Chapter Seventeen: Colette

I hurry towards the shop, keeping a close eye on my surroundings. When I arrive home, the apartment is empty and shrouded in darkness.

"Alison?" I call out. I was instructed to lock the lock on the door behind me bt my gut tells me to leave it. I get no reply. I listen for any sign of movement. Nothing. An ominous feeling fills me as my fight or flight feeling consumes me. Somethings off but if I leave now instead of checking, I'll be faced with growing crowd of journalists outside. With my phone in my hand, I tap out a quick message to Elijah before hitting the record button and slipping it into the pocket of my dress.

"Alison?" I call again. I reach the sitting room to find the room in complete disarray. The coffee table had been flipped, the lamp that sat on the side table, smashed on the ground. There's signs of a struggle. I step back, hitting something hard behind me.

"Hello my darling wife."

My blood runs cold.I spin on my heel to face the monster I have been hiding from for months. Behind him is the all-too-familiar face of maciek.

"Did you miss me?"

My body trembles.

"Where is she?" I muster up.

"Safe, providing you're a good girl and do as you're told."

He pulls out something from his pocket before pulling it down his hand. Black gloves. When it comes to Howard, they can only mean on thing.

"Maciek," I cry. "Why?"

"2 million is too good of an opportunity to miss out on." he shrug nonchalantly.

I'm panic and take off, sprinting down the hall and into my room where I try to lock the door. Howard shoves the door, knocking me back and tripping over my slippers, sending me flying onto my bed.

"Is that any way of treating your husband after being a part for so long?"

"Stay back, Howard!" I warn, trying to shimmy back on the bed but he grabs my leg and drags me back towards him. I grip the keys in my hand. One of them wedged between my knuckles. Is he looms over me, I take a swipe, barely leaving a scratch on his face.

"When did you get so feisty?" he taunts. "It's turning me on."

"Sir."

"Stay out there, Maciek. I'm sure lover boy will be along shortly. I'd love to see his face when he finds me fucking the woman he tried to steal from me."

I look to Maciek, begging him with my eyes to help me. He turns the other cheek, pulling the door closed. He betrayed us. He betrayed Elijah.

"Now. Give me some more of that feistiness."

"Please Howard."

He strikes me hard across my face with the back of his gloved hand. A metallic taste fills my mouth. He grabs my chin, a burning rage in his piercing blue eyes.

"Keep begging." he smirks. He's enjoys it at as he strikes me again and again.

"Please Howard, I'll do whatever you ask."

"Anything?" his hand wraps around my throat, forcing me down into the bed. He sniffs at my neck before running his tongue across my collarbone and up to my jaw. I can't see his other hand but the moment I hear the zipper of his trousers, I start crying, waving my arms in a desperate attempt to get him off me. He squeezes my throat tighter.

"You think you can just run away and start a new life with any man who shows you attention? You really are a filthy whore, Colette. I'm sure your parents would be so proud."

He forces my legs apart. My vision blurs.

"I did underestimated you, Colette. Maybe I should have made you bear my child when you used to beg me to start a family. You wouldn't have gotten away so easily with a child. But don't worry. I wont be making the same mistake again."

He forces my legs apart, dropping his hips between my thighs. His erection brushes the fabric of my panties.

"Tell me. How did it feel having another mans cock inside you?"

"Please."

"Not the answer to my question!" he thrusts his penis forward, driving the fabric of my panties into me slightly.

"How did he have you? Sprawled out like this? Maybe you let him fuck you on your knees like the bitch you are."

I gasp for air as he rubs against me.

"I bet he was repulsed by this body of yours and all the marks I've left on it. But I guess bedding some stupid celebrity has its perks. Even one as damaged as you."

"I can't breathe."

"Good. Fucking you while you're unconscious will make this all the more enjoyable for me."

The sound of a scuffle and a loud crash catches both our attentions. In that split moment Howard has his eyes on the door, I punch him hard right in his dick. The second he rolls over in pain I sprint to the door, flinging it open and into the arms of Elijah. His eyes darken when he sees my dishevelled state, my face swollen from where I had been struck repeatedly.

"No Elijah. We need to leave. Now. I got what we needed."

"YOU WHORE!" Howard roars.

"Wait for me outside."

I try to pull him with me, but he moves me to one side like I'm nothing.

"I promised I'd never let him hurt you again, and I failed. Now I'll have to make it permanent."

He closes the door, locking it. I bang on it, kicking it and pleading helplessly. I frantically look for something, anything I can break the doormooen with when I spot Maciek laying knocked out on the hallway floor. I step over him, running to the door. It flies open and I'm blinded by flashing cameras.

"Help!" I scream, my legs buckling beneath me as I fall down the stairs. There's loud gasps as a handful of photographers run to my aid.

"You have to stop them. They'll kill eachother!"

Much to my surprise, Alison pushes through the crowd, her face as battered as my own. Behind her four police officers.

"Colette!"

"Ali! Please! Howard will kill Elijah!"

The officers spring up the fire escape, two steps at a time, guns drawn as they enter. There's a commotion from inside, all while cameras continue to flash.

I try to stand with Alison' help but pain like I've never felt surges through my ankle and I collapse straight to the floor. Sirens sound in the distance and soon paramedics arrive. More cops appear, clearing the scene scene before providing back up. Soon they re-emerge with the two men, both covered in blood and bruises, their hands cuffed behind their backs.

"You kidnapped my wife and raped her!" Howard screams. "You think you'll get away it?"

Of course. This is perfect for him. The public would see him as a saviour, rescuing his wife from the gangster looking male no-one knows.

Elijah's eyes meet mine, his lip swollen and bleeding, his white shirt dyed red with blood.

"Elijah," I try to call out but it comes out a hoarse croak.

A paramedic examines my injuries, starting at my face and then moving to my ankle. Elijah is shoved into a cop car, Howard in another. Somehow they managed to bring a dazed Maciek out on a stretcher.

"You're lucky its just a sprain," he helps me up onto a troll as tears stream down my face.

"What will happen to him?"

"Your assailant will be checked over before arrested. Your husband."

"I don't care abour him." I interrupt. He frowns.

"Your husband rescued you, Ma'am. You're very lucky."

"My husband is the one who did this to me."

Ali limbs toward me after being cleared by a medic, an officer in tow. Her arms wrap around my neck and she squeezes. Then I remember. Through this whole ordeal, I had one thing to prove Elijah's innocents.

"Officer," I reach into my pocket and pull out the cracked phone. By some miracle its still recording.

"I think you should listen to this."