-HINDLEY-
I bolted straight up in the bed, breathing hard like I’d just run a race. There was only one person who could illicit such fear in me. Donald Lee Westbank.
I’d been having nightmares about him ever since I told Rory my story. I wasn’t surprised, but now, as I sat in my bed all alone, it affected me more than I wanted.
The idea that he was still a threat was silly. I knew Donald was in prison and would be for at least four more years. He’d had his first parole hearing last year and I begrudgingly went.
Paul had said I owed it to myself, Felicia, and other women to make sure Donald Lee Westbank stayed in jail as long as legally possible. Another hearing was coming up soon, and like last year, I was dreading the whole ordeal, but I knew it had to be done.
The judicial system had screwed me over royally. They’d deemed half the tapes inadmissible, which was total bullshit. The Assistant District Attorney was still able to get Donald the maximum sentence on the videos the jury did see, a whopping fifteen years with possible parole in ten. I hated the Texas Penal System almost as much as I hated Donald Lee Westbank. Maybe I should let the police charge him with rape.
I reminded myself that I’d probably be face down in a gutter with a needle poking out of my vein right now if I did.
Images of the videos raced through my mind and I felt the familiar taste of bile rise up in my throat. I willed myself not to vomit but who was I kidding?
Racing to the bathroom I expelled everything inside me. I quickly stood and brushed my teeth, trying to think of something that would get my mind off those horrible memories. Only one thing came to mind and a smile spread across my face.
Rory Gregor.
I went in search of my phone, well, his phone, the one he’d given me for dirty talk. The clock on the display read 2:47 a.m. Paris was seven hours ahead so it would be a perfect time to call. It only rang once.
“What’s my favorite pole dancer doing awake at three in the morning?”
His raspy voice was a soothing balm to my soul. I could listen to it forever.
“I wanted to hear your voice,” I said.
“Another bad dream?”
I paused, not wanting to worry him.
“Hindley?”
“Yeah, another dream.”
“I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to conjure up old memories for you,” he said, his voice filled with despair.
“It’s not your fault. It actually felt good to finally tell someone.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“But having these nightmares over and over again can’t be good, especially without me there to hold you.”
“It comes with the territory.”
“God, you have no idea how much I wish I was there.”
“What would you do?” I asked, trying to sound seductive but probably failing miserably.
“Oh, Miss Hagen, the things I would do to you.” He laughed, his deep voice doing wicked things to my insides.
We spent the next half hour fornicating over the phone. I didn’t even know that was possible, but with Rory traveling so much, having phone sex had become a way of life for us, the only way for our growing sexual appetites to be fulfilled.
“You’re bad,” he said, once releasing a satisfied sigh. I could picture him in his bed, one arm above his head.
“Me?” I chuckled.
“I love to hear you laugh.”
I pulled the covers close. “What else do you love?”
“I love your ass. You have the best ass in the world.”
I smiled at his confession. “Thanks.”
“I love the crook of your neck and the way my face fits into it perfectly.”
“What else?” Playing this game with him was fun and kept my mind from wandering. Plus, it was really good for my ego.
“I love the way you’re helping me read.”
“I’m so proud of you. You’re doing an amazing job, you know that, don’t you?”
“Well, you’re a good incentive.”
I laughed at his words. There were many times when I had withheld sexual favors from him unless he’d read something out loud. But I never had to follow through because Rory had made up his mind weeks ago that reading was a goal he wanted to achieve, much like a difficult trick in skateboarding.
I’d been surprised when he showed me his journal the day after I’d told him everything that had happened to me. It was already a third of the way filled up with words and pictures and drawings, anything he could stuff inside.
But what especially filled my heart was the way he scribbled my name on almost every page. Tears had welled up in my eyes when I read his first entry. ‘I love Hindley Hagen.’ He said he’d written it long before he ever told me. I’d thought it ironic that the first time he declared his love for me was in writing.
Since then, he’d written me small love letters. I knew some of the words were in his vocabulary list and some were translated from the internet, but it didn’t matter. He was reading and writing, and thriving.
“I wish you were here,” he said softly.
“I wish I was too.” I hated waking up alone after these dreams.
“You could have come, you know.”
“Rory, I already told you. People know about us, or they at least have a high suspicion. Even Matt knows.”
“Good.”
Although I’d had no choice but to tell Rory what had happened the afternoon Matt got drunk, I knew Rory still didn’t like him.
“Their endorsement is huge. You can’t afford to lose it.”
“I know, I know.”
“It’s better if I don’t travel with you to every event now, especially to Paris, the romance capital of the world. It brings on more suspicions.”
“I know,” he said more firmly this time.
“I love you,” I whispered. “Does that help?”
“Some. I can’t stand having to hide this. I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want to drag you around like a caveman and let everyone know you’re mine, and they better keep their fuckin’ eyes, and hands, and whatever else off you.”
I smiled even though I knew he was being chauvinistic. “You’re so bad.”
“But you love it.”
“Yes, I do.” I nodded. “This is serious though, Rory. I could get fired.”
“You don’t even like that law firm anyway.”
“I may not be the biggest fan of Mr. Stedwick’s, but I like the people I work with. And besides, I’m under contract. If I get fired, I could lose a lot of money.”
“I know,” he said, his voice firm.
“Don’t yell at me.”
“I’m not yelling. I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated.”
“I am too.”
“How much longer?”
“Until what?” I asked.
“Until I can make this official and tell people you’re my woman.”
“I’m not sure my hair wants to make it official if you really are a caveman and are going to drag me around.”
He laughed, the reverberations ringing through the phone. His joy was infectious and I couldn’t help but smile too.
“We have to make it to the X Games,” I said.
“Shit, Hindley, that’s still six weeks away.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but we’ve got to get the Sonora Water commercials out on the air. You need the exposure, and the money.”
“Hindley, I couldn’t give a shit less about the money, the exposure, the endorsements, any of it. All I care about is being with you.”
My heart swelled and tears pooled in my eyes. I’d never heard anything so loving in my entire life.
“Are you still there?” he asked.
“Yes,” I whimpered through my tears.
“Are you crying?”
“Maybe.”
“Good tears or bad?”
“Good.” I laughed. We sat in silence, enjoying the fact that we were together even though we were thousands of miles apart. “Do you love me?” I asked.
He didn’t hesitate. “You know I do.”
“Do you love skating?”
“Of course.”
“If you want to keep skating then you need the money, Rory. And if you lose the money and can’t skate anymore, you’ll grow to resent me for it.”
“No, I won’t.”
“It’s only six weeks. I’d rather wait six weeks to be with you than take that chance.”
“What about what I want?”
I let out an exasperated sigh. He sounded like a four-year-old. “What do you want, Mr. Gregor?”
“I think you know what I want, Miss Hagen.”
His light-hearted tone had me smiling, the mischief warming my heart. I knew without a doubt that I would give this man anything he wanted.
I burrowed down in my bed and covered up with my comforter, anxiously waiting for his familiar raspy voice to bring me the release I was quickly growing addicted to.