Ace of Spades ( Mc No limits Book 2)
Chapter 4

Nora

My body rejected food and I only felt nausea for a long time. The doctor said that everything would pass and that I would soon feel better again.

"Be careful, Doc!" Ivy threatened him, looking at him seriously as he tended to the wounds on my back again.

"It would be a lot easier if you didn't keep threatening me," he said to her, and I held back my laughter.

The fear I had in the first few days slowly subsided, and I saw how hard everyone was trying to make me feel better. Alice and Ivy came to me every day and talked. I didn't answer... probably out of the habit I had in captivity.

When I heard on the radio what year it was, I was deeply sad. I spent two years of my life there. Although Ivy and Alice did everything to make me feel better, Evelyn's presence became very important and dear to me. The older lady didn't put pressure on me, didn't ask questions, and didn't do anything without my consent. I listened to her talk about abuse and always approached the topic carefully. I knew that I was being raped... I also knew by whom. The man who held me captive was the only one who did it, and I saw his face in my dreams almost every night.

"You have to understand that it will take time... But eventually it will all be behind you. You will never forget... but with time, you will learn to live with it," she said, and I looked at her as she seemed to be in thought.

"How do you know that?" I asked her, and she looked up at me.

"Oh honey... a long time ago, I had an abusive boyfriend. He did bad things to me. But when I met John... He healed me," she said smiling. "John knows about this... my children don't," she said as she looked at me.

"What helped you move on?" I asked her.

"Life, honey... you're worth way more than the bastard who did this to you. And therapy... lots of therapy," she added with a smile. "If you're ready, a therapist would be good for you. What do you think?" she asked me.

She asked me my opinion on everything... I wasn't used to it. I just nodded and watched her gratefully as she filled a bathtub for me again.

"Well, Doc said don't overdo it with the water... But you look much better now. So come on, a bath is good for you," Evelyn said.

As I lay in the water and she freshly made the bed, I was calm. Her presence in the next room didn't bother me, and the closed door wasn't even locked. I liked Evelyn and all the other women who came to me too. They talked a lot about the community that protected me, but I haven't seen them yet. People's lives seemed hectic during the day. I heard tractors and cars, even motorcycles... but I didn't dare go out. I sometimes stood at my window and looked out, just like I did now when Evelyn was combing my washed hair.

"The shirt is big but it won't hurt you," Evelyn said calmly. I just nodded and watched as Ace crossed the street like all the nights before. I knew that Evelyn would leave soon and that he would watch over me. He sat in front of the house and never came in. No one came in when he was there. And they made me feel good... I felt safe again for a long time. The radio that Evelyn brought me was like a safe haven for me. Alice offered to get me a smartphone, but I refused. Evelyn brought me the radio, and since then, it has been my greatest treasure. That's why I was so sad and frightened when it suddenly started singing more and more quietly until it stopped completely. I couldn't fall asleep without the music, and not even the bedside lamp that was always on helped me like this radio. I remembered Evelyn's words when she said that it was a big fight until I could live without fear, but that I had to fight against it, so I did. I ran down the stairs and stood at the door for a while.

After I took another strong breath, I opened the door and saw Ace sitting. He didn't seem angry or upset about the radio; on the contrary, he offered me help, which I accepted. I watched him as he nervously rummaged around in the drawers to replace the batteries. I felt like a ticking bomb that no one wanted to be around. When he opened the closet, a mouse came running out, and it made me cringe, but Ace's reaction was much funnier. The big man jumped up as the mouse ran past and held his hand over his heart as it startled him. I couldn't help but laugh, and when he saw me laughing, he wasn't angry again. It seemed to amuse him that I was over his frightened, so laughing. When he called me doll, it wasn't weird or disturbing; I felt like a girl talking to a guy. My name wasn't doll, but it didn't bother me despite all the disgusting names my stepfather called me. Doll was the nicest thing I've heard in a long time.

"Nora... my name is Nora," I said to him, and he looked at my face in surprise. A smile appeared on his lips, and he beamed happily.

"It's nice to meet you, Nora. My name is Andrew, but everyone calls me Ace," he said.

Andrew is a nice name, and it suits him. I said what I thought out loud, and he said I can call him Andrew. He fixed the radio and gave it back to me. I watched his concentrated face as he did this, and he was relaxed about it. The right thing to do now would be to go back to the safety of my bed and the bedside lamp. But what kind of life is this? If they all wanted to help me here, then I had to do the same for myself. When Ace told me I could look at the community, it was nice... but scary.

I kept turning to the house where I felt safe, and my heart was pounding like crazy. I didn't really have the courage and was sure I was going to go back into the room like a coward, until Andrew offered to accompany me. Next to him, I was quite small and petite. His demeanor exuded a lot of confidence and poise... everything I didn't have. He kept looking at me and telling me about the community. Everything seemed very nice; the houses were next to each other but had enough space for privacy. There were a few stores that were closed, but still looked very promising. The community seemed beautiful and safe because of the measures they were taking. When we got to the gate, Ace showed me the cameras there and explained to me that Void was keeping an eye on the gate. I didn't know what Void was, but nodded anyway.

"Who do we have here?" I heard a man say, and I took a few steps in Ace's direction. I saw him staring at me... his eyes fixed on my breasts and then on my legs. I knew that look, and it disgusted me.

"Are you kidding me? You're not talking to her! You're not breathing into her, and you're not even looking at her! Get your ass in your seat right now before I rip your head off!" I heard Ace scream, and I jumped as I hid behind his back and held his arm.

Ace always spoke to me very calmly; his voice was gentle, and his words simple and friendly... but with the man, he was strict, and his voice was dominant. Obviously, I was still amazed and didn't even notice that he sent the man to get a blanket. I looked at the man as he apologized and ran back to the gate. As Ace put the blanket around me, I felt his fingers on my shoulder and looked from his arms to his face. Everything he said was the truth. He looked after me, he respected me and my condition. He was concerned and protected me.

"I got you," I heard him say when he turned to me and calmed me down.

He meant it too, there was nothing but concern in his look. "You got me," I said quietly, and he smiled at me. I followed him back to the safe house and thought about what to tell him.

"Thanks, Andrew," was all I got out before closing the door and running to my bed.

The next morning, Alice and Ivy came, and I knew that Ace was no longer there. They talked to me as usual without expecting an answer from me, but when I spoke, they stopped.

"I was out with Andrew last night... He showed me the community," I said quietly, and the two looked at me.

"Who the heck is Andrew?" Ivy asked, and I looked at her confused.

"That's Ace's name," Alice explained, laughing.

"Oh really? I didn't know that," Ivy said laughing.

"Well, he doesn't tell everyone his name. In the club, everyone calls him Ace," Alice told me and smiled at me.

"A man at the gate hit on me, and he yelled at him... he defended me... he got me," I said to them.

"Yeah, he got you," Ivy said grinning.

"It's not like that... he's just very... gentle with me," I explained to her.

"Yeah... we're talking about the same Ace, right?" She asked and looked at Alice, who laughed.

"Well, if Ace likes someone, he'll take care of them," Alice explained.

"He called me doll," I said, smiling.

Ivy got up from the bed and looked at Alice, "should I hit him?" she asked me.

"No! I like it," I said shocked, and they both looked at me with raised eyebrows. "He's just nice to me... I still feel like a woman. A normal woman," I said quietly.

"Girl, you are a beautiful strong woman. Look at you," said Alice smiling.

I just shook my head all I saw in the mirror was what I was told. A good-for-nothing bitch... a stupid ugly bitch.

Ivy looked at me and studied my face.

"Do you want to talk to Jane?" She asked me, and I looked up at her. And in fact, she gave me the phone, and I talked to Jane. Her voice was lovely to hear. She had called me back so many times when I seemed lost, and even now she managed to encourage me.

After the conversation, Alice and Ivy left, and Evelyn came with dinner. I really didn't feel hungry, but when Andrew came back with the plate, he seemed angry with me. His concern for me was obvious, and when he promised to show me real music when I finished eating... well, my curiosity was bigger than anything, so I ate.

I watched him as he played his guitar and observed his calm face. He seemed to be in a trance as he began to sing, and I watched him in amazement. When my tiredness took over, I wasn't anxious or nervous, I relaxed, and slept. Safe... he got me.