Chase had resumed his pacing, from one end of his bedroom to the other, over and over. “Tell me about the punishments.”
I frantically shook my head. “I can’t do that. Please don’t make me do that.”
“I only want to know what he used.”
I managed to utter, “A paddle or a belt,” before the memory consumed me.
The only warning was the sound of the paddle slicing through the air before a line of fire streaked across my backside. Before the scream could leave my throat, the next strike landed.
“What is your name?” he bellowed as the paddle continued to harshly land against my skin.
“V-V-Vanessa,” I wailed.
“You. Are. Vanessa.” he screamed, each word punctuated by a strike of the paddle.
He left me there when he was finished. He always left me there, tied to a support beam in the basement. Sometimes it was just a few hours, and sometimes it was over 12 hours. As I watched my tears drip to the floor, I wondered how long I would be left there this time.
“Harper! Baby, please!” I heard Chase’s desperate pleas and felt myself being cradled in his arms.
“I’m okay,” I mumbled. I was never completely coherent immediately after a vivid flashback.
“No more, baby. We don’t have to talk about it anymore.” He placed kisses all over my face and head. I tried to move but found myself wedged between Chase at my front and something at my back. Reaching back with my hand, I discovered Titan was pressed firmly against my back.
“He jumped on the bed and used his body to maneuver you to your back when the flashback started,” Chase told me, a hint of pride in his eyes.
“Impressive, Titan. Good boy,” I praised while petting his head. I was skeptical about Titan and his supposed abilities at first, but he’d proven me wrong two different times in one night.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, searching my eyes for the answer.
“I’m sure. I have flashbacks or panic attacks from time to time. It happens more when I’m stressed or if I’m in a tense situation with raised voices, particularly male voices. My go-to response is to cower and mentally withdraw.”
“That’s what happened at Duke’s tonight, isn’t it? You fainted right after we started yelling.”
“I’m not sure. That was different. I didn’t have a flashback, and I’m not scared of you or Duke. It was weird. One second I was fine, the next I felt lightheaded and then I was going down.”
Chase was on his phone before I could protest. He handed the phone to me. “It’s Patch. He’s a club member and a doctor. He wants to ask you a few questions.”
I spoke to the man on the phone and answered his questions. In a few short minutes, he determined that I needed to eat something with some protein and get some rest. Chase took those words to heart. He made steak for both of us, as well as the dog, took a very chaste shower with me, and tucked me into his bed.
***
I was surprised when Duke showed up at Chase’s place the following morning. Not because he was there, but that it had taken him so long to show up. I thought he would have been there within an hour or two of us leaving his house.
Chase opened the door and blocked the view with his body. “Look, man, if you’re going to say or do anything to upset her, I can’t let you in. She doesn’t need the stress right now.”
“I’m here to apologize, to you and to her. May I please come in?”
“Let him in, Carbon,” I called from my place on the sofa.
Chase reluctantly opened the door to let Duke in. However, it appeared he needed to apologize to Titan as well. My beautiful dog was standing in front of me, a low growl coming from his throat. Duke froze mid-step. “Harper, can you call off your beast?”
I laughed and raised an eyebrow. “Which one?”
Duke snorted. “That one,” he replied, pointing to Titan.
“Calmati,” I softly said, and Titan’s growling instantly stopped. He glanced back at me, as if double checking my decision, then resumed his position on the floor by my feet.
Duke kept his eyes on Titan and slowly made his way to the love seat. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees before meeting my eyes. “I’m sorry about last night. I would’ve been here sooner, but I honestly didn’t know if it would make things worse for you.” He looked at his feet and took in a shaky breath. “I’ve never been the cause of a flashback. I’m so sorry, Harper.”