Chapter 20

Eileen stared at the phone. Should she risk the call?

Yes, calling her mother was a rule, and she was determined to follow all the rules. She took a deep breath, turned on the phone, and dialed her mother's cell phone number.

"Mom, it's Sandra," she said, using her real name.

She heard a whimpering gasp. "Thank God!" her mother said. "How are you, Sandra? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine... now. I couldn't take it anymore, Mom. He raped me, and he lent me to his friends, and they raped me. I had to get out of there."

"Oh! Oh, no! Why didn't you come to me? Oh, this is terrible!"

"How has he been treating you since I left? Has he hurt you?"

The silence stretched out.

"He has, hasn't he?" Eileen said.

"Just once, and he was sorry, said he'd never do it again. Where are you, baby?"

"Your phone has Caller ID. What's the area code, Mom?"

"212," the woman said.

"That's New York City, Mom."

"Oh! Oh, Sandra. That's a big city, a dangerous place for a girl alone."

"No more dangerous than living with that pig you married."

"You can't have much money, baby. How will you live?"

"I get by, Mom. I..."

"Come home, baby. We'll..."

"Why should I? So that perverted creep can rape me whenever the urge strikes him, or so he can pass me around to his perverted friends? Look, I called to let you know I'm all right. Don't worry about me. Okay?"

"There's no way for me to not worry about you, baby. Listen, I've put away a little money that Robert doesn't know about. I could send it to you."

Sandra laughed. "Which would lead that sick pig to my door. Like you said, Mom, New York City is a big place. Without an address that monster will never find me here. He's looking for me, too. Right?"

"Yes, he says he's worried about you. But..."

"Yeah, right! Goodbye, Mom. I'll call you once in a while to let you know I'm okay."

"Wait! Don't hang up, baby. I know I haven't been a very good mother, but I love you, Sandra. Know that if nothing else."

Tears flushed Sandra's eyes. "I love you, too, Mom. Bye."

She ended the call and turned off the phone.

"Life sucks," she whispered. "Sometimes," she added as she looked around her room.

He raped me! And he lent me to his friends, and they raped me!

Her daughter's words echoed in Dorothy Hummel's mind, digging into her brain matter like flashing scimitars.

They'd shocked her, but... oh, dear God, they fit. They explained so much!

He raped me! And he lent me to his friends, and they raped me!

She glanced at her wristwatch, a gift from her husband. Husband. The word felt dirty, made her feel dirty. She'd been so proud of herself. She'd met and captured the heart of a good man, a man who could give her and her daughter a good life. Hah!

He raped me! And he lent me to his friends, and they raped me!

She rushed to the master bedroom and pulled out her luggage, another gift from her husband.

Dirty! She felt so dirty.

Without thinking about what to pack or not pack, she threw clothes into the bags, and dragged two of them on their rollers to her new Buick, another gift from her husband.

Dirty!

She'd sold her daughter's innocence for some expensive gifts. She hated herself.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! She'd been so stupid! She'd seen the signs, but she'd ignored them. Sandra had even come to her about inappropriate touching. Stupid! How could she have been so stupid?

She had to be free of the evil monster who had used her to get to her daughter, free of the monster so she could help Sandra, so she could make it right with her daughter.

Hurry, he'll be home soon!

She returned to the bedroom and dragged the remaining two bags to the car, and then returned and filled a large purse with her makeup, jewelry and the money she'd hoarded. She had to get away!

As she rushed down the hall, she heard the sounds of the garage door opening.

Too late!

Get hold of yourself. You can do this. She slowed to a walk, and met her husband as he stepped from the garage into the house.

He raped me! And he lent me to his friends, and they raped me!

"Hi, sweetheart," she said cheerily, and gave him a quick kiss, which made her nauseas. She swallowed the excess saliva in her mouth.

"Is dinner ready?" he said as he walked away from her.

"I didn't cook today. I'm on my way out right now for Chinese." She glanced at her wristwatch. "It's ready for pick up now. Be back in a few."

"I hope you ordered those crab puffs I like," he said as she opened the door leading to the garage.

"I did, a full order," she said and let the door close behind her. She leaned against it for a moment, breathing a sigh of relief, and then pushed the button that opened the garage door. She cursed as she tried to squeeze into the driver's seat of the Buick. He'd parked too close to her car! She ran around the car and opened the passenger door, tearing her hose as she clamored over the center console into the driver's seat.

Stay calm! she ordered herself. Her hands shook as she started the car. She backed out of the garage.

The next time Sandra called she would be free. She could go to her daughter, protect her, take care of her, get a job of some kind, any job, didn't matter. Somehow, they'd make do.

On the street, she wondered where she should go to wait for the call.

First stop at an ATM and take out the maximum cash allowed for a one day. Do the same tomorrow in Phoenix. Return to Tucson the day after for one more withdrawal, and then put the debit card away.

Phoenix, she had a friend in Phoenix. Would her friend let her stay until Sandra called? She'd look for work while she waited, too.

A waitress job, if nothing else she could be a waitress.

The menagerie of misfits has increased in number since the last dinner, Carol thought as she looked around the table. She included Tom Jensen and Tammy from the ranch among the misfits. Loveable misfits, she corrected. Tammy and Janice had a thing going, Carol knew. Tammy had spent the night with Janice after the last dinner at the compound.

She smiled at Vince, and he returned her smile. A sweet boy, Carol reflected. Carol thought of him as her grandson, and in a way he was, but she didn't have strong feelings for him like she had for George, not yet, anyway.

The bruised and battered girl sitting next to Vince wasn't sweet, though. Had her son made a mistake letting the runaway into his life? Carol had heard the girl's sad story, and she empathized with the teenager's plight, but worried the girl would create friction among the misfits. Time would tell. That Nora had been a large part of the decision to bring the girl into the compound gave Carol some comfort. Her daughter-in-law was a good judge of character.

Dwayne Holt, the man mountain, made his chair look too small, but he had good manners. He'd been raised properly. Carol blushed slightly when she wondered if his cock was proportional with the rest of his large body. She fanned her flushed face with her hand, and then stifled a schoolgirl giggle when she pictured a boyish cock on the large man instead of the monster she'd originally conjured in her mind.

Then a short laugh rushed through her lips when she noticed the adoring look Patty gave Vince. Puppy love. So sweet. The little girl was a year younger than the boy, but years ahead of him in maturity. Young Vince had a tiger by the tail and didn't know it. Hmm, maybe he does. Carol debated whether to warn David that Patty and Vince might be playing the if-you-show-me-yours game, or leave well enough alone. Let the chips fall, she decided. A couple of kids exploring their sexuality was not a big deal.

She glanced at her daughter-in-law, who was flirting with Flint. No, not flirting. Teasing. Nora did enjoy teasing a man... or a woman. Perhaps she and Nora could steal some private time later. It had been a while since just the two of them had made love. Too bad the entire group couldn't retire to the communal room after dinner and satisfy all the urges they had. Carol did so enjoy the group naked and moving from one to the other with only a whim as a reason for each move.

She grinned. Combinations and permutations, Darla called it.

Would Darla finally accept how she truly felt about Flint? Carol knew the signs, and her daughter exhibited all of them. Darla was in love with the man, but couldn't let herself go and just let love happen. Damn Steve White to hell! Darla's first husband was the culprit. He'd rejected her, and once burned, twice shy. Darla's love for her brother also played a large role in her reluctance to let herself love Flint without reservation. Darla loved David deeply. David had been her first love, and she would love him always. Without reservation. Perhaps she can't love two men at the same time like me, Carol thought. Oh, Darla loved Joe, but her love for David paled in comparison. Would a lesser love be enough for Flint like it was for Joe?

Carol's eyes fell on the dangerous-looking man, dangerous-looking because Flint could indeed be dangerous, she knew. She felt tingles float down her spine and settle in her cunt. She looked forward to the time when she'd take him inside her and make him a part of the group. She fanned her flushed face again and sipped some ice water.

She noticed the look Grace Black gave David was no less adoring than the look Patty had given Vince. An alpha male. David was the alpha male — always — in any group.

Carol looked up as June and Del and Janice walked out of the kitchen with dessert. David started the applause and everyone joined him, showing their appreciation of the fantastic meal they'd enjoyed.

Carol took her husband's hand and gave it an affection squeeze. She leaned to him and said, "I love you, cowboy."

His adoring look made her feel warm all over.

David twirled brandy in a snifter and sipped, looking at Grace Black over the rim of the glass. She crossed her shapely legs, and David wondered why she was single. He hadn't spent enough time in her past to answer his question. Maybe tonight, he thought.

"You said we needed to talk," David said.

"Yes, where to start?"

"At the beginning usually works," David said and grinned.

Grace nodded and said, "Shortly after Fisher's company made a substantial donation, and he was elected to Johnson's board, he started to recruit more large donations from other corporations, bringing in more board members with each large donation until he and his robber barons controlled the board and elected him chairman.

"The policy changes started when he was elected to the board, but after he gained control, he turned the organization upside down, treating it more like a for-profit company instead of a non-profit. Frankly, I believed that my tenure as CEO would end at any moment. That didn't happen. I think Fisher enjoyed pushing me around too much to let me go. He did cut my salary, and I almost quit then, but..." She shrugged.

"Then you happened." She grinned. "David, you can't imagine what a breath of fresh air you were, not only for me but also for Vera. We had fun pulling the wool over Fisher's eyes while improving her shelter for half of nothing and, at the same time, eliminating a lot of the chronic boredom exhibited by our residents."

She took a deep breath. "Then you made me an offer I couldn't refuse, so I quit, giving ample notice, but Fisher told me to clean out my desk. This morning, Kara and Lillian resigned, also giving ample notice. Kara and Lillian, by the way, manage the other two Johnson shelters. Fisher told them to vacate the shelters immediately."

"You're kidding," David said.

"Nope, the housekeeper at Kara's shelter is trying to hold that facility together, and a cook is doing the same with Lillian's shelter. Fisher called Vera and told her that until Kara, Lillian and I were replaced that she was responsible for all of the shelters. She quit on the spot and called me. I asked her to stay and do what she could, told her I'd help her via telephone with any decisions she had to make. She reluctantly agreed, called Fisher and said she'd try to keep all three shelters functioning. Surprisingly, Fisher accepted her offer to retract her resignation. Using the housekeeper and cook to operate the other two shelters was my suggestion."

"Whew! I can see why you needed to talk," David said. "Do you need some time to hold Johnson together until Fisher replaces you and the managers?"

Grace shook her head. "I'm not finished. Shortly after the call from Vera, I received a call from Stuart Cornell. Stuart was a member of the board when I was hired years ago. He asked me why I'd resigned. Knowing you were correct when you said that Fisher would try to sabotage your fledging organization if he found out about it before it was firmly established, I told Stuart that I'd resigned because I couldn't work for Fisher any longer, that I believed what Fisher had done to the organization was criminal, which was the truth, just not the whole truth. He was surprised when I told him that I'd given Fisher thirty-day's notice, but that Fisher had told me to clean out my desk immediately. He'd been told that I'd quit without notice. Stuart asked me what it would take for me to return to the organization. I told him in no uncertain terms that would never happen, not as long as Fisher and his henchmen controlled board policy."