Page 70 of Sacrifice

It took me three weeks to get Aribella to agree to see a therapist and when she found one she liked; the bitch tried to hit on me and Aribella lost it. She refused to go back. But today, I finally talked her into seeing another one.

I went in beforehand and wired the place with cameras and listening devices. Yes, I'm aware it's wrong, but I need to make suremi reinais alright and safe. Hell, I've gone so far as to put listening devices and cameras in all of her college classes and in Janice's house.

Following her has become second nature to me, and while I should be helping Mossimo and Diego get the casino set up, I can't seem to leave Aribella alone. Even though she thinks I've given her the freedom to run about. My mind won't stop and the urge to see her at all times eats at me.

"Aribella, how do you feel about telling me your story today?" I hear the therapist speaking gently to her and I wait with bated breath to see if she's going to answer.

"I'm scared I'll never be over what happened… The nightmares won't stop. Vincent does everything he can to help me through my emotions and my dark thoughts."

My thumb taps along the steering wheel as I watch the video feed. Aribella crosses her legs to the right, which is an indication she isn't comfortable. If she were to cross them to the left, that would tell me she's at ease. I watch as she looks down at her nails and picks at them.

"That's understandable. Our minds are tricky things and sometimes the only way we can heal is through our dreams."

Dr. Quindalynn Harper has been a great choice, I think. She's kind and willing to listen. There's not a single judging tone in her voice as she speaks. In fact, it's almost like she's encouraging Aribella to let the nightmares out. To give them no power at all.

"My nightmares are always the same. I'm back in the dungeon and the men keep touching me. No matter how many times I walk into Vincent's room and he shows me how wonderful the pleasure is to be in his red dungeon, I'm scared I'll never be able to get over the fear that comes with my experience."

For a moment, Dr. Harper says nothing, but looks at Aribella."Have you told Vincent this? And what's the red dungeon?'"

Aribella blushes before she looks up and shrugs."Vincent tells me we don't have to do anything but hold each other. But every time he touches me, I love it. He makes me forget everything that's happened. The way he shows me how pleasurable being on a table, tied up and..."she giggles, and I see her look down.

Dr. Harper tells her to go on and not to be embarrassed that this room is a safe space. I smirk at that thought. The prim andproper doctor would probably shit a brick if she knew I was listening in on their conversation.

"Vincent makes me feel like the world isn't a bad place. The pleasure he gives me is healing, but when I close my eyes and let the dream world come to life, all I can see is the evilness surrounding me. I know it's no longer going to happen. That it's in the past and I'm not a victim any longer, but I'm triggered sometimes. Especially when his brother, Diego, is around. I feel horrible about the way I feel."

Knowing Aribella feels bad makes me sick. Diego has agreed to not come to the house unannounced, or unless he knows I'm there. Every time Aribella is around him, she falls ten feet back in her progress. I know this is PTSD, but still, I feel helpless.

"It's perfectly normal to have these feelings and you don't ever need to apologize for the way you feel. You have posttraumatic stress and knowing your triggers can help you keep from having episodes. Also, we need to make sure your blood pressure is under control. We don't need you to have complications with your other medical conditions."

Aribella nods."Yes. But how do I tell Vincent I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with Diego?"

"You don't. He obviously already knows that things are safe for you and has asked his brother to stay away until you are comfortable. For now, you should focus on yourself and get to a point where you are comfortable and feeling better."

Their session comes to an end and while I'm not supposed to be here, I watch Aribella leave the office, get in her SUV, and drive away in the opposite direction of home. Where is she going?

Waiting until she pulls out of the parking lot, I start my vehicle and watch the tracker blinking along the main highway. Alright, she's going into town. Did she have a meeting I was unaware of? Hmm, she normally tells me what is going on beforehand.

She pulls into a drugstore, and I blanch. The doctor didn't give her any medications. Why is she here? Taking a second to calm myself, I get out of the car and go into the store. Keeping my distance, I finally find her in the women’s health aisle.

No way she is picking up a pregnancy test. "Aribella?"Mi reinajumps and drops the box she was holding.

"Vincent." She picks up the box and puts it behind her back like I didn't see what she was holding. "What are you doing here?"

Walking over to her, I take the test from behind her back and look at her. "I should be asking you that question,mi reina."

When she doesn't look at me, I lift her chin so I can see her eyes. "Are you pregnant?"

She bites her lip and shrugs. "I'm not sure, but I'm late."

Pushing a stray piece of hair out of her face, I smile. "Well, it's a good thing you stopped here to get this, then." Kissing her cheek, I whisper in her ear. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

She looks up at me and squints her eyes. "How did you know I was here? Are you still following me Vincent?"

There's no anger in her voice, but I know she is curious and what I say will probably start a fight. One I don't think is a good idea to have here in the middle of a store. "Let's get this test and we can discuss this at home."

Aribella doesn't argue with me, but sighs. "Yes, I... alright." With that, she turns and walks over to the counter. "But I was supposed to meet Janice today at the diner."

"You didn't put that on the schedule,mi reina." Putting the test on the counter, I wait for the cashier to ring it up. Once he tells me the price, I swipe my card and take the test.

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