Anything He Desires (12 page)

*

             
Kristen struggled to open her eyes. She felt groggy. Her wrists were chained to the wall behind her. She was able to get up but she couldn’t move around much.

Everything came rushing back to her, Aidan and George and all happened. She wondered if Aidan was okay. He’d looked so lifeless when she saw him. She didn’t worry about herself. Logan would be looking for her. She just had to be strong until he found her. She had to believe he would.

George hadn’t come in yet. She looked around at her surroundings. It was a type of shed with concrete floors and a drain in the middle. There weren’t any equipment or junk or anything, just a dirty blanket in the corner. She could see remnants of what looked like blood on the walls and it made her sick to look at it. The drain in the middle of the floor made her skin crawl.

George had brought people here before and maybe even killed them here. She nearly gagged.

As she swallowed back bile, she heard someone opening a lock at the door. She knew who it was and it made her sick to think about what he probably had in store for her.

Survival was all she could think about. She would survive because if she didn’t, this monster would continue to torment Logan and she even suspected he would frame Logan for her murder. There had to be a way to get free and help Logan find her.

“Well, I see you are awake and enjoying your new accommodations. Logan spent a lot of time here as a child. His brother sometimes shared his place as well. Until his unfortunate accident, that is,” he said with an evil smile.

“You are vile and disgusting,” she said. The thought of any child being held here broke her heart, and to know Logan was left here and tortured her heart. She had no doubt now that this evil man had killed Logan’s brother. She wanted to kill him. She had never felt such hatred for anyone before in her life.

“You hate me. That’s great. I’ll enjoy all of your hatred while I’m inside you. It only makes it better when you wiggle. Of course, Logan and his brother knew that as well.”

Kristen couldn’t help the tears that ran down her face. She couldn’t imagine spending your childhood with this man and then surviving and making a life for yourself. She loved Logan even more knowing what he had been through and coming out a success.

             
He started towards her. When he reached her, he stroked her hair. She tried to jerk away from him but he wound it around his hand.

“You are at my mercy. As you know, I’m not very merciful. I’ll have what I want one way or the other. You can cooperate or just make it harder on yourself.”

“I’ll die before I willingly allow you to touch me.” She spat on his face.

He tightened the grip in her hair and yanked, making her cry out.

“You will be fun to break,” he hissed.

He ran his free hand down her body, stopping to pinch her nipples through her clothing. She tried to pull away from him but he was holding her firmly by the hair and she could barely move. But she had her legs free and she decided she had nothing to lose. She couldn’t stop him from raping her forever but she could slow him down. She kneed him as hard as she could in the crotch. He went down sideways and away from her instantly and she had a very brief reprieve.

“You little bitch. You will pay dearly for that little stunt.”

             
While he was down she kicked him in the ribs and tried to kick him in the face. He rolled away out of her reach to recover. And then he got up and from the utter fury in his face, she knew she had done all she could. If she had stalled long enough then maybe Logan would find her before George killed her.

*

             
Logan was close to the shed. Seeing it brought back so many memories. He could hear voices inside and he knew he had found where he was keeping her.

             
Now he had to think smart so he could get Kristen out without any injuries. He knew the door was off limits because George would see him coming.

There was a small window on the far side and he could assess the situation.

He had to hurry because he knew he had ten minutes and then all hell would break loose.

When he got to the window, he saw Kristen chained to the wall as he had been as a child. It made him sick to think about it but he had to put it aside. He also noticed they were arguing and Kristen looked like she hadn’t been raped.

“Do you want me to tell you what I’m going to do? I’m going to rape you and then kill you. I have some of Logan’s blood will be placed strategically so he will be framed. When he is safely locked away in prison I’ll find a way to get his money. I raised him and I’m entitled to it. I’ll get it,” George said with a sneer.

“The police are on to you. You will go to prison for a very long time,” Kristen said in a cold and calm voice.

             
Logan couldn’t stand back and watch anymore. He knew they were away from the door. He would ease it open while George was distracted with Kristen. Logan just had to get to the monster before he hurt Kristen. George would kill her before he allowed Logan to take her back so Logan didn’t have a moment to spare.

The door was left slightly ajar and unlocked. Eric was right; George had become sloppy in his cockiness. This would make it easier for Logan. He listened to the conversation so he could pick the perfect moment.

“I’ll never go to prison but Logan will,” George said and he pulled her to him, ripping at her clothes.

When she screamed, it was the cue Logan needed. He burst through the door and yanked George from her. Logan had him in a head lock and he was squeezing. He wanted him to die so all the suffering could stop.

“You will die here, George. It is a bit ironic you will die in the very spot where you tortured and probably killed people. It ends here and now. How does it feel to know you are about to die?” Logan asked, applying even more pressure. He knew George couldn’t answer and was fine with Logan. The monster had caused too much pain and now he must die. No one would blame him.

He saw Kristen out of the corner of his eye and he heard the sirens in the distance.  Eric had followed his directions. Eric himself came through the door and assessed the situation. He knew what his friend was planning and he didn’t stop him. Logan continued to squeeze and George lost all the color in his face, his eyes started to bulge. He was dying and everyone knew it wouldn’t be long until Logan killed him.

Kristen spoke up. “Logan, give him to Eric. I need you, please. You’re better than him. We both know you are. Let him go to prison for what he’s done. Please.”

             
Logan thought about what she had said. If he killed him then he sank to George’s level. A part of him wanted to do it anyway. The world was a better place without George.

But when he looked at Kristen’s tear-stained face, he made his decision.

He handed George over to Eric, who cuffed him.

Logan went to Kristen. He covered her tenderly with his jacket. Eric got the key from George’s pocket and tossed it to Logan, who immediately freed Kristen from the chains. He took her into his arms. She clung to him and cried.

George couldn’t talk because Logan had squeezed his throat. It was for the best. One word from him would have been Logan’s undoing.

             
The police arrived and took George into custody. Kristen made her statement immediately. They also sent a CSI team to the house and the shed. They suspected he had killed several people there, some of them being his foster children. They promised Logan they would also look into the death of his brother.

This appeased Logan somewhat. .He wanted George to finally pay for everything he had done. He wanted him to get the needle. Just because Logan didn’t kill him didn’t mean George deserved to live. Logan just refused to be the one to end his useless life.

Kristen was right; he had to let the past go.

Today had been a step in that direction and he wanted to continue on that path with Kristen.

After she had spoken to the police, they insisted she get checked out at the hospital because she had been drugged and traumatized.

“I just want to go home,” she whimpered to Logan.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” he said, tucking her more securely in his arms.“Just get checked out and then I’ll take you home. If they need you to stay, I’ll hire a team of physicians to come home with us instead. Is that a deal?”

She grimaced at him but said, “Okay. But only if you go with me.”

“Deal.” He carried her to the ambulance.

             
At the hospital, Kristen was taken to a room for some blood tests.

Fortunately, the drug George had given her didn’t have long-term effects and she only had minor scrapes and bruises. They patched her up. Eric brought her some clean clothes from home. She was appreciative of the gesture and felt like they were going to be friends. .

After she was cleaned up, she was ready to go home. Logan had the limo waiting for them and Kristen was relieved she could finally just crawl in bed with Logan.

She called Kimberly, her parents and Shanna from the car. Her parents and Kimberly hadn’t known about the entire ordeal so they were better with it knowing only that she was safe now. They didn’t have the worry Logan had when he had known what was going on and had to be the one to save her. She promised to visit them when she felt better.

Shanna had been so worried and she blamed herself. The police had told Shanna that George had poisoned her cat so she wouldn’t be at work. Her cat was going to be fine but Shanna felt like she had failed Kristen.

“Stop blaming yourself.” Kristen said.

“If I’d been there, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“If you had been there, he would have probably killed you and then where would Logan and I be without you? This is all that madman’s fault and I don’t want you blaming yourself even the tiniest bit.”

             
After several more minutes of assurances, she got off the phone with Shanna and snuggled back in Logan’s arms. He held her all the way home. He was quiet and this worried her.  George had only tortured her for one day. For Logan, it was nearly a lifetime. She wanted to comfort him but didn’t know what to do.

“I love you,” she simply said.

“I love you, too. When I thought I’d lost you today, my heart went to pieces. There was actually pain here in my chest, Kristen. I couldn’t stand to be without you. You have become a piece of me and I never thought that would happen to me. I never thought I was capable of love and mercy. The old me would have killed him but you have changed me for the better. You make me want to be a better man.”  He kissed her forehead and held her tighter.

She looked up at him tenderly. “That was all you. You are the better person than you realize. When I was told he left you there and tortured you and you survived, I was so impressed. You went through that and he didn’t break you, and nor are you like him. I’m so proud of you for letting him go. Five minutes before you came, I wanted him dead too, and I honestly think I could have killed him myself. To know those things he had done to you infuriated me. But you were man enough to let him go, and that lets me know what kind of person you are, Logan. You are so much better than even you know.”

             
He looked at her and was amazed at her honesty. The fact that she was impressed with him and proud of him meant more to him than anything in the world. She was everything he wanted and more and he would never lose her again. She could be with him now and forever. He knew what he must do and he could only hope she would say “Yes”.

“Kristen, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know I told you once I’m not a happily-ever-after kind of man and that’s still true. The only thing that has changed is I have fallen in love with you. It won’t be easy but I want you to be with me, forever. Not just for today or even tomorrow. I want you with me when I wake up and when I go to bed. I want you to be there when I have experienced a bad day and I need to vent to someone. I want that someone to be you. I guess what I’m saying is… Will you marry me?”