using Rachel this way. The wild gleam in his eyes made him look all the more dangerous.
Todd saw the blood and suppressed the violent rage boiling inside him. “That’s twice you’ve cut her now. If you kill her, I promise, I am going to kill you slowly and very painfully.”
“Officer, you must back away from the door. This is a private matter. Oh, I think I am beginning to understand. You have feelings for her, do you not? Well, my good man, I can assure you, she was only playing with you. She could hardly be expected to stay with someone like you when she had me all along. Oh, but I do have to ask. Do you find her a little boring in bed? I was going to teach her some new and exciting things about lovemaking before you so rudely interrupted us. Well, back to business then. Now, my darling Rachel, you have something you need to get for me. Do you not, dear?” he said, pulling her head back to look at her.
“I…I don’t know where it is,” she stammered.
“Lies! You do nothing but lie! I’m beginning to think you like to be punished!” he screamed. He let out a shaky laugh before his voice calmed once again. “Really now, darling, you mustn’t upset me further. I really do not want to have to hurt you,” he added silkily. With his voice hardening once again, his attention refocused on the sheriff. “Now once again, Officer, back away from the door.”
Todd backed away from the door still pointing his gun at Jake. If he could get an open shot, he planned on taking it.
“So, you hired Ed to steal it, didn’t you, Mr. Vee?” Todd asked as he backed down the hallway.
Jake sneered. “Think you have it all figured out, do you? Edward is a cocaine addicted fool. I used him to acquire what is rightfully mine. Now I have to finish what was started, the idiot lost it, to her. I am a direct descendant of the Great King Frederick himself. Royalty answers to no one.”
“How much did you pay him?”
Keep him talking
,
stall for time
.
The bastard is in love with himself. Stroke his ego. He’ll let his guard down. Where in the hell is Mike?
“Would you like to ask him yourself? He is in the car.” He laughed coldly. “He was supposed to deliver the Star to me at Slide Rock. I was going to kill him there and push him over a cliff. It seems a nice public place would be the perfect location for a little…accident.” He laughed again.
They were now in the kitchen; Todd kept backing towards the living room.
If I can get her close enough to the door, she can make a break and run for it.
“That’s far enough, my good fellow,” Jake said, stopping Todd before he could make it to the living room.
Rachel caught on to what Todd was attempting to do. “I’ll get you the Star, Jake, but you have to let him go.”
He pulled her hair back fiercely and savagely kissed her. “I don’t have to do anything!” he screamed in her face. Then he growled, “But you, you, my dear sweet Rachel, need to get me what is mine.”
“I hid it outside. Let me go and I’ll get it for you.”
“See now, that is a good girl,” he said, running the blade down her cheek. “I knew you would come to your senses.”
Submission
, Rachel thought.
If I pretend to be submissive and play along, he will
let me
go
. “I wanted to keep it for myself.” Lowering her eyes demurely, she continued, “But if you are truly a descendant of King Frederick, then it rightfully belongs to you.”
Jake released her hair and turned her around to look at him. His eyes softened and he reached out to run his hand softly down her cheek. “It will be yours soon, my dearest, a wedding gift befit a queen.”
She lowered her eyes and prayed she could continue the charade. “You humble me, Jake. I’ll be right back.” She turned to walk out and flashed Todd a quick look.