Sherry's Story

The Party--Part Two

Author’s Note: Only the first page of this chapter is the same as the old one—after thinking about it for a couple of days, I realized that what I submitted was not how I wanted the story to proceed. This is the real story arc I wanted to pursue.


lll

Because of the pleasurable dallying Ben and I had engaged in while in the shower, I did not have a lot of time to get ready. However, I put a lot of effort into applying my makeup; Richard had gone to a lot of trouble for this party and I was determined to look my best. As I stared at my reflection, one thing was certain: I sure as hell did not look fifteen years old anymore.

I smoothed my hair back and frowned. No matter what I did, my hair had that “just tumbled out of bed after hot sex” look. I hoped no one would suspect the truth--that I did just tumble out of bed after hot sex.

The closer it came to when the driver would be picking me up, the more I dreaded going. The worst part of upper class society was making an entrance. In such events like these, everyone would stop talking when the guest of honour arrived and instantly all the women in the room would scan the new arrival’s appearance: her hair, dress, and shoes would be scrutinized—looking for a hair out of place or if there was the slightest hint of a wrinkle in her dress.

I took dubious comfort in the fact that my dress was almost too tight to wrinkle. My strapless, form-fitting dress was almost identical to that worn by the recently crowned Princess Grace of Monaco from the movie To Catch a Thief except that mine was red. I had chosen it because of the colour—scarlet dress for a scarlet woman. It was no use pretending that I hadn’t been a prostitute. In fact, there was a good chance that I had fucked a few of the men who were attending this party.

“Jones, take care of her for me, will you?” Ben asked. “I’ll see you both later. Hopefully, the guy I’m meetin’ won’t take too long to pay up.”

Jones nodded and indicated that we should leave. We chitchatted about different things and before I knew it, we were outside the building. The limo was parked outside the apartment main doors and Brown was our driver.

“I didn’t want to say anything while Ben was there, but you look gorgeous,” Jones said, gallantly opening the limo door for me.

“Thanks,” I said, grateful for his compliment. I settled myself in the back seat. “I could say the same about you.” Jones was dressed in a tuxedo and the cut of his suit across his broad shoulders emphasized what a great body he had. “If I wasn’t married….” I winked at him.

I fell silent as Richard’s house came into view from the limousine’s windows. It was a mansion, three stories high and made of brick. The car passed through a gate and followed a long curved driveway. There was a long line of luxury cars waiting to unload their occupants—the women were all wearing designer gowns. Mine had come from a retail store. Not only that, the women were all weighed down with expensive gems and diamonds that twinkled at their ears, throats, and fingers. The men were in formal eveningwear as well, all of them wearing tuxedos and polished shoes. I closed my eyes and groaned. How could I ever compete with these people?

“Don’t let these fat cats here get you down, Sherry. You’re every bit as good as they are,” Jones said.

“No, I’m not. I’ve fucked some of them for money, remember?”

Jones leaned closer to me. “So have I. You’d be surprised if I told you some of the names of the men that have paid to suck my cock.”

“And I could tell you stories of successful men in this town who like to be whipped and spanked.”

Both of us laughed at the thought of how many powerful people we could destroy between us if we chose. I felt a little better and I held my head high as I exited the car and walked with my hand gently resting on Jones’ arm to the massive front entrance.

I wish I had thought to put on a more modest dress. I felt as naked as a harem slave girl on auctioning block because the smoldering stares I was getting from the men. I had been correct—some of them I had slept with.

As Jones and I got closer to the ballroom, I heard rock and roll piano music. Most preachers were warning their congregations about rock and roll, calling it ‘the devil’s music,” and “sinful,” but kids my age loved it. When I entered the room, I squealed with delight when I saw who was playing the piano—it was none other than Jerry Lee “The Killer” Lewis. When he had married his child-bride a while ago, his career had taken a downturn. However, his fans gave him a second chance and his career was rocketing back up the charts.

I was also impressed to see who was jamming with The Killer onstage—Chuck Berry. My toes were already tapping. To get the kings of rock and roll to play at my wedding reception was exciting and thrilling beyond words. Richard certainly had a lot of influence!

My host was waiting for me and when I took his hand, he kissed me on the cheek. “Well, I said I knew some fellows who could provide some music, didn’t I?”

“You certainly did! Thank you!” Impulsively, I gave him a hug.

“For you, Sherry, I’d do anything,” his lips were against my ear and I heard his breath catch for a moment. When I pulled away, there was an expression in his eyes that I didn’t understand. Richard smiled at me. He was holding several well-padded white envelopes and he gave them to my escort. “Jones, put these on my desk in the study, will you? It’s my turn to have Sherry to myself for a while.”

Jones nodded and left. I looked at Richard in puzzlement. “Those were envelopes that contain your wedding gifts,” he explained, guiding me to the receiving line. “I saw what they gave you—you did very well. Now it’s time to meet and greet and thank those people.”

lll

Once the meet-and-greet ordeal was over, the dancing started. I found that as soon as I sat down to recover from one dance, another man would appear and ask me. I danced with the mayor, several city council members, judges—almost every man who had some power in Sin City held me in his arms that night. I did get some relief because every once in a while, either Jerry Lee or Chuck would play something slower. And it was only these dances that Richard claimed. I didn’t mind—it was nice to be able to catch my breath, even if only for a few minutes. He took me in his arms and I leaned against his body, grateful for the respite.

After our dance, he led me over to the terrace. The breeze felt delicious on my skin. There was no one else outside so we had complete privacy. He gave me a glass of champagne and I so was thirsty from dancing that I drank it down in two big swallows. Richard said nothing but as soon as I had finished one glass, he was handing me another. I had never had champagne before and after chugging down my third glass, I found myself getting a little tipsy. The bubbles tickled my nose and since I hadn’t had anything to eat for hours, the alcohol went straight to my head.

“You know, I can’t wait for Ben to get here so I can dance with him. Do you know what we’ve never danced together?”

I saw Richard frown. Even in my inebriated state, it looked as if he was mad for me saying that. When he took my arm and suggested that we retire to his study to talk and relax, I accepted his offer gratefully. I giggled as I stumbled along—after all that I had drunk, I realized that it is impossible for a woman to walk in a straight line wearing five-inch high heels.

I fell onto the sofa, barely missing ending up on the floor on my ass. I laughed at the sight I must have presented. Richard stood in front of me. “Sherry, we have to talk.”

“Sure. Whatever,” I replied woozily. My head was spinning and I leaned back. I heard him walk to his desk and back again. Richard chuckled and I heard the heels of his Italian leather shoes click in a quick, staccato rhythm when he came back. I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and sleep. “I’m sorry, I am so drunk…”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I also opened the doors a bit to let some fresh air in, I hope you don’t mind.”

The cool air felt good across my hot flesh and I murmured my appreciation. Through a champagne-induced haze, I felt Richard’s hands touch my hair before he leaned me back across the sofa arm. My eyes popped open in shock when he was lying on top of me.

“What’re you doing?” I said, my words slurring.

“I need you, Sherry.” His lips touched mine and he kissed me with growing passion. He took my hand in his and brought it down to his groin where I felt his hard cock straining against the front of his pants. “You see what you do to me?” he whispered. “Every time I’m close to you, I get a hard on. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve had to jerk off because of you?”

“No, don’t do this,” I protested, trying to push him away. But I couldn’t –he was big and sober and I was small and hopelessly drunk.

“I want you, Sherry. And I’m going to take you,” Richard growled. “But I want you to see something first. Open this.” He handed me a manila envelope and when I opened it, I saw that it was full of negatives. I raised them to the light to see the images….and immediately I wished I hadn’t. They were negatives of the pictures that had been sent to Ben on our wedding night. I threw them on the floor.

“How did you get these from the Senator?”

“I didn’t. They are mine.”

“It can’t be….was it you…?”

“Yes. I hired the photographers, not Roarke.”

“Oh God…Why?” I was so stunned, I couldn’t think. Richard was the one who was responsible for the pictures, not Roarke! Because of his actions, I lost my baby. One thing was certain: any feelings I had towards the richly dressed man in front of me were gone. I had been so blind; until this moment, I never imagined the scope and depth of the hatred Richard had felt for Ben.

Richard sighed. “It was the only way I could think of to set you free so we could get married. I sent the pictures of us to Ben on your wedding night. I was hoping that after he saw them, he would ask you for a divorce…I never imagined in my worst nightmare that he’d rape you. For that, Sherry, I am very sorry. Why didn’t you tell me that Ben raped you?”

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about….” I was too drunk to dodge Richard’s vicious backhanded slap. I touched my stinging cheek, unable to believe what he had just done. “Hey!”

“Shut up! Don’t you ever fucking lie to me again! I know that Ben raped you and you lost the baby.”

I was afraid but the steel came back to my spine. “So? I didn’t tell you because it was none of your goddamn business, that’s why.”

“It is my business if the baby was mine!”

“It could have been yours. I was only six weeks along and I was still at Momma’s when I got pregnant, the father could have been anyone.” I could feel tears start to form in my eyes.

I looked at Richard and saw that he had taken off his dinner jacket and was loosening his tie. Looking at the expression on his face as well as the prominent bulge in his pants that there was no question in my mind about what was going to happen next. I knew I had to prevent it any way that I could.

“Help me! Somebody help me!” I yelled, frantically trying to make myself heard over the shouts and cheers that were coming from the ballroom. I doubted that anyone could hear me—the music so loud, I could feel the floor vibrate.

Richard smirked and jerked his head toward the door. “Even if someone could hear you, they wouldn’t be able to help. You see, Jones and Brown are guarding the door. They have their orders. No one is to come in and no one except me goes out. That door doesn’t open unless I say so.”

I desperately writhed and twisted my body in an attempt to get free but Richard used his weight to keep me down. The walls echoed with the sound of his amusement. “Your struggles are only making my cock harder. I’ve always loved your spirit, Sherry. So fiery, so lively. When I’m with you, I feel like a young man again.”

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. With a desperate heave, I shoved Richard away and I sprawled to the floor in the most unladylike fashion. As fast as I could, I got to my feet and lurched to the door.

“If you open that door, Ben is a dead man.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. “What?!”

“If you don’t come back and sit down, I’m going to tell John Hardigan where he can find Tom Dekker’s body.”

I still stood there, gawking drunkenly at him. The terseness of his next words caught me by surprise. “Come back here. Now!”

Once I was seated next to him again, Richard smacked me across the face with the back of his hand hard enough to make my teeth rattle. “When I tell you to do something, you do it, understand? Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Once Dekker’s body is discovered and examined, Ben will be arrested and convicted. And I have the power and connections to make sure that he is executed.”

The threat to Ben’s life made my head clear. I shook my head, trying to make sense from the insanity that raged within it. How could a night that began so well turn into something so evil? “Even if the lake is dredged and the car brought up, there is no proof that Ben had anything to do with it. None at all.”

“That’s where you are wrong. Look!” He parted the white cotton folds of the item he had brought back from his desk. With horror, I saw that it was Tom’s police-issued flashlight. It was exactly the same as I remembered: dented and bloody. My stomach churned unpleasantly at the sight of it.

“How…how did you get this?” I stammered. The last time I had seen it was when I put it under the kitchen sink. How had Richard gotten a hold of it?

“I had one of the Don’s men go through your apartment when you saw Ben off just before his trip to Korea.”

A faded and almost forgotten memory hit me. “There was a man waiting around my apartment building when John Hardigan drove me home that day. That was him?”

“Yes, but he was only staking your place out that day. He came back when you were hospitalized and your husband stayed with you constantly. It gave him the chance to go through it with a fine-tooth comb. He found this and brought it to me.”

“But that’s still not proof.”

Richard sighed impatiently but tried to keep from getting angry. “Ben’s fingerprints are all over this, Sherry. And I’m no medical expert, but I’m sure that the wounds in your dear dead Uncle Tom’s skull will match up to what is on this...”

I couldn’t argue so I remained silent. Being a cop’s daughter, I was ashamed of myself for forgetting something as important as fingerprints. I should have washed and wiped the flashlight down when I put it away. If I had, all Richard would have would be a dented, busted flashlight—nothing more.

“Murdering a police officer is a capital crime and in this state, executions are done by the electric chair. During the course of my career, I’ve had to attend a couple and I’m telling you, it is one of the most excruciating methods of death ever designed by man. I have seen hardened, lifers soil themselves and cry for their mamas to help them. Afterward, the death chamber reeks of burnt flesh. The smell saturates your clothes, skin, and hair. It’s a smell you’ll never forget.”

I knew he was telling the truth. When my father was still alive, he’d had to attend one or two executions himself. I remember him telling my mother the exact same thing when they thought I was asleep. “How can you do this to me? I thought you were my friend!”

“Ever since the moment when we made love for the first time, I’ve always wanted more to be than a friend to you. But you chose Ben and you showed no sign of ever changing your mind. I was desperate. While he was in Korea, I decided to hire the photographers and stage an intimate scene between us in case I ever needed leverage against you. Out of guilt, you married the brute without any warning. I sent the photographs to Ben on your wedding night, hoping that once he saw them, he’d divorce you and you’d be free to marry me. I never dreamed that he would hurt you the way he did. Never! For that, my love, I am very, very sorry.”

He kissed my forehead and nuzzled his face against my cheek. His breathed hitched in his throat and from long experience, I knew he was getting aroused...

“Please don’t do this, Richard. Why don’t we wait until Ben gets back from his collection job and we can talk then…?”

Richard laughed harshly. “There wasn’t any collection job tonight. It was an excuse the Don and I concocted so that the big ape would stay out from under my feet long enough for me to explain the situation and your future duties to me. And right now, the last thing I want to do is talk.”

His breathing became heavier and when I looked into his eyes, I was shocked to see how full of desire they were. No one, not even Ben, had ever looked at me with such evil, lustful intentions. I shivered and tried to draw away.

“No, no. Never shrink from me, Sherry. Open your heart, or I should say, your legs for me. You may as well do it willingly as I am not going to take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Leave me alone!”

“Never. Especially since there is nothing you can do to stop me from taking what I want. Let me repeat myself yet again: submit to me or Ben dies.”

I felt despair on a level I had never known before. If I did what Richard wanted, Ben would live, if I didn’t….a vision of an electric chair—affectionately dubbed ‘Old Sparky’ by cops--in a darkened room filled my eyes. Ben being strapped to it before thousands of volts of electricity flowed through his body, stopping his big, loving heart. Pennies being placed over his dead blue eyes, closing them forever. Last of all, a coffin being lowered into a grave…

No. At all costs, I couldn’t let that happen. If keeping Ben alive meant that I had to spread my legs for Richard, then I would do it. I hiked my dress up until it was bunched around my waist and pulled down my panties. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

Richard’s jaw dropped and his eyes popped as he gaped at my shaven pussy. Unable to restrain himself, he touched me, savouring the smoothness. “When did you do this?”

“Does it matter? Are you going to fuck me or what?”

He parted my legs and positioned himself between them. He gently fingered me and found that I was dry. “In time, Sherry, in time. But before I do that, I’m going to get you wet first.”

I twitched when he put his mouth on me. There was a warm flush from between my legs and I became aroused. I dug my nails into the leather sofa, desperately willing myself not to enjoy what was happening to me but I couldn’t stop it. My body was betraying me in the worst possible way and at the worst possible moment. I hated myself. If Ben knew, he’d be ashamed and hurt that I was responding to what Richard was doing.

He fucked me with his tongue, penetrating deep into me. No one, not even Ben, had ever done this to me. The sensations were indescribable. The hot, wet muscle brought me to the peak of arousal as he undulated his tongue inside of me. It felt like I was being fucked by a snake and I loved it. I clenched my teeth together but I couldn’t stop from whimpering.

“Don’t make me come,” I pleaded but my partner was single-minded in his determination. I knew that further protests were useless; Richard had over forty years experience fucking women and worst of all, he knew better than anyone did on what how to push all my buttons so that my body would respond.

“Unlike that brute who raped you, sex is about both parties receiving and giving pleasure,” he said, when he came up for air.

“But I don’t want to!”

“Your body does.”

He went back down on me. Richard was one of those people who could curl their tongues into a ‘U’ shape and he used this ability to encircle my clit, bringing me closer to ecstasy. My fingers clawed at his back and shoulders. I never wanted him to stop. All I could think about was what was happening between my legs. Time and space had no meaning. I tottered on the brink of madness before I came crashing down to earth, screaming and writhing, bucking my hips into Richard’s mouth. My pleasure filled the four corners of the room.

When I came back to myself, my entire body felt like rubber. I lay on the sofa, unable to move. Tears of shame and humiliation rained unheeded down my cheeks. Richard moved his body back up and kissed me. I tasted myself on his lips but I didn’t return the kiss.

I looked away while he undressed nor did I look at him as he lowered himself onto mine. I felt nothing when Richard pushed himself inside of me. “I can feel your pussy expand and contract around my cock,” Richard panted in my ear. “God, you feel wonderful….”

I stared at the textured ceiling and counted each thrust. Above the noises of Richard’s grunts and groans of pleasure, I heard myself weep. He picked up his pace and drove into me harder. His lips were against the sensitive skin of my neck and shoulder.

“What would your beloved husband think if he could see us now, whore?” He crooned softly, his voice deep and hoarse with lust. He grunted and pumped into me two more times before he climaxed, his cock shuddering and twitching as he shot his hot seed deep inside my cunt.

As our bodies cooled from the autumn breezes that wafted through the open French doors, I whispered the name of the man I loved more than my life itself.

The man on top of me froze and withdrew; I remained in the inelegant position of my legs spread wide. The slurping, sucking sound of a cock leaving a soppy wet pussy filled the room. I opened my eyes and saw my blackmailer glare at me as he pulled on his pants.

“Did you think that I’d ever forget about Ben?” I couldn’t help but sneer up into his lined face. The light revealed his age in all its wrinkly, sagging ugliness. “Every time you take me in your bed, it will be Ben’s hands touching me, Ben’s cock fucking me!”

“I wouldn’t advise saying that to me again,” he said coldly. “Don’t forget I am the one who determines if your husband will live to a ripe old age or not.” The phone at his desk shrilly broke the dreadful tension between us. Richard stormed off to answer it, muttering curses under his breath. He listened for a minute then hung up, slamming the phone down with a bang. “Damn!” He took his handkerchief from the breast pocket of his dinner jacket and wiped my juices from his face and groin before tossing the soiled cloth to me. “Clean yourself off and stop leaking all over my fucking sofa. Get dressed and hurry up! The Don will be here in five minutes.”

lll

“Ah, so you are the famous Sherry I’ve heard so much about,” Don Battaglio said, extending his hands out to me. I took them and he kissed me once on each cheek in an Old World sort of way. Sheer power radiated from the man like a palpable aura. Even without the custom-made perfectly tailored and pressed clothing, one could tell he was accustomed to command and to having his orders obeyed without hesitation. In every way, he was the boss of a very powerful syndicate of thugs and hoodlums and muscle for hire.

“I’m glad to finally meet you, Don Battaglio,” I said demurely.

He instantly put his hand up. “No, you must call me by my given name, Gino.”

“Thank you, Gino,” I said. I snuck a look at Richard. I could tell he wasn’t pleased with the immediate familiarity—apparently, the Mob’s number one lawyer wasn’t even allowed to call the Don by his Christian name. I stifled the urge to stick out my tongue at him.

“So, you are the bride of Benjamin, yes?”

I raised my eyebrow. Benjamin? I couldn’t help but smile. That was Ben’s full name but even I didn’t call him that. “Yes, I am.”

“You are very lovely, my dear,” Gino said. “But before we can become better acquainted, I have business to discuss with Richard. I am an old-fashioned man and women have no place in the business of men. You will excuse us? Go dance a little or get yourself something to drink, yes? Tell those two outside to do the same. But you will come back; I have a wedding gift for you.”

I did not allow the flare of feminism to spark for very long. Women have no place in the affairs of men, indeed! I nodded and left. I told Jones and Brown about the Don’s instructions and grateful to be taken from their guard duties so they could eat something and relieve themselves and they wandered off.

In the ballroom, I stayed on the fringes of the crowd, trying my best to stay out of sight. Fortunately, the finishing touches were being placed on the sumptuous buffet and all the guests were already jockeying for a place in line. No one noticed me. I nibbled on some hors d'oeuvres to settle my stomach but I wasn’t hungry; I was just killing time until I had to go back to the study. The last thing I wanted was to see Richard, but as the Don had specifically told me to return, I could not refuse.

lll

As I approached the closed study door, I looked up and down the corridor. No one was around. I’ve always had a streak of curiosity and with two of Sin City’s most powerful men just a few feet away, I might learn something that I could store away for future use. I leaned and put my ear to the heavy oak door. The voices of Richard and Don Battaglio were muffled a little but now that the blaring rock and roll music from the nearby ballroom had finally stopped, I was able to hear what was being said.

“Well, what do you think of her?” Richard asked.

“She is young and strong, she will bear you many beautiful children.”

“It’s a son that I need; more than one, preferably.”

“Why do you like Sherry so much? Why do you go to so much trouble for this girl? She is pretty enough, but the world is filled with millions of beautiful women, my friend. Why her?”

I could hear the shrug in Richard’s voice as he answered. “There’s something about her…I want her more than any other woman I’ve ever known. However, before I can have her all to myself, I must get rid of that big buffoon she married for good. Once he’s dead, getting her to marry me will not be hard.”

“So when will you put everything into motion?” The Don asked.

“Tomorrow. I will arrange for Hardigan to get an anonymous tip regarding the location of a certain cop’s body and car. My source at the station tells me that that office has been getting some calls from the Granite Falls police department, regarding Dekker’s whereabouts. When I give Hardigan the flashlight and he analyzes the fingerprints, he’ll arrest Ben for sure. I suppose we shouldn’t be too hard on the idiot—he did us a favour and we now have one less cop to worry about.”

Both men laughed heartily. Apparently, the death of a police officer was the funniest joke in the world. My blood boiled and I felt it pounding in my ears. I remembered the frantic calls and pacing that my mother did when my father was working on a particularly dangerous case or in the wrong side of the tracks. I remember other cop’s wives standing over the graves of their husbands. My father protected civilians from thugs like the fat Italian and he would be ashamed to learn that I thought he was charming. How many good cops’ blood was on his hands, I wondered. How many women and children were widows and fatherless because of him? Angrily I wiped my tears away and put my ear back to the door again.

My next thought turned to the other bastard in the room with him. Richard had no intention of keeping to our agreement—he was going to get Ben killed no matter what!

I wanted to stay and eavesdrop longer but I couldn’t risk being spotted. Jones and Brown were due back soon. As quietly as I could, I scurried to a chintz settee not far from the door and pretended to adjust the buckle of my heels.

lll

“Now that we’re alone again,” Richard whispered seductively, “it’s time for us to be together.” He buried his face in my hair and groaned. “So young, so sweet…”

“What about your wife? I didn’t see her tonight.”

“And you won’t. This afternoon, I gave her a divorce and a check for one hundred thousand dollars. She won’t be coming back.”

“But why would you do that? You’ve been married to her for more than thirty years!”

Richard held my face in his hands and made me look up at him. “I am a powerful man. I have a seven-figure bank balance. I have seven cars in the garage, a house in Miami, and one in Switzerland. However, what I don’t have is a son. I have no one to carry on my name and my legacy. Now that I have you in my life, you will give me many children, Sherry.”

My insides turned cold at the callous way he had gotten rid of his wife. And he did it all because of me. If he could be cruel, so could I. “I’d rather die than give you a child.”

“Oh?” Richard asked. His tone was nonchalant but his eyes were uneasy. “How do you plan on accomplishing that? Getting an abortion in this state is damn near impossible.”

I laughed at his naiveté. Sometimes men were so stupid regarding the ways of women. “Shows how much you know. Just because all the lawmakers in this state are men, do they think they can tell us women what we can or cannot do with our own bodies? We do not have to blindly accept it. We have other options. There are plenty of doctors in this city who do abortions on the side if they are paid enough. If all else fails, there is a woman in Old Town who does them for $50 on a kitchen table with a coat hanger. Walk down the right back alley in this town and you can find anything.”

For the first time, Richard was at a loss for words. When he did speak, his voice was hoarse. “You’d actually go to a butcher like that and…? You could die!”

“Do you really think that I’d care? Like I said, I’d rather be dead than give birth to anything of yours.” Of course, I would never do that, but Richard would never know. “There was a time when I would have loved to been married to you or give you a child, but not anymore. If I do get pregnant, maybe on the day I plan to get rid of it, I’ll call the newspapers so they can have a couple dozen photographers to take my picture afterward. Imagine the headlines: Girlfriend of Sin City’s Top Shyster Gets Abortion… Story and pictures on Page 3.”

“Just because of that, I’m going to get a lot of pleasure in hurting you tonight,
Sherry.” His hands roamed over my body. “Every part of your body is now mine to do with as I please. My tits…” He pinched my nipples until I cried out in pain. He reached out and grabbed my crotch through my dress. “My cunt…” He dug his fingers into my buttocks. “My ass…In fact, I’ll think I’ll sample it right now. In all the times I’ve fucked you, I’ve never had you this way.” He turned me around and leaned me over his desk so that he could get into position behind me. He fumbled with his trousers and the metallic zinging sound of his zipper being pulled down filled my ears. He hiked my dress up until it was high enough for his purpose. My panties were thin and lacey and it didn’t take much effort for him to rip them from my body. A heartbeat later, they were pooled at my ankles.

“My tits…My ass...My cunt...”

On that terrible night, Ben had said those same words to me. Did Richard think that I would just lean over and let him ass-rape me without fighting back? Not if I had anything to say about it! The upper half of my body was face down on the desk. Terror threatened to overwhelm me when I felt Richard part my ass cheeks.

Ben had taught me a few moves in self-defense and as Richard was making the final preparations to sodomize me, I knew it was now or never... I had to get some space between Richard and myself so I could think and breathe and try to think of a way out of this nightmare. I lifted my foot and kicked backward, getting Richard square in the shin with the sharp heel of my stiletto. Richard cried out and moved away.

I whirled around. I didn’t think, I just acted. I brought my knee up as hard as I could squarely into Richard’s groin. He backed away from me, instinctively doubling over and covering his groin with his arm to protect himself. I followed. Now I was the one with the leverage!

“I heard you joking with the Don. You were going to give John the evidence against Ben tomorrow. You were going to see to it that he was executed.”

“How...how did you know?”

It was now my turn to gloat. “I was listening at the door. After Ben was dead, you thought it was going to be easy, didn’t you? That I’d be so overcome with grief that I would marry you?”

“Little girls shouldn’t listen at keyholes,” Richard said, his expression darkening. He was standing up straighter now. “They might hear things they shouldn’t.”

Under normal circumstances, I would normally be afraid of how angry and violent Richard could get but now I was the one getting mad. But I underestimated Richard. He slapped me hard across the face and I stumbled, hitting my chin on the corner of his desk. I tried to break my fall and my arms slid over his desk, making everything fall to the floor with me. I lay on the ground, dazed, showered with papers and the other desktop items that were now on either side of me.

Fat though he was, Richard was on top of me in an instant, straddling my hips. “I am going to enjoy this, Sherry,” he snarled as he moved so that his hips were between my knees. I turned my head to look to see if anything I knocked on the floor could be used as a weapon. There was an ivory letter opener close to my right shoulder. Richard was too busy trying to stroke himself to be hard enough to enter me to see what I was doing.

I reached out and clenched it in my hand. I felt a red haze of pure anger and pleasure as I lifted the opener and stabbed him wildly again and again. I swung my arm up and out one last time and Richard gave a strangled cry and toppled off me.

The letter opener was jutting obscenely from his lower belly like a grotesque artificial penis. He clutched the letter opener and pulled it out. Blood streamed between his fingers and over me. He lay on his side, his blood pooling into a crimson puddle on the oak floor beneath his body. I turned him onto his back so I could look at him.

To my dying day, I will always remember the look on his face—the hatred and triumph that glared back at me has kept me from sleeping many times. He tried to speak but coughed up a mouthful of blood instead. From the gurgling sounds that he was making, I guessed that he was choking on his own blood.

I heard his last words clearly: “….last laugh…’s a dead man.” He tried to say more but the light from his eyes died and so did he.

I looked down at myself. My hands were red to the wrists and my dress was drenched with blood.

What the hell was I going to do?

Brown and Jones were guarding the door and it would only be a matter of time before they came in. I saw my answer from the cool breeze that wafted in from the open French doors. I could go out the back way and with any luck, sneak my way past the valets, and leave by the parking area.

I looked down at myself. Even though it was pitch dark outside, if anyone shone their headlights on me, they’d see the blood. How was I going to cover myself? Frantically, I ran my eyes over the room until I saw Richard’s dinner jacket carefully draped on the back of a chair. It was a cool night after all, if anyone saw me, they’d see nothing more than Richard had gallantly loaned me his jacket so I would be warm. As long as I didn’t open it and reveal my blood-spattered dress, I’d be fine.

As I looked at Richard’s body at my feet, I felt tears prick at my eyes. Despite everything, I had loved him. He’d paid half of my contract and I would always be grateful to him for that. But Richard had wanted more from me than I could give. Once upon a time, if Richard had asked me to marry him, I probably would have accepted. However, once I’d met and fallen in love with Ben, whatever love I had had for Richard dwindled into nothingness.

Now he was lying dead on the floor because of me. Out of all the powerful people in Sin City who wanted him dead, it was me, a teenaged former hooker, who had struck him down. Once the Mob learned of what I had done, they would come after me.

The practical side of my nature made me scan the room. If I was going to be on the run, I would need money. I saw the envelopes with cash that had been given to me earlier in the evening. The ones with checks I would have to leave behind, as I did not dare cash them. These were my wedding gifts, although the people who had given them to me never imagined that I would use them to start a new life after I’d murdered the host of my own wedding reception.

I wanted to leave but I couldn’t make my feet move. All through my childhood, my father drummed into me a strong sense of responsibility.

“If you do something bad, own up to it,” was one of his favourite sayings.

My father did not raise me to a shirker and I would not shame his memory by taking the easy way out. He hadn’t raised me to be a murderess either, but if he could see what led up to this moment in Richard’s blood-drenched study, I know he would have understood.

I smiled wistfully at the thought of all the money I was leaving behind. Ben could have used it to find a good lawyer for me as mine was lying dead on the floor.

I retrieved my panties from the floor and threw them in the wastepaper basket. I straightened up and smoothed my dress over my hips. Proudly raising my chin, I walked purposefully to the study door outside of which Jones and Brown were still standing guard. I had done nothing wrong in killing Richard--I was defending my honour against a rapist. Any woman had the right to do that.

I reached out and put my hand on the doorknob.

“Don’t do that, Sherry,” a deep, gravelly voice behind me said.