Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Daniel leered above her as he slammed her front door closed, shaking the pictures on the wall.
“Now we’re going to talk, and you’re going to listen.”
Helena kicked and screamed as he grabbed her wrist and hoisted her up. With her free hand, she used whatever she could find to hit him with, but he ripped it from her like taking a toy from a child.
“Get the hell out of here, psycho!”
She wrenched her hand free, slapping him across the face. Hard. So hard the echo rippled through her apartment. When his head had straightened again, his pupils blew up, blackening his eyes.
“I taught you better than that.”
“Fuck you, you didn’t teach me shit,” she spat.
Helena moved in a slow circle with him, refusing to turn her back. If she could get their bodies close to the door, maybe she could make a run for it.
“You left me. You ghosted me like what we had was nothing.” Daniel gritted his teeth.
“ We had nothing! You abused me.” She pointed a finger in his chest, being sure to use force.
Of course, he barely moved. He was just too massive at over six feet and pushing 250 pounds at least.
“Abused you? You threw yourself at me when we met, you got in my van and you were willing if memory serves me correctly.” He brought a hand up to her cheek, but Helena slapped it away.
“You know damn well you crossed the line on more than one occasion. You did whatever you wanted to me without thinking about how badly it hurt.” Helena’s voice cracked. “I told you to stop.”
Daniel remained unmoving, shaking his head as he refused to listen.
“That’s what a dynamic is about, pretty girl. Taking what you’re given and not complaining about it.”
Rage boiled over, and Helena shoved him as hard as she could.
“I’m not your pretty girl! And that is the biggest load of shit I’ve ever heard. You know nothing about dynamics. You just wanted an innocent girl on the side you could fuck around with when you were bored!”
Her fists rained down in his chest.
“Oh, you found someone you think could give you even half of what I could? Let’s see.” He glanced at the fridge, then ripped off the picture of her and Grayson at the park.
“No! Give that to me!” She lunged for him, but he held his arm away, keeping her from grabbing it by wrapping his other arm around her.
“Ohh, I see. You found yourself someone else, huh?” He waved the photo in front of her face. “Cute little couple, what’s his name?”
“Go to hell!!” She lurched for her picture again, but he crumpled it in his fist and threw it at her chest.
“You think he can satisfy you? What can he give you that I can’t? What does he have that I don’t?” Daniel took her by the shoulders, shaking her with desperate rage.
Finally. She could confront him. “He doesn’t have a wife and child, you demented freak.”
The color drained from Daniel’s face, and he let go. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I don’t? You should be more careful about being seen on the news. You let a camera crew film you for a story, you idiot. With your wife and baby standing right next to you!”
He put his hand on his hip, running another over his goatee.
“Do you think she deserves that, Daniel? Does your daughter deserve that?” Helena balled up her fists as she forced him to face the truth.
“How long have you done this? How many other women are out there whom you’ve hurt! I know I can’t be the only one.”
“And how could a stupid slut like you possibly know that?”
Helena’s lip quivered, but she refused to give him any more of her tears. “Because men like you never change. You can never be satisfied. You’re sick and you’re disgusting. And I hope to god when she finds out everything you’ve done, she makes your life a living hell.”
An apology, she’d never expect, but what came out of his mouth next chilled her to the core.
“What makes you think she’ll ever find out? She’s an idiot just like you. Her job is to stay home and pop out babies, just like your job was to warm my bed and give me what I want. And if you won’t do that, I have other sluts like you lined up who can.”
His nonchalance paired with a non-caring shrug enraged Helena. He truly did not care.
“She’s about to find out, Daniel. So is every other woman you’ve hurt.”
“Really? What makes you think that, pretty girl?”
As if the world answered his question, sirens began hollering in the distance until they got closer and closer. Finally, her whole apartment complex was illuminated in red and blue.
Helena smirked, pulling her phone from her desk and stopping the record button.
“The whole world is about to find out! You’ll never hurt anyone ever again!”
She jumped as Daniel lunged for her, attempting to grab her phone.
Her apartment door began to rattle until persistent thuds beat against it. Six armed officers kicked it down and were on Daniel in seconds, dog piling him as he fought and resisted.
Helena covered her ears as a mixture of curses and yelling filled her small apartment. From the open door she could see all her neighbors curiously peeking out their doors, some running into the parking lot in worry.
“Miss?”
She hugged her phone to her chest to protect the vital evidence as a female cop slowly approached her.
“Miss, are you injured?”
Helena shook her head.
“Let’s get you downstairs. There are some people down there who really want to see you.”
Daniel thrashed in the officers’ grasps until they resorted to carrying him down the stairs to force his compliance. Helena and the female officer followed. Her body began to give up its fight as the adrenaline she had been running on finally crashed.
“Easy, honey. Look over there.” The officer pointed down the stairs, where Grayson spoke with another officer. By now, six police cars were lighting up the parking lot, and Helena used her remaining energy to rush to him.
“Baby, I’m here. I’m here.” He took her in his embrace.
She collapsed into his arms and her body became wracked with sobs. Two more sets of hands touched her shoulder and head, and she looked up. Grayson’s father was offering her a sympathetic smile to her right, and to her left was her stepfather.
“Ray?”
Grayson let her go and she fell into Ray’s arms.
“Oh, kiddo! I was so damn scared.” He squeezed her almost too tight, breathing a shaky sigh of relief.
“But how did—”
“Grayson looked me up and called. I raced over here as fast as I damn well could. Honey, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” His tired green eyes closed and he kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll kill him. I swear to god, I’ll kill him!” Ray kept both hands on her shoulders as he scanned each cop car for Daniel.
Helena could hardly believe what she was hearing. Her stepfather had never shown her this sort of affection. But when faced with a possible scenario of her harm, it appeared that he could hardly bear it.
“You and me both.” Grayson took her hand, though not taking her from her stepfather just yet.
This was the most terrifying day of her life, but she had never felt so loved, so cared for in all her days.
She cried in Ray’s chest, needing all the support she could get.
When he finally let her go, she curled up in Grayson’s lap, where he rocked her back and forth.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you now. It’s all over. You’re safe.” He shushed her and rubbed her back.
“I don’t want to stay here anymore,” she confessed through ugly crying.
“You’re coming home with me. And you’ll never leave my side again as long as we live.”
“Consider your lease broken, sweetheart. I don’t care what it costs. Your mother and I will help. I don’t want you in that apartment ever again.” Ray patted her on the head.
She nodded her head and thanked her stepfather.
As for Grayson’s father, she held out her arms and thanked him for what he did for her today.
“I’m sorry I dragged Grayson into this.”
“Sorry? Helena, this wasn’t your fault. You know that right?”
No. Maybe. She wasn’t sure yet. It would take time to get over the guilt.
An officer interrupted, needing more questions answered. Grayson stayed by her side and squeezed her hand, refusing to let her go.