Page 78 of Chase

“Tut, tut, baby sister,” he growls against my skin, shifting the fine hairs this way and that, but all of them standing on end. “We have business to attend to, starting with the company.” His hand moves down to between my legs, causing bile in my stomach to begin churning, working its way upwards. “And who knowsafter that!”

“Let go of me; you can have everything, just leave me alone!” I cry as he cups the apex of my legs with force.

“Ah, now, come on, Iz, you know I prefer it when you fight back,” he teases, “I can’t have you being all compliant, it doesn’t quite turn me on as much!” I say nothing, I can’t, my cries are coming out too vigorously to do anything but try and gasp for breath. “Too in love with Theo, your other brother as it turns out. No matter, I kind of like the idea of sticking it up to him too. Now…” he says, pausing as his hand moves back up to begin stroking my face, which somehow feels worse. “Get me all of that paperwork from the will reading and then we can discuss what I’m going to do with you next.”

“Why are you doing this, Ethan? I’ve said you can have it all!”

“Because I fucking hate you,” he whispers calmly, “and I will never stop hating you, you home wrecking cunt, so stop whining and do as you’re damn well told!”

He pushes me forcefully and then spins me around to show the small handgun he is now pointing at me. My eyes bulge as I take in the weapon that is now in the hands of a psychopath who has just declared his hatred for me.

“W-what are you going to do with that, Ethan?” I don’t even know why I’m asking him this, but fear has me acting in a lot of ways I don’t understand right now, such as not doing what he’s just ordered me to.

“Don’t know yet, haven’t decided,” he replies calmly. “I thought I might have needed to shoot your bodyguard, but when I ran her off the road she didn’t get out, so I guess you could call herlucky.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” I scream, all rationality getting lost amongst my grief, my fear, and my anger. “I mean how are you going to explain away you shooting me to everyone?”

“It’s not going to be that hard, given your reputation, Isobel,” he shrugs. “Maybe you killed yourself because you’re a drug addicted whore; maybe Theo found out about your obsession with me and shot you himself. I can make something up and they’ll believe me, becauseyouare a compulsive liar, and you have history.”

“But I was never lying was I, Ethan?! You abused me for years; you let your disgusting friends take turns on me before raping me yourself, didn’t you?!”

“Mum and Dad charged me with keeping you in line, so I did, by any means possible. Just because I used a bit of torture and the odd touch of gang rape on you doesn’t make me a bad guy. It makes me a fucking good, obedient son. Now be a good girl and go get those papers, then perhaps I’ll go easy on you when I fuck you from behind!”

“No!” I sort of collapse onto the floor, the whole time with that gun pointing at me, threatening to kill me if I don’t fall into line like I used to as a child. “Please, Ethan, don’t make me, I can’t live through that again. It hurt so much and I…please…”

“Get the fucking papers, Isobel!”

He steps over to tower over my crumpled little body, now begging for him not to hurt me anymore. His eyes have narrowed into mean little slits, and I can see the psychosis running though his angry body, waiting to be let it all loose on me. But I can’tmove, so he kicks me onto my side, where I lie, howling in a fetal position on the floor.

“Get the fucking papers!”

“Please, I can’t move, please…”

He says nothing, just kicks me again before crouching over me and fumbling with his fly as he gets ready to use his body as a weapon against me. I should run, shout, scream, fight, but I can’t move; I’m fifteen again, lost in a world of pain and confusion.

“No, no, no…” I panic as he shoves his knee between my legs and tries to push my dress up.

Suddenly, Stella comes flying through the door, growling and barking at the man who is currently trying to attack her owner. Ethan’s mad eyes dart around to where she’s standing just before he is completely lifted off me, then thrown forcefully into the wall next to us. Theo spits at him before throwing a series of punches into his gut. He pulls at his hair before slamming his head back into the wall behind, growling and cursing as he reigns down hell onto the man who hurt me for years.

When Ethan finally falls to the floor in a crumpled, bloody mess, only then does Theo release him and come flying over to me. He cradles me tightly within his arms, shushing me, stroking my hair, whatever he can do to get me to calm down. Stella is soon by our sides too, padding about and not quite understanding what to do.

“Baby, I’ve got to call the police,” he whispers to me, “I need him gone before I kill him!”

“Don’t let go of me,” I cry.

“It’s ok, I’m not going anywhere,” he tries to reassure me,but I can’t let him go, not yet.

“W-where’s his gun?” I start to panic and begin looking all around me, but I can’t see it anywhere.

“What gun, Iz?” Theo looks at me like I’ve finally lost the plot, which wouldn’t be a far stretch.

“Thisgun?!” Ethan sniggers from behind us, so we both spin around to face him.

“Ethan…no!” I scream but the click has already sounded and a long explosion of noise seems to make time slow down to an almost stand still. I hear a pitched scream and suddenly there’s blood, so much blood, but I don’t know whose it is; I can’t even work out if it’s mine.

When everything returns to normal speed, Theo is standing over Ethan with his shoe digging into his wrist, forcing him to relinquish his hold on the gun. I feel…normal. No pain, no coldness, no leaking holes. So whose blood is seeping out onto the floor?

“Stella?” Theo says slowly, her beautiful blond hair now saturated with blood where a small but deadly bullet has penetrated her skin. She’s lying completely still except for a slow, tired wag of her tail.

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