-HINDLEY-
I sat at the head of the conference table, staring at those sitting around me. My mother and Paul were on one side while Dana and Luis sat across from them. Why were we all here?
I jumped when the intercom buzzed.
“Your guests are here,” a woman said, her tone clipped.
Everyone turned and stared at me.
I realized they were waiting for my response. “Um, okay, show them in I guess.”
The group seemed relieved, as if they thought I would say no to our visitors. Now I was really curious about our surprise visitors. Maybe they could shed some light on why we were all here.
The door opened and Geneva and Rory waltzed through the door, hand in hand.
What the hell?
They walked around the table, greeting everyone but me.
My heart nearly beat out of my chest and I felt light-headed. I was grateful I was sitting down, feeling like I might have passed out.
“Well,” Geneva said, addressing everyone but me, “as most of you know, Rory and I—” She glanced up at him, her eyes alight with what looked like adoration.
Rory lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles.
I seriously thought I was going to vomit all over the conference table.
All eyes remained transfixed on the happy couple
I couldn’t stand the silence. “What?” I yelled.
Every head jerked toward me, eyes wide with surprise.
Rory dropped Geneva’s hand and walked around the table, stopping just in front of me. He leaned down wrapping his fingers around the arms of my chair.
I held my breath, staring into eyes that had once held so much love for me but were now cold and dark. I recognized the man in front of me. This was dark Rory.
“What is it, Rory?” I whispered, willing him to put an end to my misery. This couldn’t be real.
A cruel, perverse smile spread across his face as he lifted one hand, letting his finger stroke my jawline.
I shivered from his touch and I hated myself for being so damn weak when it came to this man. “Just tell me,” I pleaded.
He bent even lower, putting us at eye level, his nose nearly touching mine.
He smiled, a genuine expression of joy changing his once dark face.
I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he’d come to his senses and realized it was me.
“Geneva and I got married,” he said casually as if the words wouldn’t destroy me.
I struggled to breathe, my mouth going dry.
The room erupted in cheers as everyone congratulated the happy couple.
Dana hugged and kissed Geneva like they were best friends. Luis took Rory into a huge hug that had them both laughing.
What was happening? Why were the people I loved most in the world celebrating?
“Wait!” I screamed, but no one heard me, or if they did, they ignored me. As I slumped back in my chair, an idle observer to the chaos surrounding me, a cold hand wrapped around my shoulder.
“Ready, baby?”
I recognized the voice. It was Rory. Maybe all of this had just been a horrible nightmare. A sense of calm enveloped me.
The grip on my shoulder turned painful. Gazing in front of me, I realized Rory wasn’t beside me, he was standing next to Geneva, showing off their new wedding bands.
Fear struck through me, leaving me chilled to the bone. The voice I’d heard wasn’t Rory’s. It belonged to someone much more sinister. Closing my eyes, I slowly turned in my chair, gripping the arms to brace myself for what I would find.
“Come on, Hindley,” he snarled.
I blinked my eyes open, paralyzed, unable to make a sound. There standing before me with a sinister grin was the most evil man I’d ever known.
Donald Lee Westbank.
“No!” I screamed. Pulling my knees to my chest, I held on to the arms of the chair, preparing to kick him in the groin.
Before I could strike, his hands wrapped around my ankles and he pulled me to him, his face only inches from mine. “You’ll never get away from me this time, Hindley,” he said in a low tone. “Not ever.”
I searched the room, looking for anyone who would help me.
He smiled, his teeth stained brown. I could smell his putrid breath as he spoke. “We’ll be together. Forever.”
I fought against his hold, beating any part of him I could reach.
He laughed. “I like a girl who fights.”
“No!” I screamed, my head twisting as I searched for someone, anyone to help me.
“Rory!” I shouted. “Rory!”
He glanced over his shoulder, unaffected by my attack. “Bye, Hindley.” He smiled and waved as if nothing were going amiss.
I watched helplessly as he and Geneva slipped out of the door, along with everyone else I loved. The door slammed shut with an ominous thud.
Donald Lee Westbank shoved my chair across the small room and into a corner.
I screamed until my throat was raw as I fought against him with all my might. This time I would not lay back and do nothing. I swung at him, putting everything I had into each blow as if I were fighting for my life. This time I was.
He laughed with the same wicked rumble I recognized from the tapes he’d recorded of us.
“No!” I screamed, punching his face. “No! No!”
“Hindley, wake up. Hindley.”
I flailed about, kicking and swinging, trying to save myself from this mad man’s attack.
“Hindley, stop!”
I quit fighting, recognizing a new voice, a safe voice.
Dana.
Oh, thank God, she’d come back to save me.
I shot straight up, willing my eyes to open but afraid of what I might find. What if it was a trick? What if Donald’s voice now sounded like my best friend’s?
“Hindley. It’s me, Dana. You’re safe. You’re in my house, you’re safe.”
My lids fluttered open and I focused on the face staring back at me, one riddled with pain and worry, all because of me. I reached out and drew her into my embrace, clutching her body to mine like the lifeline she was.
“It’s okay,” she said, stroking my back.
“Oh, God, Dana,” I cried. “It was awful.”
Dana pushed me away to survey the damage as she softly and lovingly brushed away pieces of drenched hair from my face.
I felt mildly better, until I saw the fear in her eyes. “What? What is it?” I asked.
“Your parents. They’re here.”
“Here? As in, your condo?”
She nodded.
“Why?” As soon as I’d asked the question, I wish I hadn’t. “What is it, Dana?” I whispered.
“They’re down in the lobby. I haven’t let them up yet. Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll go down and bring them up so they can talk to you?”
“Dana, what’s going on?”
“I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I don’t think it’s good.”
“Oh my God, Dana, what is it?”
She shrugged, feigning innocence, but experience told me she knew exactly why they were here. She was waiting for them to deliver the bad news so she wouldn’t have to.
“Come on.” She hauled me off the sofa. “So,” she nodded at the television that was still on but thankfully not filled with Rory’s face, “a little late night with Paloma, huh?”
I hung my head to avoid her question, and realized I was still wearing the same clothes I’d had on yesterday.
“You didn’t even change into pajamas last night?” she asked, somewhat amused with my rumpled appearance.
I smiled at her light-heartedness but I couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling burning deep in my stomach.
“Oh, well, come on,” she said. “You look fine.”
It was a lie. I was a mess. I always was after a nightmare about Donald Lee Westbank. But I didn’t have time to care this morning. I had to find out what was going on with my parents.
“Go brush your teeth and hair and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“What time is it?” I rubbed my eyes.
“Almost twelve-thirty.”
“Are you serious? Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”
“I knew you needed the rest.” She walked toward the front door. At the edge of the living room, she glanced back at me, motioning to go get ready.
“Dana, you know, don’t you?”
She avoided my gaze, but I saw the slight movement of her head in acknowledgment.
“Will you come back up with them, to be with me while they’re here?” I pleaded.
“Oh, Hindley, why would you ever have to ask me that?” She rushed toward me, wrapping me in her small arms. She pulled back and stared up at me. Her normally sea blue eyes were bloodshot today and filled with tears. This was going to be bad, very bad, and I had to prepare myself.
“Did he get out?” I whispered. Donald wasn’t up for parole for several more years, but after my nightmare, I knew it may be a foretelling of things to come.
“Just go get ready.” Dana pushed me toward the hallway. She was refusing to be the bearer of bad news and I couldn’t say I blamed her.