Damaged Read online

  He gestured to the others and two of the women dragged Rena from the bed.

  “Stop!” She kicked as they held her arms behind her. “Let me go. Jonathan, you can’t do this!”

  “You want to spend time in the shed, Rena?” He unbuttoned his shirt. “Do you?”

  “No.” She balled. “But, you can’t do this. I can’t let you do this to her.”

  “I’m doing it.” He threw his shirt aside, stood and unbuttoned his pants. “And, you’re going to watch.”

  “No.” Rena squirmed, face drowning with tears. “Someone, stop this.” She looked at the others who ignored her. “Please!” She jumped up and down. “This is rape, Jonathan.”

  “Hold her still,” Jonathan ordered the women. “Make her watch.”

  “No!” Rena tussled as one woman hooked her arms behind her and another held her face, forcing her eyes on Jonathan and Dee.

  “Yeah, watch Rena.” Jonathan widened Dee’s thighs, inhaling her natural scent. “Watch me make love to Deidra.”

  “No!” She shut her eyes. “You can’t do this, Jonathan! You can’t.”

  He blocked out her cries and concentrated on his mission.

  ****

  “Let go of me!” Rena ripped her arms free from the women after Jonathan finished raping Dee. “You’re sick.” She ran into the hall, fighting the urge to vomit. “God.” She slid to the floor, gripping her head.

  Asia and Emma walked out.

  “What the hell is your problem?” Asia asked. “Jonathan had every right to—”

  “He had no right!” Rena stood. “He raped her and you guys let him do it.”

  “It wasn’t rape.” Asia lifted her head. “Are you forgetting that when we say those vows to join The Circle we’re promising ourselves to Jonathan? We relinquish everything to him, mind, body, and soul. He owns Deidra now. Her body belongs to him.”

  “Yeah,” Emma commented. “He was proving his love for Deidra.”

  “Love?” Rena pointed to the room. “That had nothing to do with love. That was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Asia’s mouth wrinkled. “How can you say that?”

  “Jonathan is supposed to protect us and love us,” Rena insisted. “What’s happened to him? What’s happened to you?”

  “You’re the one blowing things out of proportion,” Asia said.

  “I’m supposed to be Deidra’s friend, and I didn’t protect her.” Rena snorted. “She’ll never forgive me for this.”

  Emma lowered her torn face.

  “Dee didn’t deserve this.” Rena shook her head, tears clinging to her cheeks. “She’ll be devastated.”

  “She’s not going to find out.” Asia displayed a threatening glare. “Is she?”

  “She’s one of us now, Rena.” Emma touched Rena’s arm. “In the long run you’ll see this was for the best.”

  “I’ll never accept this.” She slapped Emma’s hand away. “Jonathan doesn’t own us no matter what he thinks.”

  ****

  Grayson and Connie exchanged heated kisses as he carried her upstairs, bumping against the wall along the way. “Which one is it?” he asked between smacks.

  With one hand gripping his hair, Connie pointed to her bedroom at the end of the hall.

  Grayson kicked the door open, hurried inside the cream-colored room and threw Connie on the bed.

  She ripped her mouth from his, yanking Grayson’s shirt out his pants and undoing his belt.

  He grabbed her head, lowering her on the bed as he got on top of her. “You sure?” He exhaled, giving her another smoldering kiss. “Huh?”

  “Yes.” She pulled his shirt off and kissed his neck, leaving lipstick on his skin. “Are you sure?”

  “You kidding?” He chuckled as his tongue roamed her mouth. “Never been surer about anything in my life.”

  She spread her arms out, her nipples fighting her bra as he unbuttoned her blouse. “You have something? I’m not on the pill.”

  He ripped her blouse off her and snatched her breast out her bra.

  “In the drawer.” She gasped, pointing to the nightstand. “Condoms.”

  “I’m straight.” His rough kisses made her lips vibrate. “I got something.”

  “Okay.” Rapid breaths escaped her. “Guess we’re doing this, huh?”

  “Guess so.” He unzipped her jeans and pulled them off her, kneading her skin with his fingers. “What do you want me to do?”

  “Go down.” She took her white, satin panties off and parted her legs. “Please.”

  “I will.” He gave her soft kisses on her neck, energizing the rest of her body. “I care about you, Connie.” He swept his hand under her hair and her anticipation turned to fright as she got flashes of being in Garfield Larose’s home, in his bed.

  “God.” She fought the terrifying memory but each time she looked into Grayson’s eyes she saw Garfield smirking and tearing at her clothes. Her heart beat faster, emulating the sound of thunder in her ears.

  “You okay?” Grayson lowered his head in between her legs.

  Every touch, kiss, and glance put her back in that bedroom with Garfield, fighting for her life.

  “No.” She panted, her chest weighing a hundred pounds.

  “Sh.” Grayson caressed her thigh. “It’s all right.”

  “Grayson.” She held her breath as his warm lips graced her mound, finding their way to her moist opening.

  “Stop.” She pushed him away. “I can’t.” She sat up; body quaking as if she’d received an electrical jolt. “I can’t.” She swept loose strands of hair from her face. “I’m sorry.”

  He gaped, forehead and eyebrows wrinkled. “What is it?”

  “I can’t do this.” She got her panties and slipped them on. “I’m sorry.”

  “Is it me?” He huffed and puffed, shoulders rising and falling. “Did I do something?”

  “No.” She closed her eyes and saw Garfield on top of her again, forcing his slimy lips onto hers. “It’s not you.”

  Grayson scooted beside her. “Is this about what happened with Larose? Honey, maybe you need to talk to someone about it.”

  “I’m fine.” She pulled her knees to her chest, propping her chin on them. “I thought I was ready and I’m not. I’m sorry.”

  “We can talk about it.” He caressed her leg. “Obviously this affects you more than either of us thought.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” She flashed her palm to him. “I need to be alone.” She lay on her side with her hands tucked under her ear. “Please go.”

  “You sure?” Despair wrecked his voice.

  She nodded, a tear falling. “Positive.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  A Week Later

  “Hey.” Dee found Rena lying on the daybed in the middle of the afternoon. “I heard you were out here.”

  “I was just relaxing.” She sat up, her blonde curls sticking up in the back. “I’m supposed to help Asia with something. I’ll see you.”

  Dee sat beside Rena and grabbed her hand before she got off the bed. “What’s wrong?”

  Water filled her brown eyes. “Nothing.”

  “You’ve been avoiding me for days. Did I do something?”

  “Dee, you’ve become one of the best friends I’ve had. I love you being here.”

  “Then be honest with me. What’s going on with you? You act like you can’t look at me.”

  She closed her eyes, tears sneaking from under the lids. “I don’t deserve your friendship.”

  “Why not?”

  “Something happened.” She glanced around, shaking. “I should’ve stopped it but I didn’t.”

  “Is this about Prisha?”

  She shook her head. “I wanna tell you the truth but I can’t.”

  “If you’re my friend, then you can tell me anything.”

  Rena batted her eyes, sniffling. “Do you love me, Dee?”

  She sat erect, thinking about the possibility for the first t
ime. “Yes. Yes, I love you, Rena.”

  “I value your friendship.” Rena held Dee’s hand to her bosom. “Promise me you’ll never hate me.” She laid her face in Dee’s lap. “I’m sorry, Dee. I’m so sorry.”

  Dee lifted Rena’s head. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s just scary to realize that I’ve given my life to a facade. I thought The Circle was my family. I thought Jonathan cared about us but he doesn’t. He’s using us. I see that now.”

  “Why are you saying these awful things about Jonathan?”

  “Listen—”

  “No.” Dee stuck her hand in Rena’s face. “Jonathan is our leader. He’s brought us into a world that’s more than we could ever dream of. How can you talk about him like this?”

  Rena wiped tears from under her nose with the back of her hand. “There’s a side to Jonathan you can’t imagine—”

  “I don’t want to hear this.” Dee stood, fixing her dress.

  “Listen.” Rena jumped to her feet. “You don’t belong here, Dee. Jonathan, he—”

  “Deidra?” Jonathan’s voice rang through the garden. “Deidra, are you out here?”

  “Oh god.” Rena grabbed Dee’s hand. “Don’t tell him what I said. Just forget this.” She scurried behind the daybed, toward the trail.

  “Rena?” Dee whispered.

  “Never mind.” She waved as she ran. “We’ll talk later.”

  Jonathan stormed toward Dee with his hands swinging. “We need to talk.”

  She backed up, alarmed by the fury in his eyes.

  “What about my warning did you not understand?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’ve been asking the girls about Prisha.” He grabbed her, his face turning red. “Why would you do that?”

  She winced as his fingers pierced her arms. “You’re hurting me, Jonathan.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.” He squeezed tighter. “But your actions leave me no choice. You’ve been a bad girl and I could punish you.”

  “Punish me?” She tussled. “Let me go!”

  “Shut up.” He moved his hands to her wrists. “You’re mine and no one’s gonna save you. Not Winston, no one.”

  Her stomach tied in knots. “Jonathan—”

  “I own you.” His lips shook as he pushed her on the bed. “Don’t go behind my back again. You understand me, Deidra?”

  She shivered, holding in tears.

  “I didn’t kill Prisha, and I’d better not hear of you asking questions about her again.” He got in her face. “If you disobey me, I’ll show you a side you don’t wanna see.”

  She leaned back, pushing her fingers into the sheet.

  “Are we clear?”

  “Yes.” She swallowed, apprehension building into a full-fledged panic attack.

  He leaned up, glaring at her. “Don’t defy me ever again.” He left.

  Panting and shaking, she took out the phone Winston had given her but didn’t have the courage to complete the call.

  ****

  Five Days Later

  Winston and Connie met with Charlie in the interrogation room after being informed the police brought him in on domestic violence charges.

  “Sit down, big boy.” Winston pushed Charlie into the plastic chair, the poor thing squeaking under the massive man’s weight. “Let’s talk.”

  “I didn’t hit Susan.” Charlie turned around, watching Connie as she walked behind him. “I’ve never hit her. She’ll tell you when she gets here and you’re both gonna look dumber than you already do.”

  “According to the officers,” Connie said. “Someone called and reported the disturbance.”

  “Travis did this.” Charlie scoffed. “He hates me and will do anything to get me out of Susan’s life.”

  “You’re going to blame beating your girlfriend on Travis?”

  He jumped in Connie’s face. “I didn’t beat—”

  “Sit your ass down.” Winston shoved him in the chair. “Who do you think you’re talking to like that?”

  Charlie gripped his head, groaning. “Travis is doing this.”

  “Travis has been beating his mother?” Winston held a mocking expression. “Is that the best you can do?”

  “I’m telling the truth.”

  “Okay, what’s he doing?” Winston chuckled, crossing his arms. “Beating his mother to put it on you?”

  “You don’t understand how fucked up that kid is.” Charlie pointed. “Susan is scared to death of him. That’s why she puts up with his bullshit—”

  “Stop it.” Connie hit the table. “Stop lying! If you’re big enough to hit a woman, you can admit you did it.”

  “I’ll never admit it because I didn’t do it!” Charlie lowered his head to the table. “Please believe me.”

  “Save the crocodile tears, Chuck.” Winston rocked. “We’ve seen tons of men like you and you fit the MO of an abuser to a T.”

  “Fuck both of you.” He sat up. “All you’re doing is trying to pin Prisha’s murder on me. Fat chance with that because I didn’t do it.”

  A black, uniform officer walked in after a quick knock. “Susan and Travis Crawford are in the next room.”

  “Yeah, talk to her.” Charlie nodded. “Talk to that little maggot too. Tell him what I said.”

  Winston instructed the officer to keep an eye on Charlie and he and Connie went next door.

  “What’s happening to Charlie?” Susan leapt out the chair before Connie and Winston got in the room. “What are you doing to him?”

  “I wanna tell you the truth.” Travis walked from behind his mother. “I can’t hide this anymore.”

  “Travis, don’t.” Susan pulled him beside her. “Keep your mouth shut. Is Charlie okay?”

  “Funny you worry so much about him but I doubt he has the same concern for you.”

  “You’re so wrong, Detective Wilks. Charlie didn’t hit me. We just had a fight. You’re picking on him.”

  “Stop protecting him, Momma.” Travis yanked his arm away from her and approached the cops. “Charlie was at Prisha’s a few days before she died.”

  Connie glanced at Winston.

  “They had an argument.” Travis exhaled. “He told me before she was killed that he’d gone to see her. Momma didn’t know.” He turned to Susan. “There’s a lot about Charlie I bet she doesn’t know.”

  She rolled her eyes, seething.

  “I don’t want the same thing that happened to Prisha to happen to my mother.”

  “Travis.” Susan clenched her jaws. “Be quiet.”

  “No keep talking,” Connie said.

  “Are you keeping Charlie here?” Susan whimpered. “He’s a good man. Yes, he’s made mistakes, but he’s a good man.”

  “How did you get that bruise on your neck?” Winston pointed to the purple mark under her ear. “Charlie did it, didn’t he?”

  Travis cut his eyes to Susan.

  She slapped her hand over it. “Charlie didn’t hurt me.”

  “He says Travis is abusing you,” Winston said.

  “Me?” Travis gaped. “He’s insane.”

  “Travis has never hurt me.” Susan shivered.

  “Okay, Travis didn’t do it and Charlie didn’t do it.” Connie shrugged. “Is there an abusive ghost living in your home?”

  “This is funny to you?”

  “No, it’s very sad, Susan.” Connie stood closer to her. “You’re protecting a man that might end up killing you.”

  “Charlie didn’t hit me.” She swung her arms. “I don’t have to prove anything to you.”

  “No, but Charlie does.” Winston opened the door.

  “Wait here,” Connie instructed Susan and Travis as she followed Winston out the room.

  Charlie sighed when the detectives rejoined him. “Did you talk to Susan?”

  The black officer stood in the corner by the door, clearing his throat.

  “Travis says you and Prisha argued before she died,” Connie said. “Is t
hat true?”

  “Look—”

  “I’d suggest you think long and hard before you lie,” Winston said. “Did you see Prisha and did you argue? Yes or no.”

  “I’m sick of this shit.” Charlie pressed his huge hands to the table. “You want to play hardball, we can play. I’m not telling you guys shit. You want anything else speak to my attorney.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Jesus.” Jonathan snatched off his reading glasses as he watched the gorgeous, black woman enter the mansion through his computer screen.

  She glided behind Tran in a sexy, white blouse that hung off her shoulders and flowed at her slender hips. In wide-legged white slacks and stiletto sandals, she made her way through the entrance hall, enchanting Jonathan with every step.

  He stroked his knuckles, a momentous throbbing gripping his pelvis. “Mm.”

  Tran led her through the house and outside to the garden.

  Jonathan switched his computer to the home page, mind racing to figure out what flower she liked. Usually he could tell right off by looking at a woman but from what he heard of Lydia, she was as unpredictable as her sister was.

  Tran walked in, interrupting Jonathan’s trance. “Lydia’s here. She’s waiting in the garden.”

  “I was watching her.” Jonathan stood, staring at the computer though her image was no longer there. “She’s stunning.” His body quaked. “What’s she like?”

  “She doesn’t like you.” Tran half-shrugged. “That’s more than obvious.”

  “How can she not like me when she doesn’t know me?” Jonathan walked from around the desk, moving his fingers along the top of it. “I love a challenge though. Deidra’s told me so many fascinating things about Lydia. She’s a woman who loves adventure.” He straightened his crisp, black shirt. “I wonder what makes her tick.”

  “Well, if anyone would find out, it would be you. Shall I get Deidra?”

  “Wait, a few minutes.” Jonathan passed Tran, tapping Tran’s arm as he did. “I’d like a little time with Miss Lydia Quarter alone.”

  ****

  After gathering the seven assorted roses, Jonathan hurried through the garden to his sensual guest.

  Lydia observed the waterfall with her arms crossed and her straight tresses blowing in the light breeze as if she were on a photo shoot.