Marriage (3 page)

Roughly Abul turned her back to face him. “Goddamn it! You’re fucking husband is dead. You are now my woman. You will do what I tell you. Yes?” He glared at her.

Trying to keep her voice from trembling, she answered softly, “Oh, God, Abul...think of what you’re asking. How could I honestly say I enjoyed hearing about my husband’s painful death?”

Abul parted her open blouse and viciously dug his fingernails into her nipples, “Goddamn it, have you learned nothing!” he shouted. “You will say it because you are now my woman!” He twisted her tortured nipples as Kathy cried out. “You will do and say what Abul tells you to do and say.” Unable to speak, Kathy nodded her head vigorously. Abul let her go. “Well?” he demanded.

Kathy closed her eyes, gasping for breath. After several moments, she whispered, “Yes, I belong to you now. I am your woman. I will do what you wish.”

“And what will you call me?” He continued to force her to look at him.

“I...I...I’ll call you ‘husband’,” she said.

“Yes, that’s what you will call me. You are my wife and my whore. Is that not right?”

“Yes, I am Abul’s whore, his American whore...but...but not his real wife.”

“Goddamn you! You will act like a real wife!”

“Yes, I will pretend to be the wife of the man who killed my husband.”

“And there, in the house you shared with your husband, what will you do for Abul?”

Kathy thought to herself,
‘I will spit in his face. I will take a kitchen knife and plunge it into his heart.’
She tried again to twist away.

Abul slapped her, spinning her head back. “Tell me, bitch!” he shouted. “Describe to me what Abul’s woman is going to do to for him or else I will call the Facility and your goddamn sister-in-law will bleed!”

It was several moments before Kathy could speak. “As I said, I will thank this man, this Ira. And...and...then I will crawl to you. Naked and on my knees I will crawl to you Abul. I will ask you to feel me...to feel my naked body. I will kneel between your legs and beg you to permit me to...to...taste you, to suck your...your cock.”

“You will call me ‘husband’ and take me to your bed, and then...?”

“Yes, I will call you husband. I will invite you to the bed I once shared with...with...Jeff. I will make myself pretty for you...cosmetics, and perfume. I will rub my body with oil and wear a provocative gown and the shoes you like...the high heels. I will tease you. Make love to you. I will beg you...there in the place where my husband and I first made love, I will beg you to...to fuck me...to fuck my ass.”

“Yes, that’s better. Will you thank me for taking your husband’s life so that you can give yourself to me? Tell me like you mean it and with a show of affection. Make me believe you or...” He pointed to the cell phone.

Into Kathy’s mind flashed a vision of Mary Margaret, tied to the whipping post. She wet her lips, “Yes, I will thank you.” She placed her hand on top of his and leaned toward him so that her breast was pressed against his arm. “I will thank you for doing what you had to do so that I might become your woman.”

“And then...?”

Kathy thought for a moment trying to imagine what else he wanted to hear. She reached up to touch his leering face, “Later, after you have cum...after you have cum deep inside my...my ass, I will lie awake while you sleep. I...I...will look at you and be grateful that you have...have...made it possible for...for us to be there.....in bed...close together like a husband and wife. And...and looking at you beside me, I will be grateful that you have taken me as your woman.” She saw that he was not quite satisfied. “As you are sleeping, I will lean over you and gently brush my lips against yours and whisper that...that...I love you.”

Abul nodded. He released her and slumped back in his seat. Soon, he was snoring again.

Chapter Two
- Homecoming

A long black Lincoln Town car met them at the Pittsburgh airport. They waited while several trunks were loaded into it. The driver, a small thin wiry black man joined them. His head was shaved. A large gold earring pierced his right earlobe. His full lips stretched over a mouth that was too wide for his thin face. His teeth, like Abul’s, were broken and yellow. He wore a crisp white shirt open at the neck and black trousers. Apparently, he and Abul had met before. They shook hands, then Abul turned to Kathy. “This,” he said, “is our driver who comes from Burundi.” The driver stared impassively at Kathy. Abul watched for a moment, then continued, “A few years ago he was a soldier patriot and well known. It is believed he hacked to death more than two hundred of his country’s civilian enemies.” Abul chuckled. “Most of them were at their prayers and the others were sleeping. Is that not right, Uzetta?” Abul clapped the driver on the shoulder and laughed.

The driver said nothing; He had not taken his eyes from Kathy. She turned away. She had a feeling Abul was lying.

Abul smiled at Kathy. “Mr. Satomi, your own benefactor, arranged for Uzetta to escape when the United States aggression began in his country. He owes his life to Mr. Satomi, just as you do.” The trunks had been loaded into the limousine. Abul continued, “Of course, he hates all Americans.” He turned her to face the driver. “You, Mrs. Ryan, will address him as Mr. Uzetta.” Kathy nodded. The driver’s eyes were hard and bright. He stared at her, she thought, with the cold, unblinking concentration of a snake.

Abul indicated she was to sit alone on the back seat. He sat facing her. When they were settled, he said, “Tell him how to get to our house.” His phrase “our house” caused her to grit her teeth and squeeze her eyes shut. He repeated it, “Our house. It is now our house, is it not, Mrs. Ryan...mine and yours?”

After a moment she answered quietly, “Yes, it is now yours and mine. It is now our house.” She gave the driver directions.

When they were free of the airport traffic, Abul switched on the intercom and said something to Uzetta in a foreign language. She heard the intercom speakers pop. The driver’s voice, speaking with a thick accent, said, “Spread legs. Show me in mirror.” She glanced at Abul who nodded. The color rising to her cheeks, she parted her knees. Abul spoke into the intercom again. “Show cunt,” the driver rasped. She lifted her skirt to reveal the glistening crevice of her slit.

Abul leaned toward her. “Tell our driver about the last time you rode in a limousine in your city. Tell him who your driver was.”

Kathy knew that describing the night she first met Abul and confessing that she’d defied him would inflame his hatred of her, but she could think of no way to avoid answering. “Several months ago a limousine was sent to my house to take me to the city. The driver was Abul.”

Abul placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward, “And what exactly did Abul tell you to do?” he asked.

“You told me to do what...what this driver has...you told me to spread my legs. You told me to show you my...my...cunt.”

“Did you obey?” She could hear the anger in his voice.

“No, but...but...I didn’t realize...”

“Why have you obeyed the driver now?” Abul quickly interrupted.

She tried to find a way to dispel his growing rage, “Because now you are my master. If it pleases you that I show my...my cunt to...to...Mr. Uzetta, I am glad to do so.”

“And if, when we get to our house, I tell you to prepare dinner for Mr. Uzetta and afterwards tell you to beg him to fuck your ass?”

It was a moment before Kathy was able to answer. She realized that before this long night was over she would be forced to give herself to this ugly black stranger. She thought of opening the door and throwing herself out of the swiftly moving car, but she noticed the doors were locked. She considered refusing and enduring Abul’s wrath. Then, she remembered Mary Margaret. “I am Abul’s woman,” she said softly, “I will do whatever pleases you.”

She flinched as Abul placed his hand on her bare inner thigh. “Suppose I said it would please me if you begged me to tongue kiss you?” He wet his lips.

Kathy glanced away for a moment then forced herself to look at his leering face. She inched to the edge of her seat. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her knees between his legs. She lifted her head tilting it toward him, “Please, Abul, please tongue kiss me,” she parted her lips and felt his open mouth on hers and then the sour taste of his thick tongue. He held her for a long time before withdrawing his tongue.”

“Again, bitch,” he demanded, “but this time you tongue me.” Once more their open mouths fused. She hesitated, then darted her tongue between his lips. His hands were on her breasts rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. She tried not to make a sound but a low groan escaped her. They parted. Abul leaned back in his seat and indicated she was to take her former position. He grinned watching her breasts rise and fall and her cheeks turn scarlet. “Abul’s kisses excite you, Mrs. Ryan. Admit it. Tell me if you’re hot juices are running.”

Still blushing, she swallowed hard and bowed her head. “Yes, Abul, the way you are...the way you make me obey. And yes, your kisses excite me.” She spread her legs wide. “I am, as you can see, very wet.”

Abul nodded, “In the next weeks you will often be begging for Abul’s kisses. I won’t need to order you because you’ll want to feel your open mouth against mine. Say it.”

Kathy despised herself for the way her body responded to the grotesque murderer who sat opposite her. She was deeply ashamed and filled with hatred. Still she said what had to be spoken, “Yes, Abul, I will beg you to kiss me. I have come to realize how...how aroused I become when my parted lips press hard against yours.”

Abul closed his eyes. “Keep your legs spread. Pull your nipples. Tease Uzetta until we arrive at our house. Then, you will cook him a meal, provide him with drinks, and offer him your ass.” Soon Abul was snoring again. Afraid the driver would complain if she disobeyed, she did what Abul demanded. In the mirror she could see the mean glitter in the narrow slits of his eyes. Like the rest of them, he would be cruel, perhaps, unless she was careful, much worse than any of the others. Her nipples stiffened under her touch. She could feel the wetness between her parted legs.

When the limousine swung into her driveway she almost burst into tears. This was her home. After their honeymoon she and Jeff had come here. They’d furnished and decorated it before the wedding. Then, there were parties for friends, birthday celebrations, holidays, and so many tender nights of loving one another, so many small acts of kindness and caring. They had been a perfect match, she and Jeff. They shared each other’s interests, and if changes were to come they were sure that they would change together in the same ways. Theirs had been an old-fashioned union. College sweethearts, a long engagement, both virgins on their wedding day and, afterwards, the constant and deep caring. As she remembered the joyful evening when they arrived home for the first time after their honeymoon, she began to cry.

Abul woke with a start. He looked across at her, frowning. She quickly brushed away the tears. The driver parked in front of the garage door. He followed Abul and Kathy up the few steps. Abul had the key and opened the front door. Immediately, Kathy saw that alterations had been made. Heavy drapes covered the windows. She noticed a large hook on a steel pulley had been anchored to the central ceiling beam in the living room. A leather bench with eyebolts at the base of each leg had been placed before the fireplace. Her single damask covered chair had been replaced by two big wing chairs of burgundy leather. Placed strategically at various heights on the walls and along pipes hung from the ceiling were the same small video cameras that had recorded every moment of her stay at the facility.

She stood in the center of the room, wishing she might die. Abul came up behind her and viciously grabbed her ass cheek spinning her around and pressing her close to him. “Welcome your new man to our home,” he said. He smelled strongly of perspiration. She fought against the need to scream and twist away. She could feel the stiffness of his cock against her belly. He tilted her head up. She lifted on her tiptoes and parted her lips as she knew she must. With both hands he held her head tight against his own. Once more she felt and tasted his foul tongue in her mouth. She thought of the clitoral brushes and longed for them to spin against her swollen nub. Try as she might to dispel it, the heat of desire burned in her crotch. It had been months since she had felt a man inside her. Abul pulled away.

When they separated, she was gasping for breath. She held onto the back of one of the chairs for support. Abul was surprised at her reaction. He turned to look at the driver who was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette. “She needs a real man for a husband,” Abul said. “She needs Abul.” He looked back at Kathy who had covered her face with her hands and was sobbing. “Ain’t that right, bitch?” he yelled.

“Yes,” she managed to say, “I...I...need a real man.” After a moment, she added, “I need Abul.” Of course, it was what she knew she had to say, but to the men it sounded as if she meant it.

“You want Abul in your house. You want him in your bed. Tell our friend here.”

They waited in silence until Kathy stopped crying. Looking down at the floor she said, “I want Abul here in this house. I want to make love to him in my bed...I mean I want to make love to him in...in the bed we will now share as...as...” She could not say husband and wife. “I want to make love to him in our bed.”

Uzetta said nothing. He continued to stare at her, the smoke from his cigarette partially obscuring his face. Abul crossed to Kathy and jerked his thumb toward the kitchen. “Make us some food. But first pour two glasses of bourbon with ice. You know how I like it.”