Madeleine Abducted (25 page)

Maddy’s
heart beat
so fast, she was worried
the rush of blood would knock her unconscious. Her knees shook as she was
pulled up on her feet, the father’s guards stepping forward to take her from
Aaron’s side. She wanted to look at him as she passed, wanted to see the
emerald green in his eyes, to know that he was standing beside her, but she
didn’t dare glance over, didn’t dare appear disobedient in front of the crowded
room.

Murmurs
erupted throughout the space as she was led to the side of the room and placed
facing a wall between two wooden posts. Shackles were placed around each wrist,
the chains pulled tight so that her hands were stretched out above her. When
she was secured in place, she heard the two men walk away, leaving her alone
between the two posts.

“At
her request, Ms. Hart will deliver the lashes.” Spoken without emotion, his
father’s voice filled the room.

The
rhythmic click of heels as Emily approached
Maddy
,
Aaron’s eyes followed her every move, made note of every flex of her fingers
around the whip, and
every flutter of her hair as it was
blown back by her movement
. He would kill that woman the next chance he
had. He would make it slow and superbly excruciating, tearing her apart piece
by piece, limb by limb before finally ending her pathetic life.

Emily
approached
Maddy
and allowed the length of the whip
to unravel from her hand and drag along the floor. Finding her position, she
pulled back her arm, used her wrist to flick the length of the cord behind her
as she prepared for the strike. Just as her arm flexed with her intent to bring
the whip forward, Aaron’s father called out. “Stop!”

Emily
faltered on her heel at his sudden command. Pulling herself back into balance,
she turned to him, her face overtaken by a loathsome scowl.

Locking
eyes with Aaron, his father smiled, the purist form of malevolence dripping
from his next words. “I’ve changed my mind, and I take back my agreement with
Ms. Hart’s request. I believe it would be more fitting if you wielded the whip.
After all, it was your hand that caused those marks across Ms. Hart’s back.” Ever
the devil who could lead a man to his own destruction, his father assigned him
with the cruelest torment off all … forcing him to torture the woman who’d
buried herself within his very soul.

Aaron’s
eyes dropped to the floor, a momentary lapse of strength as his father
delivered the ultimate insult. Not only would
Maddy
have to endure the slicing pain of a whip, she’d have to do so at Aaron’s
hands. Looking back into his father’s eyes, he smiled, imagined how the old
man’s face would look when his neck was torn open by his blade. He refused to
back down, to reveal even the smallest weakness. The woman tied to the wooden
posts had the inner strength of an army; he’d be damned if he let her down. “Fine.”

Moving
toward the posts, Emily’s face twisted into open hatred. Reaching her, he gave
her no chance to hand the whip over, but took it from her still clenched hand
causing her to lose her balance and fall. The room erupted in laughter as she
looked up at him with red flames in her cheeks. Pushing herself back up, she
brushed down her skirt and stood back from him. “Enjoy whipping your fucking
whore.” Spitting in his face, she quickly walked back to the edge of the
audience
;
her spite, an inferno behind the browns of
her eyes.

He
wanted to go to
Maddy
, to explain that he’d rather
die than raise his hand to swing the whip; but to do so would be to fail her,
to be weaker than a woman much smaller than him. Pulling his arm back, he swung
out, dying inside when he heard the slap against her skin followed closely by
her bloodcurdling scream. Her body trembled, her knees giving out
instantly,
he almost stopped when he saw her body buckle
from the agony of the blow. Blood dripping in trails down her back, Aaron
fought the urge to reach out to her. Raising his arm, steeling himself against
the torment he shared with
Maddy
, he pulled the whip
back again, bringing it forward for the strike; dying inside each time the
leather hit her skin and she screamed.

When
he reached a total of ten lashings, his body trembled with hers, his arm
protesting the continued movement. He was fighting with all he had not to break
down, his emotions too much against the fake mask that he wore. Reaching back for
an eleventh strike, he was stopped by his father’s booming command.

“Enough!”

The
mixture of relief and guilt a heavy weight on his shoulders; he dropped the
bloodied whip to the floor, straightening his spine before turning to face his
father.

A malicious grin, the father knowing what he’d just done to the
son.
Satisfaction
in his voice, he commanded, “Retribution has been paid, now you may take your
slave back to your quarters.”

The
sound of Emily’s shrill scream grated against Aaron’s nerves. Spinning so that
he could look in her direction, he watched as she pulled a blade from another
man’s belt before running toward
Maddy
. Stepping in
her way, he pulled his gun from his side, his sight directed between her eyes. “I
wouldn’t take another step if I were you.”

She
stopped, staggered back in her step, before turning to his father, a plea in
her eyes. “She does not have the mark on her face, that is the worst scar of
all!”

Amusement
again in the shaking of his shoulders, his father faced Aaron when he asked,
“What is it, exactly, that Ms. Hart said to you before you attacked?”

Aaron
grinned, understanding creeping along his mind as he discovered the true depth
to his father’s game. “She said she wanted to be treated like a slave; that she
wanted to know how it felt to be a whore.” Keeping his voice steady, Aaron
glanced at the confusion on Emily’s face as he repeated her words.

“And
did you feel slighted by her words.”

“I
did.”

Snapping
his fingers, his father indicated for Emory and Vincent to take hold of Emily
while he finished what he had to say. “It seems there is some additional
retribution owed to my son for dishonoring his property. Given the words you
used that upset him, I see nothing more fitting than to grant the request that
you made.”

Only
when Emily was firmly in the grasp of his father’s guards, did Aaron lower his
gun. Emily’s face contorted in terror, her body falling from the weight of his
father’s words. “No! Please, you can’t do this to me, I’m more than a common
whore.”

Laughter
erupted throughout the room, his father waited for the sudden noise to hush
before continuing. “You forget Ms. Hart, The Estate does not benefit those that
do not benefit The Estate. You’ve been living off the hard work of my members
for years, spreading your legs for any man who was willing to open his wallet. However,
my men have moved on from what you can offer, have found other
ladies
who would love to take your
place.”

“No,”
The one word barely understandable outside the force of her sobs. Aaron looked
across the room and indicated for
Xander
to help him
release
Maddy
as Emily was dragged and strapped to
the wooden table in the front of the room. Once released,
Xander
gingerly took
Maddy
into his arms, trying not to
touch the wounds on her back. Her light body sagged against him, her feet
dragging across the stone as they removed her from the room. Once in the
corridor, Aaron paused a moment to listen to Emily’s screams as she was made
into the whore she’d asked to become. He walked away laughing, knowing full well
that those screams would continue until every man in that room had been allowed
his fill.

“Set
her down face first on my bed, be careful not to brush anything across her
wounds.” Aaron allowed
Xander
to carry Madeleine to
the bed. Watching as
Xander
carefully laid down her
unconscious body, he turned and hurried into the bathroom to get out his box of
medical supplies. Hurrying back beside her, he flinched when he saw the jagged
cuts that tore across her back, blood red rivers polluting the dove white
perfection of her skin.

Kneeling
down on the floor, he dared not sit on the mattress for fear of jostling her
body. Even though she wouldn’t feel it while passed out cold, he still cared
too much to risk causing her any more pain. Pulling the antibiotic cream from
the box, he set up the jar near her on the bed, unrolled several strips of
gauze and moved back to the bathroom to retrieve a damp cloth. When he returned
to her, he noticed how her head turned slightly, her eyes squeezed tight as she
started to gain consciousness. Kneeling by her side, he brushed his hand
against her cheek, shushing her moans, praying she would fall back into the
arms of slumber instead of awakening into pure agony. She settled as he
whispered to her, appearing to find a place in her dreams, stilling enough so
that he could tend to her wounds.

Slowly,
he used the damp cloth to remove the blood from her
skin,
flinching each time he noticed her brow furrow. After applying the ointment, he
bandaged her back with butterfly bandages and gauze as best as he could, giving
the ointment time to work its way into the cuts. He knew the wounds would need
air, but at the moment he was more concerned with stopping the bleeding while
protecting her against infection. After repacking his medical kit, he sat on
the floor, his back and head leaned on the bed where her legs hung down; he
waited for his angel to awaken.

Hours
must have passed, the night sky an unforgiving black against the windows of the
room,
Maddy
woke up in excruciating pain. As she
tried to move, her leg kicked out landing against something solid, just before
a hand reached up to keep her still. She jumped at the touch, not understanding
whose hand had grabbed her. Aaron pushed up from the floor, wiped his hand across
his face to chase away his exhaustion. Standing beside her, he placed his hands
on her back, steadied her while whispering, “Don’t move,
Maddy
,
you need to stay as still as possible, at least for tonight. The wounds are too
fresh for you to be moving around. I’ve closed up the cuts as best I can, If
you remain still, there’s a chance the scars won’t be too deep.”

“Aaron,
oh God, Aaron, it burns so bad!” Tears ran from her eyes as she spoke. “What
happened after we left? All I remember is that horrible woman screaming, but I
remember nothing that happened after that.” Her pain was apparent in the tone
of her voice, the tears flowing freely from her eyes. Aaron soothed his hand
down her hair while she adjusted to what must have felt like fire across the
skin of her back.

“You
passed out as we carried you back. I didn’t wake you, preferring that you sleep
through the time it took me to tend to your wounds.” His voice shook with
emotion, his concern for her becoming his greatest weakness. “Are you hungry or
thirsty … why don’t I get you some water? Maybe you could take something to
help you keep sleeping.”

Nodding
her head,
Maddy
would accept anything he offered if
it would deliver her back to delirium and away from the pain overtaking her
body. Aaron traveled quickly across the room, going through both his closet and
the bathroom, he returned to her with a pill in one hand and a glass of water
in the other.
Maddy
moved as much as she could to
take the glass from his hands. Aaron held her down, bringing the edge to her
lips so she could drink. Returning the glass to the bathroom, Aaron turned on
the stereo system as he passed; let the haunting sounds of
Maddy’s
songs fill the room as she fell to sleep. He sat down on the floor beside her,
stroked his hand down the back of her leg attempting to sooth her back into
sleep. Within minutes he heard her deep, even breathing and relaxed against the
side of the bed. Closing his eyes, he kept a sentinel position at her side, a
snake coiled to strike out at any person who tried to disturb her.

~
    
~
    
~

Morning light, the reds and pinks flitting past the edges of
the curtains,
Maddy’s
eyes peaked open as she watched
the dust swirl with the beams of light. She attempted to move, but was struck
so suddenly with pain, she instantly remembered the events of the previous day.
Instantly aware of her movement, Aaron opened his eyes as well, placed his hand
on her leg to let her know that he was there beside her. Pushing up on his
cramped legs, his muscles protested the movement. “
Maddy
,
are you okay?”

Wiggling
around on the bed, she let out a small cry as she tried to push herself over
from her stomach. “No … I need to … ”

“What,
what do you need? I’ll get it for you so you can stay still.”

A
deep breath escaped her, her hair blowing out from the exhaled air. “I need to
pee.”

Aaron
didn’t mean to, but he chuckled at her statement. Her cheeks had become pink
with her embarrassment of the request. Leaning down to her, he whispered, “Stay
here, I’ll get a cup and hold it between your legs.”

“No!”

He
chuckled again. “Fine. Let me help you up, try to keep your back as straight as
possible.” Lifting her from the bed he watch her wince with the movement of her
body. When he had her standing, he put his hands under her arms to steady her,
keeping her upright with each step she took. Lowering her down onto the toilet,
he stood above her, waiting for her to finish.

“I’m
going to have to wipe you,
Maddy
. I don’t want you
moving if you don’t have to.” He smiled when he saw the dejected look on her
face about what he’d said, but instantly felt guilty for finding any sort of
humor in the situation. When he was done cleaning her, he flushed the toilet
and placed his arms under her to pick her up. Shaking her head, she tried to
push him away.

“Just
let me sit for a moment, please, just let the pain go down some before I have
to move and make it worse. I don’t think I can handle anymore right now.” She
sounded breathless, her heart beating erratically at the intensity of her pain.

Nodding
in understanding, Aaron knelt down on the floor in front of her, his eyes
holding hers as he gave her the time she needed. Sitting quietly, he watched
her face, searching her eyes each time they opened briefly, grabbing her hand
to comfort her when she flinched from the pain. Examining her wrist, he saw
where the string wrapped around one had cut into her wrist from the shackles
she’d worn the night before. Aaron instantly attempted to unwrap the string,
but
Maddy
pulled her hand away, covering the string
with her other hand. “What are you doing?”

“The
string, it’s cut into your skin, I have to remove it.”

Shaking
her head in refusal,
Maddy
pulled her arm to her
body, cradling the injured wrist. “I don’t care if it cuts my hand off
completely, I never want it removed.” Pausing she appeared as if she thought of
a far away place. “I always found freedom within music, Aaron, and then to be
taken captive … to have it stripped from me … ” Looking deep into his eyes, she
continued, “You gave that back to me when you gave me my instrument; somehow
you knew. Do not take the freedom away, no matter how it injures me.” Her
expression, a plea as she begged to keep something as simple as a bracelet
fashioned from a broken cello string.

Seeing
that she was becoming upset, that panic was settling into the lines of her face
and the muscles of her body, Aaron backed off, nodded in understanding of her
request. “Okay, I’ll treat and dress the wound under it, I’ll leave it, if
that’s what you want.”

Finally,
calming,
Maddy
was able to keep her eyes open longer,
the deep-sea blue meeting his as she asked, “Did it work? Were they fooled?”

“Yes.
Yes, my brave girl, they were. Emily ended up the ultimate victim in his game. My
father was never concerned about what I did to her, he was just using her to
get to you.” A dark part of him started to sneak out in those words, his anger
resurfacing at the thought of what his father had done.

“Don’t
let your anger control you now, Aaron. I can hear it in your voice. Hold onto
it until a time where you can use it to finally end his life.”
Still strong.
Even with her back ripped apart and her nerves
screaming out in agony,
Maddy
still remained strong.

Silence
fell between
them,
Aaron’s voice only a soft whisper
as he finally dared to breach it. “I’m sorry,
Maddy
. I’m
sorry that I had to use that whip on you. If I could have traded places with
you, I would have. I would have laid down my life not to have to do what I
did.” Pain flickered across his face as he remembered what he’d been made to
do, a pain so deep it only added to the darkness within him. For years, his
father had been cruel, unjust, and had fashioned Aaron into the assassin for
The Estate, had stripped from him the ability to love or to be loved.

Reaching
down to cup his cheek in her hand,
Maddy
pulled his
eyes to hers, let the serene blue wash over him, giving him back some parts of
himself that his father had stripped away. “You did what I asked you to do. You
remained true to what we hope to accomplish. No matter what happens, if I live
or if I die, you can only help me find justice by eradicating the man who took
me from my life.”

Aaron
pushed up so that he and
Maddy
were face to face. “Let
me help you back to bed. You can’t stay here forever, you need to lie down and
rest.”

A
shy smile, the expression on her face one that reminded him of the woman who’d
first been gifted to him, the one who’d dared to reveal herself during the
quiet moments between them. “I don’t want to spend anymore time on that bed … ”
Her cheeks heated from some inward thought. “ … Not in this condition, anyway.”

Her
words reminded him of the events before the presentation, the words she’d said
to him in the music room, the moment she’d given herself to him on the bed and
the whispered conversation that occurred when they woke up. Sex had been a
first for
Maddy
, a part of herself she’d given to
him ….
but
his words … those had
been a first for him, a part of himself he hadn’t even known existed. The
memory of those moments brought back a request
Maddy
had made
;
one he’d denied her then, but one he
wouldn’t refuse now.

“Let
me take you to the bed so that I can redress your wounds; after that, I’ll take
you somewhere else.”

Nodding
her assent,
Maddy
tried to cover up her pain as he
helped lift her into a standing position, but Aaron knew. Every flinch of her
body, every wince that furrowed the perfection of her face; he knew she wanted
to cry out, couldn’t understand why she wasn’t screaming, a warrior wrapped
within the beautiful shell of a musician, a strength in her that no one could
have suspected.

After
laying her down on the bed, Aaron retrieved the supplies. Pulling the gauze
from her back, he died a little more inside each time he revealed one of the
deep cuts made by the whip, cursed himself for having been the one to inflict
them. Her hands gripped the blankets by her head, her muscles clinching with
each strip of gauze he removed.

When
he finishing cleaning and redressing the wounds, he helped her into a standing
position again, caught her as her knees weakened below her due to the pain. Tears
streamed down her face and Aaron swore vengeance for each tear that escaped her
eyes; pain for pain, that was a promise Aaron made to himself, to his father.

Leading
Maddy
down the corridor, he eventually took her into
the music room and laid her down on the large leather couch. Quickly retrieving
pillows from another room, he brought them to her, placing them around her so
that the position she was forced to lay in was as comfortable as it could be. Brushing
his hand along her cheek, he wiped away tears still flowing freely from her
eyes. When she’d finally calmed, her eyelids drooped as if trying to stay
awake. Eventually closing, Aaron looked over her face as she gave into the
exhaustion from her agony, pleased that her body knew when to block her mind
from a pain so excruciating, no person should ever have to experience it.

Only
when her breath deepened and evened out did he leave her side. Slowly he moved
over to the piano, looked over the music opened above the keyboard. His mother
had written this piece for him when he was born, had been so proud of her
accomplishment that she’d had it sent away to be transcribed and printed under
a fake name. Before she disappeared, she’d made sure to teach him this song, to
ensure that even if they were parted, Aaron would have a piece of her she’d
saved for him alone.