"They Call Us Gypsies" (closed)

[DeadManTyping]

Jake pulled his pants from his legs, stood, and laid them over the chair's second arm. He turned back to his wife, standing before her in only his boxers and his socks. If she were to glance to his groin, Grace wouldn't notice any particularly obvious excitement pushing out the front of his underwear.

"But why my things? ... This is just as much my house as it is yours."

Jake crossed to Grace slowly, stopping well within arms reach of her yet keeping those arms at his side for the moment. That same polite smile was on his face as he studied her for a moment before saying in an even, calm tone just above a whisper, "This is my house. And it is my home. But ... it can be our home. All you have to do, Grace ... is do what I ask of you. You do not need concern yourself with your things. All you need is here."

He stepped a bit closer, his gaze still firmly on Grace's eyes as he tried to give her a reassuring smile. "All you need is here now, Grace ... all you need ... is me."

Again, Jake moved closer; there was barely an inch between his chest and Grace's breasts. He whispered, "Please take you clothes off, Grace."

 

[heartofcourage]

It took everything in her power not to flinch or pull away from Jake as he came nearer to her, explaining that he would provide everything that she needed if she only did everything he asked of her. She lowered her head, unable to look him in the eyes as he told her to undress. Perhaps it was self preservation or perhaps she really did want to do what it took to make this work. Her fingers shook as she’s undid the buttons on her dress, letting it slip from her shoulders to pool at her feet. Left in her slip, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him again.

“You’ll replace everything that’s gone?” She asked him in a soft tone, struggling so hard to not let him see the fear that she had for him.

 

[DeadManTyping]

“You’ll replace everything that’s gone?”

Jake reached slowly out to his wife's hands, urging her to part them. If she did, he would gently pull the slip's straps off her shoulders to let it fall to the floor.

He told her in a loving tone, "I promise you, Grace. I will make sure you have every thing you need to be happy."

Of course, in Jake's mind, all Grace needed other than the clothes in the closet and the clothes she was shedding -- something to wear on laundry day -- was his love, guidance, protection ... and absolute control.

 

[heartofcourage]

He gently pulled her arms away from her body, his hands moving to smooth the straps of her slip over her shoulders until it also pooled at her feet, leaving her in only her panties and boots. She actually blushed, her skin heating from her cheeks all the way to the tops of her breasts. It was silly as Jake had seen her naked multiple times in the past, but it almost felt embarrassing just then. She had no control over this situation and if he wanted her to be naked, she was going to be naked.

Grace flexed her wrists against his hands, wondering if he would release her. When he didn't, she locked her blue eyes on his, struggling to understand just what was going on behind that dark gaze of his. He was a closed book, as usual. She could never tell if he were happy, sad, angry, or neutral. It served him well as a lawyer and a judge, but as a husband, he would be seen as cold and inattentive.

"You can let me go." Grace said softly as he pulled her along with him towards the bed. "Jake, please let me go."

If he got too rough, she could scream. The deputy or the Sheriff would come to her rescue, but she wondered if they would really interfere too much in the marriage of one of the most powerful men in the county.

 

[DeadManTyping]

As Grace's slip fell away from her body, Jake's gaze fell to her beautiful, perfect bosom. He'd always cherished his wife's body: physically, she was perfect in every way, which had made Jake look good -- figuratively -- when she was on his arm at the many social functions of which he, as District Judge, was obligated to attend. Many a night out in the community had been spent by him standing back to inconspicuously eye the men who were not-so-inconspicuously eying his wife. The pride that came with such a yearned-for bride solidified his cock and enhanced his satisfaction later in the evening as he reminded himself that no other man would ever have the privilege of partaking in Grace's assets as he did himself.

"You can let me go ... Jake, please let me go."

He didn't immediately do as his wife requested, but when Jake did release his grasp on her wrists, his hands began caressing her smooth, flawless skin with hunger. One found a firm breast and cupped it, toying with the nipple that hardened, regardless of whether Grace would have wanted it so; the other hand slipped to the small of her back, then over the upper curvature of a buttock cheek.

"You're incredible," Jake whispered, his gaze wandering all about her body from eyes to bosom to bushy mound. "I'm such a lucky man."

Jake crossed his left hand passed Grace's belly to take her right wrist, then turned her around, to face the bed. If she resisted, his hands would take a tight hold of her and make her do his bidding. He reached a hand quickly to Grace's throat, grasping it just enough to maintain a firm hold of her -- and likely scare her, he knew but didn't care -- but not enough to prevent the air from getting to her lungs or the blood to her head.

"If you scream for help..." he whispered into her ear as he turned and pulled back her head back to his. He finished his threat, still whispering, "...I'll break your neck before anyone has a chance to even reach the house."

It was only now as his true nature showed itself without disguise that Jake's flaccid cock hardened quickly to full stiffness, laying neatly within the crevice of Grace's young, firm ass. He kissed her ear, then her cheek, telling her still in whisper, "Bend forward, my love. I want to make love to you."

 

[heartofcourage]

When Jake released her wrists, it was to place his hands on her smooth and flawless skin. Grace shivered as he cupped a breast in his large hand, kneading the mound until her nipple stood hard against his palm and his other hand moved to cup her bottom. He had an appreciation for her, that much as very clear. However, she wasn't sure that Jake knew what it was to love another person. He could be obsessed, but true love was something that always seemed to allude him.

She let out a gasp as he pulled her until she was facing the bed, his free hand moving to cup her delicate throat. A low whimper of fear left her chest as he grasped her throat firmly, letting her feel the threat that was clear. His hard cock as sawing against her crack, his excitement finally making him harden as he whispered against her ear as if he were telling her sweet nothings.

"If you scream for help..." he whispered into her ear as he turned and pulled back her head back to his. He finished his threat, still whispering, "...I'll break your neck before anyone has a chance to even reach the house."

She was terrified by the threat, shaking in his arms as he told her to bend forward so her could make love to her. His lips moved from her ear to her cheek, kissing her as if he hadn't just threatened to snap her neck if she screamed. She had little choice as she reached forward to place her hands against their large mattress, crawling until her knees meet the mattress as well and she presented him a picture of her pert, heart shaped bottom.

She was too numb to cry in front of him. Tears would most likely come when she was alone later, but right then, Grace would do anything to keep him happy so he wouldn't cause her physical harm. She shivered as he pressed forward against her, draping his warm body over the top of her own. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine that she were somewhere else right then, someone else actually loving her. It was then that she was startled that Jake, her husband who was working up to penetrating her, was replaced with Gregor.

 

[DeadManTyping]

Jake released his hold on his wife's neck and upper body as she obeyed his instructions, maintaining his control of her at the waist instead. He followed her onto the mattress, urging her forward until he was securely on the mattress as well, his knees outside her shins.

"Good," he whispered, as if complimenting her submission to him. He leaned forward to wrap one arm around her lower belly while the other reached between their lower sections and found her soft folds with his fingers. He purred as if finding a treasure, saying, "Good ... very good."

Jake toyed at Grace's opening a bit, wetting his fingers, then plunged his middle one fully inside her. He began finger fucking her hard and fast, asking with a soft voice, "Do you like that, Grace? Does that feel as good as I think it does?"

He didn't really care what her answer was, assuming there was one at all. After he'd gotten her well wet with his wet finger, moving all about her labia and clit, Jake grasped both of Grace's hips tightly, positioned his cock, and pushed. He entered her slowly: ironically, he had no desire to hurt her as he did and had the last time them fucked.

He pulled his head back, pushed forward a bit more, repeated, and soon enough he was deep inside her. Grace's thighs were together -- her legs between his knees -- which lead him to groan aloud and compliment, "Grace...! You feel ... so good to me ... so tight. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't think you'd spend last night fucking a stinky, filthy gypsy."

 

[heartofcourage]

She bucked as he slipped his fingers deep inside of her body. She let out a moan, unable to help it as he fingered her quickly, her folds becoming wet in an instant. He knew that it felt good to her, in spite of her fear of him. What he was doing now was the only way that he had made her cum in the past and he used the knowledge to his advantage.

Then he was pressing into her body, going slowly. This time was much better than the last, save for the hard crush of his fingers against her hips. Not that anyone else would see her naked besides him, but if they did, they would see the dark bruises he left behind with his possessive grip. Jake seemed to like what he felt as her buried himself deep, groaning that he could almost forget that she had spent the night before fucking a gypsy.

"I didn't, Jake. I wouldn't." Grace murmured as soon as she was aware of what he had said. "You're the only person I've ever been with."

 

[DeadManTyping]

His strokes got a bit faster, a bit deeper, and a bit harder, but they still weren't violent; just energetic intercourse like most couples might enjoy it.

Jake certainly was. He was already panting hard from the pleasure and beginning to moan consistently with the strokes. As Grace swore she hadn't been with that gypsy -- that she'd only ever been with him -- Jake said between breaths with a tone looking for confirmation, "Because I'm the only man you could ever love ... the only man who could ever love you ... the only man who could ever make you feel the way you make me feel..."

If she confirmed what he was saying, Jake would continue to make love to her: faster, deeper, harder. But if she didn't...

 

[heartofcourage]

Jake was certainly enjoying what he was doing, his strokes firm and deliberate. Grace gripped the sheets beneath her fingers, too stiff and scared to truly enjoy her husband. There was something there beneath Jake's skin that felt as if it would snap at any moment. She didn't want to anger him, especially right now, so she simply agreed with him.

"Yes." She squeaked out, hearing a moan at her confirmation, wondering if he would believe that she hadn't done anything at the gypsy camp besides kiss Gregor once or twice.

Her thoughts were then drawn to the handsome Romani who seemed to truly care for her. He had cared for her all day, letting her cry and mourn as much as she liked without comment or rush. He had taken her on a lovely walk and shown her a brief lovely evening. She found herself wondering if he would make love to her or fuck her like Jake had always done. Would he make her feel as if she were the only woman in the world or like a possession that needed to be broken and molded to his will?

"Oh..." She whimpered as she thought about that, her eyes closing until she could almost just imagine that it was Gregor behind her and not her husband.

She wasn't sure if it made the situation any better, but it certainly gave her something a little nicer to think about. It was all broken when Jake's fingers curled a little harder against her hips, pulling her back almost violently against him as he came, filling her with his scalding seed. Then it was quiet in the room save for the sound of his heavy breathing. After a few moments, Grace looked over her shoulder to Jake, her eyes locking with his as he slowly released his grip on her body.

"I can go finish dinner now." She whispered in the softest voice imaginable, wondering if he would really let her get out of that bed.

 

[DeadManTyping]

"Yes."

"I knew..." Jake managed as he felt his orgasm beginning to build. Sounding as if he truly believed his wife's confirmation -- she wouldn't know whether he did or was still just playing his mind games -- he added, "I knew it ... I'm the only man ... for you Grace.

As his thrusts into her tightness intensified, Jake heard his wife moan...

"Oh..."

"Yes, Grace!" he called out. "I know! It feels so good. It feels so right! You and me, Gracie. You and me."

Jake didn't know whether or not Grace would catch his use of the variation on her name. It was something most of her younger siblings had used when he'd first begun seeing her. But, they didn't anymore: Jake had made it very clear to her the moment that she'd accepted his proposal of marriage that he wouldn't have what he called a name you would give a dog or horse spoken in reference to his wife. He used it tonight for one purpose: to make her think of the life she'd left for a life with him ... the latter being the better of the two, obviously.

The pleasure peaked within Jake and with a great groan he began filling Grace with his seed. Ever since their marriage, the two of them had tracked her cycle with great precision, to ensure that they avoided an ill-timed and unwanted pregnancy. Ill timed and unwanted was defined by Jake as a pregnancy that arose before he said it was time. And he didn't want Grace knocked up until fatherhood was an advantageous factor for his career. Wife, kids, family: they all played into his political goals but only if timed just right.

Grace was very close to that time when she could conceive, Jake thought he recalled. For all he knew, he'd impregnated her the night before last or was in the process of doing so right now. Of course, it wasn't about his career right now as his cock leaped again and again, shooting forth wad after wad of his quickly scrambling sperm, eager to beat their brothers to the prize waiting ahead. No, right now it was all about strengthening Grace's tie to him, for as a pregnant wife, she would only be more reliant upon him. And, of course, the law would be even more behind Jake if Grace attempted to leave him.

When the last ejaculation had long since passed, Jake caught his wife saying...

"I can go finish dinner now."

He pulled his cock slowly out of her, chuckling at the plopping suction sound caused by his knees outside of Grace's feet having kept her pussy more tightly closed than usual for this position. He backed away from her and turned to sit on the edge of the bed with his feet on the floor.

As Grace slid off as well, attempting to put a little distance between them, Jake suddenly grasped her by a wrist and pulled her to him again. He forced a kiss on her mouth as he urged her before him ... off the bed ... downward to her knees. He shifted his feet, and Grace ended up between his parted knees. Jake pulled her more into the angle of his thighs, urging her downward.

"Clean me up," he demanded. "With your mouth."

Jake registered Grace's reaction and ignored it. He'd never asked Grace to go down on him, despite the great ecstasy he knew could come from it. His law school buddies had rented him a big city whore on the occasion of his 21st birthday, and she had driven him to what at the time was the most pleasurable orgasm he'd had to that date.

But it was a nasty bit of sex that future lawyer, future judge, future senator, and maybe even future president Jacob Townsend had always thought was beneath his standing. A nasty bit of sex ... that, somehow, seemed perfect for this night with his disobedient wife.

 

[heartofcourage]

Grace didn't even have the time to reach her clothing before Jake's hand tightened over her wrist and pulled her back towards him. She stumbled onto his lap, gasping as his lips closed over her own in a hungry and possessive kiss. His grip on her wrist was tight, reminding her that he still had ownership over her in that moment and he wasn't going to let her go until he was good and ready.

His lips were bruising, seeking to both excite and punish. She let out a whimper as his tongue dominated her own and his bearded stubble practically burned her chin and cheeks. Then she was free, his hands guiding her until she was kneeling between his knees with his half hard cock staring her right in the face.

"Clean me up," he demanded. "With your mouth."

"I don't know how." Grace blurted out, looking up at him with startled eyes as he stared at her passively for a moment.

She knew that this was all a giant punishment for running away from him, for daring to speak out during his argument with Jason. Grace really did believe that Jake had lost his mind and the first thing she would demand in the morning was that the Sheriff take him to see a doctor. He had been cold, could be cold, and had an explosive temper, but he had never treated her like this before.

What she didn't know was that everything he had done so far had been for his own career. He had left the farm he'd grown up on to further his future. He had graduated the top of his class at law school because it would open doors. He had abstained from marriage until he had found the prettiest face possible, which was a bonus as it had also been a woman his brother had been interested in as well. Now, he was breaking her of what he saw as a wild streak, making it seem as if he were the only thing in the world that were important.

She might have been a naive farm girl when he married her, but Grace wasn't stupid. Her stepmother had taught her ways to keep a pregnancy at bay, and while she hadn't been successful herself at it, Grace would use all of that to her advantage. A child right then would tie her to Jake forever. While she knew she would be a good mother to any baby that came along, she wasn't sure that she wanted a child to grow up under Jacob Townsend's roof. Perhaps when he was back to normal, but not now.

The slap that he delivered to her face was both sudden and unexpected. She let out a gasp as his free hand curled tightly in her red curls, jerking her back into position. Her blue eyes were swimming with tears as she looked up at him, panting in fear as they stared at one another in silence.

"I didn't say no." Grace said softly. "I just...I don't know what you want from me."

 

[DeadManTyping]

"Clean me up, with your mouth," Jake demanded, "Like I told you to do."

His once soft, gentle, though obviously feigned demeanor was now gone. Jake's politeness had gotten her to his bedroom, out of her clothes, and onto the bed without undue attention from the Sheriff, who Jake had a feeling was still just out on the street. But that politeness was no longer necessary. Jake had Grace where he needed her, on her knees before the master as any good servant should be.

"Lick up this mess," he told her, grasping her face in both hands and moving her mouth up until his penis pushed against it. It was once again hardening quickly, and by the time he got done growling his instructions at Grace, it would be solid like a rock once more. "Open you lips ... take out your tongue ... and lick up this mess."

 

[heartofcourage]

The sudden harsh tone that came from her husband made Grace's belly twist in the worst way. He was beyond being polite now. He would get what he wanted, damned what she wanted. His hands were on either side of her face, pulling her close until he slide his sticky cock up and down her lips. It was the most up close and personal that she had ever gotten with Jake's manhood and it certainly wasn't something that she wanted to do.

He hardened against her lips and Grace had little choice other than to do as he asked. She opened her mouth and he soon slipped inside. She gasped, not ready at all for him to use her mouth in the way that he was. She tried to make it pleasurable in spite of her fear and her inexperience. Failing miserably, Grace sputtered as he pressed deeper into her mouth, tears falling by this time at the humiliation that Jake was putting her through.

 

[DeadManTyping]

"Ow!"

Gregor flinched again at the careless care being tended to his face by Marla. She only laughed at him as she said, "Don't be such a baby. It's only two stitches."

"It's a needle," he countered, wincing again as she stuck the end of it into his skin just above his eyebrow. "And it hurts!"

"Anymore than Harold hitting you in the face so hard he knocked you out?" she asked, pulling the knot tight and leaning in to bite the thread in two. "Has that ever happened before...? You getting--"

"No," he interjected with a tone that was part anger, part disappointment. Then he recalled an incident, telling her, "There was that time in St. Louis."

"But that wasn't in the fight ring, that was at a tavern where you tried to take not one but two sisters out back for some fun in the tall grass," she reminded him, finishing, "And their boyfriends beat the crap out of you."

Marla sat back a bit and purveyed her work. She smiled, chuckled, and reached out to poke a finger at his other eye, which was still a bit swollen around the stitches that were still in it from the previous fisticuffs match.

"All these years of fighting, and until just this stop, you never had to have stitched on your face," Marla reminding Gregor, "You used to be such a pretty boy, but ... I don't know. Still ... I'd get naked with you if you asked."

"I'm still pretty," he murmured, lifting the bottle of Țuică to his swollen, split lip. He made eye contact with Marla for a moment and told her with a sincere tone, "And I would still get naked with you again ... goat girl..."

She punched Gregor in the chest -- where Harold had connected with him a couple of times earlier in the night -- called him a foul name in Romanian, then laughed at his pained groan.

He apologized for his use of the nickname that had caused her so much anguish as a child, telling her with a sincere tone, "You know I don't mean it."

Marla hadn't originated in this Family but had been an orphan they'd taken in from yet another one. After the death of her parents when she was but 6 years old, no one in Marla's original Romani Family -- which had been suffering tough times -- had wanted to care for her, seeing her as more of a burden than her potential labor was worth.

Gregor's grandparents -- who had been taking care of him after the deaths of his own parents -- traded a pair of milk goats for Marla and raised her as their own. But children can be cruel sometimes, even within the close knit Romani, and the other gypsy children sometimes chased Marla through the camp, making goat sounds and chanting the unflattering nickname.

That didn't last long, though. The older Gregor -- who was something of a cross between a cousin and a brother and would one day be Marla's first lover -- got fed up with the abuse one day and broke one of the chanting bully's nose. And then the others attacked him from all sides, he beat them off single handedly and another boy's arm. It was the last time anyone but Gregor had used the moniker to describe the homely little gypsy who had grown up to be such a beautiful, sexy woman.

"You won't get naked with me every again," Marla said to the man who had not only been her first lover but had been her first love. When Gregor only gave her a slight smile, Marla asked, "You love this devil haired woman?"

Gregor laughed at the reference to Grace's fiery head of hair, wincing yet again at the pain coming from his split lip. "Yes. I do."

"You want her." It was a statement of fact from the young woman, not a question. She may have been only an exotic dancer and prostitute, but being that close to that many men over the years had taught her a great deal about them. When Gregor nodded, Marla said without reservation, "Than you must go get her and bring her back."

Gregor laughed, rising from where he'd been sitting and leaning back into a pair of grain bags some Romani boys had borrowed from a local farm. "It's not that easy."

"Why not?" Marla said, putting her stitching things back together before -- with a hand from Gregor -- she rose to her feet as well. "Just ... go get her."

"She doesn't want to be with me," Gregor said softly.

Marla burst out in laughter, and when she was able to put the words together, she reassured Gregor, "Don't be stupid! Every girl wants you."

She moved up against him -- poking him in one of his bruises just to ensure she had his full attention -- and gently kissed his swollen lip. Then, with a sincere tone, she told him, "Go get her. She is waiting for you. I promise you this."

"How can you know that?"

She kissed him again, this time a bit more erotically, before whispering, "Because I would be."

Marla backed away as she felt her eyes beginning to gloss over. Long, long ago, she had once believed that she and Gregor would be husband and wife. She'd abandoned that fantasy long ago. But it didn't mean that she didn't still love him ... or that she wasn't still in love with him. She couldn't have him, but she still wanted him to be happy. And she knew that this devil woman was Gregor's angel.

As he watched her head through the dark back to the tent where she had been earning her late evening coin before coming to his face's aid, Gregor thought about his relationship with her ... and with other women ... Romani ... not Romani. He thought back to the warning Inga had given him when they'd first set up on the Townsend Farm, about how he needed to keep is cock under control this stop so that the Family could fill their Treasury and restock their vardo with many of the supplies they'd been depleting since their last stop over months earlier.

Gregor realized suddenly that he hadn't been balls deep in a woman since that moment when he'd first laid eyes on Grace. And ... to his surprise ... he wasn't disappointed by that fact. He'd had a lot of women in his life. But ... he knew now that the only woman he ever wanted to get naked with from this point forth was Missus Grace Townsend.

He returned to his vardo, checked to ensure that Connie was in his bed and comfortable, changed into some dark clothes, and went out to find Horse. He could be to town in under ten minutes ... which was plenty of time to figure out what the fuck he thought he was supposed to do about making Grace his.

 

[DeadManTyping]

The moment Grace's mouth opened and he felt the head of his cock slip between her soft lips, Jake pulled his wife's head forward. She gagged and did her best to pull back, and -- ironic for what he was putting her through -- Jake lifted her up enough to give Grace her mouth back.

"Again," he said once she had recovered. He pulled her face forward again, repeating only, "Again."

He explained with the same flat, emotionless tone he used in the office with clients how he wanted her to suck him. Grace obviously didn't do it well initially. The sobbing and tears weren't a plus for her performance. And yet, they pleased Jake just fine. He warned her about her teeth, then again, then yet again. He pulled her head back suddenly at one point, tilting it up so he could look in her glazed over eyes as he growled, "Watch your teeth."

He put her back to it again, and despite the deep reluctance to having him fuck her face, Grace's mouth finally began to cause Jake some pleasure. His breathing began to deepen, and he moaned occasionally, then finally consistently. The only other woman to have ever done this to him had been a professional, and she'd caused him to erupt within just a couple of minutes. Grace was not going to repeat that very skilled example of cock sucking.

Jake grasped a handful of his wife's red hair in one hand and pulled her back from his groin, then immediately took hold of his wet shaft and began rapidly stroking its full length with tightly wrapped fingers. The pleasure he was causing himself was more obvious than that which Grace has caused, and within just a minute or so he was ready to explode.

"Again!" he demanded, pulling his wife's face back to his groin. He wanted Grace to take his head into her mouth and pulled her face to the end of his cock. He repeated again more forcefully, "Again!"

Jake was there, and while he wanted to cum in Grace's mouth, he was lost in the pleasure that was rising exponentially within his groin. Was he in her mouth? Or was he aiming at it? At her face? Her bare chest? He wasn't entirely sure and, to be honest, didn't care as his cock leaped within his grip and shot a ribbon of jizm at his wife. Jake continued to pump his length as he unloaded shot after shot, groaning loudly with his head back and his eyes closed.

He would continue to jerk his shaft until the last ejaculation, still holding a handful of his wife's red hair. Then, he would release both Grace and Big Jake and slowly slump back to the bed. He was done with her tonight. If she asked to leave -- to clean up -- or go finish dinner, he would just wave her away without a word. If she pitched a fit with the way she'd been treated, well ... he'd have to deal with that if and when the time came, wouldn't he.

But for now, Jake just wanted to lay back on the bed and enjoy the euphoria of sexual satisfaction ... and matrimonial victory.

 

[heartofcourage]

Grace quietly left the room when Jake was done, silently picking up her slip off the floor and dressing once she was in the kitchen again. She practically held her breath each time she heard creaking from upstairs, but the house remained quiet.

She was shaking as she wet a washcloth in the sink, using it to wipe her face and mouth. He had cum across her cheeks and chin, his seed dribbling down onto her chest as he grip had kept her in place. It was gone in a few swipes, but she still felt as if she carried the telltale signs of her defilement. She even took the moment to clean between her thighs before she threw the cloth into the bin to be burned.

After checking that the roast wasn't burned, she turned the fire down lower and then made her way to the back door. She had to stand on her tiptoes to undo the new lock, but she was soon stepping out into the warm summer evening. Only when she had escaped into the garden, away from the street lights that might have told Jake where she was and the prying eyes of a Sheriff's Deputy still out in front of the house, did Grace break down.

She shook like she was chilled to the bone, sobbing into her hands as quietly as she could. Dressed in her thin slip and nothing more, she had never felt more exposed in her life. She didn't know how wild her hair looked from where Jake had pulled it roughly, using it to guide her in her first blowjob. She didn't know that her cheek was still pink from where he had slapped her hard at balking at his request. She just knew that none of this was the way she had imagined her life turning out, and that is what broke her heart.

 

[DeadManTyping]

Gregor had altered Horse between galloping and trotting until he reached the edge of the forest and park that formed the east property line of several properties, including that of Jacob Townsend. He dismounted and led the big beast just a few yards into the undergrowth before whipping the reins around a limb and telling the creature he'd be back.

A couple of minutes later, moving with silence and stealth, Gregor was nearly to where the forest opened into the yard where his little female accomplices had picked Grace's flowers that first day. The moon was nearly full and lit the woods and the path through it well, and yet Gregor slowed as he neared the house. He heard something, a sound that he couldn't attribute to any of the expected animals of the night.

And then there was Grace.

Gregor froze at the sight of her sitting there on the edge of the garden. She was sobbing: he could hear it in her soft sounds and after a moment he could see it in her body language as well. He wanted to rush to her, but Gregor knew it would frighten her, maybe even cause her to cry out and attract the attention of her husband, who Gregor assumed was still inside the home. (He had approached the house from the opposite side of where Barlow Barker had his Sheriff's Department Ford parked, so it never even occurred to Gregor to be concerned about attracting an armed man or two.)

Looking about himself, Gregor found and retrieved some empty nut shells. He tossed one to land in the grass near Grace, but she showed no sign of having heard or seen it. He repeated the toss, then a third time. This time, Grace's head rose a bit and her gaze settled on the general location of the item's descent to the ground. Once more, Gregor tossed a shell, and this time Grace's gaze shifted to where the moonlight was cutting through the trees to illuminate and identify him well.

 

[heartofcourage]

Grace was startled at the sound of the nut shells landing near her. She glanced up and scanned the area until another was thrown and she could make out Gregor standing at the edge of the woods. He had promised that he would protect her and it seemed that he was taking that promise very seriously.

She couldn't help herself as she stood from her spot and hurried towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding as tightly as she could. She buried her face against his chest, those awful tears starting again as she cried. Her tears soaked into his shirt as she simply sought some form of comfort after a terrible evening. She knew that she could stay out there long or else Jake might come looking for her. She didn't want that to happen.

 

[DeadManTyping]

Gregor clutched his arms around Grace's upper body, holding her tightly to himself with one hand at the middle of her back, the other at the base of her skull. It was the closest they'd been, physically. It was the most physically intimate they'd been thus far. And it was a bitter sweet moment for him. He should have been thrilled for such an embrace, but Gregor knew the source of Grace's emotions. It wasn't a lust for him. It wasn't a love for him. It was a hatred for and fear of her husband.

What exactly were Grace's feelings toward him, Gregor wondered as he held her close to him, whispering ever so silently, "It'll be okay, Grace. I'm here. I'm here for you."

His sympathy for Grace was strong. His hatred for her husband was as well. And it only got worse when his nostrils breathed the smell of sex in deeply. Jake had had Grace tonight, possibly just minutes earlier. And it caused Gregor's heart to pound fiercely, knowing without doubt that Grace hadn't wanted to be with him ... and fearing that he'd hurt her -- likely physically as well as emotionally -- in the process.

"I'm taking you away from this place, right now," he whispered to Grace, leaning to sweep her up into his arms as he had once before. As he turned for Horse's hiding place, Gregor added, "I can't leave you here."

If she did not stop him, Gregor would put her on Horse and ride her away ... unsure of what his next step was but certain that it wasn't leaving her here with that monster...

 

[heartofcourage]

Gregor cradled her close, letting her cry without trying to stop her or make her feel guilty about it. His hand gently held the base of her skull and his other hand supported her, letting her know that he wasn’t going to let her go any time soon. Grace dimly heard his promise that he was there and she believed him. He hasn’t let her down yet.

“I can’t go.” Grace protested as he swept her off her feet, ready to steal her away right then and there. “The Sheriff will be back in the morning and if I’m not here, I know he’ll come looking. I have to stay.”

She didn’t want to stay. She was terrified of Jake and his mental state, but she had very little say in the matter.

 

[DeadManTyping]

Gregor slowed, then stopped. He wouldn't leave Grace here. He couldn't leave her here. But ... he couldn't take her, either. Still holding Grace cradled in her arms, Gregor pulled her even closer to him, pressing his forehead into the crook of her neck, wanting to hold her like this forever.

After a long moment, he lowered Grace to her feet and wrapped his arms about her as before. The moon was shining down upon them, and -- recalling an old Italian Romani and his stories of flying off to Earth's child -- Gregor wished he and Grace could climb aboard the old gypsy's magic swan and disappear with his redheaded goddess.

"I'll do what you want me to do, Grace," he whispered. He pulled them apart and leaned to look directly into her eyes, saying with the most sincere tone, "Tell me what to do, Grace. I will do it. Do--"

It was hard for Gregor to say this, but he did. "Do you want me to take you back? Take you to the Sheriff instead?"

He hesitated, looking for other options, then recalled what had happened at the camp. "Your father. He was at the carnavale. Do you want me to take you home, to your family?"

Then, hesitating, drawing and releasing a deep breath, certain that this was a mistake but also certain he had to ask, Gregor whispered, "If you want ... I can make it so that Jake will never harm you ... ever again. Grace ... I would do that for you."

He meant kill Jake, of course. But Gregor didn't speak the words...

 

[heartofcourage]

“Jake would only be angry and my father would send me back if you took me to the Sheriff or to him.” She murmured as Gregor looked her in the eye, asking what she wanted. “And I don’t want him dead. He’s sick but he doesn’t deserve to die. I don’t want you to get in trouble either.”

Grace considered what she might do, glancing back towards the house to make sure that nothing was a miss. “He got rid of all my things. Everything is gone. Can you tell Jason not to bring my things from his house? It’s all I have left.”

Grace knew how pathetic those words sounded. She had nothing left in this life but what her husband deemed fit to give to her. She had the thin slip that she had on currently, the dress in the closet, two pairs of shoes, and the dress she had worn the day before. There was also the wedding ring on her finger, but that felt more like a shackle than anything else.

"I'll stay the night in the front room with the curtains open. It's safer in there." She muttered, looking up at Gregor in the moonlight.

She wondered what he saw when he looked at her. Did he see a pathetic creature, not strong enough to walk away from an abusive husband? Did he see the whore that Jake thought that she was? Or did he see a respectable lady stuck in a bad situation? She knew she was a mess to look upon just then. Her cheek was bruising from where Jake had slapped her. Her lips were swollen from his "lesson" and her hair wild from where his hands had guided her in her task. She was sure there would be much more in the morning, but it seemed that Gregor didn't care.

"I wish I hadn't married him." She muttered, more tears coming to her eyes. "But I didn't have a choice."

 

[DeadManTyping]

“And I don’t want him dead. He’s sick but he doesn’t deserve to die. I don’t want you to get in trouble either.”

Gregor didn't know whether he was disappointed or thankful that Grace refused his vague offer to have Jake dealt with. She was right about him likely getting in trouble if he was to kill her husband: Gregor would be the first suspect for whom the Sheriff would come, and even if Gregor wasn't picked out, the Romani as a whole would be blamed. Still, though, Gregor would love to do nothing less than beat the man to at least a bloody pulp.

When Grace spoke of her things -- or lack thereof -- Gregor was shocked. He asked what she meant, and Grace explained. It made Gregor's blood boil even hotter than it already was. He told Grace that he would speak to Jason. That was going to be an interesting conversation, Greor knew. The two men had stood side by side a night before confronting Jake and the two law enforcement officers. They didn't know each other well, yet Gregor felt he knew how Jason would look at this situation.

"I'll stay the night in the front room with the curtains open. It's safer in there."

He tried to talk Grace into leaving once more, but she was adamant about staying. She told him...

"I wish I hadn't married him ... But I didn't have a choice."

Gregor pulled Grace to his body again, holding her close for a long moment. He finally released her and backed a step. "I'll ask once more. Please, Grace ... come with me. Come with me now."

She couldn't, of course. Then, a bulb illuminated in the house, causing Gregor's heart to leap in fear for Grace because of her absence from the house. With a heavy heart, he watched the redhead hurry back to the house. He would remain there in the woods for ... well, for as long as felt it was necessary.

Inside his home, Jake descended the stairs, freshly bathed and dressed for dinner. He found Grace in the kitchen and stepped up behind her, taking her arms in his hands and kissing her on the cheek. With a calm voice that belied what he'd done to his wife earlier, he said, "Smells great."

He moved from the cupboards to the drawers to the table, putting out two place settings, something he hadn't done himself in all their time together. He sat in his normal seat and simply waited for Grace to serve him.

 

[heartofcourage]

Grace was stiff as Jake kissed her cheek and rested his hands on her bare arms. She wondered if he had known she was gone, but he didn’t mention a thing as he moved to set the table. She watched him for a moment, curious as to why he was doing a task that she normally did. Then he simply sat at the table and watched her work.

She was quiet as she dishes everything up, placing the various bowls of food on the table before she took her own seat across from him and watched as he helped himself. She had absolutely no appetite, only placing food on her plate for appearances. She didn’t even touch her fork or knife as she glanced at Jake from time to time.

“Are you going to the courthouse tomorrow?” She asked him finally, trying to make conversation as if it were another normal day.