Becoming Maddie (The Casterhouse series Book 1) (38 page)

Nothing would come out but salvia, which flowed down her chin and dribbled on to her top. The only sound that finally escaped was a gurgling noise.

Maddie knew she was about to pass out. Her heat was racing in her chest and she was desperate to move and get to safety but her body was not feeling the same. Instead darkness was going to take her away and God only knew where she would wake up.

Through no choice of her own her eyes slid closed and just before she passed out altogether she felt someone put arms round her and start to drag her somewhere.

“Sorry.” A voice said.

A voice she knew.

It was the young guy from behind the counter. Had he done something to her ice cream? If he had, why? Maddie didn’t know him. Scared to death this was going to be the last voice Maddie ever heard, she got sucked into the darkness.

Chapter 29

‘Breath, Maddie, breath’ said a voice inside her head that sounded just like Aiden.

Maddie’s stomach was threatening to explode or at least empty its contents all over…well all over wherever she was. The painful throbbing in her head had stopped her from opening her eyes yet. Although that might not be true. It was more likely that she just didn’t want to. Once she opened her eyes she really would see where she was and have to face it.

Maddie had already worked out that she was in a car. It was rocking and the bumps were making it harder and harder to keep her aching tummy under control.

Trying to look on the bright side of things first she focused on the good things, the few that there was at this stage anyway. Nothing hurt, except from her head, and nothing was broken. This clearly meant that she was just suffering from whatever drugs she had unknowingly taken.

The really bad news was she was in a car going God knows where with God knows who driving. Just thinking that the fear started to take over. It swept through her brain and made her limbs feel shaky. She could already feel the trembling and the terror was definitely not helping her stomach.

Sucking in a lung full of air, Maddie tried to focus on what she needed to do next. A million different things were tumbling through her head. What was going to happen to her? Where was she going? Would she ever get to see the people she loved again? Great, big, fat tears started pouring down her face and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

‘Open your eyes’ the Aiden like voice said.

Even though she had no idea how far away from him she was, Aiden was still helping Maddie.

Slowly she blinked trying to get her eyes to adjust to the light coming in from the back windows. Yep, she was in a car.

Turning her head slowly, Maddie took in the back of the drivers head. She knew that head, she
really
knew that head. It was not the ice cream guy.

It was Charles.

“That you awake Maddison?” He asked in a voice that was charming and loving.

Maddie knew how fake it was, she knew the truth. A long time ago she was sucked in by the charm filled lies that fell so easily from his very attractive mouth. There would be a lot of people that would still be sucked in by that charm but not her, not anymore.

“I know you are probably feeling pretty grumpy with me right now.” Charles said smoothly. “But I am the one with
many
legitimate reasons to be angry Maddison. You don’t need to worry though because we will work them all out. You should know I am looking forward to that.”

Her body started shaking harder, her teeth started chattering, the fear was growing and getting bigger. She hadn’t even thought that was possible. Maddie knew what he would do to work through the ‘reasons’. In the end she would look way worse than Jean did. She had to do something!

Looking down her body it struck her that she wasn’t tied up. In this state, Maddie wasn’t sure she would be able to move right now anyway. She may be awake but her body was still feeling the effects of the drug.

What about Claire and Sarah? Did they know she had been taken? How long had Maddie been out? If it had been a while, surely they were worried about her, looking for her?

Oh god! What about Aiden? He must be going crazy! He was so upset and angry with himself after what happened at the flat. What would he think of himself now? Maddie knew he would be blaming himself even though he had done nothing wrong, just like last time. It made her wish that she was found soon for his sake not just hers.

“Charles.” Maddie managed to mumble semi-clearly. “Please.”

The car took a sharp turn to the left causing her to bang her head off a door. Blinking quickly she tried to get the dizziness to go. Maddie really needed her wits about her right now. While she had been trying to clear her head Charles had jumped out of the car, leaving the engine running. He marched round the car to the door her head was against and opened it sharply.

Maddie whimpered, past experiences meant that she knew this wasn’t going to be good.

Reaching into the car Charles pulled her out by her hair, not caring if her elbow wacked against the door or if she fell to her knees. If anything he liked hearing her cries of pain and the tears falling down her face. Grabbing the top of Maddie’s arms he pulled her up so that she was semi standing, semi leaning against the car, then he got in her face.

“What did you say to me bitch?!” Charles growled at her. “You asking me to take you back to the asshole you spread your legs for?”

Maddie said nothing, she had learned a long time ago that anything she said now would be the wrong thing. Besides her lips were shaking so much that she wasn’t sure they would be able to form words. If she was really lucky the sore arm and screaming scalp would be the only pain she felt right now.

“I am going to have to clean you fucking well before I put myself anywhere need your filthy pussy.” Charles spat at her letting her arms go.

Straight away Maddie fell to the ground, hard on her knees. The cruel curl of his lip said that he again liked that or maybe he was just enjoying having her kneeling down in front of him.

“You are a fucking whore but you are my wife and, whether you like it or not, that’s for life.” Charles said grabbing her hair again and dragging her around the car.

He took her, half walking, and half crawling, to the passenger door. He pushed her against the car, he then opened the door and shoved her in. Maddie tried to make her limbs work so that the blow as she hit the middle console was not too painful. It didn’t really work and her forehead smashed against the hand brake making the throbbing in her head more painful, something she also thought wasn’t possible.

Charles reached in and moved her in to the right position so that he could buckle her in.

“Don’t want to be stopped by the police for you not having a seat belt on.” Charles said, his tone back to sweet and charming. “Not when I have so many plans for us sweetheart.”

Maddie still didn’t say anything but instead watched him walk around the car to the driver’s side. He got in without looking at her and turned the car back onto the road.

“It won’t be long till we get there.” Charles informed her. “I have to go out again to get some things but I will take care of you before I go. The place I am leaving you in is not ideal but I can work round that for now. More importantly it will do before I can get the money together for us to head out of the country.”

Whimpering next to him, Maddie looked down at her hands. She was slowly starting to get the feeling back in them. It wouldn’t be long till she would be able to move her feet. The drug was finally starting to fully wear off.

Should she do something now? Or wait a couple of minutes for the feeling to be fully back in her whole body?

The car was still moving so it didn’t make sense to jump out of it so that was out. Maybe when they had stopped at whatever location he was taking Maddie too she could try to break free then. Except Charles would know the area better than she did so that was basically out. Well it could be used if all else failed or, if on the very tiny chance, she knew the area he took her too.

Surely Sarah and Claire would have notified the police by now. Detective Miller would be on the case as soon as it was reported, at least she hoped so.

This all meant that maybe Maddie shouldn’t do anything to rock the boat. As long as she could stay with it long enough and handle the pain then maybe she would be able to make it out of this whole mess alive and in one piece or a piece that was only slightly damaged.

Maddie had stood up to Jessie a couple of days before. Perhaps she should do that with him, show him that she is not scared of him anymore. Then again maybe not. Standing up to Charles would just make things worse. The punches would be harder and more bones would be broken.

It wasn’t worth
that
.

It seemed to Maddie that her best option was to wait, let Charles do what he wanted to do for now and hope that the police make it to her really soon.

Having been so focused on her game plan Maddie had not noticed her surroundings or how quiet Charles had become. Not wanting to look at him directly she peeked out of the side of her eye.

Charles was staring out the front window with a frown on his face. It didn’t seem to be an angry face but more a thinking hard face. Whether that worked in her favour on not remained to be seen.

Quickly flicking her eyes to the front again, Maddie tried to see if there was anything that passed them by that she recognised.

At first she didn’t. It could have been the panic or the fear that was stopping her from taking in what was actually around her but slowly the scenery started to sink in to her shocked brain. They were three villages over from Casterfield. Maddie couldn’t think of their names off the top of her head but she remembered driving through them when she first came to Casterfield. Mainly she remembered the town square they were passing now because the main roundabout had a huge statue of a fish in it. She wondered the same thing that she did then now,

‘There are no rivers near here or seas so why have a statue of a fish’.

Instead of taking the turn off that led out of the village, Charles took one that led deeper in. A few turns later and Maddie found herself being driven into a cheap hotel’s parking lot.

“This is it.” Charles said with a matter of fact tone. “I know it’s not much but like I said Maddison, this is just a pit stop on our journey. God, I can feel you silently judging me. I was never fucking good enough in your eyes.”

Flicking her eyes to him and then back out the window, Maddie knew she had to say something this time but she couldn’t work out how to play it.

“It looks fine Charles.” Maddie careful muttered.

Her lips felt weird, numb, like she was trying to push out words after having her mouth numbed at the dentist. There was something wrong. Was it the drugs she had been given? Shock? Or something else?

Charles seemed to be satisfied with what Maddie said because he turned to her with a big smile on his face.

“I knew you would understand. I knew you would get that we need to do this before we can really move on. Both staying here and your punishment.” Charles grinned.

Lifting a trembling hand to her face Maddie wiped away a tear that had slid out of her eye. She had to stop crying.

Maddie may not be able to stand up to him, show him that she wasn’t scared of him anymore but she could stop him from getting full satisfaction from beating her. This time she would hold in the cries and the tears. Maddie knew how much Charles loved seeing the pain he caused her. There would be times when she wouldn’t be able to fully hide it but she could hope for strength and keep as much to herself as she could.

As Charles pulled into a parking space she took several deep breaths and tried to think of all the things that she had in her life now, all the people, to remind herself of what she was fighting for.

Happiness. Freedom. Love.

Charles got out of the car and walked round to her side and opened the door for her. He gave her a pointed look when she didn’t straight away undo her seat belt and get out. Taking another deep breath she did what he wanted and got out of the car. Charles closed the door behind her and took her hand straight away. He wrapped his fingers round hers and squeezed so tight he was crushing her bones.

Swallowing back the pain Maddie hoped that she managed to keep a straight face.

With his other hand Charles pulled a set of keys out of his hand and jingled them in front of her face.

“I got a room that has its own entrance just in case you got any funny ideas.” Charles said laughing. “Wouldn’t want you trying to run back to your fuck buddy.”

Suddenly stopping, and pulling on her arm so hard that her shoulder hurt, Charles spun Maddie to look at him. The hand that had the keys in it came up to hold her chin, the keys crushed against her, hurting her. Maddie bit her lip.

Aiden held her chin right before he kissed her, how dare Charles try and ruin that for her. Maddie bit her lip harder so that she didn’t say anything. It was awful having to listen to the things he said about Aiden and their love. Now he, probably unknowingly, was tainting a sweet touch that she and Aiden shared.

“If you even think about running back to that wanker you will regret it Maddison.” Charles growled at her. “You are my fucking wife, I fucking own you. If you managed to get back to him I will not let him live like I have done now. No, I would cut off his fucking cock for a start. Then I would have hours playing with him.”

Sucking in air, she felt her eyes fill with tears again. The images his words created running through her head.

Maddie couldn’t try and run.

No matter what happened, even if the police didn’t come looking for her, she could never run.

“I see that got your fucking attention.” Charles said yanking on her arm as he started walking towards a door on the far side of the main building. “That reminds me. I had to tie up some lose ends before I came to get you.”

They reached a red door with the number 113 written on it and a small peephole. There was nothing about it that was remarkable, at all, but Maddie knew this was no ordinary door. For her it was a door into the past, a door she had to go back through again. It was the beginning of her past becoming her future.