Deceit. [COMPLETED.]

Chapter 28

'I was attacked and raped and he tried to stop it.'

My heart froze.

She shrugged her shoulders as if it didn't matter, but I could tell it did.

'We had gone to meet my brother Adam at a hotel. I wanted to speak to him about announcing my engagement to Isaac. I wasn't sure how mummy and daddy would react and so I wanted his advice. But he was late, so typical of him, and I asked to go for a stroll in the gardens. We ended up at a large lake where we met a few very unsavoury people.'

I said that she didn't have to tell me what had happened but she said that she was fine and that her psychiatrist had advised her never to hide from what had happened and so she took another sip of her wine and continued.

'They were killing a nest of ducklings. It wasn't right. I asked them to stop but it got out of hand and I ended up running.'

Another shrug of her delicate shoulders. She stopped. I could tell she was reliving the moment. Her eyes glazed. She blinked. She pursed her lips and then explained how her partner Isaac had tried to fight the attackers off with a snooker cue.

'He tried to stop them. We ended up on the first floor of the hotel in a games room. It was empty save for a large snooker table. They came in. They attacked me. They raped me. They threw Isaac off a veranda, he fell and he died instantly.'

My heart was crying out for this woman. Tears quite literally were welling up in my eyes. You always associate glamour and riches with the upper class but never this. I was rendered speechless. I took another large sip of my wine. I just didn't know what to do.

Behind us there was a small dance floor. The band had taken a short recess while we had been eating but they had now begun to play again and a few late night revellers had taken to holding each other in their arms as they swayed to the music. Listening to the band's soft melodic sound eased my sorrow and I knew exactly how I would like to respond. I stood up and held out my hand.

'Let's have that dance, shall we?'

At first she simply looked up at me. I don't know what she was thinking. I tilted my head. I offered a smile. It seemed to do the trick. I took her on to the dance floor drawing her close to me so our bodies touched and we swayed back and forth through countless songs with our heads resting on each others shoulders. Neither spoke. I don't think we needed to. Enough words had already been said tonight and we both knew how the other was feeling.

An hour later, another bottle of wine consumed and the night finally came to an end. The restaurant closed. We stood up reluctantly. I think I wasn't alone in being disappointed that the night was over. We ventured outside breathing in the early morning air. It was crisp and I could feel it's icy touch right down into my lungs.

The streets were quiet. The time was a little after midnight. We walked side by side. We said nothing. I think we were both lost in our own thoughts and it wasn't until we had turned down a side street away from the normal pedestrian traffic did I ask her the question that had been on the forefront of my mind ever since I had climbed into the limousine when we were back at the Jupiter.

'So why me? Why bring me here tonight and why say those personal things?'

She pulled me close. She wrapped an arm through mine and squeezed it tight.

'Because it felt right.'

And yes it did.

I took a long deep breath and exhaled in a dreamy state wondering where our relationship was going. I was still her employee but tonight that line had definitely been smudged and now I just didn't know what to think.

'So where are we going?' I asked.

'Nowhere,' said Max wistfully, her head again resting on my shoulder. 'And anyway. I just want to be with you. Is that ok?'

Yes it was. It was more than ok.

The road ahead was swathed in darkness. Very few lights were lit. I was about to say that we should turn back towards the main road when I caught sight of a man approaching. There was just something about him that I didn't like, his deliberate swagger with one arm behind his back. I unlocked arms with Max and discreetly pulled her behind me.

I slowed down as he approached catching sight of a large hunting knife in his right hand.

I pushed Max instinctively away just as the blade came up in an arc tearing into my right sleeve.

The pain was immense. Max screamed. I felt my arm go numb and almost at the same time he was grabbing at her handbag.

It spurred me forwards. I lowered my head. I charged into his midriff sending us both to the ground. We grappled. He was strong. He tried to turn me over onto my back but I resisted. I caught his wrist. He tried to bring the knife towards me. I pushed it away.

Max was screaming.

'Please! Will somebody help us!'

I landed on my side, the pain in my arm excruciating. I fought back. I pushed out with a leg catching it on the edge of the pavement. It gave me enough momentum to roll the man. He cried out. I pushed harder to trying to break myself free. He let go suddenly and I was able to get up.

Max was pulling at my sleeve.

'We've got to go. We can't stay.'

I got to my feet. There was a dark pool of liquid seeping out into the road. The man had not moved.

'Kirk we have to go! Please. We can't stay.'

She pulled me down into the darkness, the pain in my arm eating into my consciousness. We moved out into the next street. We immediately turned left. There were street lights ahead. I slowed down, my breathing coming in short sharp gasps. Max stopped. She took a hold of my arm and looked at my jacket. It was wet from the shoulder down.

'Oh my god. You're bleeding!'

She reached into her handbag. She grabbed at her phone. My head was becoming fuzzy. I wanted to be sick. I could hear her calling out to someone but the world had started to spin and it fell backwards. Max caught me. She pulled me forwards dragging me down more empty streets until we came to a stop next to a park bench.

'Sit. We need to wait.'

My head felt as if it was going to explode. My arm hung by my side.

A car pulled up. I was bundled into the back seat. I could hear Max talking to the driver.

'Oh this is bad. Oh this is really bad. This was not supposed to have happened.'

Tiredness overwhelmed me, nausea taking control. I let my head fall into her lap. I looked up and focused on the street lamps passing quickly overhead.

Noise levels became muffled and then slowly but surely my eyes began to close and darkness overwhelmed me.

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So does this change your opinion of Max (Jenny) at all?

Does this change your opinion of Kirk?

What do you think is going to happen next?

Thanks as always for all of your wonderful comments and support. You've all been absolutely amazing.

Cheers.
JU xx