Page 51 of Leather & Lace

“Look at me, Brook,” he says as I glance slowly back up at him.

“I love you,” I say through my sobs, looking deeply into his eyes. His sorrowful glance says it back.

“Now, close your eyes.” I hear Jasper let out an agitated breath as I feel the gun leave my temple...as Jasper’s body turns towards Eli, the gun aimed directly at him. Tilting his head back and spreading his arms out wide, he closes his eyes and smiles.

BANG!

I heard his body hit the floor, knocking the breath out of me, my ears ringing so loud that it nearly numbs my mind.

“Eli!” I screamed, trying to look around and see where his body lay. That’s when I see him. His lifeless body on the floor. Arms stretched out to either side. Jasper lets out a loud laugh as he walks toward Eli’s body.

“It’s too bad, Eli. Such a waste. I was going to make you watch me ruin your pretty little toy. But you had to keep fucking talking and whining. Pathetic!” He bends down, putting a hand on Eli’s chest, but then quickly notices there is no blood.

“What the fuck?” Shock rings from his voice. Before he has time to stand up, Eli shoots up, launching a knife from inside his sleeve into Jasper’s neck.

Jasper’s gun drops as Eli holds his head and the knife in place. Eli screams with rage as he stares into Jasper’s eyes. Ripping the blade out, Jasper falls to his knees, his hands trying to grip at the gushing wounds that are pouring from his gaping neck. Eli stands up and then kicks him down with so much force, Jasper’s head slams into the concrete floor.

Eli looks down at him, twisting the blade around in his hand. “Always shoot for the head you mother fucker.” He takes the knife and stabs Jasper directly into his scrotum.

Jasper’s blood gurgles out of his mouth as his eyes go wide with pain, he tries to scream. He slams the knife repeatedly into his groin, until all that is left is a mangled mess. Then, Eli takes the knife and runs it from the top of Jasper's neck to his navel, letting the blade slice through his blood-soaked flesh, like a knife cutting through butter.

He stabs without mercy into Jasper's internal organs, red mist flying off his crimson stained blade. His once clean face, now covered in blood.

He continues, stabbing and stabbing, until Jasper’s body no longer moves, his insides falling out. Eli is gone. Gone within his rage-induced psychosis. I hear Dane and Jenny’s voice in the distance and then see them come running in from the side door within minutes. Dane runs to Eli and tries to pull him off, but Eli just continues to stab and stab.

“He’s dead! Eli, stop!” But nothing can break his craze. Jenny rushed over to me, took the knife she was holding and cut off my restraints. I hurl myself out of the chair, almost falling over and run towards Eli, quickly moving past Dane before he can stop me.

Meeting Eli’s darkened gaze, I threw myself into his lips, my body forcing him away from his mental prison. That’s when I hear the blade drop to the floor and his blood-soaked hands on my face, kissing me back deeply. Everything blurs out around us. Time starts to slow. As if in this moment we are the only two people left in this beautifully destroyed world.

We lay there kissing frantically for what seems like forever. He then pulls his lips from mine and starts to inspect my face, tears streaming from his now soft gray eyes again.

“Oh, Brook. What have they done to you?” He questions as he kisses every part of my swollen and cut face. He is gentle with his lips to try and not cause me any further pain. “I am so sorry, baby girl. I will never forgive myself for what they fucking did to you!” He wails as he pulls my aching body closer to him.

I place my hands on his face, bringing his eyes to meet mine. “This is not your fault, Eli. Don’t you ever put blame on yourself because of some fucking psycho.” I bring my lips to his salty tears, kissing them while I wipe them away.

“You are the only reason I could get through this. I thought about you and that took away some of the pain.” He lets out a loud groan as he takes me into his arms again, pain and exhaustion coating his low growl.

I see Jenny out of the corner of my eye, staring at me in shock, her face as white as a ghost. Tears are rolling down her gaunt skin. Once my eyes meet hers, I break even more. I throw my arms out towards her, like a child would to their sister, as she leaps into mine.

“Hey, babe,” she cries into my shoulder, wrapping her hands around the back of my head. I feel her start to brush my hair through her delicate fingers. I cry deeply in her embrace.

“Shhh, everything is alright now, you are safe.” She holds me tightly while I come undone and wrap my legs around her waist. Our bodies stay intertwined around one another in aperfect mold until I pass out from extreme exhaustion and fall asleep in her arms.

EPILOGUE

THREE YEARS LATER

BROOKLYN

A lot has happened since that fateful night at the warehouse. That entire experience is such a blur to me now. My body and mind were destroyed. Eli took me to the emergency room that night.

I remember the police showing up and questioning what happened. Eli had told them about Jasper and His brothers returning. He had made it seem like they had broken into the mansion and beat me while he was away. Eli had convinced them that once he and Dane returned home that night, a scuffle had broken out and they fled the mansion.

The police believe that Jasper and his brothers are on the run again. I stayed in the hospital for two weeks while I healed up. I remember having to see a therapist for months after the trauma that I endured during my capture. I wouldn’t allow Eli to even touch me for weeks after the kidnapping. I couldn’t let him get close to me.

Every time he would try to touch me or kiss me, all I would see, and feel, were my attackers faces and their sweaty hands all over my body. I know it was hard on him...to see me in that kind of state...but he never made a fuss about any of it. He wanted me to take my time and was always trying to reassure me that when I was ready, he would be right there waiting for me.

The nightmares lasted for months as well. Everytime I would fall into a deep sleep, I would be right back there, strapped to that wooden chair. The demons surrounding me.Therapy has helped me a lot. I have gotten better with allowing myself to let go of what I could not control and the guilt I carried for what I blamed myself for and the fact I felt I put my Eli and my friends lives in danger.

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