Man Seeks Woman 2, Man Seeks Wife (29 page)

Never in my
life had I let someone hit me and taken it lying down. I didn’t put
up with it then and I sure as hell wasn’t putting up with it
now.

That was it. I
saw red and launched myself at him. The pain in my head was
forgotten. All I had in my mind was for me to cause just as much
damage to him that he’d done to me.

“Victoria!
No!” Laura shouted from behind me.

I got three
footsteps towards Jacob before a pair of strong arms came around
me, swamping me inside them and pulling me against a thick hard
body. I fought against the hold with everything in me and screamed
out loud when I felt those hands and arms tighten unbearably.

“No, dammit
let me go.” I wriggled and tried to free myself but it wouldn’t
work. Who the hell was it anyway?

A voice that I
didn’t recognise or at least I didn’t think so, whispered something
or maybe they were talking normally but I couldn’t really be sure
because I was in too much of a haze, still wanting to get my hands
on Jacob.

Jacob.

Just the
thought of that name had me renewing my efforts. I dug my nails
into the arms that held me but they weren’t doing any damage, so I
raised my foot and stamped it down onto the stranger’s foot. A
viscous curse sounded immediately behind me and the arms loosened
and soon enough, I was free again. I surged forward and stopped,
realising that I couldn’t see Jacob anymore. Where had he gone?

Scraping the
curls that had fallen and were damp with blood, sweat
and—literally— tears out of my face, I turned in a half circle
scanning the room. My chest heaved, my lungs burned and my eyes
stung. My eyes scanned the area and it was then that I realised
that half the restaurant was empty. I couldn’t see Sebastian
anywhere either. My mouth opened to call out for him when those
stupid arms came back around me only this time, they roughly
grabbed my hands and hauled them behind me.

I fought
harder and span around, yanking my arms from his grip. I stumbled
back a step but righted myself and moved forward towards him
raising my arm at the same time. My fingers curled in on themselves
forming a tight fist, so tight, my nails fug into my palm. I swung
out wildly and almost squealed out loud when my fist landed
with‘oomph’ against the stranger’s face.

The stunned
person fell backwards into a table, their feet scrambling to catch
themselves. Their arms wind milled outwards, attempting to grab
hold of something or someone. The table collapsed under the
person’s weight sending the food and drink flying. Dishes and
glasses smashed as the table cracked and dropped to the floor. The
chairs that had surrounded the table went flying, falling back on
themselves as bits of the table legs rolled outwards.

My hands went
to my throbbing face, covering my mouth as I stared at the person
lying in the middle of the fallen table. I walked slowly towards
them and gasped. It was only then that I noticed that the stranger
was indeed a Police Officer.

Oh shit, what
had I done?

And the
bra.

“Put her in
cell two.” The custody Sergeant ordered, his face was not only
tired but he was pissed.

I stood in a
three person line with Sebastian handcuffed on my right, his face a
mask of complete and utter blankness. His eyes were cold and
distant but I knew because I knew Sebastian that he was thinking
and thinking hard. I glanced to my left and felt a sneer build on
my sore and incredibly swollen face. I felt my insides smile when I
saw the cuffs that were holding Jacob just like the ones holding me
and Sebastian.

At least he
wasn’t getting away with shit.

As if a fog
had cleared, I did a double take towards the man in the black and
white uniform, with little silver things on his shoulders. “You’ve
got to be fucking kidding me.” I gasped as my mouth dropped open in
shock. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

The custody
sergeant looked like he wanted to strangle me and it wasn’t the
first time he’d given it to me either. “didn’t do anything wrong?”
he repeated for the millionth time or maybe that was just how many
times I’d said it and he’d just repeated it after me.

“Yes, damnit,
I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Victoria,
shut up.” Sebastian ground out, searing me with a glare. “Shut your
mouth and say nothing.”

As if that was
ever going to happen!

I ignored him
and continued to stare at the cop who was seriously pissing me off
right now. “Let me out of these cuffs.”

The cop
snorted and waved his hand at the police woman who stood behind me
holding my cuffed wrists. “You,” He looked back to me. “The reason
why you’re in here tonight is because you not only assaulted a
police officer but you assaulted this man to your left and caused a
considerable amount of damage to Celeste’s Restaurant.”

What? Who gave
a fuck about the restaurant? Did no-one care that I was
assaulted?

“Just hang on
a bloody minute.” I objected, stamping my foot a little then
realised that my left shoe was missing and me stamping my bare foot
against a concrete floor didn’t really have the same desired effect
I wanted it to have so, I adjusted my weight and stamped my right
foot instead. I was somewhat satisfied with the thump it made. “I
didn’t know he was a police officer otherwise I wouldn’t have
attacked him plus he had it coming. I mean who comes up behind
someone who’s already been attacked might I add.” I looked
pointedly at Jacob when I said that but he was too busy scowling at
Sebastian over my head.

Jacob blinked
and looked down at me, a deeper scowl penetrating his face. “Me hit
you?” he shouted. “How about you were hitting me?”

“I didn’t hit
you.” I shouted back, leaning towards him a little. “You,” I spat.
“Hit me, a woman. That makes you scum, not that you weren’t a scum
sucking low life before that I might add.”

“Enough!” the
sergeant interrupted.

Ignoring him
Jacob said, “Me, scum? I don’t fucking think so. How about we tell
these fine Police Officers about what you and Sebastian did? I am
sure, undoubtedly sure that buying a human being was made to be an
arrestable offense some time in the nineteenth century yet, only a
few months ago, that particular event took place. Did it not?”

“You know
nothing. It wasn’t like that.” Sebastian argued.

“Oh shut up.”
I snapped irritably at Jacob. “You’re a fine one to talk. The only
reason the fight started tonight was because you offered me fifty
pounds for a pump and run and I rejected you.
Fifty quid,
really?
”

“Enough!” the
Sergeant repeated, his hand banged on top of the counter.

“Victoria.”
Sebastian growled, actually growled. “Shut up. Leonard will be here
shortly.”

Who the hell
was Leonard?

My mouth
opened to ask who the hell Sebastian was talking about when Jacob
spoke and nearly knocked me off my feet with what he said.

“If you wanted
more, I would have offered you more. Hell, I would have given you
my entire wallet if it had made you happy.”

Do what?

“
What?”
I screeched. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” when the fucker
smirked and nodded, I lurched myself at him except I couldn’t
actually get to him because I was wobbling around too much with
only one heel on and no hands, and with that woman behind me
holding onto my wrists for dear life, I swear I was losing all
feeling in my hands.

The custody
sergeant rubbed his hands up and down his face. “Get her out of
here. I don’t want to hear anymore from her, she’s giving me a
headache.”

I was giving
him a headache? I had the mother of all headaches. Hell, everything
on my body ached from the hair on my head to my toe nails. The
doctor they’d taken me to had refused to give me anything because
he wasn’t sure if I had had a concussion so due to guidelines, he
couldn’t give me a sniff.

“No, wait.” I
shouted as the woman behind me began to drag me down the corridor
to the cells. I limped and hobbled along with her to save falling
over.

“Leonard will
be here soon, Victoria. Just wait it out.” Sebastian called as he
vanished from my sight.

The female
Police Officer opened the big dark blue metal door and pulled me to
a stop just inside the doorway to my cell. I wrinkled my nose at
the smell of disinfectant and something else that I couldn’t quite
put my finger on. The woman looked at me expectedly. “What?” I
snapped.

“Slip your
shoes off and place them to your left and give me your bra.” She
held out her hand for me to place my bra into.

I raised a
brow as much as my painful face would allow and looked pointedly at
her palm. “Are you serious?” when she didn’t answer me, I realised
that she was. With a heavy sigh, I kicked my shoe off so it sailed
past her. It wasn’t any use to me only having one. I had no clue
where I had lost the other one but I did want it back at some point
because I knew those shoes were expensive.

“And the bra,”
She said as her eyes flicked to my boobs to emphasise her
point.

My mouth
dropped open as I shifted on my bare feet. Damn the floor was
freezing. “Have you seen the size of my tits? This bra is holding
everything in place; you take it away, then...”

“The bra,” She
repeated, not budging an inch.

I huffed and
went to move my hands but realised they were still shackled.
“Cuffs,”

She rolled her
eyes and spun me around roughly; my shoulder caught the side of the
door. I hissed in a breath and growled a little at her to hurry up.
The moment the clink of the metal unlocked and released, I snatched
my hands away and rubbed at my sore wrists. I held them up to my
face seeing the red sores forming around the thin skin. I turned
back to the cop and glared at her. “I’m suing you for this. Look.”
I jabbed my hands up for her to see. “Prisoner abuse, that’s what
this is, where’s a Camcorder when you need one?”

“Bra,” Her
pursed lips annoyed me more than the bored look on her face.

“Fine,” I
fought for a good five minutes to get my bra off. Sweat was forming
on my already dirty and blood stained face and my hands and wrists
were aching. I gritted my teeth and looked up at the cop. “can you
help me at least?”

“I can’t touch
you, policy.”

“Oh for
Christ’s sake,” I grouched and glared hard at the unrelenting
annoying woman. I realised what I had to do. I walked a little into
the cell and turned around then ripped the dress from my body. It
took a couple of little twists and turns and tears of the fabric at
the seams but I got it off. Dropping it down to the floor, I folded
my hands behind me and unlatched the thick clip of my bra. The
straps dropped from my sides and along my shoulders then my boobs
slipped free and bounced down against the insides of my arms and
elbows.

Not bothering
to turn around, I flung the bra over my head towards the door and
sighed when I heard and felt the bang on the door closing behind
me. The lock slid into place and I listened to her feet retreat
down the corridor.

I stood in the
middle of the cold six by eight sized cell and stared at the
scraped and stained walls. There were various marks made by God
knows what. I tilted my head to the side to read a couple of
remarks that had been made.

‘
I was here
and you were not, now you are here and I am not’

There was even
a number that had been scratched into the ceiling for God’s sake.
How the hell did someone manage to get up there, I would never
know.

The silence
was immediate. There were no other sounds from any other prisoners,
no talking, no outside traffic noises. There was nothing. There
wasn’t even a drip from the tiny sink over in the corner. I walked
to the ledge of steel that was supposed to be a bed and slumped
down onto the royal blue mat that was a little chilly on the back
of my bare legs and butt cheeks. It released a dead huff of air as
my weight settled down and a strong stench of urine emanated from
it. Whoever had been on here previously, had stunk putrid.

I realised as
I looked down at myself that I was naked except for the thong I
wore. I leaned backwards and gripped the elastic in my hands and
slid it down my legs. I fiddled around with the lace thong in my
hand and sling shot it towards the door. Now I was bare ass naked.
I might as well go the full hog.

Sitting
backwards against the cold wall, I let my head drop back and closed
my eyes. The pain in my face didn’t go away when I closed my eyes.
In fact, it got worse; the pounding was in time with my heart beat
now. I knew if I touched my face, it would be swollen and puffy. I
just didn’t know how swollen.

I opened one
eye and scanned the cell seeing a steel toilet that was built into
the wall. There wasn’t even a toilet seat for crap’s sake.

“Just great,
just bloody great,”

****

Not fifteen
minutes later, I startled when I heard the doors to the cells
either side of me open and close. Murmurs of voices sounded and so
did the footsteps of retreating officers. I sat up and banged
against the right wall. “Sebastian?”

“Nope,” Jacob
replied.

“Oh it’s you.”
I mumbled with a curl to my top lip and scooted to the other side
of the ledge. I picked up the blanket that smelt really wrong and
wrapped it around myself. Against my bare skin, it felt like
sandpaper and smelt like a bin the closer it got to my nose. I
shivered and tried to breathe through my mouth instead.
“Sebastian?” I banged my fist against the left wall.

“Victoria.”
Sebastian replied. He sounded like he shuffled along his own ledge
too. “Are you okay, baby,”

“No,” I
shivered again, my teeth chattering a little. “My face is fucking
killing me and I’m bare arse naked.”