Samantha

Chapter Sixteen: Recognition

Samantha had spent the whole day being whizzed from store to store buying new shoes, clothes, dresses and make up. Then she was taken to one of the best hair salons in London, to get her hair trimmed and dyed back to her natural hair colour. All of this, was done and paid for by Dominic, and not once did the price, or what it was spent on, be questioned, he gave her everything that she wanted .

After she had had her hair done they left and Dominic took her to a nearby Italian restaurant. Again allowing her to order whatever she wanted.  As they ate they sat and talked. 

"Did you like the shopping?" He asked as she ate up her Spaghetti. She smiled a little and nodded before continuing to focus on eating her food. She still couldn't let go of the feeling that what happened last night wasn't quite as Dominic had told it, not really right. He could tell she was thinking, he just didn't know how to snap her out of it.

"Are you looking forward to your launch party tonight?" He smiled at her. "All the biggest names are going to be there, everyone you can think of, I made sure of it" He took her hand to get her attention. Samantha looked at  him, curiously but half listening to him too.

"I can't wait Dominic, I'm just nervous, I haven't even made a proper song yet. What are we introducing them to?"

He laughed and stroked her hand slowly concentrating.

"Well, you're going to be a part of the newest label with 3 others. You're going to have nicknames, and you are going to make a lot of money.

Samantha laughed inwardly, before finishing up the last of her food.

"Who are the others?" She finally said.

"Well the other three are guys, if I can trust you not to cheat on me, they're all very good looking."

Samantha frowned. "Who said we were dating?"

He laughed nervously. "Well we did sleep together last night, and then well, no one rejects me

Samantha laughed and then placed down her knife and fork on the table, she leaned over and picked up her shopping bags and stood up. When she saw that he didn't stand up she looked at him.

"Can we go?" She closed her eyes with disbelief and embarrassment as he stumbled up and took her bags and left the restaurant to go to his car. She followed after him, laughing and shaking her head.

A few minutes later they were in his car and on their way back to his apartment when Samantha's mobile rang. Without looking at it, she pressed accept and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Samantha! What the hell is going on? Where are you?! And Jonathan?! Her Father responded.

She froze with shock, the phone slipping from her fingers. She'd completely forgotten about her Father.

"Come on!" Dominic whispered. "You can't run away from it forever, you have to confront them or they're going to spend forever chasing you". Without taking his eyes off the road, he picked back up her phone and pressed it into her hand. Samantha sighed and the put the phone back to her ear. She could hear her Father panicking in the background.

"Samantha!" She could hear him shouting.

"Yes Dad, I'm here!" She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. What was she supposed to say to him?

"Samantha, your Mother is saying you attacked her, left her half dead, and ran away with Jonathan. Why would you do that darling? You didn't even tell Jasmine or Emmett or Cathy that you were leaving, they're all worried about you, and so am I. Darling, please come home?"

Samantha sighed. "Daddy, you know that's not true. I came home from-" She paused and looked at Dominic. "... From swimming, and Jonathan was already gone. His room was trashed and I couldn't find anyone. And then Mother came out, and said how, she said horrible things Daddy. And then she tried to attack me, and I decided I wasn't going to take it anymore, so I fought back, and then I left, because I couldn't bare to stay there"

There was tears running down her face, she didn't want to have to lie to her Father. She could hear his breathing speeding up down the phone, and then the line went dead, and she knew without a doubt what he was going to do.

"Dominic, you have to take me to my house. Right now. Something terrible is going to happen." She pleaded with him, and his eyes narrowed.

In his head, Dominic could see Samantha running home into the arms of some other guy and deciding not to go back with him.

"No." He replied driving a little faster. "You cannot go home. Not until you've made at least one record and done a tour of the country"

Samantha widened her eyes glaring at him. "Are you mad?! I have to go home! My Father is going to kill my Mother!"

"Well I don't care, you are not going anywhere where I can't keep an eye on you Samantha Rosewood!" He screamed.

He looked angry, like her Father when he was beating her Mother. And she cowered back into the corner of the leather seat, suddenly a little scared.

She didn't speak again until they got back to the apartment, and this time, Dominic didn't let her out of the car until the concierge had made the many trips of taking her bags up for them, just so he could escort her upstairs himself.

Samantha stormed in breathing heavily. She heard the door slam behind her and not five seconds had passed before he grabbed her. He picked her up and threw her over  his shoulder and walked strode into the bedroom as if she weighed nothing.

"LET ME DOWN!!" She screamed smashing her small fists into his back. He threw her down on the bed and when she saw the look on his face she knew what he wanted to do, she scrambled off the bed and tried to run to the bathroom but he caught the top of her arm and dragged her back. The belt flashed down and caught the back of her legs and she screamed at the top of her lungs. He continued doing it. She counted ten lashes. When he had finished she was on the floor, hiding her face. He picked her back up and pulled up her chin sharply, looking straight into her eyes.

"You are mine" He said slowly and clearly. "You do what I say, when I tell you to, and if you don't, you will be punished. Do you understand?!"

She shivered not looking him in the eyes. He shook her. "Samantha!?" She cringed and then looked at him and nodded in defeat. He pushed her into the bathroom and started to run the bath.

"Get in, the party starts soon, and make sure you wear the green gown I got you, that goes all the way to the floor. No one wants to see those bruises." He leaned down and kissed her hard before leaving her.

Samantha looked down at her hands, they were shaking. And as the bath ran and the room smoked up, she locked the door, and then she fell to her knees and she cried, because she had escaped one horror, and crawled into another.