Rescue Me (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Erin

How in the hell am I supposed to go back to sleep after this? I am just so full of guilt and shame as I lay here and stare at the ceiling. Everything that is happening is all because of me. My friends here have been so supportive and helpful. They don’t blame me, yet I blame myself. I know Joel set Trevor’s house on fire, I just know he did. What I don’t understand is, why? Why would he continue to torture me and hurt innocent people? What kind of sick person does this kind of stuff?

All of a sudden my stomach starts to feel queasy and I jump out of bed, making it to the bathroom just in time to empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet. I feel all sweaty as I start to hyperventilate, so I lay my head back up against the wall and close my eyes deciding I can’t just sit here and wait. It is going to drive me crazy. I take several deep breaths to try and calm my nerves but none of it seems to be helping.

I don’t know how long I sit on the cold tiled floor but when I finally come to my senses I make up my mind that what Joel really wants is me. For whatever reason, he wants to destroy me completely and I am not going to let him do that or hurt any more of the people I love. Somehow, someway I am going to find him myself. I have to. I just can’t let him hurt any more of the people I love. Hoisting myself up off of the floor I stand up and with determination I turn on the shower. Once the temperature is as hot as my body can stand it, I step into the warm spray. The running water helps to clear my mind and eases the tight muscles in my shoulders and neck. After washing myself as quickly as possible, I step out and reach for a towel to dry myself off, wrapping it snugly around my body.

The bathroom is full of steam, so I get a hand towel and start to wipe down the mirror. And that’s when I see him.

I let out a blood-curdling scream as I see Joel’s reflection staring back at me instead of mine.

“Joel, what are you doing here?”

I start to tremble and in spite of just getting out of a hot shower, my body is instantly chilled to the bone.

“Well, hello to you too, Erin. And to answer your question...” He runs his hand down my back and firmly grabs hold of my ass. “I am here to take what is mine, and you are fucking mine.”

“N…no. I am not yours, Joel. I never was and I never will be.”

Do not show him your fear, Erin, I tell myself.

“We’ll see about that,” he snarls as he grips my hair and yanks my head back. “You filthy whore. I warned you years ago that if you ever left me I was going to fucking kill you. You should have listened to me, Erin. If you’re not mine then I’ll be damned if you will be anyone else’s. I must admit though, you’re a mighty fine looking whore.” He pulls harder. “I even thought about joining you in your shower, but I settled on standing here and watching you instead.”

My body is shaking right now and I am frozen in place as he shoves his erection so hard into my ass that I fall forward.

“I wanted so bad to get in that shower with you and show you just how much I still love you, but then I had to quickly remove all those thoughts from my brain. Do you know why?”

Even though I am scared to death of him, I will not give him the satisfaction of answering him and I will not let this sick man see my fear.

“I see you want to play the hard way, huh? You fucking answer me when I talk to you! Now I asked you a question. Do you know why I didn’t get in that shower with you?”

He takes his hands and wraps them around my waist and jerks me back against him. I feel like I am going to get sick again at the feeling of his hands touching me. I can feel his hard erection as he presses deep into my backside. I am numb and my insides are quivering; I can feel my heartbeat pulsing rapidly with every breath I try to take. I need to stay calm, I can’t show him my fear but, oh God, how long has he been here? What if he has done something to Sierra and Shelby? Too many thoughts are racing through my mind.

“Do not fuck with me Erin or I will take our precious little girl with us, too. You don’t want to talk to me then fine, but by the time I am done with you, you will talk or scream or maybe even beg because I will not have another man take away what is MINE. Now don’t even think about calling out for help or doing anything stupid or I fucking promise you, you will live to regret it. Ugh. You fucking reek of him. But playtime is over for you, baby, and your ass is coming with me.”

God help me. I will do anything but please don’t let him do anything to Sierra or Shelby.

“I’ll do anything you want, Joel,” I say with a shaky voice.

“Damn right, you will. Now, let me see,” he says in a carnal voice, running his other hand up my bare arm and then gripping my breast firmly in his hand. He squeezes it so hard that tears begin to form in my eyes.

“Even though I would love to fuck you right now, this is your lover’s house. It makes me fucking sick to my stomach to even be in here, so go get dressed because you and I are going for a little ride, sweetheart.”

He completely releases the hold he has on me and then grabs my hair, pulling it so tightly that it causes me to gasp in pain. He jerks me backwards and shoves me into the bedroom.

“Get dressed now, and hurry the fuck up, Erin.”

The thought of him standing there watching me get dressed repulses me but I know well enough not to say a word. I walk to the dresser and grab a pair of panties and start to step into them.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Drop the fucking towel now, Erin.”

Taking a deep breath, I reach up and undo the towel. It pools on the floor. I will not look up at him. I can’t, or I will fall apart as I hear his breathing getting heavier.

“Fuck, yes. You are so damn sexy, even better than I remember. On second thought, give me those panties. You won’t be needing them. Hurry the hell up.”

With shaky hands I quickly grab a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt and pull them on, never once making eye contact with him.

“Let’s go.” My head jolts up at his words.

“Joel, you don’t want to do this. I know you don’t. Think about our daughter. If you take me away from her or do anything to hurt me this is going to destroy her for the rest of her life. Please I am begging you, don’t do this.”

He is in my face in an instant. “I don’t give two flying fucks who this hurts or who this destroys, do you hear me, you stupid bitch? I told you, YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. Now shut the hell up and let’s go.”

He grabs my arm and forces me to follow him out of the room and when we enter the kitchen he directs us toward the back door.

“The cops are outside, Joel. You’re not going to get very far.” My voice is unsteady.

“Don’t you think I know that? I’m not stupid, Erin. Not like your fucking boyfriend who left you here.”

Oh, God, no. What if he has done something to Adam? I can’t do this. I know he is going to kill me, I just know he is. I have no other choice but to scream and so I do. I scream as loud as I can.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” He jerks me back inside by my arm and turns me to face him. I see him reach into his jacket and pull out a gun and he jabs it into my stomach. “Don’t fuck with me, bitch or I will shoot you right here and then I swear to God I will take Sierra and no one, I mean no one, will ever hear from her again.”

He twists my arm and pulls it behind my back and just as he opens the back door I see Shelby running in.

“Let her go!” she screams as she grabs him by the hair. I try to yank myself free but he pulls on my arm even tighter. I grimace from the pain that is shooting up my arm. I don’t know how he does it between holding onto me and with Shelby pulling and tugging at his hair and yelling at him to let me go, but he spins us around, and the next thing I know the gun is pointing directly at my head.

“Let go of me you bitch, or I swear I will shoot her right here.”

Shelby wobbles on her feet and lets go, taking a couple steps back.

“You’re still feisty as hell, Shelby. Are you still a fucking virgin, too? Of course you are, you were always a fucking prude and a pain in my ass. Maybe I should take that virginity from you, what do you say to that?” Oh, God, no, no, no. “Come here Shelby,” Joel rages as he puts his arm around my neck in a chokehold. He removes the gun from my temple and points it at Shelby. I hear the trigger click.

“Joel, stop. I’ll go with you. Come on, let’s go. Just leave her alone, please.”

“Oh, so when it’s convenient for you, now you’re going to talk. You play this game by my rules, Erin. But in spite of how bad I would love to stay here and fuck with your little sister more, I have plans that involve you and me. Now go say goodbye because this is last time you are ever going to see her.”

He releases me and pushes me in Shelby’s direction. My palms are sweaty, my heart is racing, and my entire body feels numb as I inch my way toward my sister. The minute I have her in my arms we both begin to cry uncontrollably. I slowly stroke her soft hair in my hands and I take a deep breath to try and remember her sweet scent.

“That’s enough. Let’s go.” Joel grabs the back of my sweatshirt and pulls me away from Shelby.

“Please don’t do this, Joel! She has a daughter, please don’t do this.” Shelby is crying hysterically.

“Jesus, shut your fucking mouth about that damn kid, would you?”

The venom spewing from Joel’s mouth about his own child is unfuckingbelieveable. I need to get us out of here before this wakes her up. I can’t have my daughter be a witness to this. It will haunt her for the rest of her life. This situation is going to be hard enough on her as it is.

“Shelby, look at me,” I plead through my tears. “Take care of her for me, and tell her...Oh, God, tell her she is the best daughter, and tell her I love her.”

I am sobbing right now and this, this
person
who I don’t even know is taking me away from everyone I love. How is Sierra going to survive this? 

“Please don’t do this, Joel. Please,” Shelby begs some more.

He’s not listening to her anymore as he opens the door and points the gun into my back.

“Erin! I love you!” Shelby races out the door after us.

“I love you, too.”

I can still hear Shelby’s words ringing in my ears over and over as Joel makes us run through the backyard and through the small wooded area behind the house. He doesn’t say a word until we are standing next to a dark colored car.

“Give me your hands.” He grabs my chin and wrenches it to face him. “Don’t fuck with me, Erin. I said, give me your hands.”

And I do. I stick my hands out and stand there as he takes out a roll of tape and winds it around my wrists, binding them together. He then reaches down and unlocks and opens the back door of the car and I assume he wants me to get in.

“I am not getting in there, Joel.” He looks at me and tilts his head to the side.

“You either get in there or I will fucking shoot you right here, Erin. Your choice.”

He pulls out his gun and aims it at me.

“Shoot me then, because no matter what, I am dead already. I hope you rot in hell for what you have done.”

He tilts his head back and laughs like the crazy man he is. I don’t know what happens next because right before my eyes my world goes black.

My head is throbbing when I finally come to and I try to lift my hands to feel why it is hurting so badly. Then it all comes rushing back to me. Everything. The first phone call from Joel, him showing up at my house and beating me. The hospital, the fire. Joel being in the bathroom after my shower, Shelby screaming and crying trying to help me. My sister. Oh, God my baby sister, what must she be thinking right now? And how is my beautiful, sweet daughter going to handle all of this? And Adam. I just can’t begin to imagine what they are all going through and Shayne with her pregnancy... she doesn’t need this kind of stress. I have to think. I have to outsmart him and do whatever it takes to be able to survive. He’s so much worse than he was before.

I see darkness the minute I open my eyes. Where am I? I can’t move my hands to feel around because they are taped together but I do lift my arms and they hit something hard. I feel around and start to panic as I try to stretch out my legs but they keep hitting something. I am locked in the trunk of the car. Where is he taking me? What is he going to do? Oh, God! I am starting to panic and I can’t breathe. This is it; he really is going to kill me. I start to hyperventilate even though I told myself I would stay calm and not let him see my fear because I know he thrives on seeing it.

I know there is no way I am going to be able to get away from him. I am helpless and completely at his mercy. My heart is pounding and my head is racing. I have to think. I can’t die at the hands of this man. I just can’t. The hot, salty tears start to roll down my face and I have no way to wipe them away. Do I reason with him and when he thinks I am going to comply with everything he wants then make my move and try to escape? It’s the only way I can think of to try and get away from him because no one is going to be able to find me. I need to calm down and figure out how I am going to escape the man who’s on a mission to kill me.

I have no idea how long I have even been in here. I do feel when the car comes to a stop and starts back up again. And now it seems like we’re slowing down as I hear what I believe to be gravel under the wheels of the car. We come to an abrupt halt and I am slammed into what I assume is the front of the trunk. I hear nothing for a few minutes and then I hear the sound of the car door slam. My eyes get wide and my chest starts pounding again as I lay here waiting to see what Joel is going to do when all of a sudden I hear the keys in the trunk and the lid is lifted.