Contract Marriage starring Love and Revenge -
Chapter 121. I was scared.
Chapter 121: 121. I was scared.
Well, that countryman officer wasn’t wrong when he said Rowan was about to get the beating of his life. I’ve never watched or seen anyone get beaten up so brutally before. More than six officers with strong builds and their batons in hand, kicking and whipping the living light out of him.
At a point, Duke leaves the beating to the officers and comes to hold me, but not before obviously breaking or dislocating both of Rowan’s legs. One hit to his knee and the other to his ankle.
Down on his knees in front of me with his hands confused on what part of my body to hold on to, I can just tell by the look in his eyes that Duke wants to turn around once again and join his hands in beating up Rowan.
"Aren’t—", I pause as I feel a sting inside my mouth. "Aren’t you going to ask me how I’m doing?" I ask him.
Silently, he stares at me and I know he’s probably thinking, ’I don’t need to ask to know this time. It’s obvious.’
"Come here." He finally wraps his hand around me and I don’t think Duke has ever held me this gently before. It’s like he fears I’d break if he holds me a little tighter. Soothingly, he strokes my hair and as I breathe in the scent of eucalyptus mixed with the smell of sweat, I can feel the fast beat of his heart, I can almost hear it so I wrap my arms around him and hold him stronger than he’s holding me.
The crazy strong beat of his heart combined with the wetness of his body from all the sweating tells me how much he’s searched for me, how much he’s worried, and this hug shows how scared he’d been to lose me and grateful he is to find.
Even though he’s not saying a word and just hugging me, I feel at peace because I know all he’s feeling without him even telling me.
And I’m grateful to God he found me.
At some point Rowan passes out and I have no idea where they bring water from but they revive him by dumping water on him then the beating continues without mercy.
By the time they are done with him, he is covered in cuts and bruises, his face and body is more swollen than mine, stained with blood and he can only moan in pain. He can’t move a muscle.
It’s safe to say that he’s in a far worse state that I’m in.
"Thankfully there is a cliff around here. So for the record, this handsome young man here rolled down a cliff and broke almost every bone in his body." The countryman officer announces as they pick Rowan up unceremoniously.
Damn, that was one serious beating, I can’t even see his eyes. His entire face is swollen.
Slowly, Duke helps me rise to my feet but it’s like now I can feel all the strain, all the pain, from running, cutting and hitting my leg as I ran earlier and it all hurts so bad.
Without a word, Duke crouches down in front of me then pulls my hand. Silently, I climb onto his back and wrap my arms around his neck while thinking, ’I’m certain I ran quite a distance. Does he plan to carry me the whole way back?’
"Does anyone have a problem with that statement?" The officer asks his other mates.
"No sir!" They all chorus.
"Good, now you can call the ambulance and make sure he’s cuffed to the bed," He says as he collects his hat back and places it back in his head. "We don’t want that one running away from the hands of the law." He walks towards me, and, "Ma’am" he tilts his cap in a simple acknowledging greeting. I mouth a thank you and he gives me a big bright fatherly smile.
"We’re gonna need to take your statement, but I’m sure you must be tired. How about you come over to the station tomorrow with your husband?"
"Alright officer." I say and I feel a sharp pain inside my mouth. That bastard slapped me so hard over and over again. Funny how I didn’t even feel the pain earlier when I was screaming for Duke to punch him harder.
...
The walk to where the cars are parked was a silent one. Alan and some officers were ahead of us and some others behind. By the time we got there an ambulance was already there to take Rowan to the hospital for treatment, accompanied by some officers of course.
I was treated by the medics before they took off with Rowan. After cleaning my wounds and wrapping my feet with bandages, Duke picked me up again and set me down in the front seat of Alan’s car.
I quickly realized that Duke had come with a bike, since Alan was on a short business trip today he must have headed over here the instant Duke told him the news.
I’m so glad I now have people who’d run to my rescue in my time of trouble. No matter where they are.
So Duke hands over the keys to his bike to Alan and takes Alan’s keys.
He exchanges some words with Alan for a minute then with the officers and finally walks back to me. He closes the door at my side, walks round the car, silently sets himself in the driver’s seat and starts the car.
For long minutes, the only sound to be heard in the car are our breaths.
"H_" He’s about to finally say something but pauses, "How are you?" He asks and a soft smile crawls over my lips as I hear those words.
"I was scared. I was very scared. I was scared J wasn’t going to see you again. That the twins would forget me and not miss me. I wondered if you’d miss me if you never found me again. Then I was worried that it’d break your heart too much if I was never found. I was scared I’d never get to read another of your mom’s comics. I was scared I’d never see your dad, or your brothers. And—"
"And?"
"I was very hungry." I say and he stares at me and my smile morphs into a laughter and a soft chuckle finally escapes his lips.
"Come here." He stretches one hand to me and I wrap my arms around that hand and lean closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder.
"I’ll feed you whatever you want." He says and places a kiss on my head.
I’m glad I made him laugh a little.
...
"Oh dear God, Champagne." Emily screams as we enter. I can see Alan still got home before us.
"Oh my goodness, look at your face! That horrible human being! Look what he did to you." Mary says with her eyes scanning my entire body.
I look up at Duke who has me in his arms bridal style, with a sigh, he sets me down on my feet and damn it hurts, but I hold it in and hold onto him.
"Come here." Mary says and hugs me. "You’re safe now, you’re home. That is all that matters." She says.
"Don’t worry my dear," Frederick says. "Now that we got him, I’ll personally make sure he never sees the light outside the walls of the prison." I can see the determination behind those words and something tells me they are not empty words.
"Oh thank God they found you." Mary takes my hands in hers.
"Mary, I’m sorry you couldn’t go home because of me." I say.
"Champagne, what are you even talking about?" She asks. "How could I go anywhere without hearing from you? I can’t believe that man had the guts to come after you! Oh if only I could just lay my hands on him, I’d—" I chuckle as she says those words.
"Oh thank you Mary, but you wouldn’t have to. Trust me." With the beating he received today, Rowan will take months to recover.
My head turns to the couch and I see the twins asleep there. "Why are—"
"Oh they were even more worried than us." Mary says. "I don’t know how but they understood the concept of kidnapping."
Oh no. Then they must have been really worried.
"When they heard you’d been kidnapped they cried for hours thinking you were not coming back." Emily explains further. "They refused to go to sleep until they saw you with their own eyes. That’s why they are here on the couch."
Tears well up in my eyes at their words. I look around me and I still can’t believe I’ve been so blessed. After all I’ve been through, who would have thought I could receive such warmth from people?
Oh God, thank you. Thank you for sending help. Thank you for bringing me back to this warm home.
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