Through the Shadows (12 page)

“I do not believe this! Roger, get out of here immediately. Don’t make this worse by forcing me to call the police. And I will, Roger, I promise you that.”

His mouth compressed into a thin line of barely repressed rage and a whisper of fear washed over Tori’s body. He took a couple of deliberate steps toward her, already bringing his hands up to grab her. There was something sinister smoldering in his now-obsidian eyes, something that scared her.

“You women are all alike. You want it as bad as we do, but you want to play hard to get. But, you know what? I’ve found out it ain’t so hard to get. You just gotta show her how much she wants it. So, the choice is yours, Tori. We do this hard, or we can take it nice and easy. How do you like it, Tori? I’ll bet you like it hard.” A cold smile played along his professionally whitened teeth.

Tori’s body betrayed her by beginning to tremble and sweat dotted her forehead. The grin on Roger’ face turned menacing. Tori took a step backward, instinctively. She bumped her hip against the arm of her recliner and fell to the floor. As she scrambled for a handhold on the carpet, Roger was already bending over her. Tori was more frightened than she’d ever been in her life. Roger’s face darkened and the smile that curved his lips sent a shiver of terror across her spine.

“No, Roger; please don’t do this. Please…” The words were a mewled whisper in the deathly quiet room.

Unheeding of her words, Roger had one knee on each side of her trembling body. His breathing was harsh, sour, and spittle from his open mouth fell onto her cheek as he leaned his face closer. Tori closed her eyes and pushed against his chest with all her strength.

Suddenly, it seemed as if the air grew heavy and it shivered around her. At once she felt the weight of his body leave hers. It was as if Roger was propelled away from her. Her eyes flew open as she heard the thud of his body hitting the wall next to the locked door. He seemed to hang there, suspended, against the wall before his body slowly sank to the floor.

Even as she struggled to her feet, from the corner of her eye she caught sight of a heavy, luminescent haze. A translucent image, more like an impression, of a man loomed over the prostrate Roger. She felt, rather than saw, the angry stance of her rescuer. Fiery loathing seemed to emanate from this vaporous shape, yet Tori felt no fear for her own safety. She somehow understood the anger was directed toward Roger, alone.

The look of stunned disbelief might have been comical under other circumstances. Roger’s mouth was open, his eyes were darting around the room and his face was a pasty white. His lips were moving, working to speak, yet no words came out. Staring at Tori with widened eyes, he scrambled sideways, his hands making slapping noises against the wall as he fought his way to the front door, his head turned to watch the vaporous form move closer. He managed to get to his feet, only to have them appear to be pulled from beneath him. His bottom hit the floor with a resounding thud that shook the lamp on the table beside him. Roger threw out his hands as if to fend off an attacker, the fingers splayed in a gesture of supplication. He fixed his gaze on a point just in front of him, but dared to allow his pleading eyes to look at Tori for only a second.

Tori understood the facial expression, but not the reason for it. She kept looking at the empty space Roger stared into and could find no reason for his look of terror. His tongue, at last, found the ability to speak.

“Please… I didn’t know, I swear. Just leave me alone and I’ll go.” He began to carefully move ever closer to the door as he continued to plead, “If I had known… She never said a word. She never told me…”

Tori’s head was turned sideways, staring into the emptiness that Roger was addressing. She looked back at Roger as if to say, “You’re nuts.”

Roger’s chagrined smile somehow frightened Tori more than his attack on her. His next words slammed through her and confusion gave way to terror.

“Thanks, Buddy. I promise you, I won’t be back. If I’d known Tori…” He bolted for the door, jamming his shoulder against the frame in his haste to leave. He didn’t bother to speak again to Tori.

As she heard the car engine roar into life outside, the heavy fog beside her began to dissipate. Tori was shaking her head in denial, her eyes round and large in her horror-stricken face.

Oh no, this isn’t happening. It’s not possible. Mama!

She grabbed her purse on her frantic dash to her car.

* * *

Sharon opened her door to a daughter who began babbling the moment she saw her mother’s face. Tori threw her arms around her mother and began to cry.

“Baby! What’s wrong? What’s happened, Tori?”

Tori’s sobbing words were incomprehensible. Sharon’s tone of voice belied the fear she felt, the firmness of her words pushing back the hysteria.

“Victoria! Stop crying and tell me what happened.”

Tori took a deep breath when she saw she was scaring her mother. She leaned over to pull a tissue from a box sitting on the coffee table. Understanding moved into Sharon’s face.

“Tori? Did Roger force himself on you? Did he…?” She seemed incapable of finishing the question.

Tori smiled tremulously, “No, Mom, he didn’t. Oh, he tried, believe me, he tried. And I think he would have actually raped me if…”

“If what, Honey? Tori, tell me what happened.”

She knew her mother wouldn’t understand.

Hell, I don’t even understand. What just happened back there at my house?

“Let’s just say that my self-defense classes paid for themselves tonight, Mom.”

The worry lines in Sharon’s face were now overlaid with anger. “That bastard! I’m calling the police. Who the hell does he think he is…”

Tori took the phone from Sharon’s trembling fingers. Her own shaking hand made it difficult to not drop the phone. “No, Mom, just let it go. It’s over, done. I don’t think Roger Hart will ever try that again.”

“But Tori, he shouldn’t be allowed to get by with this. He should be arrested, put behind bars like the animal he is…”

Tori put her arms around Sharon, trying to calm herself as she quieted her mother. It was as it had always been between them. They comforted each other, their love generating a protective shield that enveloped them. The anger and tears yielded to wobbly smiles.

“Mom, mind having an overnight guest-again?”

Sharon kissed her daughter and pulled her into the kitchen to help make a pot of tea.

* * *

As Tori slept in the security of her mother’s home, a dream wrapped her in its arms.

The horizon was draped with soft colors, the sun setting on a quiet land. He stood before her, silent, love and desire intermingling in his eyes. She smiled and it was all the invitation he needed.

He framed her face with his hands, permitting himself the luxury of sinking into her emerald eyes that sparkled with love.

“Victoria, how I’ve missed you. How I wish you would remain here, with me, so that I may always protect you. Here, in my world, I have the power to overcome men such as Roger Hart. I was nearly ineffectual in that physical battle in your world. If not for the superstitious fears of a bully, I would have lost. Here, I have substance, strength. Stay with me, Victoria. Remain, so I may love and shelter you.”

Her tears glistened in the fading amber twilight. Taking his hand in hers, she kissed the fingertips. Sadness forced the tears to spill across her cheeks. She turned and walked away. His voice faded more with each step she took, melting into the time where it belonged. The last words she heard were filled with anguish.

“I love you, my Victoria, and I will wait…”

She awoke to voices raised in anger. She grinned when she recognized Lydia’s strident English accent. She threw back the blankets and rushed out to see her agent, her best friend.

Lydia opened her arms to hug her. The warmth of her embrace surprised Tori. She knew that Lydia loved her like she was her own daughter, but she rarely displayed such deep emotion. She correctly assumed this was due to the fiasco of the night before.

“That ass is no longer a client of mine! I’m going to tear his contract into a million tiny pieces.”

“Lydia, you know you can’t do that.”

“And why the hell can I not do that, Tori? I can do whatever…”

“No, dear friend, you can’t, and you know it. It’s not ethical or professional to cancel his contract with you because of me. It’s a business, Lydia, and he could sue you for not fulfilling the contract.”

Lydia stared at the wall as she considered what Tori had said. All at once, her face was wreathed in a mischievous smile.

“You’re right, of course. I can’t tear up the contract but I have other options. Such as, I’m sure that no one will be interested in Mr. Roger Hart’s new book. Why, the response from publishers is going to be just crushing to poor, dear Roger. It may hurt him so badly it could possibly destroy his horribly inflated ego and he would be unable to write another word.”

Tori stared at her agent in shock.

“No, Lydia. Surely you’re joking. You can’t do that to an author. I don’t like the man but I think that would be so wrong. He may be a low-rent piece of crap when it comes to the way he treats a woman, but he is a talented writer. Please, if you care for me, don’t do this on my behalf. I would be forever sorry that other people may be unable to enjoy his work.”

Lydia sighed loudly and Sharon’s face was covered with a proud smile.

“Even though I’m your mother, you still amaze me. You’re a beautiful soul, Victoria. I’m honored to be your mother.”

Tori’s gaze traveled the room as her face emanated a pretty pink glow.

“Thanks, Mom.”

Lydia leaned over to kiss the young woman on the forehead. She spoke in a gruff voice.

“I just gained even more respect for you, Luv.” Then clearing her throat and raising her voice, Lydia asked for a drink. “If you don’t have the makings for a decent martini and force me to drink coffee, at least pour a generous dollop of Irish crème in the cup.”

Sharon and Tori chuckled and pulled Lydia into a familial embrace, both of them kissing her on her cheeks until the Brit joined them in the laughter.

The women all sat down at the table with a mug of coffee, sans Irish crème. Lydia grimaced with each sip she took. Tori got up and made a cup of tea. When she handed it to her, Lydia smiled her appreciation.

“Bless you, sweet Tori. Now, tell me how the new book is coming. Mr. Editor in New York is concerned about the deadline. You’ll make it in time, won’t you, dear?”

Tori hoped the other two didn’t hear her gulp of air. She felt the sweat begin at her brow.

“Sure, I will! I’ve got another three months and the book’s about 75% done. I don’t see any problem with meeting the deadline. In fact, I’m leaving in a few minutes so I can get back to work.”

“Marvelous. I’ll stop worrying then. It’s just that this is your shot at the truly big time and I don’t want one single problem to stand in your way. Plus, it’d be a feather in my hat, too, if I have a client on the bestseller’s list. You’re going to be the one that does all that, Tori. This book is only the beginning, Dear.”

“I’m going to work hard to live up to that, Lydia.”

Sharon patted Tori’s hand. “You’ll do it, Honey. I just know you will.”

Tori hugged them both before she left. With assurances that she was, indeed, going to have the book done before they knew it, she reminded each of them that she loved them. She was still smiling as she drove into her driveway.

Her mood was much lighter than when she had left the night before. She wasn’t sure she understood what exactly had happened with Roger but she decided to just let it go. It wasn’t possible that some sort of ectoplasmic man had come to her rescue, no matter what it looked like. To accept the notion would be one step closer to a padded room.

For all her protestations to the contrary, she approached her home with trepidation. It seemed to take an hour for the door to swing open as she stood at the threshold. The only thing she heard when she walked into the house was the heater, which was just fine with her.

She grabbed the remote and switched on the TV as she passed through the room. The volume was low because all she wanted was background noise that wouldn’t disturb her train of thought.

The teakettle was whistling by the time she had slipped into her writing clothes. The loose knit pants and bulky sweatshirt felt as comfortable as an old friend. Even if she spilled a drop or two of her tea on her clothes, it wasn’t a tragedy.

Tori hummed along with the faint strands of a commercial on TV as she danced into her office. When she saw the computer monitor her mouth fell open and tea sloshed out of the cup as she slammed it down on the desk. She fell into her chair, jarring her teeth together.

The Earl Grey grew cold and tears began to flow as she read the words that she hadn’t written.

Katherine called Avery to her bed. He gently lowered himself to sit beside her faded body that had brimmed with vitality just six months earlier. His throat felt as if he had swallowed something too large and his lungs became constricted.

“Good morning, Mother. You’re looking much better…”

Her benevolent smile stopped his words. It was time to face the truth because she was no longer going to allow anything less.

“Avery, my child, the light of my life and heart. Today will be a sad one for you and I’m sorry that I shall be the reason for that. No, please be silent and listen, yes, love?”

It was with great effort that she reached for his hand. He moved quickly to conserve her strength. As she held his large hand in her own delicate, pale grasp, she continued to smile.

“Do not weep for me, Son. I was blessed in this life. I was given a man that loved me above all others, a man that would have given his life to defend mine. I was blessed with a son that all mothers would have wished for, a son that grew to be a fine man, just like his father.”

She reached into her pocket and brought forth a ring that she placed in his hand. When Avery began to protest she made shushing noises while maintaining her smile.