Keep You Near by Robin Roughley

Author:Robin Roughley
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Bloodhound Books
Published: 2017-03-09T00:00:00+00:00

43

Sally Walls stood at the bedroom window, one hand rubbed absently at the tender spot high on her left leg, her other hand clutching the teddy to her breast, it had been Suzie's favourite and the ache for her missing daughter forced the tears from her eyes.

During the night, she had lain in the dark listening to Gareth clattering around downstairs, occasionally hearing him bark out in anger, the fear rising as she watched the luminous dial on the bedside clock; by two o'clock fatigue took over and despite her best effort she had closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Her eyes had sprung open when she'd heard heavy footfall on the stairs, as if her slumbering mind had remained on high alert, waiting for the sound that brought instant fear roaring back into her head. When the door opened, light from the landing had spilled into the room and she held her breath. The tension in her head crackled, hearing him grunt and kick off his shoes made her shiver under the duvet in fright.

'Bloody bitch,' he muttered.

Sally felt the sweat break out on her body, when she heard the whisper of his belt sliding through the loops she tensed.

'How dare she, how fucking dare she!'

Sally had whispered a silent prayer, hoping that her husband would simply climb into bed and fall asleep.

The room fell silent; she could feel the warm breeze filtering in through the open window.

Gareth Walls grunted as if in answer to some internal question.

When the duvet was whipped back, she kept her lips clamped together.

'Teach you to question me!' her husband bellowed.

Sally felt her soul shrivel, the sound of the leather belt whipped through the air. When it lashed across her thigh she almost cried out, though bitter experience had taught her to remain silent, if she was quiet then maybe he would be satisfied with hitting her a couple of times. If she made a sound, then it seemed to enrage him further, and the lashings would continue until her screams echoed around the room.

The belt hit again, the pain in her side exploded in a welt of fire, then Gareth had slumped down on the bed.

Sally felt him drag the duvet over them, she had lain still, waiting, listening, the minutes ticked by, somewhere in the dark she heard an owl hoot.

'Slut,' Gareth snorted then almost immediately he started to snore, the stink of whisky almost making Sally gag.

Now, she stood at the window watching as her husband climbed behind the wheel of the Range Rover.

Suddenly she started to cry. She tried to see a way out of her life, an escape, yet she knew that Gareth would never allow it. He was a man of standing, well thought of by the great and the good, and the last thing he would want was a wife going off the rails.

Besides she had committed the greatest sin of all, she had lost their daughter, failed to protect her, and Suzie had been spirited away leaving Sally in a never-ending limbo of crushing guilt.

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