Twelve Days - The Beginning (37 page)

“Okay.” she said reluctantly. It wasn’t as if she had a choice.

Vaughn reached across the bed and took her hand. “Listen, baby. I know that things are – complicated – right now but I want you to know that for me this is real. As far as I am concerned we are together, you and me. Maybe it’s not a relationship in the traditional sense but I really need you to know that we
will
be properly together one day. Once all of this mess is sorted out it will just be you and me against the world, I promise you. You have no idea how much you mean to me angel, and how much I would love to tear your husband into tiny pieces for what he has put you through. No one will ever hurt you again – I promise you that.”

At the mention of Dale, she immediately experienced a familiar sense of panic as reality intruded and she remembered that there were still so many hurdles to jump and a bumpy road up ahead. The road had to be walked though, and now that she had some strength back, she needed to put one foot in front of the other and take the next steps towards the future and rest of her life.

“Vaughn. I think I should see him.” She said referring to Dale. “I need to tell him that it’s over and that we both need to move on.”

She felt Vaughn’s hand tighten almost painfully on hers and was glad that it was her right rather than her left hand – she wasn’t sure that her left hand and wrist could take another crushing.

Vaughn’s voice when he spoke was cold and his eyes as he looked at her were devoid of any emotion.

“You will not see that man ever again.” He said with finality, his words taking on a slightly menacing edge and she visibly recoiled. She pulled her hand away and sat up on the bed, keen to create a bit of distance between them.

“I may be naive in many ways, Vaughn Granger, but you forget that I have been married to a bully for well over five years. I will not be intimidated by anyone - least of all you - and if I have decided that I am going to see my husband then I am going to see him. And there is nothing that you or anyone else can do to stop me.”

Vaughn regarded her steadily for a moment as if weighing up his options. When he eventually spoke, his voice was ragged and almost raw.

“Shit, Elise,” he said, “I’m not trying to intimidate you; I am trying to keep you safe. I wouldn’t dream of dictating how you should live your life but that bastard nearly killed you and there is no way I am going to stand by and watch as you walk right back into his life.”

“I understand that Vaughn, believe me I do,” Elise said placatingly, “but you have to understand as well that Dale is a part of my life – a massive part, and I need to talk to him so that we can work out how we both move on from this. I want him out of my life, Vaughn – more than you can ever know, but I need to do it the right way; not by hiding out, always looking over my shoulder and seeing shadows on every corner. I need this thing out in the open and sorted out formally and finally. That is the only way I have any hope of a future.”

“I can’t let you see him, baby – I just can’t. If he
ever
lays one finger on you again, I won’t be able to control myself. I would kill him, Elise – I know I would.” Anger radiated from his every pore and the calm mood of earlier had now been well and truly broken. She knew that Vaughn meant every word he said; not because he was violent by nature but because she understood now, how she had not understood before, that he would do anything to keep her safe – even if that meant sacrificing his own life.

She reached across and rested her hand soothingly on his arm as she tried to think of a solution. She understood what Vaughn was saying and, in all honesty she didn’t relish the thought of seeing Dale again either, but she knew that it had to be done. She had to face up to her past and deal with it so that then, and only then, could she hope to have a future.

Suddenly a thought popped into her head and she realised that she had perhaps come up with a workable solution that they would both be happy with.

“How about if I take Sean with me?” she asked, referring to the daytime security guard that Vaughn had employed. “He could even come in with me if you liked? That way you would know that I would be safe.” And so would I, she added to herself.

Vaughn looked a little mollified as he considered her suggestion. She knew that this was a big deal for him and she just hoped that her idea would give them both the peace of mind that they needed whilst she undertook a visit that however unsavoury, needed to happen.

“Okay,” he said finally, “But there will be a time limit on your visit and Sean will not leave your side – at all. Even if you need to pee. Got it?”

“Got it.” She confirmed and leaned over to drop a light kiss on his mouth. “Thank you.” she said and he reached up and caressed her cheek, his eyes beginning to thaw again.

“You have no idea how precious you are to me, Angel.” He said. “If I ever lost you I couldn’t bear it. I thought I had, baby, I really thought I had.”

Sighing, she snuggled back into his arms and transferred some of her warmth and comfort to him, hoping that he would understand that she felt exactly the same. This thing between them was real, it was strong and it was bloody scary for both of them.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The meeting with Dale was arranged for Monday evening after work and Sean had been briefed that he was to go along with her. Of the two security guards, he was her favourite; he was always polite and friendly and she felt completely safe in his company.

The rest of Sunday passed relatively uneventfully and now that Elise was on the mend, Vaughn had decided that she should move in with him until she was fully recovered. Elise had argued the point with him but she had little or no ground to stand on as she was technically homeless and she didn’t want to trespass on Celeste’s good nature any longer than necessary.

Whilst she had been watching the TV in the afternoon and drifting in and out of sleep, she had heard Celeste and Vaughn arguing about her living arrangements in the kitchen. It seemed that Celeste felt she would be much better off staying with her but Vaughn wasn’t to be moved. He had pointed out that he was virtually living with Celeste as well at the moment, which made no sense when he had a perfectly good flat of his own. He assured her that he would be taking both Sean and Stan with him so essentially her life could get back to normal again. Celeste really didn’t seem happy about the arrangement and Elise couldn’t help wondering how much of it had to do with the loss of her beefy twenty-four hour sex boosters.

Celeste had also gone shopping on Sunday afternoon and had taken Cole with her. They were going to get some clothes for Elise as she had obviously left everything behind as well as the other essentials that she would need until things could be sorted out more permanently. With Cole and Celeste organising her wardrobe, Elise was slightly concerned as to what they would come back with but was relieved to find it was mainly jeans and casual wear. She wasn’t due to return to work for at least another week so didn’t need any formal wear for now.

Unwrapping the packets of underwear in front of Vaughn and Cole was hilarious as they both struggled with their testosterone levels and, at one point, she was convinced that they were going to go head to head. Cole was finding it hard to cope with the visual - similar to his reaction in the meeting room to her stockings - and Vaughn was seriously wound up about the fact that Cole had bought Elise underwear. Vaughn had earlier given strict instructions that only Celeste was to purchase those items but Cole had added a few of his own choices, most likely out of devilment, and the atmosphere in the room was tense as the men argued about the rights and wrongs of the underwear choice. Celeste and Elise found the whole thing highly entertaining and were in stitches by the time all of the packets had been opened and crammed into a duffel bag, ready to take to Vaughn’s flat.

The only cloud on the horizon for Elise was the fact that Cole, Vaughn and Celeste were regularly receiving text messages throughout the day, which they all read and then studiously ignored. By the end of the afternoon Elise had counted nearly twenty between them which they had all laughed off with various lame excuses. Elise knew that she was being lied to and she knew that they were also all on edge - Vaughn’s regular glances across to Sean for reassurance gave testament to that – and she had no idea what was going on. No one was talking and she found her emotions ranging from fear to hurt as she considered every possibility. She hated the fact that the three people she was closest to in the world were very obviously keeping secrets from her and it also scared the hell out of her as to why they felt that they needed to.

Despite Celeste and Cole’s shopping expedition, Elise still had very little and so it took her no time at all to unpack and settle into Vaughn’s flat. It was as beautiful as she remembered and despite the circumstances, she was really grateful for the opportunity to spend some more time enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the countryside. Although it was still winter, some of the trees in the woods beyond were evergreen and they provided a colourful contrast to the otherwise stark vista of the season. As dusk fell over the fields beyond the flat, Elise revelled in watching some rabbits running around, hopping and prancing as they went about their daily business, dipping in and out of holes and bushes and she began to envy them their freedom.

After the trauma of the last few days, they both wanted nothing more than a quiet evening and so they shared that curled up on the sofa in front of the warmth of the fire, talking softly and cuddling gently. Alone like this with the man that she loved, she felt almost invincible and it was hard to comprehend the ugliness that lay in wait just outside the door. They went to bed together a short while later, content to just be with each other, and no words were exchanged as they clasped one another tightly, moulding as one and letting the beauty of their relationship wash over them as they both drifted exhausted into a peaceful and undisturbed sleep.

Monday dawned bright and wintry, and after a leisurely breakfast, Vaughn went into the office for a few hours which left Elise alone in the flat with Sean. When they had driven over here yesterday evening, Sean had followed behind in her car and had filled it up with petrol on the way so that when she was feeling up to it, she would be able to get out and about.

There was never any discussion about her being left on her own, it just didn’t happen – either Sean, Stan or Vaughn were there with her at all times. Cole had gone back to his usual hours at work but she knew that she would see him later on in the day and he called her virtually every hour to check in. Vaughn had arranged for Elise to have a new phone and he had made sure that all of their numbers were programmed into it, including those for the security guys, so that she could always reach someone if she needed to.

As the shock of the last week began to wear off, Elise couldn’t help feeling that this was all a little bit over the top. She understood that Dale had injured her badly but she had been married to the man for ten years and she felt sure that he wouldn’t put her life seriously in danger. After she had first come round and had begun to heal, Celeste, Cole and Vaughn had all sat her down and talked to her about calling the police to press charges. They wanted Dale locked up and the key thrown away but Elise was reluctant to do that. She knew that if she wanted to she could get the police involved but she didn’t – she just wanted to move forward and get on with her life. She needed to talk to Dale and sort it out face to face and she hoped that he would be sorry. That would be enough for her – all she required was for him to understand what he had done to her and to allow her to have her freedom, and then she would be happy to close the book on that part of her life. She didn’t want the mess of statements and examinations and testaments and court hearings. She just wanted to put it all to bed and move on.

Over the following days, they had each individually tried to get her to change her mind but she had remained firm. This was her life and whether they liked it or not, she needed to resolve all of her problems in her own way; getting the police involved didn’t factor into her way of thinking.

Looking out of the window to the countryside beyond, Elise began to feel restless and decided that she would really like to get out for a while, go for a walk and get some fresh air. She had been cooped up for so long she was beginning to get cabin fever.

She found Sean in the lounge and he jumped up the second she walked into the lounge.

“Are you OK, Miss Grayson?” he asked. She loved the formality with which he addressed her; when she had told him to call her Elise he had declined, saying that he preferred to maintain a ‘professional’ relationship.

“Yes, thanks Sean, I’m fine. I was just thinking – is there any chance we could go for a walk, do you think? It’s beautiful out there and I would love to get some air.” She knew it was pointless asking to go on her own and besides which, it would be nice to have some company.

“I’m not sure, Miss Grayson, I would need to check with Mr Granger. Let me just call him.” Elise pasted on a smile and thanked Sean as he walked to the other end of the room to make the call. Honestly, this was starting to get ridiculous. She knew it was for her own good but if this ever got to the point where she had to ask to go for a pee then she would be completely and utterly done with all of this.

Sean returned, having had a brief conversation with Vaughn.

“That’s OK, Miss Grayson, but we have to stay on the pavements and public roads. Mr Granger doesn’t want you going into the woodland.”

“Thank you Sean, I guess that’s better than nothing.” She said and went into the bedroom to find her new stout boots and a jumper. She smiled as she put the extra clothing on and reflected that the one bonus to all of this was a complete new wardrobe, which any girl in their right mind would absolutely love.

They left Vaughn’s flat a few minutes later and exited through the beautiful courtyard that had so enchanted Elise the first time she had come here. Now she was seeing it in the daylight and it was just as stunning, the winter colours giving it a wonderful warming glow.

Turning left out of the complex they headed towards the main town and into a built up residential area. The houses were relatively modern and similar to Vaughn’s flat, however they were of the smaller style where the developers had clearly tried to build as many as they could in the least amount of space. That being said, there was still a certain charm about the development and Elise particularly liked the children’s play area which was set off to one side. It was quiet today as it was a school day but Elise could imagine the excited chatter and laughter of the children as they played on the traditional equipment. Unbidden, a feeling of sadness hit her as she again thought about her childless situation. Although she had come to terms with it, she had never completely gotten over it and still desperately hoped that one day she would become a mother, one way or another.

After a few minutes of gentle walking and idle chatter, Elise began to feel weary and suggested that they turn back. This was the most walking she had done since she had sustained her injuries and it would take time for her stamina to return. She was grateful of the opportunity to take in some fresh air though and breathed as much of it in as her damaged ribs would allow. This whole thing had taught her how much she had previously taken her
basic existence for granted and once she was better, Elise vowed that she would live life to the full and enjoy every single minute of the life that she had left.

When they arrived back at the flat complex, Sean punched in the number for the security gate, all the while constantly looking around. As he ushered her through the gate, he took his phone out of his pocket and dialled in a few numbers, waiting for the phone to be answered before he began to speak. At the same time, he was continuing to propel Elise forwards in the direction of Vaughn’s flat and she realised that he was beginning to increase the force on her back, indicating some urgency to his actions.

As they walked, she caught snippets of his whispered conversation and the hairs on the back of her neck began to rise as fear set in.

“Yes, definitely......car......outside....I don’t know where Matthews is.......yes I will.....don’t worry......yes......yes.....fine.”

He finished his phone call and replaced the phone in his pocket before taking Elise’s arm and escorting her forcefully up the remainder of the stairs to Vaughn’s flat and pushing her inside. As much as Elise had come to like this security guard, she was getting sick and tired of being pushed around by everybody and of not having any independence of her own. They all kept trying to tell her that they would protect her but nobody seemed willing to tell her exactly what they were protecting her from. The whole situation was getting ridiculous and Elise felt the last of her already shredded nerves snap as she found herself manoeuvred into the lounge, pushed down onto a sofa and told to stay there.

“What the hell is going on, Sean?” she asked, “Why am I being pushed around like little more than luggage and what is with all the secrets and the phone calls? I am sick and tired of being lied to by everyone and that includes you.” She pointed her finger at him. “I suggest you start talking now or I may be forced to suggest that Mr Granger
relieves
you of your duties.”

The threat was below the belt but after so many days of being on almost house arrest, Elise was losing the will to live and seriously needed some answers. Unfortunately for Sean, he just seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and he was the one that was going to have to give them.

“I can’t say anything, Miss Grayson.” Sean replied, seemingly unperturbed by her largely empty threat. “If you want answers then you really need to get them from Mr Granger – I am just doing my job.”

“Yes, well maybe you won’t have a job by the time I’ve finished with you.” she snarled at him but again, the threat appeared to fall on deaf ears.

“My job is to keep you safe, Miss Grayson, and that is what I intend to do. Over and above that, any issues need to be addressed to Mr Granger.”

Bloody Mr Granger. Did the whole sodding world revolve around Mr bloody Granger?