The Arrangement

Chapter 17

When I get home I take a shower and dress in jeans and a t-shirt. I’m exhausted but I promised Harry and Sarah that I would go straight over to their house then we can go to Michael together. I lock the door and a shiver runs down my spine. I heard something. I shrug it off, understandably I’m jumpy. I return to my task then I’m grabbed from behind my attacker is pressing some sort of cloth on my face. It smells funny and I drop my bag and keys. Darkness consumes me.

***

My head hurts. Where am I? A basement maybe, it smells damp and it’s cold. Have I been kidnapped? I try to lift my hand to rub my head but I can’t I’m handcuffed to a chain. I pull on it but it doesn’t budge.

Moments later I hear footsteps coming towards me and the metal door at the top of the stairs open, its squeak sends goose bumps throughout my entire body, the lights flicker on and it takes a second for my eyes to adjust. When they finally do, I see Chris and Lilly stand before me. A very dangerous combination.

“What is going on here Chris?” Lilly asks.

“A gift?”

“What am I supposed to do with her?”

Chris shrugs, “I know what I want to do with her.” I shiver.

“She’s tied up, Chris.” Lilly says.

“Still looks hot, right?” Chris says and bile rises up in my throat, this man is truly repulsive.

“Why did you call me over?” Lilly asks. It doesn’t look like she is very comfortable with this development.

“To show you that everything can go back to the way it used to be.” Chris explains but I don’t get it.

“Okay, so what are you going to do with her then?”

“Whatever you want to.” Chris replies. Oh s**t!

“I don’t want you to do anything with her.” Lilly answers looking at me. It’s a relief.

“You got John to shoot her.” Chris says. So Lilly was behind my shooting.

“No. I wanted John to shoot Michael but the i***t missed.” Lilly replies. What?

“What? Why? You love Michael.”

“I did but then I saw how he was with her and he was never like that with me. I wanted him gone so I could focus on being with John.”

“Then let’s kill her! You can start over with Michael and it will be just the three of us again.”

Am I going to die today? I can’t do anything but listen.

“Killing her won’t bring Michael back. Nothing will.” Lilly says facing Chris.

“No! No! No! I f*****g kidnapped this b***h so we can get Michael back and now you’re saying no matter what we do, he is gone for good.”

“Well you would have still had him if you didn’t attack her; she’s not the type that would ever go for someone like you!” Lilly yells.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re crazy!” Lilly says throwing her hands up in the air.

“You’re one to talk, ever since I met you you’ve been all over me.”

“That’s because I’m f****d up! I always mess everything up!”

“Now what the f**k are we going to do with her? We can’t let her go she will tell.”

“Luckily that is your problem now.” She yells and turns to leave, Chris backhands her and she falls to her knees. s**t! He is going to kick her! Oh no. the baby.

“Stop it you bastard! She’s pregnant!” I yell as hard as my voice would allow and yank on my chains praying they will break.

Chris grins at me, “No she’s not, she just told everyone that she was. Lilly is f****d up and she craves attention.”  He turns back to Lilly and slaps her across the face. She falls down on her side crying.  Chris kicks her in the stomach twice and Lilly calls out in pain, I keep yanking on the chain willing it to break. He storms off and slams the door behind him. I hear the lock turn. Lilly is crying. I need to get out of here. Both of us need to get out of here, Chris frightens me and I’m not sure to what extent he will go.

“Lilly.” I call out over and over until she looks at me. When she finally does I say, “Breathe.”

She manages to calm herself.

“We are going to get out of here.” I tell her looking around the room for something, anything I can use to help us.

“Why are you?” She starts to ask. I look back at her, “What?” I say softly, my adrenaline is pumping.

“Why are you being kind to me?”

“Honestly I’m not sure. You’ve hurt Michael, Harry and Sarah and Josh too but one thing is for damn sure. Chris will never hurt you again.”  I say. It’s true, for me a man beating on a woman is inexcusable. My mother went through it, she survived but to imagine the pain she must have gone. It angers me. Maybe that is why my dad was so adamant to have me learn how to defend myself. I’m grateful to them both because as soon as I get myself out of these chains Chris is going to have another thing coming.

“It wasn’t the first time that he beat me.” Lilly whispers. My heart is breaking.

“I don’t doubt that but I was referring to the fact that he repeatedly forced himself on you.”

“How did you know that?”

I don’t want to tell her, I still feel guilty about the deep dive I did into my mother’s past.

“We are getting of here Lilly.” I tell her.

“It was Chris that started all our problems you know, I had a fling with Chris then he introduced me Michael it was easy to fall in love with him. Chris let me be for a while and I was happy but then it started again. It all went downhill from there.”

“You must have hid what Chris did to you well because I promise you that if Michael knew he would have killed him.”

“He would only do that for you.” She whispers.

“No Lilly.” I say and shake my head, “I have no doubt he would have protected you.”

“You’re in this mess because of me.”

Maybe. “It doesn’t matter. If you want we can go back to hating each other when we get out of here.” I say trying to make her smile.

I fail. She frowns, “I don’t hate you. I want to be just like you. I was and a part of me is still so jealous of you. Not just because you’re with him but you’re strong and kind, you draw people to you. God even I want to be your friend, you are the only person that has ever told me the truth straight to my face.” Tears fall down her face and I’m close to tears myself. s**t Lilly!

“We need to get out of here.” I say holding back tears.

“How? You’re chained up.”

“I know.” I shrug, I’m surprisingly calm despite of the situation I’m in. An idea springs into my head. Dad! I bend down and manage to take out a hair pin, it takes longer than I remembered but I manage to pick the lock. Lilly stares at me in amazement. I’m free and I stand up, my foot has gone numb. Pins and needles spread, I stomp my foot on the floor and they subside.

“Look for anything we can use to defend ourselves with.” I tell Lilly who still regards me like I’m an alien. She manages to pull her eyes away and start searching the basement; she picks up a piece of wood from the far corner, “Will this help?”

“Yeah.” I smile at her. I hope she will be able to move on. She deserves to be happy too.

She smiles very pleased with my approval. I find an old rusty geyser in the pile of scrap next to the stairs, I pull hard on a pipe and it breaks free snapping off. I’m ready.

“Where are we?” I ask Lilly.

“Chris’s parents’ house, they are on vacation.”

“Wonderful.” I mutter.

The door unlocks. Show time.

“Get behind me.” I whisper to her, Chris comes running down the stairs while we hide underneath.

“What the…” He breathes.

“f**k!” He yells turning around as I creep out from under the stairs, I hit him as hard as I can against his head, and he sinks to the floor, the gun he was carrying slides on the floor. I’ve only knocked him out. He is still breathing. I have to admit I have mixed feelings about that.

“Go get help.” I tell Lilly.

“What about you?” She asks as I pick up the gun, check how many bullets there are in and then I switch the safety on. I tuck it into my waistband. I don’t like guns.

“I’ll be okay.” I say but she’s stuck in place, “Please Lilly. Go. I can take care of myself.” I say holding up the pipe.

She nods and bolts for the door. I really hope that she will come back.  I pace up and down, I could always just leave and lock him up here. But I can’t leave because if he manages to get away I’ll never forgive myself if he hurts someone else.

Chris stirs sending shivers down my spine I remove the gun from my waistband and unlock the safety, I hold it against my leg with my finger on the trigger, I have the pipe in my other hand.

“You’re not going to shoot me.” He mumbles rubbing his head. He is right.

“Maybe not but I’ll sure as hell beat the crap out of you.” I say. I’m angry and tired.

“You must be so much fun in the sack.” He smirks.

Screw him! “Luckily you’ll never find out.”

“I got Michael to stay away from you before I can do it again!” He shouts.

I frown. I have no idea what he talking about.

“I’m sure you remember the night you first met me. How could you forget?”

“Just get on with it. It’s been a long day and I’m really looking forward to never having to see you again.” I need to keep him talking until Lilly comes back with help.

“I’m the reason he never contacted you after that night. You were too young for him; I introduced him to Lilly a couple of weeks later. You know what happened after that.” He says arrogantly. With him mentioning Lilly makes my blood boil.

“You’re sick, do you realize that? What kind of man forces himself on his best friend’s girlfriend?”

“Oh f**k you! She wanted it.”

“Contrary to what you might believe you asshole you are not God’s gift to woman.”

I hit a nerve, he is pissed off. I don’t care. I’ve never in my life wanted to beat up someone more than I want to right now. He jumps up and lunges himself at me but I knock him with the pipe on his knee and sinks down cursing.

“I’m not weak anymore, Chris. You haven’t caught me by surprise this time. I will keep knocking you down every time.”  I know I’m making it worse but I can’t help myself I’m consumed by rage.

He starts chuckling. “Do you really think that Lilly is coming back? That b***h is afraid of her own shadow!”

“She’ll come back.” I reply. I know she will.

“Not before I kill you!” He shouts. He is on his feet once more coming for me. I side step him and turn around just as he passed me, I kick him on his calve and he falls into the staircase wall. He screams and runs to me. Can’t he see he is not going to overpower me?

I block his hand with the pipe as he swings at me. He holds his hand with the other cursing but he just won’t quit. Even though I know I can shoot and well I can’t bring myself to do it even left handed I can shoot straight, dad made sure of that. Chris deserves to be punished for what he did to Lilly and I’m going to make sure he’s alive to receive it. He comes at me, his eyes wild with anger, if there is one thing I know it is not to fight in anger, and my dad taught me that. It’s best to calm yourself and think your moves through. Be calm and calculating. Anger makes you sloppy. I grip the pipe tighter, he swings at me widely I smack his wrist with the pipe then kick him in the knee, he sinks down, I back away. No point in beating him while he is down.

“You b***h! I’m going to f*****g kill you!” He yells getting up once more.

“Yeah because all your previous attempts seemed to work so well.” I tell him. I’m only human and this man thinks he can do whatever he pleases to anyone. It’s not in my nature to allow it.

He lunges at me once more, now I need to take him down. I hit him in the stomach with the pipe, knocking his wind out but he doesn’t give up, I bend and sweep his leg, he falls back on his butt. He jumps up and rushes for me, I hit him hard on the same knee I’ve been targeting the whole time. He sinks down on the floor, his breathing rapid, he tries to get up once more but fails. I can see he is hurt and a part of me feels bad about that. I’m not violent by nature. I swing the pipe over my knuckles and circle him.

“Stay down, Chris. Please.” I say softly. It’s just going to get worse for him if he doesn’t stay down. He is too angry to care what I have to say. He tries to push himself up but he has no more strength.