Rising Up: Finding Me book 1 (20 page)

Mason

She looks at me, her eyes wide with fear but nods her head and Luc lets them in.  I stand us both up and take Ginny's hand and lead her to my office where the doctor’s notes and the photographs and disc of the rape were locked away.  Ginny pulls on my hand.  "I don't want to be with them when they watch it Mason, I can't bear the looks in their eyes."

"Okay sweetheart, after you give them your statement I'll ask if you can leave while they view it.  I don't really want them to take it away.  They can have a copy, things can get lost.  C'mon let's get this over with, and I can get you into bed, don’t look at me like that babe, you look wiped out."  I can see the desire in her eyes but I'm sure she'll be asleep the minute her head hits the pillows.

Standing at the back of my office with Lucas next to me leaning against the wall, I know I won't be able to say anything, but I want Ginny to feel my support.

"Ms. Banks, are you comfortable with Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Davenport being here with you?"

"Its fine, they have both already seen and read the reports I'm going to show you and to be honest with you I'm new in this country and I'm not sure what is going to happen here."

"We understand Ms. Banks, thank you for your time today, I understand how shaken you must be.  I'm Detective Garcia and this is Detective Mathews.  Shall we get started?"

I managed to tune out the horrors that sick bastard inflicted on her, but some of it is new to me and Lucas looked livid as her heard it. 

Turning to me he whispers "This bastard is going down and I don't care who does it but he won't be breathing for much longer"

I look back up and Imogen is looking at me questioningly.  "Sorry babe, what did you say?"

"The police want to watch the recording."

"Okay sweetheart, let's get you out of here."

Imogen

I can't believe how many questions they are asking me.  'Had he always been violent? How else did he control me, what was my mother's role in this?  Have I any idea who else Jake could have brought over?' 

It seems that Peter Jenkins has talked and although he wasn't sure who else was involved he was under the impression from Jake that there were more.  Jake was blackmailing him with some photographs he has of him, there's something else but he's not saying yet. 

We had talked for well over an hour and had discussed the medical records, I had to give them Nessa's number so they could have her confirm the extent of the injuries.  I'd better speak to her first thing tomorrow and warn her, but I know she'll be happy to help put him away.

"We would like you to stay please Ms. Banks, you will need to put names to faces.  We are aware of Mr. Williams and now Mr. Jenkins, but we need to be able to recognize the others and check whether they are also here."

"I don't need to watch it to tell you their names it was always the same four men with Jake, they were his closest friends."

Mason's head jerks up.  "What do you mean 'always' how many times did this happen?  Shit Ginny, please tell me?"  He has tears in his eyes as he rushes up and pulls me in to his arms.  "I think gentlemen that we need I few minutes to ourselves."

The leading officer looks at the distress on my face and nods.  "Okay, but just a few minutes we really need to get the others names so that we can check on them.  Maybe Mr. Davenport has information he can share with us if that is okay with you Ms. Banks."

I manage to nod my head while my eyes are fixed on Mason.

"Ginny babe, talk to me.  How many times did he do this to you?  I can't bear this, the thought of all the hurt and pain he inflicted on you is killing me."  His forehead touches mine as he leans in and softly kisses my trembling lips.

"It only happened that one time but he always hung out with the same four friends, they all went to the same university and were inseparable.  He would let them watch him fuck me and they would take photographs."  Swallowing hard and with my hands in front of my eyes, my voice is stuttering as I start to speak again. 

"He would sometimes tie me to the bed and blindfold me, which is fine and normal in happy, healthy and consensual relationships, and I'm all for those sort of games, we would do it when we first got together and I liked it, but I'm sure it was so that he could get me used to not seeing what was happening. 

Later he would let his friends touch me thinking I wouldn't notice but how stupid did he think I was, people do things differently and smell different.  He would remove the blindfold once they had left."

"Who are these men Ginny, what are their names?"  His voice sounds so strained, I think he about to snap.

"Okay, let's get the police back in here and then I can tell them too."  I hold his face with my hands and kiss him deeply pouring as much love as I can in to it.

Lucas leads them back in and has one of his laptops with him.  "Ginny, if it's alright with you I will bring up the profiles of each man so that the cops can have a visual of each of them."

"Of course Lucas, that is a much better idea, I really don't want to look at that video ever again."  I rest my hands flat on the table and look back up at the cops.  "You already know Peter Jenkins and, thankfully, have him in custody.  All of these men have high profile jobs and I think two of them are married and I know one of them has a young child. 

The dark-haired man is Damien Halloran and he is Jake's personal lawyer.  The tall blond man is Marcus Cavanagh and he is a high profile banker working in the City, he is married to a socialite and they attend all the parties of the rich and famous even royalty.  The forth is Leo McBride a successful actor in a popular soap opera, he is married to a model and has a child of about 2 years old." 

By the time I've finished I realize that I have tears pouring down my face, Masons hand is rubbing soothing circles on my back and Lucas has the printer at the back of the office spewing reams of paper with photographs and profiles of each man as he finds them, and also their wives background too.

"Thank you Ms. Banks for that information I believe that after we have viewed the evidence we will be finished for now unless there are any questions you have for us?"

"I think my brain is about to explode, so I'm sorry I can't think of anything at the moment." 

"That's understandable but please don't hesitate to call me if you think of anything else."

"Oh Lucas have you mentioned Mark and Lauren?"  I turn to look at him.

"Mr. Davenport has given us the information he has gathered on them, and we will be paying them a visit shortly."

Mason

As we walk out of my office I pull Imogen towards my bedroom, I want to talk to her away from Lucas and the cops, I'm sure Maddie and Lake will turn up soon so I haven't got much time.

"Jesus!"  I'm rubbing my hands down my face trying to clear my head of the images and reports of my beautiful, funny, sexy, intelligent girlfriend being raped by a group of sadistic animals.

Just a few months ago I was moping around my apartment feeling sorry for myself without any knowledge of this amazing woman about to enter my life and turn it upside down, I never thought I would love someone so completely, but now with all of this trouble crashing around us I'm beginning to wonder if it's all too much? 

But the thought of not being with her makes my heart ache, so I know I'm going to have to man up and take control of my fears, because if Ginny can claim her life back and move on then I can surely accept what happened and move on with her but the dreaded question is roaring its way out of my body 'why did she stay with him?'

"I know what you are thinking Mason and it's a question I continually ask myself now. But he is a very persuasive and charming man, he wouldn't be as successful as he is if he wasn't, he would promise it was a one-time only thing, and it was a mistake and that he was sorry and then would turn it all back on to me, if I hadn't worn a certain dress or talked to another man or even just for seeing Maddie then none of it would have happened.  He is a consummate liar and he never believes he has done anything wrong.

"He is a sociopath Imogen and he really needs to be stopped, did you know that Lucas has found other women he had abused and they are also too afraid to speak up.  He has to be stopped before he hurts anybody else especially you.  You are too important to lose."

"Why did it look like you were doubting if you could cope with all of this?  If you really are beginning to wonder if it's too much for you then you have to tell me now.  It would hurt me so much to lose you but spending every day thinking you were with me out of duty or pity would kill me.  So Mason, do I need to walk away from you now?"  Her face is a picture of pain and longing. 

I can't believe she could tell I had doubts.  "How did you know that Ginny?"

"Because Mason, I know you and I think that we are supposed to be together which is why I so quickly understand every nuance of you?  So what's your answer?" 

I see her withdraw into herself as her arms wrap yet again around her body as if holding herself together, and I can’t believe I even let those stray errant thoughts in my head.  "I can never give you up, you are part of me and I think it is probably the better part of me.  I cannot and will not live without you." 

My smile is small but my kiss is long and hard and full of every emotion I can muster.  "Let's get back to the cops and get this over with and then we can concentrate on each other."  I take her hand and bring it up to my mouth and kiss her knuckles softly.

"So you're staying then?"  Her smirk earns her a swat on her delightful ass.

"Too right, you're stuck with me."

The police have finally finished after having just a few more questions but they start to pack up and get ready to leave.

Imogen

Maddie has turned up with armloads of clothes and Lake is behind her with two suitcases presumably full of my belongings and it hits me hard that Mason expects me to move in completely with him and I'm really not sure I want to do that yet, I thought it would just be a few things just to get me through this crappy situation.  I'm going to have to talk to him about this later, I think we've had enough serious conversations today.  Leaving Mason and the guys to deal with the police I head off to the bedroom with Maddie.

"So what's going to happen now Ginny?" Maddie's questions bring me out of my trance.

"With what? Mason wants me to stay here and I thought it was just for a little while, giving Lucas and the police time to catch Jake and all his sick friends, but by the look of what you've brought makes me think he is expecting me to stay for good."  I can feel the frown on my forehead and I know that Maddie has noticed it too.

"Don't you want to?"  Maddie sounds surprised.

"I don't mind staying for now but he wants me to be surrounded at all times and I feel that you and I are missing out on all the things we were supposed to be seeing and experiencing, and now it looks like we won't even be able to slope off for a sandwich at lunchtime or a short notice shopping trip and I think any time we want to go to the bar we are going to have to be supervised. 

I feel that even though his thoughts are well meant and in my best interest, I'm going to feel just as confined and restricted as I did with Jake, and this is all because I was too fucking stupid to stand up to that prick and tell him where to go after the first time he hit me!" 

Sighing I collapse back on the sofa and wrap myself in the fleece from earlier like it's my security blanket, as I try to work my way through the confusion in my head, but I realize my thoughts of being confined by Mason are ridiculous, he loves me and will never want to control me.

"Imogen Bloody Banks, don't you dare blame yourself for this, he's done this to you.  He always made you believe it was your fault!  Remember his words 'if you didn't go out dressed like a slut then I wouldn't treat you like one.'  One of his better excuses don't you think?  I think that one ended in a trip to the hospital didn't it?"

"Yeah, for the first and last time.  Someone recognized me and took a picture, he managed to black the other eye for that one."  I shrug ruefully and then look up to Mason and the police looking at me, one of them speaks up.

"I think you have more things to tell us Ms. Banks but let me go through the medical files and we'll go from there."  Turning to walk away he steps back and looks at me again.  "If I may be so bold as to say that I think you are a very brave and intelligent woman who has a very strong survival instinct, not many women survive the abuse you have suffered. 

Hold on to this woman very tightly Mr. Reynolds I don't think you'll find another one like her again."  He gives me a small smile and shakes both mine and Lucas' hands.

"Don't worry Sir she'll not be going anywhere, I'm afraid she's stuck with me."  He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back against his chest and kisses my hair.  The policemen chuckle and leave.  Turning me to face him and softly kisses me.  "How are you feeling babe?  Shall we get something to eat?"

Hell yeah, I'm starved!" Lucas rubs his stomach, grinning like a loon.

"I wasn't asking you Asshat!" A cushion from the sofa flies up and hits him in the face.

"I'm hungry too."  Lake walks out of the bedroom.  What was he doing in there all this time?  "That's your clothes and shit put away Ginny, why the hell do you girls have so many clothes and shoes?"