Chapter 5

Dylan grabbed Courtney by the shoulders, shaking her awake. “Courtney, wake up!” He said, the urgency in his voice causing him to nearly yell at her as he kept desperately trying to wake her up. She shook fitfully, caught in a nightmare. She struggled as Dylan held onto her. As she continued to fight against him, a cry caught in her throat.

“Courtney! Open your eyes! It’s me!” Dylan begged as he touched her face gently, pulling her close to him.

Suddenly, she broke into tears as Dylan held her close. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was safe. She was in her own home, in her own bed, with her own husband.

“It happened again, didn’t it?” Courtney asked, ashamed. She buried her head against Dylan’s shoulder.

“Yeah.” He sighed. “It’s okay. We’ll get through it.” Dylan ran his hand over Courtney’s hair, smoothing it as he hugged her.

“I know.” Courtney said, her voice muffled by Dylan’s shoulder. “I just want the flashbacks to stop.” She pulled back and looked at Dylan, her green eyes still full of tears. She turned away, laying back down on her left side. She stared at the clock. It was just after 4am. She tried to turn her mind off, but it was not working.

It had only been a few weeks since the incident at the office. But what had scared Courtney more than everything that had happened was the fact that the nightmare truly wasn’t over.

Michael wasn’t dead.

He had passed out from shock and from blood loss, but the wound wasn’t fatal. Paramedics had found a pulse, revived him, and rushed him to the hospital, where he was able to make a full recovery.

The news gave Courtney an overwhelming feeling of fear, along with the tiny feeling of relief that she wouldn’t have to live the rest of her life with the knowledge she had killed someone.

He was currently being held for evaluation. It seemed very likely that he was going to be able to avoid going to jail. At most, it looked like he would be remanded to therapy and time served. Courtney had met several times with her Attorney to discuss the case, and had repeatedly expressed her displeasure with this development.

She had been granted an emergency restraining order. But that piece of paper didn’t make Courtney feel any more at ease. Knowing that he was being kept under close watch while institutionalized made her feel a little better, but she still worried about what would happen when he got out.

Courtney knew that Michael would come after her. There was no doubt in her mind. Michael was a psychopath, a master of manipulation. He would be able to convince whoever he needed to he was no longer a threat, that his issues were resolved, and he would be done with therapy. He’d be unmonitored, and she was willing to bet that the first chance he had, he would find her.

Eventually Courtney settled back into a fitful sleep, only to be jolted awake by the sound of the alarm clock. She blindly fumbled for the snooze button, slapping it before rolling over and pulling the covers over her head. It seemed only seconds had passed before the alarm blared again, and Courtney reluctantly dragged herself out of bed.

She was thankful to be settling back into her normal routine. Work gave her the distraction she so desperately needed. Rick had given her a few other projects to keep her mind occupied since they had been slow in the office. She had also decided to begin studying for some additional certifications. Anything to keep her mind busy was a positive thing.

A few times, Courtney caught her thoughts wandering back to David. He was her first boyfriend. He was a control freak, abusive and extremely violent. He threatened to kill her any time she tried to leave. For almost a year and a half, she lived in the painful cycle of a violent relationship. He taught her what fear was. If she ever said no, it became yes, if he had to beat her into compliance. She thought she would die before she got out.

Eventually, she got up the courage to leave, and he nearly did kill her. A concussion, bruised ribs and sprained wrist later, he was in jail for the weekend and she was single. Once everything that he had done to her came out, her closest friends and family were in shock. But David made a deal and walked, spending three days in jail and two years on probation.

Until she left her hometown behind, he followed her every move, keeping his distance just enough that she couldn’t do anything about it. The restraining order she had was as worthless as the paper it was printed on. Courtney knew it was an excuse, albeit a lousy one, but she blamed him for being afraid to run away from Michael.

Michael made her uneasy from the moment that she first met him. The fear continued to grow every time that he would try to get her to open up about personal things when he would call for a business transaction. When he was able to pick up that he made her nervous about something he had said, he continued to push, knowing she wouldn’t snap back at him. He knew she had a secret that could be exploited. He knew that underneath the cheerful smile and sunny demeanor hid a broken, scared girl that could be easily controlled through fear and intimidation. And he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. Each interaction, he was setting her up, putting his plan together for the final push that would bring her to him. It worked flawlessly.

Courtney sighed as she parked in front of the courthouse. It was a breezy spring morning. Courtney was thankful that she elected for dress pants over a skirt. She buttoned her suit jacket and pulled her leather coat on as she stepped out of the car and headed for the door.

The hearing started on time. She sat next to her attorney, Dylan, Rick, and Courtney’s best friend Hailey, who had driven over two hours to be there. “I was there for you with David, I’m going to be there for you now.” Hailey said, effectively ending any objection Courtney had.

When Michael was escorted into the courtroom, Courtney jumped. She instantly began shaking. Dylan protectively wrapped an arm around her as Michael glanced in their direction.

As the hearing began, it was the typical review of the facts, the charges and the current status of the defendant. At that point, questioning began, and Courtney was called to give her statement. As she approached the stand, she could feel Michael’s gaze burning through her. She did her best to ignore him. When the defense attorney asked her to confirm who her attacker was, she looked straight at Michael. Their eyes met and she felt faint. Even though his face was blank, his eyes were full of fury. He could have killed her on the spot.

After her testimony, they called Dylan and Rick for their statements. Courtney could barely listen as they recounted the details of what Michael did to her. Then, the defense spoke. Michael said nothing. When the defense finished, they were dismissed while they all eagerly waited for the Judge to make a decision. Courtney needed a break, so she stepped out into the hallway.

Fighting tears, she looked at the ceiling, staring at the light blue paint as it cracked where it met the plaster. “I hate this.” She whispered, blinking back the tears that were stinging at her eyes as she paced anxiously.

Soon, the judge returned from his review of the details that had been presented. Courtney sat on the edge of her seat, fidgeting as the judge addressed the room.

“In light of the information that I have been provided,” he began, “I will recommend that the Order of Protection be extended for a period of one year. The defendant shall have no contact with the plaintiff. The defendant will be sentenced to time served, and remanded to probation for a period of two years.” He paused, looking down at his notes.

Courtney’s heart sank. He was getting away with everything. “No ... not again.” She whispered as the tears burned at her eyes. Hailey looked over at Courtney painfully. She reached over and grabbed Courtney’s hand.

“Additionally,” the judge continued, “The defendant shall be mandated to attend a second mental health evaluation and intensive counseling for a minimum period of three months, or until he is no longer considered to be a threat.” He paused, looking at Courtney’s attorney and at Michael’s attorney as if waiting for an objection before banging his gavel once. “You are dismissed. Mr. Stevenson, you are free to go.”

“All Rise!” the Bailiff’s voice rang through the room as the judge turned and walked out, back to his chambers.

“Courtney, I’m so sorry.” The attorney looked at her sorrowfully. “Unfortunately, we see this happen far too often.”

“It’s not your fault.” Courtney replied, reaching for her coat. “It happened last time too.” She instantly felt faint. The room spun and she grabbed the chair in front of her to keep from falling over. Dylan and Rick instantly grabbed her to hold her up. “Courtney?” Dylan said, quietly, “Courtney, are you okay?”

“No.” Courtney replied. Her voice was hollow. “I need to get out of here.”

Within a few moments, they had left the courthouse. They stood outside, the chill from the breeze lost to the sun that was beating down on them. Hailey shook her head as she stood beside Courtney. “I can’t believe this happened again,” Courtney started. “You know he’s going to come after me.”

Dylan and Rick looked at her with concern. Hailey cleared her throat and nodded her head stiffly to her left. “Don’t turn around, Courtney,” she said softly as Michael walked down the sidewalk behind them. He saw them standing there, and smiled wickedly, eyeing Courtney as he walked by. “It’s okay. He’s gone.” She said, putting her arm around her shaking best friend.

“Sick son of a bitch.” Dylan growled quietly. “I should have shot him that night.”

Courtney’s green eyes flashed painfully as she looked at Dylan. “I’m sorry.” He apologized, reaching out for her.

“Let’s get out of here, before anything else happens.” Rick suggested.

A few months later, Dylan had gone out of town for an extended weekend hunting trip. Courtney was home alone. Hailey had volunteered to come keep her company and have a girl’s weekend, but Courtney declined, saying that she just needed some quiet time to unwind after a long week at the office.

It was about 7:30 on Saturday night. Courtney had just opened a bottle of wine, turned on the tv, and was waiting on her Chinese delivery to show up. She was talking to Dylan on the phone when the doorbell rang. “Hey, my dinner’s here, so I’ll talk to you later. Love you.” She said, hanging up and tossing her phone on the table as she walked to the door.

Without thinking, she unlocked and opened the door, expecting to find the Chinese delivery driver standing there with her food.

Instead, there stood Michael. He looked at her intently. “Hello, Courtney.” He smiled as he watched her reaction.

“Shit.” Courtney panicked, stepping backwards away from the door, trying to close it quickly. But Michael was faster than she was and pushed the door backwards, pinning her behind it. He stepped into the living room, closing the door behind him.

Courtney scrambled for her phone, grabbing it and picking it up. Michael grabbed her wrist and stared at her darkly. He shook his head at her slowly. Courtney knew that if she tried to call for help, she was done for. “Why are you here, Michael?” she asked, defensively.

“You know why I’m here, Courtney.” He replied, coldly. “We have some unfinished business to take care of.”

Courtney’s eyes widened in fear as he stepped closer. “There’s that fear that I love so much.” He sighed, reaching out and grasping her chin gently. She winced with the expectation that he was going to hurt her, but he didn’t. He traced her jawline with his fingers as she turned her head away.

The doorbell rang again, and Michael scowled in disproval. “Get rid of them.” He growled.

She opened the door, smiling and greeting the delivery driver, signing the card slip and sending him on his way. She closed the door and turned to place the paper bag onto the hall table. As she turned around, he grabbed her by the shoulders.

“You know what I came for.” He said, darkly as he looked at her, digging his fingers in. “I want you. I’m going to have you. You’re not going to stop me.”

“Michael, please don’t do this...” her voice trailed off as she looked at him. “You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do.” He replied softly, leaning closer to her. “I want to feel myself, buried deep inside of you, feel you writhing around me.” His voice dropped as he whispered into her ear. “I need to hear you crying out as you unravel.”

Courtney gasped and closed her eyes, turning her head away. “You know all I have to do is pick up my phone and you go back to jail, right?” she asked defiantly. “Give me one reason not to do that right now.”

“Because you and I both know that you want this as much as I do.” Michael taunted. The feeling of his breath on her neck gave her chills. He chuckled before continuing. “Also, because I know that you don’t want to die tonight.”

Courtney’s eyes shot open at his statement, and she looked up at him in a panic. He smiled back at her wickedly. “Now I’ve got your attention.” He replied coolly. “Those pretty green eyes...” he trailed off as he released his grip on her shoulders, watching her step back from him. “I told you, this wasn’t over until I said it was over. Touch that phone, you’ll be dead before they get here.”

“Are you really going to kill me, Michael?” Courtney’s voice had gone hollow as she stared at him. She had already resigned herself to admitting she was defeated. “You know that you’ve got the upper hand.”