Escaping to the CEO

Chapter 16

Cassandra POV

My head was throbbing. My wrists and ankles were bound with something. I couldn't see with what. My mouth was covered with a piece of tape and a scratchy fabric was over my head. It was cold, and I kept sliding back and forth. A few times my body went flying up. I could only assume I was locked in a trunk. For how long? That I don't know.

There were times that the car wouldn't move for what seemed like a few hours at a time. Then we would start going again. I messed myself up at least twice. I could smell and feel the grossness. I was going to get beaten if he ever let me out. How did he find me? How did he get into my room? Wasn't security watching?

The car came to a stop. The door opened and closed with a slam. I assumed I was in the trunk because of the constant change in temperature. The clicks of the trunk opening and the sudden overwhelming heat and humidity entered the space.

"Welcome Home Cassie."

He grabbed my arms and yanked me out of the trunk. I got stuck and fell forward, the bag digging into my face.

"You stupid b***h can't even get out of a trunk properly."

He grabbed my arm again and pulled me into a standing position. My legs were still tied together and felt like jelly. He tried getting me to walk, but I almost kept falling over.

"Ugg, can't you do anything right?"

He must have noticed my legs were still tied together because he bent down and cut them free.

"There now, can you walk please?"

I nodded my head since I couldn't actually speak. He forgot to tell me about the steps and I tripped over them. Over and Over. He dragged me into a house and threw me to the floor. He took the bag off my head and I could see where I was. A small shitty looking cabin. There were cobwebs everywhere. In one corner was a dirty looking mattress and in the other was a small table with two chairs. In the center was a metal rusty tub.

"I'm going to take the tape off your mouth. You can scream all you want, but we're in the middle of nowhere. There's not a soul for miles around. No one will hear you, so don't waste your breath and energy screaming."

He ripped the tape off and the tears pooled in my eyes.

"Why did you do this?"

"Why? Because you're my property. You were taken from me. I took back what belongs to me. You are mine Cassie. Mine to f**k, mine to control and mine to do with as I so choose."

"I'm not Yours anymore." I signed the divorce papers. You signed the divorce papers. We're over Joe. Please just let me go."

"NO YOU ARE MINE. AND NO ONE. I REPEAT. NO ONE IS GOING TO TAKE YOU AWAY FROM ME. PAPER WORK TO BE DAMNED. I BOUGHT YOU FROM YOUR FATHER. YOU ARE MINE, END OF STORY. Now strip and get into the tub you smell awful and need a bath."

"You need to undo my hands first."

He rolled his eyes and I turned my back to him. He undid the ties to my arms and stepped away. He poured water into the tub while I stood there and watched.

"I'm not going to ask you again. Strip and get in. Or I will throw you in take your pick."

I slowly took off the pajamas that I had worn just a few days ago. I covered my body with my hands and arms, trying to shy myself away from him.

"It's not like I've never seen you naked before. Get in, bitch."

I stepped in, and the water was freezing. I lowered myself in and started to rinse my body off. He handed me a bar of soap and I started to wash my body. When I was done, I stood up, and he handed me a small towel to dry off with. It looked like a hand towel. I thanked him and stepped out. On the mattress, he laid a clean white dress and told me to put it on. I nodded and walked over and slid the dress on.

"We're going to go over some ground rules now that you're back in my possession. You will not leave the property. I have cameras everywhere and this." He clipped a monitor onto my ankle. "Will shock you anytime you get past the electrified fencing that goes around the property. There are swamps everywhere with alligators, so you may become a snack if you get lost. If you follow my rules and are a good girl, I'll reward you with some treats. But you have to be a good girl. There are also cameras here watching you, so I'll know if you're doing something you're not supposed to. There's food in that cabinet there. I'll be back. I need to check on your sister's wives. Behave."

He walked out the door and headed for his car. I watched as the car drove out of sight. What the actual f**k am I supposed to do now? I'm trapped in the middle of a swap and I have no clue where I am. There were a few books on the shelf: The bible, a cookbook and Dante's Inferno.

I opened the cabinet and found canned soups, vegetables, and a box of crackers. No can opener in sight. I pulled out the box of crackers and ate a couple. They were stale and expired… I looked all over the box.... three years ago. Ugg he's a piece of s**t.

I took my pajamas that he left behind and washed them in the wash tub. At least so, I would have a change of clothing. Once I was done, and they were "clean", I wrung them out and hung them on the back of the chairs so they could dry.

My stomach was still rumbling. One of the cans was a pop top. It was green beans. I found a fork and dug in. It had been days since I'd eaten a real meal and even though I couldn't consider this a real meal, it was close enough. Stale crackers and cold canned green beans.

It was dark outside, so I knew there was no "exploring" tonight. I managed to light a small fire in the old looking fireplace and opened up Dante's Inferno. Sitting on the mattress, I flipped through till I finally fell asleep.

I woke in the middle of the night with severe cramping and I started vomiting. The room was filled with smoke from the fireplace. I stood up and grabbed the pajamas that were on the back of the chair and used them to cover my mouth while I made my way outside. I took in a breath of fresh air and coughed so hard I spit up blood. I sat on the ground holding my pajamas and watching as the shack he left me here at lit up in flames. The tops of the trees lit and started to spread. I stood up and started running. I needed to get away before the flames consumed me.

My lower belly kept cramping, but I ignored it and kept running. I ran down the driveway that I saw Joe's car driving down on. I ran till I got to a road. It was deserted. I walked to the right, remembering that I had slid to the left when the car made the turn. My ankle never buzzed when I left the property, which made me think he was full of s**t. I stepped off the road and fiddled with the monitor till I was able to get it off. I threw it back into the woods in hopes that the now blazing fire would take care of it.

I put the pajama pants and shirt back on. It was cold out here. I needed the extra warmth. My feet hurt from the gravel and the walking bare foot. My stomach continued to cramp and cause me so much pain.

A siren started heading my way. I stepped out to the side of the road and waved my arms signaling I needed help. The fire truck slowed and one of the men jumped out.

"Ma'am, what are you doing out here?"

"I was kidnapped and held hostage in the shack down that way. Please, I need help."

"Alright Ma'am, Hold on."

"Ma'am, there is a police officer coming up. We have to go put that fire out before it takes out the Bayou."

"Thank you."

Not even two seconds later there were more sirens of several fire trucks and police vehicles. One of the cars pulled over, and he was looking me over. I was hunched over holding my stomach. Blood was trickling out of my mouth from coughing again.

"Ma'am, let's get you to the hospital. Once we get you checked out, I can take your statement."

"Is there anyway you can record my statement while bringing me. I don't want to forget anything."

"Of course."

He pulled out a tape recorded and helped me into the passenger seat.

"I'm going to ask you questions. I want you to tell me what you can remember."

"Ok."

"What is your name?"

"Cassandra Diane Miller"

"Birthday?"

"December 13, 2002"

"Now tell me what happened?"

"I left my husband a few months ago. He was beating me and raping me. I sent a letter to my cousin Anna to help me. I was sold to my husband by my father. Since we came back from our honeymoon he has beaten me, raped me, or verbally abused me. I had a miscarriage after our first year of marriage. I was almost 8 months along. He came home drunk and beat me so hard my body couldn't handle it, and I was sent to prison by him for the last 5 years. My cousin and her boss came to Texas and helped smuggle me away from him."

"Whose your husband?"

"Joseph Miller, the big attorney in Texas. He takes on cases that deal with husbands who mistreat their spouses and get them off."

"What happened after you were away from him?"

"He started sending people to look for me. Anna's boss has some friends who are bodyguards. He helped get a few in place to protect me. I got a job and started to live my life. I made a couple of friends, got a job, I was looking for an apartment of my own. I wanted to live my life with a fresh start."

"So then what happened?"

"I filed for divorce. Anna, she's also a lawyer, sent paperwork to his office and his boss got him to sign the papers. I was supposed to be in New York meeting someone at the courthouse who could help me push through the divorce as quickly as possible. Well, Joe somehow followed his boss to New York and somehow managed to find me. He climbed into the bed I was sleeping in and injected something into my neck. When I woke up, my arms and legs were duct-tapped together. There was a piece over my mouth and a burlap bag was over my head. I don't know how long I was in that car for."

"Today is Monday."

"Then I was placed in that car either late Thursday or early Friday. I've been in that shack most of the day today."

"Did he violate you?"

"No. Besides grabbing my arms and throwing myself around. He demanded I strip off my clothes and wash my body. He left shortly after. But he didn't violate me."

"When was the last time he did it?"

"Evening before I left him. He forced himself on me over and over again. I turned my mind off. I couldn't focus on what he was doing to me. I'd lived it one too many times."

"Do you know how the fire started?"

"Yes."

"Care to tell me how?"

"I started a fire in that rickety old fireplace. It was cold and damp and I was freezing. I fell asleep on the mattress he laid out on the floor for me while reading one of the three books he left for entertainment. When I woke up, my belly was cramping, and I started to cough violently. I managed to look around the room and saw the house was filled with smoke. I grabbed the pajamas that I had cleaned earlier and used them to cover my face as I got out of the house. I managed to get away from the house when I saw that the fire was blazing off the roof and setting the trees on fire. I had an ankle monitor on, and I was afraid that I was going to get zapped, but I ran. I ran up the driveway till I got to the main road and I managed to get the monitor off. I threw it into the woods."

"I'm glad you were smart enough to get yourself out."

We pulled up to the hospital where a couple of nurses and a doctor were waiting for me. The police officer, whose name I didn't catch, helped me into the wheelchair. As they were rolling me in, I called back.

"Hey, what's your name?"

" David, David Genovese."