The Price of Freedom

Chapter 9: The Door

DINAH

*Trigger Warning*

As soon as I saw those vicious green eyes and that devilish smirk, I slammed the door ready to barricade myself in. Only I was too late and he already had one foot in the door. Jacob slammed the door open with one hand and then closed it behind him.

He began taking predatory steps towards me and I could see an evil glint in his eye, promising nothing but misery.

I couldn’t get a word out of my mouth, it was like my lips were glued shut and my throat was stuffed with cotton, I couldn’t even breathe. All I could do is move backwards.

“What are you doing here Jacob?” I asked him cautiously.

He smirks at me and then responds, “I came to get my bride.”

“I thought my letter was very clear, I’m not marrying you. Now you can leave because Serena will be back any minute.”

“Oh, so that wasn’t her I saw leaving with that Belgian kid? You didn’t think I wouldn’t do my research did you?”

“What do you want Jacob, please just leave me be,” I pleaded.

“I can’t do that. See we’re getting married in about a week, and I can’t very well do that without a bride.”

I roll my eyes at his annoying persistence, “I’d rather pet a lion than marry you, I would honestly be safer.”

He doesn’t seem to like my back talk because his smile disappears and is replaced with a scowl.

“Well, if I can’t have you on our wedding night, I guess now will do.”

Realization of what he was inferring hit me and I almost choked on air.

Panic consumed me, I started looking around trying to find a way around him, but he was blocking my only exit. The only option I had was calling for help.

From the corner of my eye I saw my phone laying on the bed and I lunged for it trying to dial 9-1-1 as soon as it was in my grasp. It seemed like he was expecting me to do this because before I could hit call, he was knocking me off the bed and taking the phone from me.

I fell to the ground with a loud thump, just barely missing the corner of the night stand.

“You’re all mine now Dinah,” he smirked as he straddled me holding my hands down at my sides.

“You can’t do this I’ll scream and someone will call the police,” I spat trying to push him off of me.

“That’s funny I just paid everyone on this floor to leave.”

I screamed. That was all I could think of doing as he was running his hands down my body. Slapping his hands away trying to get out from under him, I landed a slap across his face.

If I thought he was aggressive at first that was nothing compared to now. He lifted me up by my shoulders and slammed me back down to the ground forcing my head to hit the ground over and over again.

In a daze I tried to regain my bearings and push him off again, only this time he slapped me across the face. The familiar taste of metal filled my mouth, I had probably bit into my cheek when he hit me.

In one swift motion Jacob tore my top off and tossed it aside.

Fear began coursing through my veins, I was terrified of what he was doing and he wouldn’t stop no matter how much I begged.

Seeing that trying to fight my way out of this would get me nowhere I began trying to reason with him. “Please Jacob, you can have any woman you want. You don’t want me.”

“You’re the only one I want Dinah,” he corrected running his nose down my neck.

My vision began to blur from the tears welling up in my eyes as I lay there underneath as he touched my body like I belonged to him.

He began sucking on my skin and all I could do was lay there frozen. Even when he bit into me all I did was whimper at the pain.

There was no one coming. No one would hear my cry for help. I just hope Serena doesn’t come back while he’s still here. If he’s willing to do this to me, I can only imagine what he’d do to her.

No.

I refuse to even let that happen. I’d fight him off or die trying. It’s the least I could do, for Serena. I won’t let him go anywhere near her.

“You better kill me afterwards because if you don’t, I swear I’ll come for you,” I taunt him trying to get him to lose focus.

“I’d like to see you try.”

Jacob began to unbuckle his pants and I saw this as my opportunity. I kneed him in between the legs and as soon as my hands were free, I reached onto the night stand and smashed the lamp onto his head.

He fell over to the side and I was finally able to get up. I was still dizzy from the times he slammed me against the floor and I could barely walk, but I grabbed onto anything as I made my way to the door. Past that door laid my freedom.

My hand finally reached for the doorknob, I was so close, but Jacob slammed the door shut. He grabbed me by the hair, slamming my face into the door and pressed his body against my back.

I could taste more blood and by this point I wasn’t too sure where it was coming from.

I was utterly terrified; I could feel him rubbing himself on my behind. I tried to push him off but he was pushing all his weight down on me.

“No. Please,” I cried out, at this point I was breaking out into sobs.

I was begging for my life. I wouldn’t be able to survive this. I wouldn’t be able to live like this.

He pushed my arms up over my head and with his other hand he began to pull down my leggings along with my panties forcing me to step out of them. I could feel him on me, his pants were already down and there was nothing separating us.

He bent his knees preparing himself to violate me, but before he could I heard a knock on the door.

“Dinah. Dinah, it’s me Serena. I forgot my room key can you please let me in?”

Jacob placed his hand over my mouth and whispered in my ear, “don’t make a sound, or I’ll do worse to her.”

I nodded my head in agreement as tears continued to stream down my face. There was no hope.

“Maybe she’s sleeping,” I heard Sacha’s sweet accent tell her.

“Yeah maybe,” she responded but she didn’t sound too sure.

Oh god please take her away. She shouldn’t be a witness to this.

With the faint noise of the receding steps, I knew she was safe. Sacha was with her; he would keep her safe. Jacob wouldn’t try anything as long as someone else was there.

“I’ll have my fun with her later,” Jacob breathed into my neck.

This was the last straw. He could do whatever he wanted to me, but not to Serena.

He lifted his head off my shoulder and I took the opportunity to ram my head into his face. Jacob fell back and pulled me down with him.

I quickly got up and tried running into the bathroom looking for anything to help me fight him off. He pulled my feet from under me making me drop to the ground flat on my stomach knocking the wind out of me.

He grabbed one foot trying to pull me towards him and with the other I began kicking him trying to get myself loose.

I started grasping at anything that would give and that is when I grabbed the hair dryer. With one yank I pulled it down and used the cord to wrap it around his neck. With all the strength I had left I pulled and pulled and twisted the cord till he was blue.

He was clawing at my hands and at the cord and all I was hoping for was that it didn’t snap. Jacob slowly stopped moving but I held tight onto the cord in case this was some ploy.

Once Jacob was out sobs racked my body, I couldn’t take a full breathe without crying. I could still feel his dirty hands on me, I just wanted to singe away the skin he touched.

I turned on the shower water and climbed in the tub trying to wash away all the filth. That’s how I felt, I felt disgusting and filthy.

I sat there as the water trickled down my body and Jacob’s body lay there unmoving.

As the minutes passed on my body began to lose the adrenaline rush and I couldn’t hold my head up any longer.

SERENA

We were walking in the park after Sacha took me to this cute ice cream shop I didn’t even know existed. He was being the perfect gentlemen the entire time, and I was falling hard for him.

I know it’s probably foolish of me since he’s leaving to a different country in a few days, but a girl can dream.

He held my hand the entire time we were together, I have never felt so appreciated. We sat down in one of the park benches eating our ice cream and watching the ducks play in the pond.

“So, Catarina told me she asked you to model for her,” he spoke up. “Will you do it?”

“I think I will,” I smiled at him.

He leaned in closer and I could see the hint of blue in his green eyes, “Good, then that means you’ll be close by this summer.”

At this point I’d be surprised if my entire face wasn’t red. I hadn’t even thought about that, but I would still be working and he’d be training, so I’m not sure what good shortening the distance would be.

Sacha leans in closer and I think he’s about to kiss me, I’m so nervous. Do I want him to kiss me? Of course, I do, his lips look so soft.

Before either of us could do anything, his phone starts ringing. “Sorry it’s Liam.”

Dammit Liam, “It’s okay you can answer.”

“Hey mate, what’s up?”

I can’t exactly hear what Liam is saying, all I can here are muffled words.

“Yeah I’m with her right now.” Did he just ask about me?

“Liam wants to know how Dinah is?” Nope he’s just asking about Dinah.

Sacha hands me the phone and I place it on speaker, “Hi Liam.”

“Is Dinah alright, she hasn’t been answering her phone and I’m a bit worried,” he starts shooting questions, skipping the small talk.

“She’s okay...” I answer reluctantly.

“You don’t sound too sure,”

“It’s complicated.”

“Why don’t you come meet us, and I could probably get her out of our room,” I suggest hoping it’ll get her out of her rut.

“What if she doesn’t want to see me?”

“She does, I’ll have Sacha text you where we’re staying,” and with that I hung up, handing Sacha back his phone for him to text Liam.

“Do you mind if we go see Dinah?” I ask him, after all this is technically supposed to be a date.

He leans down to where he’s inches away from my ear and begins to whisper, “Haven’t you realized I’d do anything for you?”

******

I knock on our door, because of course I forgot the room key. Sacha is patiently waiting beside me as I knock again.

“Dinah. Dinah, it’s me Serena. I forgot my room key can you please let me in?” I try talking through the door.

“Maybe she’s sleeping,” Sacha tries to reason with me.

“Yeah maybe.”

We head back downstairs to call Liam and let him know she’s probably sleeping, but I have this sinking feeling that something isn’t right.

“Are you alright?” Sacha asks me, his eyes searching me for any hint of doubt.

“I’m not sure, something doesn’t feel right, it’s too early for her to be sleeping.”

“Okay, we can go check on her if you’d like? We can get a spare key at the front desk.”

I nod agreeing to his plan. Sacha places a kiss on my forehead making my cheeks heat up before taking my hand and leading me towards the front desk.

A few minutes later I finally get the key and we’re making our way back up to our room. I just know something is wrong, but I’m hoping for the best.

I scan the key card and push the door open, except the door hits something on the ground and doesn’t open completely. My eyes widen when I see Jacob on the ground with no pants on.

“Sacha, I need you to push the door open now!” I order him.

He doesn’t question me, he just does it. Once the door is wide enough for me to enter, I do so call for Dinah.

“Dinah!”

Sacha enters behind me and he can’t hold his tongue when he sees Jacob, and I can’t understand a single word he’s saying. “Merde qu’est-ce qui est arrivé?”

I should have paid attention in French class.

I hear the water running in the bathroom and I rush over, only to see Dinah naked, bruised, bloodied, and passed out in the tub.

Oh god, I knew something was wrong, I should have tried harder to get in, we could have helped her.

“Call 9-1-1!” I scream at Sacha as I rush to my sisters side.

The water is still scalding hot, which means she hasn’t been like this for long. I shut the water off and cover Dinah’s body with a towel.

I try waking Dinah up, but she isn’t responding to anything. Behind me I hear Sacha talking to someone on the phone telling them what we found.

I don’t even know what we found. That prick Jacob should not be here, Dinah would not invite him in. He must have forced his way in, and it looks like she fought him every step of the way. I am so proud of her.

While Sacha is on the phone, he checks Jacob for a pulse, tragically the son of a b***h is still alive. He must have just passed out from the lack of oxygen. Sacha comes over to check on Dinah and continues to speak to the operator.

Once he hung up the call, he picked up Dinah in his arms and carried her to the bed not caring that he was getting wet. I covered her up with the blanket and laid down beside her, while we waited for the police to arrive.

Soon the police and paramedics arrived, they wheeled Jacob out of here and they were finally working on helping Dinah.

The police were asking us questions left and right, but even we didn’t know what happened. We would all have to wait for one of them to wake up and answer all the questions. I just hope they believe Dinah when she tells them what happened.

“What in the bloody f**k! Let me through!” I hear Liam scream in the hallway.

I knew we were forgetting something.

Sacha rushes out to calm Liam down before he scares Dinah who is finally coming to mumbling a string of incoherent words.

“Liam mate calm down,” Sacha whispers.

Liam pushes his way through only to see Dinah still half-conscious being placed on a gurney to be transported to the hospital.

I swear if I ever knew what a broken man looked like; it’d be Liam right now.