Simple Submission

Chapter 22-revisions needed

Her heart was thudding in her chest.  She knew without a doubt that Manuel was not here to take her back, he was here to kill her.  She had two options.  Run for the door, and hope to get it unlocked before he could make it to her.  Or run for the kitchen and get a knife to defend herself with.  He was close, she could hear his breathing, he would expect her to go for the door.

She made a quick turn towards the kitchen and ran like her life depended on it, which it did.  Her goal was the block of knives on the counter.  She managed to wrap her fingers around the handle of a knife that would be long enough to cause mortal damage.  Kill or be killed, right? 

He noticed just moments too late that she wasn’t heading to the door but quickly changed direction.  She wanted to avoid confrontation if possible, she dodged the approaching Manuel and skirted around the kitchen island.  Once again, she headed for the door now that she had a weapon with which to defend herself.

Manuel was enraged.  Perhaps he had thought she would just accept eminent death at his hands.  She turned just as he was springing forward.  His arms wrapped around her waist and his body forced hers to the ground.  She felt his forehead collide with her collarbone as his knife burrowed into the flesh of her hip. She held tightly to her own blade, she would not let it go skittering across the floor as she had seen in every action movie ever created. 

Her resolve did not falter; this man had no power over her.  In one swift motion she brought her knife down, burying it in the back of his rib cage just below the shoulder.  She could feel the scrape of bone against her blade as she forced it through the flesh.

He pushed himself away from her clawing to remove the object protruding from his body.  He managed to grasp the end of the handle but upon extricating the blade, blood poured thick and hot from the gaping wound. 

Bree could do nothing but stare at the man, his face had gone slack as he towered over her.  They were both covered in blood.  Manuel could do nothing to staunch the flow of his life blood as it began to pool beneath him.

As he fell to his knees she scrambled back from him as he reached for her.  He seemed to be having trouble breathing, his face ashen.  She felt no remorse, no guilt.  Was that normal?  She stared at him, she watched as his eyes rolled up and he fell, face first, into the pool of his own blood.

Bree continued to stare, it was over.  Truly over, Manuel Santiago was dead and would never hurt her or anyone else, ever again.  She could hear sirens coming closer as the stench of death began to permeate her nostrils.  The scent of blood overwhelming her as she tried to stand, her head began to spin.  She looked at where she had been sitting, there was a sizeable pool of blood when she had been just moments before.  The gaping wound in her arm had been seeping the entire time she had been struggling with the dead man.  The wound he inflicted significantly adding to her own blood loss.  She had no choice but to sit back down.

 She heard someone call out.  A Paramedic made his way into the apartment.  He checked Manuel’s pulse and began to attempt resuscitation; he knew quickly that it was no use.  He turned his attention to Bree.  She watched him as he approached her vision was beginning to blur. 

“I stabbed him, he stabbed me first…I…” she trailed off.

“We’ll worry about that later, for now let’s see to this wound,” he said as he cut away the material around the wound and applied gauze and pressure.

She heard clattering and footsteps as another paramedic with a gurney entered the room closely followed by Ethan.  As her eyes fell on him she burst into tears, as all of the fear and anxiety she had been holding inside burst forth in a torrent. 

He moved to embrace her but the paramedic held him back.  Whispering something as she cried, her lids grew heavy and she knew no more.

She could hear sirens and rapid speech.  Flashes of light pierced her eyes as she was taken rapidly down a corridor.  Her eyes fell on Ethan and then strangers were all around her.  Her arm was throbbing, her hip screaming as she was jostled.  The world went black again.

* * *

Ethan had not been allowed in to see her.  He had pushed into the room for a moment before being ushered quickly out by a nurse.  He could see they were giving her a blood transfusion but no one would give him any information regarding her condition. 

He called Cheryl and knew that she would be arriving soon so for now all he could do was wait.  He had never been so terrified, and felt so helpless in his entire life.  A nurse emerged from the room she looked to him and gave a small smile and nod.

He felt the heavy weight that had been pushing on his chest lift at the nurses gesture.  She was going to be okay.  He’d never been so thankful for anything in his life.

He heard quick heeled footsteps and looked up to see Cheryl sprinting down the hallway. 

“Ethan!  Is she okay?”

“They wouldn’t tell me anything Cheryl, but I think she is going to be fine.”

The nurse who had just come from the room approached.  “Are you family?”

“Yes,” Cheryl answered, “I am the only family she has really.”

“Ms. Lisette received deep lacerations to her hip and arm, and had lost quite a bit of blood.  She went into shock, but is recovering nicely.  She has received a transfusion and should recover with no ill effects.  But the doctor is going to want to keep her in observation for a few days.  He will speak with you more in just a little while.”

Over the next day, Bree was kept sedated.  Her wounds were showing signs of infection and needed to be rigorously cleaned.  Cheryl made sure that he had permission to stay with her during visiting hours. 

He walked down the hall to her room the following morning and was greeted by a huge shining smile from his Bree.  Her wounds were bandaged and she was sitting up. 

“You’re up! how are you feeling? Do you need anything?”

“I’m feeling absolutely perfect, they have me on some sort of cocktail, not sure I could feel any better Sir,” she said still smiling broadly.

He smiled and sat in the chair next to her. 

“They said I can go home tomorrow assuming that my temp and blood pressure stay normal throughout the day.”

“I can arrange to have your things sent to your apartment this afternoon,” Ethan said gently.

He watched as her smile disappeared.

“You don’t want me anymore?”

“I didn’t think you would want to come back to a place where you had to go through such an ordeal.”

“Ethan, Sir, You are so stupid,” she said with a pout.

Ethan knew that it was the last thing he wanted to do.  He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.  He wanted her by his side always.

“Marry me, Bree.  I know that this is sudden, and odd, and crazy, but I know that we can be happy together.”

“No,” she said flatly.

Ethan felt as though his heart had just been torn from his chest.

“I want to be your sub, I can’t do that if I am your wife.”

The panic that had been rising subsided.

“Of course you can, we can make it work.  I love you.  I think you love me.  Do you love me Bree?”

“You’re being stupid again Ethan, of course I do.”

“Then let’s get married.”

“Not until I have earned your collar.  I want to be completely yours, I’m not there yet.”

He reached out and tenderly caressed her cheek and neck, he leaned closer and placed his forehead against hers. “Now you’re the one being stupid Bree.  I am not suggesting we have a ceremony tomorrow.  We have time.  Be mine Bree, forever.”