TWELVE DAYS OF REIGN

SAFETY

He could hear the soft pat of her slippers coming around the corner. Joseph couldn't wait to tell her that he talked to Reuben about her out-of-control John. He hoped it would help her feel better and more at ease seeing that he was still able to talk to the police about it even though she was against going to the station to report it.
But when she surfaced and stepped into the dining room, Joseph forgot everything he was going to say.
Her hair was red and full, cascading over her thin shoulders and down to the small of her back. Her face was full of freckles that dolled her appearance, giving her the exuberance of youth he hadn't expected. Her small button nose flared, inhaling the fragrance of the food on the table. Her sky-blue eyes were drawn to the steak. She licked her scabbed, pink pouty lips ready to eat. Her gaze slowly lifted to his while pulling up the shoulder of the plain blue shirt that just so happened to match her eyes. It was too big for her, nearly completely exposing her right shoulder. She tugged on the blue jeans as she approached the table and smiled, not giving a word of complaint.
"Smells good!"
She sat down and entwined her fingers together. After a long moment, she looked up at him, arching her red eyebrow. Her long red lashes fluttered as she searched his face.
"Joseph? Are you alright?"
Joseph's head jerked at the sound of his name on her lips. He blinked, having forgotten it was time to eat. He sat down and cleared his throat. She bowed her head the moment he sat down and waited. Again, after another long moment, she glanced up at him. The subtle movement made his heart skip a beat. Her silken red hair had fallen forward framing her freckled face. Her alluring eyes met his gaze.
"Aren't you going to pray over the food, Joseph?" she added, "It's getting cold."
Joseph shook his head nervously and smiled.
"Yes," he said clasping his hands together, "Of course. Umm... Father God in Jesus' name, bless this food and drink that we are about to receive. Bless it to nourish our bodies and strengthen our hearts. Please bless those that are without. Amen."
"Amen," Reign repeated.
Without a moment to lose Reign picked up her fork and knife and cut into the steak. Her eyes rolled with pleasure on that first bite. Joseph watched her work her swollen jaw to chew the meat. Bruises had surfaced on her face and yet they took nothing away from her beauty.
"This is delicious!" she exclaimed cutting up another bite. His head tilted at the compliment.
"I'm glad you like it, Reign."
Joseph cut into his steak and took a bite. His eyes leveled on her as she dove into her meal enjoying every bite she took. Her behavior was disarming. She was acting normal as if she were at a fast food restaurant eating a burger. Yet her appearance was one out of a men's magazine, a woman deliberately wearing clothes too big for her to give her that much more sex appeal. Did she know? He studied her a moment more and concluded she didn't. She was completely ignorant of how every gesture she made stunned him. How could a woman so flawed be so perfect? If she were a few inches taller she could have been a model.
Joseph cut into his steak again, taking another bite, spellbound. No wonder his father married her. She was unlike any woman he had ever met.

______________

The preacher's wife's nightgown was a high neck nightgown that went from the base of my chin down to my ankles. If it weren't for the high neck the gown would have slid right off of me. It was loose and wide. I had to gather it up in my arms like an evening gown just to walk without tripping over it.
I went to the bed and pulled back the covers about to get in, when a light knock came at my door. I gathered up the nightgown and paced to the door and opened it.
"Sorry to bother you," Joseph said handing me an ice pack and a first aid kit. "I thought you could use these tonight."
"Thank you."
"Oh, and by the way, I called my brother, Reuben, earlier today," he began. "He's the tall one that helped us out with my family yesterday."
My insides sunk as I nodded my head. "I remember him."
"Well, I called him because he's a police officer."
"I know he's a cop."
Joseph's head tilted as confusion filled the corners of his face.
"How did you know Reuben was a cop?"
I froze a moment, having forgotten that he did not know that Reuben was one of my Johns. A nervous chuckle left my lips as I swept a lock of hair behind my ear.
"He has the mannerisms of a cop," I smiled. "I've run into my fair share of police officers so I know a cop when I see one."
"Oh," he smiled and nodded. "Well, he's coming tomorrow to get a description of the jerk who did this to you."
My heart stopped. My lungs turned to steel unable to expand to inhale their next breath. I pressed my lips together until they were numb, struggling not to scream.
"I just wanted to tell you so you could sleep easy tonight. Whoever this guy is that's been doing this is going to get caught. My brother is a good cop, a detective. He'll catch this guy, ok?"
He set a comforting hand on my arm and gave it a pat.
"Goodnight, Reign," he waved and walked down the hallway to his room. His door closed. I shut my bedroom door and locked it, raced to the windows and door and locked them as well, pulled the curtains and closed myself in. I picked up the first aid kit box and went to the bathroom, and stood in the mirror. Shaky fingers lifted to my swollen jaw lightly touching the tender area. The tips of my fingers went over my busted lip and down to the bruises on my neck. I tugged on the nightgown revealing the bruises on my chest and the rope marks around my wrists.
I fumbled open the box, placing ointment on the scab of my lip.
My eyes darkened to an aqua blue as tears filled my eyes, blinding my vision. My insides quaked like the balled tips of a rattlesnake. Panic filled my brain like a city alarm. Reuben was coming tomorrow. The very man Joseph was trying to protect me from would step into his house tomorrow.
I raced out of the bathroom and went to the drawers, pulled out my clothes and my blue wig and held them in my hands. I searched the room as tears cascaded down my face like fresh rain. I had to get out. I had to leave before tomorrow would come. But, I couldn't go home. He knew where I lived. I couldn't go to my mother's house because she swore me off a long time ago. "The next time I see you it better be when you're in your coffin and not a moment before." So going to my mother's was out of the question.
Preacher.
I wanted to go to him, sit at his bedside and hear him talk about everything and nothing, listen as he prayed for me as he always did, but if I showed up looking bruised and afflicted he would want answers. How could I tell him about his son? He would hate me, and that was something I could not take. Besides, he hadn't long left to live. Who was I, a whore, to taint the little time he had left?
I buried my face in my clothes and screamed until my voice grew hoarse. Finally, exhaustion arrested my body, forcing me to fall asleep.