Chapter 31 His gentle touch
BEIJING, CHINA
They arrived at Beijing airport around two in the midnight. Ria was fast asleep beside Ian but he managed to carry her out of the jet into the Benz that was already waiting to take them to the suite.
Ria’s eyes flare opened when she was placed in the car. “We are in China.” Ian said.
She looked around but was welcomed by darkness and she relaxed back in the seat. Ian brushed strands of hair from her face before settling down beside her. “We are heading to the suite.” He said again in a low tone.
Ria muttered. “Okay.” And Ian repositioned her head to rest on his chest.
“Go back to sleep.” Ian whispered and Ria drifted into sleep.
They reached the suite after about forty minutes drive from the airport. The car pulled up and moved towards the lobby of the parking lot. A man dressed in black suit opened the car while another man dressed the same way went to the booth to bring out the boxes.
Ian Bryant stepped out of the car and went round the car to Ria’s side. “Are we there?” She asked sleepily.
“Yes.” Ian answered.
Ria slowly made her way out of the car but soon staggered. So Ian slipped his arms beneath her kneels and carried her in a bridal style. Ria tried to relax as her blind eyes stared at the man who was so gentle with her.
Sleep was still evident in her eyes. “You can sleep. I will put you in bed.” Ian whispered.
Ria’s hands went around his neck when he adjusted her in his arms. Ian let out a huge sigh of relief when she didn’t argue. Then Ria fell back asleep as Ian made his way to the elevator. The man who introduced himself as Tom opened the suite and handed him a card.
Ian thanked him and went straight to Ria’s room. He placed her in bed and covered her body with the thick covers. Ian stood straight and motioned out of her room to his own bedroom. He took a quick shower and settled to call his mom first before doing some work on the system.
*******
“Ria?” A voice called out to her.
Ria stood up abruptly to search for the voice. “Ria!” She heard the voice again. It was hard and rough on her right side.
So she turned towards the right side. “Who are you?! Show yourself!” Ria yelled but then she realized that everywhere was dark. Ria couldn’t see because she was blind.
“It is me!” The voice snarled.
Ria recognized the masculine voice that just snarled into her head and fear gripped her immediately. “Lucas?” She mumbled. Lucas! Lucas was there! Ria couldn’t see him but she heard his voice.
“Why did you do it?” Lucas yelled.
Ria sensed mixed emotions in his voice. Hurt, Anger, Betrayal-She sensed his shadow close to her and fear began to control her. The palm of her hands and forehead became sweaty and her heart beating rapidly.
“Ria! Answer me!” Lucas grabbed her shoulder and pushed her to the hard floor.
“Lucas.” Then it stopped and Ria didn’t hear his voice for a while.
“I am here for you my little angel.” Lucas said again and this time his voice was calm.
Ria backed away afraid that he might hurt her again. “You can’t even see a shit. So why do you think you can run to baby doll?” Lucas laughed wickedly as he grabbed Ria’s wrist and threw her on the bed.
Ria knew she had no escape route from his grip. “Please don’t do this to me again, Lucas!” She pleaded as tears fell from her eyes.
Lucas slapped Ria and ordered her to stay quiet. She heard laughter in the air like people were watching them and sob escaped her mouth. His hands now trying to pull at her skirt but she slapped his hands away.
Ria felt a hard blow on her face. “After all I did for you! Now you want to repay me by running away from me!” Lucas hit her again and she tasted blood in her mouth.
“No.. no.. I.. didn’t do it Lucas… I swear.. he tried to -” Ria’s voice trailed off and she cried like a baby.
Lucas torn her skirt off. “Lucas.. please.. don’t..” No not again! Ria began to panic as the voices in her head pleaded with Lucas to listen to her.
“I will teach you a great lesson today. I’ll prove to you that it is only me, just Lucas can satisfy you!” He snarled.
The blow hit Ria again and this time it was hard with force that she went limp immediately. Ria lost her last strength to fight him.
“Please.” Ria said weakly but Lucas got what he wanted. He had his way with her again.
“Ria?” She felt someone shaking her up again.
“Ria! Ria! Can you hear me? Ria!” The same voice called out to her again.
Ria jolt up and saw nothing. Of course! Ria is blind so she can’t see anything but darkness!
“Ria.” A soft voice whispered beside Ria making her jump abruptly.
Ria screamed at the top of her voice even as she curled up to one side of the bed. “Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me!” She was trying to stop whoever might try to hurt her again.
“What’s wrong? Ria.. stop screaming.”
“No.. no.. please don’t do this to me. I swear.. I didn’t do it.” Ria repeated the same words she had said to Lucas over and over again.
“Hey Ria.. Hey it is me.. Ian. Calm down, it is me. Ian Bryant.” He said.
Ria stopped screaming. “Ian? Where am I? Why are you here with me? Don’t..” Her voice broke off.
“You are having a nightmare.” Ian said sounding like he was asking her a question.
Ria just had a nightmare about Lucas and it had taken the best part of her. That was what happened the day Speedy accused Ria of trying to seduce him just to defend himself. Lucas found out that his right hand man tried to have his way with the sex pet but speedy managed to frame things up in his favor. And that day, Ria pleaded with Lucas to listen to her but he never listened. He trusted speedy more than he trust Ria.
Lucas sexually violated Ria that day with some of his men around to watch them. His insane plan was to prove to his men that he owned Ria and he could satisfy her only. And that seemed to be the last day he ever touched Ria. But the next day, two of his men came in and did the same to her on his orders. Lucas said he was the only one that owned Ria but he still shared her with his men. He never cared to ask if Ria really tried to seduce Speedy but all he wanted was to have his way and he did.
During her stay in Lucas’s den, Ria took it all. The slaps, beatings, tortures, blows that had destroyed every good part of her just because she couldn’t do anything to stop it. And that was the last day any man ever touched her. Ria has tried to stop every images that has formed in her head from that incident.
“Ria.” Ian tried to touch her but he held back knowing that she might attack him at that moment.
More tears streamed down her cheeks. “Why.. are.. you.. here?” Her heartbeat accelerated.
“Ria, you were screaming just now.” He said softly.
Ria sniffed. “You won’t hurt.. me right? You won’t torture me.. right?” Her voice pleaded with him.
Ian was confused by her words. “Relax.. I won’t hurt you.” He mumbled.NôvelDrama.Org © content.
Ria felt her skin make contact with something warm and soft. Ian already reached out to hold her hands. “I am here with you. It is just a nightmare.” He was trying to be careful.
“It was.. a nightmare. I was just…” Ria’s voice trailed off.
The nightmare shredding the last piece of her heart which she had managed to put together all these years. Tears dropping down her cheeks. This is too much for her to bear. Those horrible moments in Lucas’s den came as a nightmare to haunts her like she had done something wrong!
All of a sudden a loud sob erupted from her throat. “Ria.” Ian came closer to her. “It is okay. It is just a nightmare.. nothing more than that okay?”
Ria wished these images were just nightmares that never happened. She always wished that her life didn’t turn out this way. But it is anyways and she already learnt to accept that fact which destroyed every of her being and now bringing back memories she wants to forget!
“I want to forget everything!” Ria tried to push him away but Ian held on to her.
“You will be fine.” Ian shushed her, rocking her back and forth. He rested her head on his chest and Ria sobbed.
“God.. just stop this torture and make me forget everything!” Ria prayed silently.
“Sh.. ah.. that’s okay.. I am here for you, Ria.” She felt his head resting on the top of her head but she didn’t care at that moment.
Ria was in his embrace and her body didn’t tremble again. The thought hit Ria immediately, she was feeling safe and protected in his arms. “Everything will be okay.” Ian mumbled.
Ria sniffed when the realization hit her that her body might seem to agree with Ian’s touch. And one thing she wanted at this point was for him to be with her until she falls back asleep.
“Go back to sleep.”
Ian was on his way to get water in the kitchen when he stopped at Ria’s bedroom entrance. He had wondered if she was still asleep? He wanted to know but at the same time he didn’t want to just go in and check on her. So Ian knocked at first but got no response. Second and third knock and still no one responded. Maybe she was asleep. He concluded.
Ian was about leaving when something stopped him and he was tempted to just go in and check. He opened the door slowly and popped his head in to check. Ria shook her head from side to side muttering words he couldn’t make sense of. Then he realized that she was having a nightmare and needed someone to get her out of it.
He called at her and she jolted up with a scream. Although Ian doesn’t understand everything she had said but he was already here to comfort her. That sounds good enough. Ian comforting Ria without her pushing him away makes him happy.
Ian glanced down at Ria who was now asleep in her arms. Whatever nightmare she was having, it must be worst to her. He brushed off strands of her from her face after laying her gently on the bed. He watched her for some minutes with their hands locked until his eyes became heavy with sleep. And then Ian admitted that Ria Robert still looked so beautiful even while sleeping.