6:00 A.M.
Having beaten her alarm clock, Candi Palmer remained docile in her bed. Her tears long abandoned by a mere two hours of sleep all she wanted to do was stay in bed cuddling up with her Husband's long unused pillow. She could still smell his scent even after the last year away. She refused to wash the pillow case even though the remainder of her bedding was fresh. It kept her sane.
Beside her in bed was their wedding album which she had broken out after returning home from Police custody. Her jog home meant that she had obeyed her Husband's wishes. Something that she cherished. Success!
Still, in the back of her head she was torn asunder by the nagging feelings of betrayal. Yesterday ruined her in her own sacred way. Her own Husband while away in Iraq had arranged her to be raped not once but multiple times within a six hour time period. Her heart was mending slowly after finding out that everything was per Damian's wishes. She had just been uninformed prior to the acts.
As she laid there her home phone began ringing beside her bed. Reaching over to snatch it up she noted it was her job's number. A swift click of a button she spoke, "Hello? Good morning, Mark."
Her boss on the other end sat in his office at the fitness center slouched in his chair, "Hope you don't hate me. That was why I had to close out Damian's mail. There was too much info in it that could have spoiled the plan he devised for you. Are you okay?"
She paused for a moment staring over to a framed photo of she and Damian before replying, "I'm fine. I just need to shower and get ready. I'll be at work if anything ten minutes late."
He quickly snapped back, "Stay home. Recuperate. I'll handle things. All I need to know is that you're okay and not mad at me."
"I'm not mad. Just confused. I'm not certain how to feel. In one fashion I betrayed Damian because I began to enjoy and participate willingly long before I knew Damian was behind it. On the other hand I can't quite understand why Damian wants me to play with everyone in sight. It's so risky. What if I got pregnant by somebody? Would Damian disown me? Would he insist I abort it? I don't even want kids to be honest."
Mark sighed heavily, "I guess you need to have a long talk with Damian. Tell him that you can't do this anymore."
He could hear her groan out loud before offering a, "I can't say No to Damian. I love him way too much. I just need to think first. Decide how best to approach things."
He nodded to himself with puckered lips. "You know I have your back. Like I said, take the day off and do some thinking. Once you come back to work I'll show you the rest of his email's too me. The guy sure asks a lot of me and my Dad. I'm not sure how my Pop will react to his ideas but I do know that it has possibilities. Topic for another day so don't go getting curious on me."
She frowns, "I'm afraid to know. Thank you for the day off. I'll be in tomorrow at noon. Tell the Horsemen I adore them. No hard feelings."
He acknowledges with a mere, "Peace out!" and hangs up.
For the next hour Candi lays there under her covers and contemplates her future. Damian would be home in three months for a few weeks. In the meantime she would do her best to satisfy his hunger. As degrading as it might end up being. She tells herself one minute that she's crazy, the next that she had no regrets in marrying the man.
Having had enough soul searching she concludes that her marriage is still the best thing that she ever did. In her heart she knew without a doubt that Damian was a good man. Although, his year in Iraq was changing his demeanor. She prayed that his enlistment wouldn't ruin their marriage. With a deep breath she resolved to tell herself that she would adapt and overcome any changes coming her way. Love would conquer All!
Crawling out of bed she stood up slowly and stretched. Followed by rubbing her wrists and ankles where bruises and friction from wearing handcuffs left her marked. A five step walk from her bed she stood in front of her vanity mirror and admired her beauty, even with a rash of bedhead. Casualty of going to sleep with wet hair.
Gazing at her body she noted faint Hickie's on her neck from the Horsemen. And, on her shoulders. As well as her breasts. Light enough to overlook. She sneered at them then shrugged, "I suppose I shouldn't let my shames control me. This is what Damian brought on. So be it!" With her thoughts she wrinkles her nose still smelling the after effects of peanut butter on her flesh. She shivered with a spasm of the past before snatching up a bottle of body spray and coating herself all over. It would help.
Primping at her hair with a brush she was once again startled by the phone ringing. Bolting back to her bedside she looked at the caller ID. Jaw dropped she noted, "It's Joe! I forgot to call him back before I knocked out." Swiftly answering she grit her teeth, "Good morning, Joe! Don't yell at me please."
Across town at his home, Joe Palmer sat on his back veranda in a lawn chair sipping coffee from a mug and replying after a swig of java. "Who is yelling? I just found out what happened. I called the Cop Shop and Dale Roanoke explained everything and forwarded me the e-mail's he had from Damian. I think my son has gone insane."
She fidgets then defends her husband, "Perhaps! Yet, I know he loves me. I think I understand what he is doing. At least I hope so. He knows me so well that he wants me to have fun while he's away. He knows I would never betray him EVER! Therefore, he is making me endure what he knows I would never do on my own. Knowing that even after that I would remain loyal to him."
Joe grunts at her dedication, "I'm happy to hear the loyalty to my son, Kiddo. Although, I still feel awful about what happened between us. I know D say's he's fine with it but, I can't help feeling that even I betrayed my son." Waving away his depression he changes the subject quickly, "So how was your night otherwise? "
She bites her lower lip then first asks, "How much did Dale tell you, Joe?" She fret over the canine drama that she tolerated. As little as it was. Would Joe think awful of her?
"He told me that he followed D's specific list which I read in the e-mail. So yes, I know about your ordeal with the Police dog. I'm not approving of my son's decisions entirely. Know that oh, Daughter-in-law of mine." He issued as a comfort.
"I know you don't. It was scary. I did what I felt I had to. I can't deny Damian. The three of us are all he has in the world, and he's on the other side of it. If my missions keep him happy over there I suppose I need to overcome my insecurity and my fear of the unknown. My biggest worries are getting hurt. Or, getting knocked up accidentally. I need to make a Doctor's appointment to either get on the pill or something. STD's scare the beejeebers out of me too. I pray Damian takes all of that into account."
"Me too, Kiddo. You know I'd love a grandson someday. But, I know you and Damian have no real desires to have any kids. Much as I bite my tongue, maybe you should get fixed so that you can't have kids."
She frowns, "We discussed that a long time ago. We decided to avoid that option in case we changed our minds. The pill and condoms it is. I need to e-mail him here in a few and let him know that his friends are all very happy and that video's will be coming today I presume."
Joe sits his coffee mug on a plastic topped table and stands up to pace along his deck, "So, how many men exactly did you have sex with yesterday?" He could hear her gasp on the other end and awaits patiently for her to decide how best to tell him.
"Four men at the Fitness Center prior to being arrested. Three more men at the jail. Another jerked off on me. Then, of course the tongue lashing of the dog. Thank the Lord that was only my face and my hip. Anywhere else and I might have had a nervous breakdown." She sighs loudly, "How could you not hate me, Joe?"
He fidgets, "I could never hate you, Candi. You're the best thing to happen to my son. What you and he do is your business. Obviously, I can't hate the girl that helped this old man get off. Can I?"
She faintly chuckles into his ear then blows him a compressed kiss over the line, "I love you, Joe. If I'm being honest with you, I'm glad I could help. Pervert!"
They share a moment of teary laughs as Joe nods, "Got me pegged, that's for certain."
After a moment of silence Candi opts to ask, "Was there anything else in the e-mail I should know about?"
"As a matter of fact, D tells Dale to forward his mail to me so that I know what's going on. There's also a surprise for all of us. He wants Me and Kevin to come by your house tonight late so that he can share a video conference online with us as a family."
Her jaw drops excited by the news then takes a pause to ponder. How can Damian talk freely about events without Joe learning that Kevin and his friends were a part of things too? The same would be said for Kevin to learn of his Father's actions. She trembles, "Joe? What if Damian mention things in front of Kevin about all of this? Including you and I?"
Joe hisses, "Tough to answer. I guess we deal with it as it happens. I think Kevin knows his brother well enough not to stress over anything."
She then winces wondering if Joe knew already of Kevin's actions? Was Kevin in touch with Damian too? She suspected Yes to both counts but as Joe said, as it happens. She closes her eyes, "Is there anything I should know that I don't?"
He rubs his chin, "I know I need to shave. That count?" They both chuckle until Joe continues, "That's basically it. The e-mail just sets up our rendezvous tonight at 10 P.M. We'll be there."
"Okay! I wonder what he wants me to wear?"
