Anatomy of a Nightmare by M J Marlow (best ebook reader android TXT) 📖

the player, smiling as he saw himself mastering the rebellious girl. She was fighting now, he smiled to himself; but she would learn who her master was. She would be the perfect wife for him or she would die. There were no other options.

The garbage truck arrived to empty a dumpster near the hospital two days later and Edward was found. He was taken to the hospital where Gregory arrived to ask him what had happened. He told him someone had knocked him out and put him in the dumpster. He admitted he had not seen his assailant.
“But I have a very good idea who it could have been,” he said to Gregory as he looked over at Murphy. His partner nodded. “Our cousin Gordon has been trying to force Lily to marry Neil Ambrose for the past two years.”
“Where were you when you were assaulted, Officer Randal?” Gregory asked. He frowned at the thought of Lily being forced to marry anyone against her will.
“No one is going to touch my sister,” Edward snapped, “like she was some hooker, Agent Talbot. Gordon told Lily she had to meet Ambrose Wednesday night at the apartment over his business office. I went there to bring her home and someone jumped me at the dumpster in the alley behind the building.”
“Don’t you know it’s Friday night, Officer Randall?”
“I’ve been out cold for two days?” Edward choked. He tried to get up and Gregory held him down. “You don’t understand. He’s had Lily for two days, Agent Talbot! That sadistic animal has had her – in his bed – for two days!”
“We’ll find them,” Gregory told him. “You stay here and get well.” He looked at Edward firmly. “If things are as you say, this is a kidnapping case now. That is my jurisdiction, not yours. I will get your sister back for you.” He turned to Murphy. “Ask the doctor to prescribe a sedative for him? I don’t need him blundering into my path while I do my job.”
He left the hospital room cursing himself for taking his eyes off of the girl. If he had taken her with him the first day she would not be in any trouble now. He called his team together and half of them went to Ambrose’s office. He took the rest of them to the Ambrose house. As he drove up, his phone rang.
“Talk,” he said to the person calling. “He was there? Good.” He stopped the car and got out. “Hold him there until I see if the girl is in the house. Don’t tell him anything.” He hung up and went to the door. He knocked and the housekeeper answered. “I wish to speak to Miss Randall,” he told the woman bluntly.
“Mrs. Ambrose is ill, sir,” the woman told him. “Mr. Ambrose said no one was to disturb her while he was at work.”
“It’s important,” Gregory told her. “Her brother was assaulted. He’s in the hospital and he needs to see her.”
“Well,” the woman frowned as she weighed employment against family loyalty. She nodded. “All right. I’ll see if she can come out.” She went to the master suite and Gregory watched her come back out looking confused. “Mrs. Ambrose isn’t here, sir. I don’t know where she could be.”
“Fan out,” he told his people. “I want every building on this property searched and then move out into the area around the house.” He had visions of her wandering in the woods half-conscious. He could see the bruises and blood on her body. The image of her was so strong he knew he was in trouble. He had only seen her twice and there was already a connection forming between them. He went outside and headed down towards the beach. He saw her walking along the water’s edge. “Lily?”
She stood ankle deep in the surf and did not respond to him for a moment. She was holding herself stiffly and he could almost feel the pain she was in. She turned at the sound of his voice and he saw the bruises on her lovely face. But it was the look of absolute despair in her eyes that hit him hardest.
“Edward is looking for you, Lily,” he said gently as he headed towards her slowly. “Come with me.”
“No,” Lily said softly, shaking her head as she backed away from him into the water. “I need to die. He can’t hurt anyone if I’m gone.” She looked at him for understanding. “You see that, don’t you?” she asked as she continued to move into the water. “If I’m dead he can’t hurt anyone.” She turned towards the horizon. “Tell Edward I love him,” she cried and then dove into the water. Gregory took after her and pulled her back as she kicked and struggled and clawed at him. “No!” she sobbed as he held her. “Let me go! It will all be over if I’m dead!”
He saw the EMTs coming and let them take over. They got her strapped down in the ambulance and she cried the whole way to the hospital. She did not stop until Ambrose arrived. Then she went pale and stiff as her husband sat down and held her hand pretending he cared. Gregory could see all the signs of an abusive situation but there was nothing he could do unless he caught the man in the act or Lily pressed charges.
“You’ve been a very bad girl, Lily,” Ambrose said as they were left alone. “What did you think you were doing?”
“I had to make it stop,” she sobbed as he tightened his grip on her wrist. “You’re hurting me!” she whimpered as the pain mounted. “Please…”
“It’s obvious I can’t trust you alone, honey,” Ambrose frowned. “I’m going to have to hire a nurse to keep an eye on you.” He saw the fear in her eyes. “And the doctor will have to prescribe something for you to keep you calm.” He touched her cheek and she flinched. “We’ll get the best psychiatrist we can find, Lily. I won’t rest until you are better.” He leaned over her so that their lips were almost touching. “Do you want me to lock you away in an asylum, my angel?” Lily shook her head. “Then you’ll be a good girl, won’t you?”
“Yes, Neil,” Lily whimpered. “I’ll be good. Please don’t send me away.” He kissed her then and she lay there and did not fight. He wasn’t going to let her fight. “I’ll be good.”

Gregory drove to his brother’s apartment and his twin handed him a whiskey. Gregory drank it down and put the glass on the coffee table. Evelyn Grey, Geoffrey’s fiancé, came out of the kitchen with a casserole dish held in her mitted hands and set in on the dining room table. Gregory was certain he was on the right track. Lily and Evelyn were exact duplicates of each other.
“I had the hospital take a DNA test for you without her husband’s knowledge,” Gregory told her as they sat down to eat. “I’ll take it to Dad when I leave here. Ambrose is hiring a nurse for her. I managed to get Esme into the house and she’ll keep an eye on Lily for us.”
“I can’t believe I’m finally going to meet my sister,” Evelyn smiled and dished out the casserole. “I just wish I’d been able to help her before she married that man.”
“I’ve checked him out,” Gregory frowned. “He is a piece of work. From what I managed to work out of the people in their town, Neil Ambrose is either the town’s golden boy or a sadistic bastard. Since the doctors found evidence of abuse when Lily was admitted to the hospital I am leaning towards the latter.”
“We have to find a way to help her,” Evelyn cried in dismay. “I am not going to let some rich bastard knock my sister around if there is anything I can do to prevent it.” She got a look on her face that told the brothers she was already planning something. She smiled. “Lily Ambrose is going to get a new best friend!”
“You’d best be careful of that, darling,” Geoffrey spoke up. “Your parents went to a great deal of trouble to keep the two of you apart. If they find out you’ve found her, that’s trouble enough. But if they find out you are involving yourself in her life, all kinds of stuff is going to hit the fan.”
“It is the pleasure of my life,” Evelyn replied, “to keep my parents off balance.” She saw the brothers smile and shake their heads. “If they hadn’t wanted the headaches, they should have left me with my mother and sister!”

Lily was released from the hospital after a week in the psychiatric ward and Ambrose took her home. Ambrose had arranged that to show her what would happen to her if she didn’t start obeying him. As further punishment, he would not let her speak to her brother and Edward was not allowed to see her. Ambrose treated her like a queen, pampering her and bringing her home little gifts and new clothing. The nurse he hired to help her, Esme Dunston, was a kind and capable woman, who did not make her feel as if she were incapable of coherent thought or basic motor skills. In fact, they had become very good friends; a fact they both hid from Ambrose.
“I am waiting for Neil to figure out we are pulling the wool over his eyes, Esme,” Lily said one afternoon as they were having lunch at the Bayview Inn. “I’m certain he’d have something to say about my getting too familiar with the ‘help’?”
“You can’t let him run your life, Lily,” Esme said to her. “Start finding ways to exercise your independence.” She saw a blond coming their way. “Here she is.” Esme smiled as Evelyn kissed her cheek. “Evie, this is my employer, Lily Ambrose. Lily, this is my cousin-to-be, Evie Grey.”
“I hope you don’t mind my barging in on your lunch,” Evelyn smiled at her unsuspecting twin. “I just had to get input on the fabric samples for the bridesmaids’ gowns.” She opened her purse and pulled out three silk swatches: emerald green, midnight blue, and burgundy. “I’m thinking of going with the burgundy,” she said to them and eyed Lily. “But that color might be just a bit too overpowering on Lily.”
“You still want me to be a bridesmaid?” Lily choked. “But…”
“I talked it over with your darling husband, Lily,” Evelyn broke in over her protests. “He was quite pleased to allow it seeing who my father is. Having his wife as an attendant at the wedding of a senator’s daughter would look quite good on his political resume.” She patted Lily’s hand. “Besides I wouldn’t hear no from him seeing as you and I are going to be such close personal friends.”
“We are?” Lily squeaked. She had no idea why this dynamo was so insistent at that. Lily had never had time to have close personal friends. “I don’t have much experience with having friends, Evelyn…”
“Evie,” Evelyn corrected her gently.
“Evie,” Lily smiled shyly. She saw her husband and the smile died. Ambrose came over to the table and kissed her cheek as he joined them. “Neil, you know Evelyn Grey, don’t you?”
“Of course,” Ambrose smiled at the woman briefly. He turned to Lily. “You are looking a bit pale, darling. What did the doctor have to say about that?”
“I – I’m pregnant,” Lily told him and waited for him to get angry at her.
“Darling!” Ambrose cried out in joy and picked her up to spin her around. He kissed her warmly before he set her down. He took her