Blood is Thicker Than Water

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

She had not slept but somehow Rance had managed to leave the room without her noticing, for as she came to later that morning he was not present.

Jackie had to blink her eyes several times to make her eyelashes unstick. Tears had drowned her last night as the unthinkable was done.

She should not have come back to this place, yet she was glad she did. She knew now there was no salvation for the rest of her family and if it ever came down to it, she’d let them burn and she would watch.

Arms stretched as her body lifted itself off the bed, she had to get up. Grey eyes scanned the bedroom for anything that was hers. Nothing, this room had nothing in it connected to her, except maybe the drawings she’d done for her brother when she was young and naïve.

Laughter bounced up the stairs and she moved quicker. Her head peaked around the door frame as the laughter subsided.

Jacqueline moved into the hallway but shrieked when a hand snatched her by her long tangled hair. “Good morning, Jacqueline. Nice to see you came back. Won’t you join us for lunch?”

She shook her head as much as possible with her Uncle still grasping her hair. He was ripping mahogany strands out as he forced her down the stairs towards the dining room.

“Look who’s come back! Let’s welcome Jacqueline back!” Her body connected with one of the high backed chairs before it was pushed closer to the grand table. Her parents turned to look at her blotchy face. Rance’s sinister smile made her want to curl into a ball.

“Hello Jacqueline. Did you sleep well?”

She shook her head as Rance proclaimed that he’d slept quite well. “I’m sure you were quite satisfied last night, brother.”

“What did you say to me?”

“I said, dear brother that I would assume that you were quite satisfied last night and that is why you slept so well.”  Rance’s chair scraped against the marble floor as he got up from the table and ripped his sister out of her chair, dragging her to the kitchen.

“Excuse us, we will return shortly.” Jackie did not fight him as he slammed the door to the kitchen.

“It makes since now. It makes so much since, no one loves you Rance. That is why you abused me, abused Adeline! You just want to be loved, but no one loves you, not even mummy and daddy, Addie didn’t love you and neither do I.”

Her body slammed against the wall as he held her by the throat. “That’s not true. I am loved, they love me. Addie loved me.”

“Is that why you killed her? You insufferable bastard.”

“You won’t say a word Jacqueline, one word and I’ll kill you. One word.” His rank breath hit her face and she frowned, he was insane, he truly was, but then again she probably was, too.

“They won’t love you, they’ll never love you.”

Rance emitted an animalistic roar as he hit her. Blood leaked from the cut by her eye profusely. The hold he’d had on her throat fell away as he shoved her to the ground, “You will not utter a single word Jacqueline!”

Sharp thick lines were etched into the skin of her back and she gasped in pain. Rance was sitting on her back while torturing her a little more. “Remember, not a single word little sister.”

He left her there on the kitchen floor, bleeding. Tears rolled down her face, she had to get out of there. The door opened again and Jacqueline shut her eyes praying it wasn’t Rance. A small gasp was let out and hands floated over her skin.

She opened her eyes confused as to who was with her, her mother wouldn’t be that gentle. A soft face looked down at her and frowned slightly. A maid, it was one of the maids. “Help me.” She nodded and quickly got Jackie to her feet and out of the kitchen.

“Hush now, sweetheart, you’re okay.” The small woman helped her to the grounds where staff stayed and led her inside. Several more of the family’s staff huddled around her and the maid as hushed whispers danced through the air.

“Someone find bandages. She’s losing a lot of blood. Hurry!”

Jacqueline’s eyes shut as her cuts were sterilized and bandaged. “Sleep now, darling. Sleep.”

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Jacqueline’s screams kept the whole staff up all night as she had nightmares and called out for Axel. The same maid that had found her sat by her side holding her hand and comforting her every time she awoke. “Miss. Jacqueline? Miss. Jacqueline, is Mr. Axel in the house? I can go get Mr. Axel. I can get him for you.”

“No, no he’s not here. I left him with friends.” Jacqueline was glad she hadn’t taken Axel home with her, but that didn’t decrease her worry. She knew Dean and Nash would be worried and her little brother would be asking questions.

“Do you, do you have a phone?”

A small black phone was handed to her and she begun to type the numbers se had memorized in. It rang for less than three seconds before a quiet ‘hello’ was uttered.

“Nash. Nash, I need you to come get me. I’m at my house.”

“Jackie, Jackie what happened? Are you okay? Jackie?”

“Hurry Nash.”

She let the plastic slip from her hand as Nash’s frantic voice continued to mumble through the speakers. “Do you have any extra clothes? Maybe something that covers my back.”