Secret Deception (Jonathan Black's Love Story)

Chapter 44: Alexia

I lay awake next to my husband thinking about giving my testimony the next morning.
"You need to sleep, my love." Jonny muttered turning towards me.
"I'm scared to sleep." I admitted.
"Come here, angel." He opened his arms for me.
I cuddled up against his chest.
"Remember what you told Cam. We've got you." He kissed my hair gently.
"Mmhm." I murmured as his warmth and the sound of his heartbeat lulled me to sleep.
The next morning with my heart in my throat I dressed in a sleek black pantsuit with a bright white dress shirt and my plain black heels. I pulled my long dark hair into a low ponytail and sighed as I looked in the mirror.
"Hey. You'll be fine." Jonny said touching my shoulders.
I nodded still anxious.
"I never had to testify against my father." I stammered.
"I know, my love. Just like you told Cam. Just tell the truth. They'll believe us. They have to." He smiled sadly at me.
"I love you." I sighed.
"I love you too." He kissed me gently.
It was a million times easier to put Cameron's or Jonathan's mind at ease than it was my own.
"Will you state your full name for the record?"
"Director Dr. Alexia Rose Black." I answered.
"Dr. Black, you moved into the Black's house when you were eight, is that correct?"
"Yes, it is."
"May I ask why that was necessary?"
"My father is serial killer Eric Dorian. The FBI raided our house in May of 2001." I answered.
"When you moved into the house with Sebastian, Jonathan and Cameron did the abuse begin immediately?"
"Not with me, no."
"Can you explain that a little more?"
"Social services visited the house every week for a year then every month for the second year. Sebastian was insistent that Jonny remain a secret. Since the visits were random he kept Jonny shackled in the basement for those two years. I don't know what, if anything he said to Cameron to get him to stay quiet but neither of us said anything about Jonny to the social worker."
"What did he say to you?"
"He said that the things my father had done to me would pale in comparison to what he'd do if I told her about Jonny."
"When was the first time he abused you?"
"I was eleven. He'd threatened me and tried to hurt me but Jonathan and Cameron wouldn't let him touch me."
"What changed?"
"When they were 16, Sebastian started having Cameron headline his own show which put Cameron and Jonathan on stage, if you will, for the length of the show Friday and Saturday nights during the summer and for the Christmas holiday."
"What happened that first night when you were eleven?"
"I didn't even hear him come back in. I was making food in the kitchen when he grabbed me by my ponytail and tossed me into the wall. He pressed his body against mine, growling in my ear. I tried to push him away but I wasn't strong enough. He grabbed the front of my shirt and dragged me down the hallway. I wanted to scream but I was terrified. He pulled me down the stairs into the basement. He slammed me against the wall where the shackles were. He got really close to me, I could smell his breath as he said, 'If you scream I'll chain you up right here and force you to watch me kill him.' My breath caught in my throat. He tossed me toward the middle of the room and pinned me down when I fell. After he raped me he looked right into my eyes and told me, 'If you tell him or anyone about this I'll kill you both, slowly.' I got dressed after he left and went up to Jonathan's room to wait for him."
"Was Jonathan the 'him' Sebastian was referring to?"
"Yes."
"Why would he be concerned that you'd tell Jonathan?"
"Jonathan always made me feel safe. He was the first person I spoke to after I was removed from my father's home."
I glanced behind Oscar where Sebastian caught my eye. My chest tightened and my stomach twisted in knots. His eyes, almost black bore into my soul as his brow furrowed deepening his glare and reverting me back to an eleven year old girl lying on the floor in the basement.
Oscar stepped directly in front of me breaking the connection. I felt a white hot tear trail down my face.
"Alexia? Are you alright?" He asked.
"What? Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine."
"Did you hear my question?"
"No, sir. I'm sorry."
"That's quite alright. I can't imagine how painful this will be for you but can you tell us the worst thing you can remember he did to you?"
I nodded and took a deep unsteady breath.
"I was 15. It ended up being the last time he hurt me and it was like he knew it'd be the last time. He'd sent Jonathan and Cameron to a theater away from the apartment which was unlike him. I should have known what I'd be in for."
I glanced over at my husband and brother in law.
"He didn't even let me say goodbye. He'd locked me in my room. When he opened the door I was sitting in the center of my bed with my knees up to my chest. I didn't look at him and that upset him. He rushed to my bedside and threw me off the bed by my hair. He kicked me in my ribs knocking the wind out of me. He grabbed me by my throat and carried me down the hall into his bedroom. I'd never been in there before. Set up at the foot of his bed sat a small twin sized bed fitted with two pairs of handcuffs. He slammed me onto the bed and punched me in the face before handcuffing my wrists to the bed posts." I paused a moment, my anxiety getting the better of me.
I looked over at my husband and found the strength I needed. He looked at me with love and support, instead of anger and pity.
"He had a knife that he dragged across my chest before cutting the buttons off the oversized button down shirt he insisted I wear. He pushed open the shirt and dragged the knife over my stomach and around my breasts. He shoved his left hand down my sweatpants to fondle me. It seemed to turn him on to see me cry. He ripped off the sweatpants and raped me.
"Afterwards he cut into the skin on my stomach and thighs until he was ready to rape me again. The entire four hours they were gone he was either torturing me or raping me."
Oscar's eyes were glazed over as even he tried to hold back tears.
"Nothing further, your honor." He said.
"Cross examination, Counselor?"
"Dr. Black, you said earlier that your father is a serial killer, but that's not all he was convicted of, was it?" Public Defender Mary Jackson asked.
"No." I answered.
"Will you tell the jury what else he was convicted of?"
"Objection! Relevance?" Oscar called.
"Counselor. Everyone knows what her father did. Move on." Judge Johnson said.
"If Sebastian Black didn't take you in where would you be now?"
"Objection, your honor. Speculation."
"I don't like where you're going with this Counselor."
"If I may, your honor?" I spoke up.
"My father was an abusive, neglectful man who kidnapped women to care for me because he didn't want anything to do with me. He only kept me alive because I needed to make it to my 18th birthday for my mother's fortune to be released. If the FBI hadn't arrested him, he probably would have been the one to rape me but what I went through the first eight years of my life and what my father might have done given more time with me doesn't make it okay for your client to beat and rape me."
"No further questions, your honor." She said.
"The witness may step down."
I stood up and walked back over to Jonathan who wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face in his shoulder and allowed myself to break.
"I'm sorry, Jonny. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." I muttered against him.
"No. No, baby. Shhhhh. It's okay. You're okay." He whispered in my ear.
I felt Cameron's hand on my back while I held onto Jonathan.