Whipping Girl by L. Jacobs
Chapter 9 – Alexander - 5 years ago
Ivan opens the door so I can carry Ally's unconscious body into our room, I lay her gently onto the bed, carefully rolling her to her stomach so I don’t cause any more damage to her small body. I’ve had a sheet wrapped around her to protect her modesty in case we ran into anyone in the halls but as I remove it the pain and rage comes back to me in full force. This never should have happened, not to my girl.
“I’m sorry.” Ivan speaks quietly. “I didn’t have a chance to warn you, they-“
“You can leave.” I interrupt harshly, I don’t want to hear his fucking excuses.
“Alex, there was nothing I could do… you know that.” There is a note of pleading to his tone, but it only adds to my rage.
“Nothing you could do?” I sit on the edge of the bed, facing Ivan so he can look into my eyes and see all of the hatred that I’m now carrying for him. “Ally is my entire world and you know me better than any of those assholes, you know I would never abandon her or put her at any kind of risk, the threat would have been more than enough, yet you said nothing.”
“You know I can’t-“
“YOU SAID NOTHING!” My hands shake with the need to strangle the life out of him. He’s been my Handler, my mentor and the closest thing to a father I have ever had but he couldn’t be bothered to open his mouth in my defense. Nothing in Allyanna’s defense. I may as well kill him because he’s already dead to me. I turn toward Ally instead, dismissing Ivan with my cold back and focusing my attention on the bloody lashes on hers.
“I’m sorry, Alex.” My eyes don’t stray from my girl until the door closes behind the older man, only then do I get up to gather some supplies so I can clean up her wounds.
Ally’s green eyes finally flutter open as I finish bandaging her back, she hisses in pain when I lay the last cloth down. “Try not to move around, it’s going to hurt for a while.” I say gently.
I lay down on my side next to her, wanting to hold her tightly but knowing it will only cause her more suffering if I do. I hate this. Ally keeps silent but as soon as her eyes latch onto mine her tears start immediately, slowly streaking down her face to the white pillow below her.
“I failed you, Angel. I would have done anything to stop this, I hope you know that.” I lean toward her and kiss her tears, wishing I could soak up her pain with each salty drop that falls from her beautiful eyes. “I’ll make them pay, I’ll make every one of them pay for this.”
“You’re not a super hero... are you?” She whispers sadly, tears still falling. I pull my face away from hers with her question and she searches my eyes, pleading with me to lie to her. She’s doesn’t want the truth but I can’t bring myself to lie to her either.
“No.” I whisper back. My chest feels tight, anticipating what she will ask next.
“W-What are you?” She asks with a silent sob. This is where she finds out the truth. She’ll know that I am not the good guy in our story, she’ll never again look at me as if I could hang the moon and capture the stars.
“A monster.” I choke out. I tell her about the organization we’re in, why she was taken for me and what I had to do to earn her. I tell her all of this with a little sugar coating because, although she deserves some answers, I don’t want the darkness to snuff out her light.
He wasn’t easy to find, I’ll give him fucking points for that, but unluckily for him I am one hell of a tracker. I kick open the rotting door as a greeting, pulling my favorite gun as a backup I enter the room, spotting him immediately as he scrambles to cover up the girl he was fucking. I chuckle under my breath but find nothing about this situation funny or amusing.
“Un-fucking-believable.” I say with a frustrated shake of my head. It took me a week to find this asshole and he’s held up in a shit-hole with a prostitute.
“Mind turning around, man?” Zeke asks impatiently as I keep my eyes on them.
“You’re lucky I haven't already put a bullet in your goddamned brain. You have no idea what kind of trouble you started for me.” I don’t like to use my gun unless I have to, it’s too messy, but the temptation is definitely there right now.
“I’m sorry, Alex.” He pulls the sheet up to cover his junk then holds both hands in a surrendering gesture, knowing that I would demand to see them. “I just couldn’t go back to that... I have nothing there for me.” I study him for a moment before lowering my weapon, the resentment is still there but I never planned to kill him. I need him.
“I’m the best they have, if it hadn’t been for me then you probably wouldn't have been found.” I don’t know why I’m trying to make him feel better, he doesn’t deserve sympathy from me after what he cost me. Zeke is best known for his ability to make people and things disappear. His skills are the reason that he is still alive. “Get dressed, I need your help.” I turn and walk out of the room, shutting the broken door as best as I can, giving him privacy to get dressed and get rid of the woman.
“I think this is a mistake, Alex, you don’t know these people.” Zeke says from the passenger seat, trying to reason with me once again.
“Just make sure you do your part, don’t worry about me.” I exit the car and start the short trek up the walkway toward the small house, feeling as if I have already been here just by description alone. Zeke’s right, this might be a big fucking mistake but I really don’t have any other option at this point. I need to keep Ally safe and I can’t do that while I am in the middle of a war that I’m not positive that I can win.
The red door opens before I even reach it, a woman no older than 40 walks out holding her car keys, surprise registers on her face before it melts into a warm smile, reminding me so much of Ally that it nearly knocks me onto my knees. My girl looks just like her. Blonde hair, green eyes, porcelain skin, the same heart shaped face and small nose. This woman is Ally in about 25 years and that’s not disappointing, this woman is gorgeous.
“Hello, can I help you?” She says with a sunny disposition. I need to keep this in my court so I don’t return her smile, my face lacks any emotion as I answer her.
“We need to talk. Is your husband home?” Her smile falters, suddenly becoming wary and I realize she may be thinking I am going to harm her in some way. “I have information regarding your daughter Allyanna.” She gasps and automatically reaches for a cell phone that I can clearly see in the pocket of her jeans. “You should probably know that if you try to contact the police or cause a scene in any way, I will leave and you’ll never see her again.”
“I- I wasn’t!” She stutters, tears springing to her eyes. “I was on my way to the grocery store, Mike -my husband- will be home in just a couple of minutes, I just wanted to tell him to hurry the heck up. Come in, please.” She desperately states. I hesitate, unsure if I can actually do what I am about to do. I am trusting two people who have already lost her once to look out for her. With another deep inhale that I try to hide, I enter the childhood home of my girl.
I sit at the table in the small kitchen, spinning the glass of orange juice that had practically been forced on me. Freshly squeezed orange juice. May Kline is almost too adorable to take, she’s your typical Betty Homemaker, she offered me a damn snack for fuck’s sake. It’s really hard to hate a woman who offer’s you warm cookies.
“May!” Mike’s voice booms from the entryway as if we hadn’t heard his old truck coming through the neighborhood from a mile away.
“In here!” May calls back just as loudly. It’s a small house, why are they yelling?
“My wife says you have information on my daughter.” He says before he has even rounded the corner to enter the kitchen. Mike Kline is a big guy, he’s got an inch over my 6’3 frame, at least 100 pounds over my 195 but judging by the roundness of his belly I doubt it’s because he works out like I do. If I were anyone else I would definitely find him intimidating. His scowl firmly in place, he walks to his wife, pulling her petite frame into him in a protective gesture that I can respect.
“I do. Both of you take a seat, I have some things we need to discuss before I give you any information.” Mike starts to protest but May jabs him with an elbow and points to the chair at the opposite end of me, he reluctantly keeps his mouth shut, sitting down as his wife takes the seat right next to him.
“Before you start, I just need to know- I need to know if she’s alive. Is my baby alive?” May asks with bated breath.
“She’s alive.” I state simply.
“Oh god. How is she? Has she been-“
“She’s perfect.” I cut her off, smiling for the first time since I entered their residence.
“Where is she? When can we see her?” Mike speaks for the first time since he sat down, losing patience and leaning over the table.
“We’ll get to all of that.” I look between the two of them, losing any trace of the smile I had shown moments ago. “First I need you both to make me some promises.” I say in all seriousness. If they refuse, I’ll walk, I'll find another way. This has to be my way, I can’t let her go –even temporarily- if they won’t adhere to my rules.
“You listen here-” May once again elbows her husband to silence him, sending a nasty glare his way. Smart woman.
“Anything.” May breaths after she’s turned her attention back to me.
“I can’t tell you where she is, but I can bring her to you.” I swallow around the lump in my throat, trying to keep my voice strong and confident. “You’ll need to move, leave this place and not contact anyone for the foreseeable future. If you do, it would put Allyanna’s life in grave danger.”
“Like witness protection or something?” Mike asks, his brow furrowing.
“A lot like that but the police won’t be helping you. I will.” I answer.
“How would we do that? I have no problem leaving but the kids and-”
“This is absolutely non-negotiable.” They stare at me, trying to figure out how serious I am. “If Allyanna were to come here, she would be found and she would be killed, along with both of you and your other two children.” Their mutual gasps let me know they are finally getting how dire this situation is, I can’t take any chances and if they don’t take this seriously then I can’t trust them to look after her. I will not put her life in danger. “I have everything you need, passports, money, new identification… everything. I just need you to agree.”
“Done.” May blurts. Mike is still looking stunned but shakes it off quickly enough and agrees with his wife.
“There is money set up in an account to help with any and all costs, you’ll already have a place that is completely paid for, it has enough rooms for the five of you. I’ve thought of everything. Ally hasn’t had official schooling but I’ve been teaching her and she’s like a sponge for knowledge. She’s so fucking smart.” It’s the first time that my voice falters and I mentally kick myself for it. Mike’s eyes narrow suspiciously.
“How do you know my daughter exactly?” He asks with a flaring of his nostrils, automatically thinking the worst, and pissing me off. He’s damn lucky that he shares DNA with my girl for that comment.
“I’ve known your daughter since she was six years old, I’ve done everything I can to ensure that she had the best possible life that I could give her under our circumstances. All you need to know at this point is that I am willing to temporarily put her in your protection and that has more to do with her comfort than anything else, she is going to be lost, hurt and confused... I don’t want anything added to that.” I finish with a hard look, searching both of their eyes for understanding. May reaches over and squeezes Mike’s fisted hand, once again trying to quiet the large man.
“I’m sorry for my husband. You have to understand how hard this has been for us, the not knowing.” She sobs but quickly composes herself. I’m not great with emotion, I never have been but I soften my face a little as May continues to look at me, it is Ally’s Mom after all. “What did you mean when you said temporarily?”
“I have... things I need to do to insure her safety.” My eyes go back and forth between the two of them once again. “Once I am absolutely sure that everything is taken care of, I will be coming back for her.”
“Wait just a second, what do-”
“There is enough money for you to live comfortably.” I cut him off, tired of his shit. “I’d like Ally to have anything that she wants or needs. I want her to go to school and pursue anything she likes, try to get her interested in other things but don’t push it, she’ll hate that. She loves making pottery and there is a room in the new place that would be perfect for her craft, she’ll absolutely love it.” I stop and take a breath so I don’t lose it, this is even harder than I imagined. “Try to make any decorations very colorful, don’t have a lot of white or black, that will only make her sad and depressed... and remind her often that I didn’t leave her, that I’m doing this for us.” Their stunned expressions make me uncomfortable but I hold my position.
“Okay.” She pauses and searches my face knowingly, reminding me of Ally once again. “Is there anything else?” May asks inquisitively, I think she’s caught on to mine and her daughter’s relationship and she’s not assuming that I’m the predator like her husband had.
“Yes. I don’t want her working, not even a part time job. I won’t allow it.” I say with finality, once again seeing the anger rising in Mike but I ignore it. “She is also forbidden to date anyone. Those are my rules, Ally will follow them but I don’t want anyone trying to encourage her to do otherwise either, I want her to focus on her happiness and nothing else. Those are my terms. Do you accept?” Mike closes his eyes for a long minute, probably thinking he’s making a deal with the devil. He wouldn’t be wrong.
“We accept. Bring us our daughter.” His rough voice almost pained. I feel a little better after meeting them, knowing how much they love their daughter, but it still doesn’t stop the soul searing pain that goes through my heart at the thought of giving her back to them.