J & P Book 5 - Never Let Me Go

Chapter Thirteen

She'd tried her very hardest to zone out, as if what had just happened hadn't just happened to her, and it must have worked; because she could now hear someone gasping and crying desperately, and she eventually realised that she was listening to the sound of her own tears.

Joe had moved away; out of the room, she thought. With all her remaining strength she sat up, ashamed at the sight of her exposed flesh, her lumpy, sore breasts and the blood trickling down her legs. She looked around her, desperately, and found one of Paul's suit jackets, which she wrapped herself in, partially to hide the evidence, partially to comfort herself. How she wished he was here with her now. But then, she was afraid that had he been here, Joe would have attacked and tormented him too.

She stood up, limped to the door, and locked it quietly from the inside so Joe could not get back in. She leant against the door and listened, trembling, to Joe, threatening Aimee. She clenched her locket, now broken for a second time by the man who had originally bought it for her, in her hand as she did so. Where was Grace? Had Aimee been to see if she was alright? Could he get to her? She had to come out.

It was then she heard the banging and shouting. "PERRIS!!" Deny had arrived. Thank god. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to Grace. She relaxed a little, and pulled the jacket around herself again, trying to visualise Paul in the room with her, calming her, telling her it would be okay.

"PERRIS!!" More banging. He couldn't get in. Would he see the keys on the floor?

Yes, he must have found them, because the front door had opened with a loud slam, and now Deny was in the house.

She could hear him warning Joe to let Aimee go. Poor Aimee. Did she know what had just happened in here? Jenny had hoped that Aimee could escape through the back door and raise the alarm, but she wasn't even sure where the back door keys were, other than the ones on her keyring which had vanished. No doubt Joe had taken that when he'd locked the door.

She couldn't quite make out what was being said, until she heard Aimee at the door. "Jen, let me in! Deny's here now."

She sobbed, still afraid to open the door in case Joe tried to force his way back in. She couldn't bear the thought of him touching her again as he just had. But then she was aware of another car pulling up on the driveway. Paul's Focus. Thank god. She unlocked the door.

Aimee came rushing in. "Jenny, my god, what has he done.."

Jenny just sobbed.

"Oh, no, no...." Aimee sobbed.

"It's going to be okay," Jenny told herself. "Paul's here."

She leant against the wall and felt herself collapse against it until she was sitting on the floor. Aimee sat with her, her arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Jen. I'm so sorry. I had no idea who he was.."

"It's not your fault, Aimee. He's evil. He would have calculated all this. Is Grace okay?"

"I went upstairs to check, Jen. She was fine, fast asleep. I came downstairs, I was looking for a key. I was trying to find one, then I was going to get Grace and get out of here but.. he got to me first.. Deny just convinced him to let me go."

"And now what? Are they fighting?"

At that, Jenny heard the front door open and a strange thud outside.

"Sounds like it," Aimee said.

The window was open, and they could hear what sounded very much like someone being beaten or kicked. Jenny stood up slowly and crept in the direction of the window, gingerly pulling up the blind a little, and laid eyes on the most distressing sight. She wailed in horror, and rushed out of the room, and out of the front door. For now, she'd forgotten all about Joe and what he had done.