Content Warning: Aftermath of violence. Retelling of graphic violence. Language.?
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Stan had been scanning the local neighborhoods for Ash, but had been unproductive in his search for her. He figured that he should keep an eye out for her after her run in with Trent the day before. There had been no way of him knowing what she had said to the leader, but Stan had seen the rage in Trent's eyes the second after Ashley left. He knew that repercussions would follow the rash decision.
It was still early in the morning, but the grass was nearly dry. He'd mainly stuck to the sidewalks so the dampness hadn't gotten on his boots. He knew that going under cover to gather enough intel to find out how to dismantle Trent's gang wouldn't be easy. He never thought that he'd get involved with wanting to protect anyone, but times had quickly changed his mind as soon as he had seen the struggles Ashley was going through – and had went through for that matter. He could see why his brother extended his right hand out to the girl. It made sense. Especially in a fatherly sort of way.
Stan inched his way back to the Compound. Maybe Ashley was back there or maybe someone had seen her. He'd be relieved once he knew that she was alright. Once he knew that, he could get back to snooping. That was the main goal of this mission. He needed to stay focused, but saving people along the way was a fair substitute as well. Substitute didn't sound quite right. Addition was a better way of putting it. He wanted to both save people, as well as shut down another gang – no matter how small or how unimportant some may think it was.
Stan's back tensed as he watched Trent and Eddie come out of their room of torture. Trent's hands were bloody. He held his belt next to his side – obvious that he had used it on some poor, helpless victim. Pleasure was curled around his lips as he glanced up in time to see Stan paused near to where they were.
"Stan, come here." He beckoned him over. His toothy grin seemed genuine, yet part of it was forced. He waited until Stan was standing in front of him. "I have a job for you."
"Sir?" Stan was curious and he showed it, but he hid the part that was afraid to know who Trent's new victim was. He kept his eyes on the leader, but they wanted to wonder to the room behind him.
"Do you know of some Officer Tom, or something similar to that name, that Ashley knows?" Trent watched him carefully. He was just as curious as Stan to know what he knew. "I'm trying to find a messenger to deliver him a message." He said casually.
"I've heard the name before. I'm sure I could find him if that's what you want." Stan was beginning to get very leery of this idea. What kind of message could Trent possibly want to tell his brother? Did he know something that he didn't? Stan hid his desire to dig deeper and push the buttons that could offer serious ramifications in return.
"It's what I want. If you can get the job done there'll be a reward in it at the end for you." Trent watched him cautiously. Weighing out how faithful this man was to him. He knew the right words would tell him all.
"Sir, I work for you. I obey my orders, no reward needed." Stan showed his confusion. It was time to get down to business, no more stalling. "What's the message?"
Trent watched him for a brief, precise moment. He couldn't hide his skepticism, but the trust began flowing out, as his straight face broke into a smile. He huffed out a laugh. "Good man. Good man." He patted his bloodied hand on Stan's shoulder. He could feel the pat through his leather jacket, but ignored it. They weren't friends. They were more enemies than Trent realized. "I need you to bring little Ashley in here, to him. He can take care of her before she comes running back to us. We don't need to provide a babysitter and listen to her whining."
Stan blinked back at him. "I'm confused. You want me to bring her to a cop?"
"That's what I said. There's a sentimental twist to it for the both of them." Trent patted Stan's shoulder again. "I can trust that it'll be done?" He studied Stan intently.
"Yes, sir." Stan wasn't sure about any of this. At least it meant that Ashley was alive still, but it didn't answer his worry of how bad she was. The blood on Trent's hands didn't offer any form of comfort. The dark twisted evil in the leader's eyes led Stan to a dark desire to put a bullet in his brain right then and there. Eddie wouldn't be so bad to drop either. Moreover his sick, twisted, demented self didn't deserve to live. Stan figured that the second in command had probably just watched everything that Trent did with pleasure. Maybe even getting off on the demented desire for pain to be inflicted.
"We'll leave you to it then." Trent said calmly. He held out a small key to the man. "You're going to need this." He pushed the key into Stan's open palm before walking away with Eddie in tow behind him.
Stan didn't want to seem too eager, even though the thought of not knowing how Ash was was quickly leaving a hollow space in him that ached. He could feel the key etching its print into his palm as he squeezed it as tightly as he could.
He sprung into action as soon as the two men rounded a corner. He shoved open the door to the building. He had to hold open the door wide enough to get enough brightness to find a light switch. His fingers stumbled over it, allowing him to flick it on with ease. His shoulders dropped as a breath caught in his throat. Oh shit...
The picture in front of him was nothing that he'd seen before. Ashley's small wrists were trapped in cuffs above her head. It looked like they had been lowered enough for her to kneel, but by the look of bruising on her wrists he guessed that they had just recently been lowered. He caught her eyes lightly peek open. "Stan..." Her voice was quiet. Weak and pained.
"Ash, what'd they do to you." He hurried over to her nearly naked body. As gently as he could, he removed the sharp metal cuffs from around her wrists.
Ashley lightly flashed a painful smile. "I guess I asked for it, didn't I?" A tear slipped down her face as she cringed at her arms being moved to her sides.
"No, baby girl, nobody deserves this." Stan could barely spit out. Bruises began coloring her face and body. Blood dripped from everywhere on her. He didn't know where she was cut or where the blood had just dripped down upon her. He caught a glimpse of her back. It was covered in bruises and blood from strike after strike with Trent's belt. Her panties looked like they had been messily put back on her. "Did they rape you?" Stan couldn't stop the words tumbling out of his mouth. It was instinct to ask that question and the scene in front of him made him know the answer sooner than the question had left his lips.
Ashley was barely staying with him. Her head was spinning and the pain was excruciating. She had fought them when they wanted to take advantage of her. First Trent. Then Eddie. And Trent again. She could feel the soreness and burning in between her legs from the struggling. Neither of them had taken it easy on her. They had made everything as rough as they could. She could hardly meet Stan's eyes as she barely nodded. "Get me out of here, Stan. I don't want to pass out in here again."
"You got it, Ash." He had a t-shirt on under his jacket. He pulled it off as fast as he could. "Let me get this on you first." He had spotted her torn and bloody clothes piled in a heap next to them. There was no way that he was going to put those on her. As carefully as he could, Stan slipped the shirt over the girl's head and slid her arms through the sleeves. Every pinched look and every painful moan made it that much easier for Stan to want to find Trent and beat him to death. Eddie too for that matter. He put criminals in prison for less than that, but there was a time and place to put people in line, like had been done before stricter laws had been put into place.
He cupped his hands around the broken girl's body and picked her up. He could feel her body writhing in his arms. It killed bits of him imagining everything that she was feeling as he tried to carry her away. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."
Ashley gently laid her small hand on his chest. "I appreciate the kindness, Stan, but there was nothing that you could have done to save me from this. I had it coming." She said simply. A pained moan managed to slip through her lips.
"Hush up, Ash. I'm going to get you somewhere safe." Stan knew that he'd have to go through enemy territory to get to his brother's house. He prayed that he would get through undetected. Inch by inch, block by block, he neared the place. He was close. So sweetly close.
"Where do you think you're going?" A voice stopped Stan from behind. He could feel a knife poking into his neck. He had Ashley curled up into him tightly enough where he was sure the intruder didn't notice her yet.
"Who wants to know?" Stan spoke clearly with a level of pride in his voice. Regardless of his rush to get to his destination, he still needed to play that cocky, prideful bastard that everyone thought that he was.
The body stayed quiet for a moment as he slid the back of Stan's leather jacket down. His knife traced the tattoo on the back of Stan's neck. "You're not from this neighborhood are you?" The voice was strong and guarded. Stan blinked hard. He looked down at the girl in his arms. He had to protect her. Her body began to stir in her arms and her eyes barely opened.
"Dom?" Her voice quivered in a whisper. She was sure the voice sounded familiar. Part of her prayed that she was right. She longed to have him near her. The other part of her wanted it not to be him. She couldn't bare to let him see her in this condition. He'd go off the rails. She was sure of that.
Stan's brows knitted together as she said the name. He felt the knife disappear from his neck. The man walked around to the other side of Stan. His eyes edged disbelief as he stared at the bundle in Stan's arms. He looked up at Stan in complete anger. "Did you do this to her?" The words stabbed into Stan with obvious danger. He was sure if he hadn't been holding on to Ash at that very moment that he wouldn't just be receiving a threat from Dom.
"No, I found her like this. I need to bring her to that cop's house." Stan knew that Dom would know who he was talking about. He could see the familiarity in his dark gaze. He watched Dom look down at Ashley. Worry and care laced his gaze. He gently pushed a hair out of Ashley's face.
His gaze snapped up from the girl to Stan. "Give her here. I'll get you both there safely." Dom folded his knife up and slipped it in his pocket. He waited for Stan to give Ashley over. He clearly wouldn't be satisfied until he had her in his arms.
"I don't think that'd be a good idea." Stan said slowly. "It's going to cause more pain." He added quickly as the urge to murder someone crept into Dom's eyes. Stan knew enough about him to know that he wouldn't hesitate to kill him in half a second if he had to.
"She's safer in my arms. Give her here." Dom said stubbornly. He reached to pull Ashley out of his arms. Stan didn't object to him and gently handed the small girl over to him. He could see Dom's protectiveness kick in quickly. He guarded her in his arms the best that he could. He wanted to bring her home, but bringing her to Tom's would probably suffice as well. For now.
"I'm sorry, Dom." Ashley tried to breathe out.
"Hey now, you did good. Save your strength." Tears pricked Dom's eyes, but he steeled his look. There was no need for this outsider to see his obvious affection for Ashley. He didn't know him and he didn't trust him. Regardless of that, it had only been just hours ago that he was kissing her goodbye and she had been just fine. He shouldn't have let her out of his sight.
"We're about two blocks away." Stan led the way. He knew how to get to his brother's house. Maybe he'd be questioned for this, but he didn't see anyway to bring Ashley to the station. It would be too dangerous.
"How do you know he's going to be home?" Dom questioned as he quickened his pace. There was no time to waste. "She needs a hospital."
Stan didn't look back at him. "I don't." Stan breathed out a hot breath. "But I'll find him if he isn't. It's my orders."
"Orders?" Dom echoed. "What the hell do you mean they're your orders?" Anger flashed through him intensely. Nobody would be able to pry Ashley out of his hands if he didn't want them to.
Stan pursed his lips shut. He wasn't sure how much to actually say. He was treading in dangerous waters here. He changed the subject as they rounded the second block down. "That's his house." He pointed out a small light blue building with white trim.
Dom didn't slow down to wait for Stan to stay caught up. He barely held himself back from running. He couldn't look down at Ashley, he couldn't let weakness seep in quite yet. He had to get her someplace safe first. "He doesn't look like he's home." He looked around the small driveway as he rushed up two steps and onto a deck. He peered in the windows as he kicked a knock at the door.
Stan lifted up a potted fern and pulled out a key. He knew that there'd probably be questions for that later, but they needed to get inside. Dom couldn't afford to be seen helping them and Stan couldn't be seen in this neighborhood. Going undercover near his brother's home was not a good thing, but he knew the neighborhoods and the dangers, making him the best candidate. It hadn't been his jurisdiction as a cop either, so it protected his cover.
Dom waited patiently for Stan to get the door open. As soon as the knob had been turned he pushed passed and into the warmth of the home. He slid his shoes off and carried Ashley through a few rooms until he found a couch to lay her on. She had drifted in and out of being conscious. She painfully moaned as he set her on the couch. His arm had scraped against her back enough to get a reaction from the fresh wounds. "Find the cop!" He growled at Stan. "I don't care what you have to do. Get him here!" He was beginning to lose his mind as he took in the full appearance of the woman in front of him. Seeing her in a man's shirt with no pants on sent a new wave of panic through him. He pushed it out of his mind quickly and kept his focus on her.
Stan knew the house decently well. He rushed to the kitchen and picked up the phone to dial his brother's cell number. He knew that he always had it on him and this was no exception. He could barely hear his brother's voice with the solid beating of his heart in his ears. The sound drowned out most other sounds. "Tom?" His breaths were coming out in huffs. The adrenaline was coursing through him.
"Stan? What are you doing at my house? Is everything okay?" Tom's voice didn't even come close to hiding his worry. "You're not hurt are you?"
Stan slowed his breathing. He couldn't imagine what his brother was thinking right now. "I'm alright, but you need to come home. Now!" He threw the warning out at his brother quickly.
"Stan, I'm on patrol. Can this wait?" Tom's voice echoed a relief, but also impatience.
"It's Ashley, Tom." He kept the phrase simple. He knew that his brother would drop anything for her.
"I'm patrolling not far from there. I'll be home in a few minutes." Tom said quickly, rashly. He hung up the phone as soon as those words flowed out.
Stan hung up the phone and came back into the room. He watched Dom get up off of the floor and look in his direction. The look was of worry, of anger, of any other feeling that was possible at this moment. Before Stan had a moment to react, Dom had him pinned up against the wall.
"What happened to her?" His voice was steady and level. It demanded answers.
"She's been in communication with you. You of all people should know what happened!" Stan growled back at the rival. He was in no mood to argue with the man, but he knew that Dom would have to take out his aggressions some how. He'd rather it be intended toward him then have the man go after Trent. That wouldn't go well.
Dom's nostrils flared out his agitation. "What does Trent know? I'm only going to ask you once." His voice was low with a loud hint of murder echoing in its tone.
Stan's gaze was heavy and dark. Images of how Ashley's body had been abused coursed through him in a fast onrush, leaving him almost unsteady. "The only thing he knows is that she had been seeing the cop. Only I know that she's been seeing you and that won't change."
Dom could read Stan's loyalty through his eyes loud and clear. He loosened his grip on Stan's sleeveless shirt. "What'd he do to her? How was she when you found her?" Dom's questions demanded answers. There was no doubt about that.
Stan shifted his gaze away for a second before looking back at him. "I wasn't there or I would have stopped it. He had her cuffed up against a wall. I had to unlock the cuffs to free her. Her clothes were ripped off." Stan shuddered at the thought of it all. "He had beat her with his belt and raped her."
Dom stepped back. He swallowed hard. The obvious pain was in his eyes.
"When I had seen him, his knuckles were covered with her blood. Eddie must have helped to hold her still when they did whatever the hell they did to her. When I found them all, I was instructed to bring her here." Stan said carefully. "I told her that I'd protect her."
Dom's gaze jumped from the ground back up to Stan. He carefully looked him over. "Protect her? Your gang hasn't exactly been known for having each other's backs." Dom didn't pretend to hide the bitterness in his words. His fist was clenched. His eyes didn't hide the desire he had to punch the man in his face.
"What's going on here?" Tom stepped into the room. He was fully uniformed and looked every bit the cop he was. He took in the whole picture. As soon as Dom let go of Stan and backed a few steps away, Tom slithered between them and to the couch.
Blood had already soaked through Stan's shirt on her. Tom's brows were knitted together in intense worry. "One of you get over here and help me lift her up." He had taken an EMT class in case of situations like this.
Dom was by his side before Stan had a second to blink. He stood next to Tom's side waiting for further instructions. He was ready to help in any way necessary.
"Let's get this shirt off her and see what we're dealing with here." Tom gently propped the girl up.
"Be careful with her back." Stan quickly jumped in.
Ahhh! Ashley's voice rippled through her uncontrollably as she was propped up. Her eyes flickered open in confusion and needing to see what was going on around her.
"Shhh, Ashley." Tom said soothingly. He didn't know where to touch to offer some form of comfort. "Hold her up by her shoulders, Dom." Tom instructed as he began to pull up the shirt.
Ashley couldn't bite back the moan and the tears that began sliding down her face. The shirt had began to dry onto her back with the blood. Every inch that the shirt was pulled up pulled at her skin and the bruises and cuts that were on them.
Dom moved in front of her and slid down next to her. He shifted his hands from her shoulder to other spots on her body as Tom pulled the shirt over her head. Dom held her with one hand as he pulled her hair over to one side. "Stay with me, love." He focused on her eyes, no matter how pained both of them looked.
She smiled lightly at him. "I didn't scream."
Dom returned the smile. "Bet it pissed him off." His face washed back to the worry as he watched her flinch. His smile turned to a frown as his eyebrows knitted together.
It hurt to arch her eyebrows, but she did it anyway. "Have you seen my back yet? That should answer your question, dear." She said sarcastically.
Dom looked down at her legs. His finger traced the bruises on them.
"I couldn't stop them." She knew what he was thinking. It hurt her more than the pain echoing through her body. "I fought them hard though."
Dom looked back up at her. "Shit, Ash. I never thought he'd go this far with you. Now you know why I worried last night!"
"You were justified in being angry with me. I should never have spoken out of term."
"No, you shouldn't have." Tom's voice chimed in. "We're going to need to clean these." He sighed. He got up off of the couch and walked away. He scavenged around in a bathroom cabinet and pulled out some rubbing alcohol, salve, gauze, and medical tape. It was the best that he could do with these injuries. She should be in a hospital.
"Stan, hold her up. Dom, I need your help." Tom slid back behind Ashley. "Okay, honey, this is going to hurt like hell." He told her the honest truth. He held out the rubbing alcohol, but paused before doing anything.
Dom hadn't looked at Ashley's back yet. He was afraid to. He stood next to Tom's side, but kept his focus on Stan. He looked over at Tom when he saw the hesitation.
"Do either of you have any alcohol on you?" Tom looked back at Dom and over to Stan. He sighed when they shook their heads. "Dom, go in the kitchen and dig out the bottle of Vodka in the fridge. Mix it strong with whatever juice I have in there. Let's get her a good buzz before I start this. I don't want her body to go into shock because she's not able to process the pain. We're going to have to get fluids in her somehow after so she doesn't get more dehydrated then she already is. She should be in a damn hospital."
"I know that!" Stan said sharply as Tom's eyes met his. Dom had already hurried to prepare the drink. "I had orders to bring her here." He could feel his brother's eyes looking him over and showing his irritation.
Ashley barely heard them, but began to hone in on what they were saying. She wanted to sleep, to shut out the pain. "Trent knows that I saw you yesterday, Tom. I told him that you had been on my case since I was young and wanted to catch up with me." Her cut lip stretched with every word she said as the heat of her breath burned it.
Dom came back in the room with the drink. He had mixed it as strong as he could, before masking some of the Vodka's potent flavor with a wild berry juice. It was the only kind that was in the front of the fridge and he hadn't been interested in looking around for a different flavor.
Ashley coughed out a laugh. She caught Stan's eyes. "You're a cop, too. That's why you were so eager to protect me." She glanced back at Tom as the two men exchanged a look.
Dom looked over at the man. He had been curious as to how Stan knew where the cop's key was and why he seemed different then the others. He knew that if Stan was a cop there'd be no way of him masking his compassion. It was instilled in him. Unstoppable.
Stan didn't breathe a word back as he grabbed the drink from Dom. He gently lifted the glass to Ashley's mouth. "Drink up, baby girl."
Ashley began coughing after the first sip. "You think it's strong enough for me?" She joked with Dom, but drank some more. Within a few minutes, she had the glass drained. The pain was still there, but definitely not as intense as it had been.
"You ready?" Tom looked up at Dom.
Ashley's gaze drifted up to Dom. "You can do this. I'll be alright." She flashed a small smile at him.
Dom swallowed hard. He inched behind her and next to Tom. He stopped himself from gasping at how many marks defiled her back. There was lots of blood and the bruising was beginning to make itself at home. He wanted to kill Trent with a passion nobody could possibly match. He restrained himself and focused on the task at hand. "What do you want me to do?"
Tom held out the shirt that Ashley had been wearing. "Wipe up the blood as I pour this on." He held up the rubbing alcohol and opened the top. "She's going to jump and probably cry out. You need to keep at it. The sooner we get it done, the sooner her body can relax and begin to heal." He waited for Dom to nod his understanding before turning his attention to Stan. "Hold her still. Do what you have to, okay?"
Stan nodded his head. He looked intently at Ashley. "Are you ready, baby girl?"
Ashley's body shivered, but she nodded her agreement. She pinched her eyes shut as tightly as she could as the cool liquid sent a shock wave through her body. She couldn't stop a moan from slipping out of her mouth. Her fingers found Stan's arms and she tightened her nails around him.
He knew that the pain that he felt was nothing in comparison to what she felt. With that thought in mind, Stan sucked up the pain and kept his grip steady on her shoulders. He could feel every shudder, every time she sucked in her breath, and every jar of pain that shivered through her body. He clenched his teeth to stop from feeling everything. If only I had been there sooner. I told her that I'd be there for her. The tortured thoughts spread coarsely through his mind.
Tom glanced over at his brother. He could tell that he was struggling with this. There was nothing that he could do to help him right now though. He pulled his focus back to the job at hand. It was sickening to watch the blood mix with the alcohol and drip down her back. He looked up at Dom. The man was strong. Rarely did Tom ever get through to talking with him because his emotions were always bottled up. He had the ability to keep the straightest face out of any man that he'd known. Tom could see right through Dom right now though. He was open and bare with what had happened with Ashley. She had pierced his armor and it was evident. Tom kept his comments to himself, but he could see that his thoughts the night before had been accurate.
Dom's heart felt like it had been shoved up his throat. He wiped away the blood and alcohol as gently as he could. He could see her starting to shiver uncontrollably, making him want to rush through the job and stop the pain. He kept his mouth shut, not knowing what to say. It had been easy to yell his frustrations at her last night, but now he was just broken. He couldn't yell at her. He just wanted to hold her. Make her feel safe.
Tom kept the flow of liquid constant until he flooded her whole back. "You still with us, Ash?" He listened for her response.
"Mhmm." Her voice was weak, barely audible. She was still awake though.
Tom thought about ways to keep her talking. "Remember when you were about thirteen?" He asked her gently.
A small smile teased at Ashley's lips. "I remember. You had come and found me when I had run away from my second foster family. I had gotten in an argument with them about keeping that little black kitty."
Tom wanted to keep her talking. He wanted to keep her conscious. They needed to figure out if anything else was majorly hurt or just bruised. "That's right. Do you remember what else happened?"
"Mhmm." She breathed out slowly. "I had run away to keep the kitty and tripped in a stupid hole. Skinned up my knees and hands, but I kept the kitty safe. That's what was important." She lightened her grip on Stan's arms. The pain was still there, but at least the thought of her past distracted her for a little while.
"I carried you and that kitten out of those woods near where you were living. You had broken your ankle too, if I remember correctly." He urged the conversation to keep going. He could see both men had calmed down a bit more while listening to them too. It was his job to relax all parties involved. He'd be a lousy cop if he couldn't do that.
Ashley nodded her head. She was feeling a little woozy with the movement. "I did. I always wondered what had happened to the kitty after though. The only reason I ran away was to keep her safe. I guess it had been kind of dumb to do."
Tom smiled. "Running away probably wasn't your best choice. You could have just called me about it." He reminded her. "Your kitten is a full grown cat now. She's probably sleeping upstairs on my bed right now."
No matter how painful it was, Ashley's head snapped over to him. Her eyes were wide as she looked for the honesty in his words. "You kept her?"
Tom smiled and began measuring out gauze strips. "I couldn't let something happen to your only reason for running away. And quite honestly, she grew on me when I was bringing her to the shelter. I couldn't leave her there." Tom thought about the little, black, green eyed kitten sitting in the seat next to him while he had made his rounds that day. He had turned around and went home after sitting in the parking lot at the humane society for a half an hour. He just didn't have the unction to leave her there.
Dom finished dabbing at the last of the loose blood and liquid. He was glad they were done with that step. He set the shirt down on the table next to the couch. He watched Tom dab on some kind of salve and measure out the gauze.
Tom paused what he was doing and moved in front of Ashley. "Is anything broken, sweetheart?" He watched her carefully as he ran his fingers over her ribs, feeling for any anomalies.
"Just my pride." She leaned into Stan's embrace. It was all she could do to stay upright. Her body was worn out and ready to rest.
Tom looked over her body thoroughly. He walked around Stan and looked up and down her legs. "Just bruising?"
Ashley nodded her head. "Just bruising and pain."
"Okay." He nodded and returned back to where he had been knelt down next to her. "Tell me exactly what happened, Ashley." He'd always known her to be honest when he asked her something directly. He doubted this time would be any different.
"Ummm..." Ashley let herself think back to what she really didn't want to remember. "I stayed with Dom last night and came back early this morning. Trent was waiting for me. He didn't look like he'd slept much at all. I'm guessing that he stayed up all night waiting for me." Ashley thought about the way Trent had watched her when she had finally turned around to face him. His smug expression and his cigarette didn't mix well in her mind.
"We argued. Eddie snuck up behind me and took my gun. They set it down just feet from where they cuffed me to a wall. They wanted to taunt me with it. At first they had me face them. Trent pounded the shit out of me as Eddie watched." Her lips curled up in anger and bitterness. He made me just helpless enough to be able to slide his hands wherever he wanted on me." The thought of Dom listening sickened her. She didn't want him to hear this. She didn't want to hurt him. Cautiously she turned her body to face him. Tears filled her eyes. "You might not want to listen." She said gently as she met his eyes. She could feel the pain in his gaze.
"Keep going, Ash." He kept his broken voice to himself, and kept it as steady as possible. "It's okay." It really wasn't okay, but he wanted to know the awful, morbid details. He wanted to know how much more he could hate Trent. His fists had already balled up. He longed for something or someone to slam them into.
Ashley pulled her body back over to face Stan. She numbly stared out the window. "Trent went first. He forced himself into me." A dull, bitter laugh strained from her mouth. "They should have cuffed my legs down too. I gave him some well placed kicks. Slowed 'em down."
"Atta girl." Tom praised her. He couldn't imagine what they did to her. It made him sick. He did well at hiding his true feelings though. It was the life that she had chosen, not what she had deserved.
Ashley swallowed hard. Her chin quivered, but she quickly straightened it. "Eddie took his turn next and Trent finished me off. I couldn't hold my tongue back and I let them have it. Trent didn't take what I had to say so well." Ashley's jaw clenched. "He reminded me of how my last foster dad beat me with his belt. He reminded me of how it had been him who had saved me from that and him who could bring that pain back." Her throat had formed a lump that made it hard to swallow, but a fiery anger filled her dark eyes.
"I didn't have much energy left to fight them, but I had conserved enough that when they uncuffed me, I fought as hard as I could. They grabbed me and kicked me to my knees. Eddie pulled the cuffs down lower and hooked me up at that level. I could hear Trent pulling his belt off of his open jeans." Ashley heart began to clench at the memory. A few tears slipped down her face. "He beat me until I nearly blacked out. They laughed at me before Trent reminded me that if I chose to disrespect him anymore that he'd keep doing this to me. He wouldn't kill me though. He wanted me to know that he held my life in his hands. Stan got me after that." A bitter rebellion eased up in her eyes. One day she'd make them both pay. There was no doubt in her mind about that. She wouldn't mind taking their lives, but that'd let both men off way to easy. She wouldn't be that gentle with them.
"This will probably sting a little bit, Ashley." Tom warned her as he laid a bunch of well measured slips of gauze on the couch edge. He handed the medical tape dispenser over to Dom. "Start cutting me off pieces. Let's get this laid on her quickly."
Dom nodded his approval as he began pulling strips of tape off and gently pressing them against Ashley's skin and the gauze strips. He appreciated what the cop was willing to do to help Ashley. He had a new admiration for him. He still wasn't sure about Stan, but the fact that Tom seemed to trust him and Ashley implied that he was a cop encouraged his calmness around him. He'd maybe trust him in time.
Tom finished laying the last strip after a few minutes. "I'm not going to have you put on a shirt yet, sweetheart. We need to keep your back open to be able to change the bandages. Dom can help you take a shower when you feel a little bit more confident with walking, okay?" He moved over to face her.
Ashley nodded her approval. "Thank you, Tom." She tried to smile again. Exhaustion was overwhelming. The new pain brought back a temporary alertness, but it was wearing thin.
"You're welcome, sweetheart. Dom can stay with you, okay?" He gently patted her shoulder.
"We'll be in the kitchen." He glanced over at Stan. Making it clear that he wanted his brother to follow him.
"Okay." She could feel Dom sneak in behind her and hold her up. The warmth felt nice against her sore back, but the pain made her flinch.
"I'm sorry." He felt horrible for hurting her. He waited until the other two men left the room.
"How are you doing, Ash?" He couldn't stop the words from fumbling weakly out of his mouth.
Ashley nuzzled her sore head into his chest. "I've been better. Thinking about you got me through it all I think." She was a little loopy. The alcohol had taken its much needed toll on her. More of it would help numb her up a little bit more, but she didn't have the urge to ask for it.
Dom felt like someone had grabbed his heart and was squeezing it. "I didn't think he'd go this far." He barely whispered. He should never have let her go back. He should have gotten her to leave with him that night. They both would have been living a life on the run, but both of them knew how to survive.
"It's not your fault, Dom. Quit acting like it is." She chided him gently. She couldn't let him blame himself for something that she had done.
"If I would have stuck with my instincts, Ash, we could have ran away last night. I could have kept you protected."
"And risk getting caught and killed. No, Dom! We're going to do this right. Tom'll help us. He's never failed me." Ashley twisted her head up to him. Her eyes were intent and serious. "Promise me that we'll get out the right way, unless that doesn't become an option. Promise me, Dom."
He was captivated by the strength in her eyes. She was barely holding on to being conscious, yet she held on to that aggression as if her life depended on it. And no doubt her life would depend on that. "How do you do that?" He couldn't help but question her. He wanted to know how she stayed so strong. He doubted that he could do that. Sure, he'd stayed strong with what happened with his wife and unborn child, but it had been anger that had held him together. The desire to know that he'd see that the man responsible would eventually pay for his sins.
"How do I do what?" Ashley sighed as she leaned her head back into him. She wrapped her arm around his knee of the leg that was propped up against the back of the couch. She was getting sleepy.
"How do you stay so strong? So motivated?" He waited for an explanation. He didn't think that it'd be a simple one, but he was quickly surprised with her answer.
Ashley gently laughed, trying not to jar her body. "I don't want to die." She closed her eyes as she listened to him. It felt good to just relax. She felt dirty and gross, but the thought of moving nauseated her.
Dom smiled at her. He kissed her head and leaned into the couch more. It felt right having her in between him. Holding her close. Talking to her. He wished that it would have been under better circumstances though.
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Awww poor Ash! At least she's in the hands of the ones that care about her the most.
And the cat's out of the bag for who in the bunch is another cop! Yikes! What will this mean for Stan?
Hope you guys enjoyed the LONG chapter!
It's snowing here in the great Midwest! Grab a cup of hot chocolate, stoke that fire, grab a blanket, and keep on reading <3
Love you guys!!!!