Guaranteed Justice Read online

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Other Books by M A Comley

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Note to the Reader

  Other Works

  Copyright Page

  GUARANTEED JUSTICE

  M A Comley

  OTHER BOOKS BY

  M A COMLEY

  Cruel Justice

  Impeding Justice

  Final Justice

  Foul Justice

  It’s A Dog’s Life

  A Time For Change

  A Time To Heal

  High Spirits

  A Twist in The Tale

  Keep in touch with the author at:

  Facebook

  http://melcomley.blogspot.com

  http://melcomleyromances.blogspot.com

  Subscribe to newsletter

  If you fancy something a little saucy why not pick up one of the short erotic stories I have written under the name of Tiffany Towers http://tiffanytowers1.blogspot.fr/

  This book is dedicated to Nic, thanks for being you and Sammy you’ll always be remembered.

  Thanks to Karri Klawiter for the wonderful cover, you’re a talented lady.

  PROLOGUE

  Linda Carter glanced the handsome onlooker’s way for what must have been the hundredth time. His broad smile beamed back at her.

  Abigail’s elbow connected with her ribs. She winced.

  “Girl, does he have the hots for you or what?”

  “Behave yourself, Abigail.” Linda blushed. She hoped he wouldn’t notice in the dimmed lights of the nightclub.

  After another dig in the ribs, she issued her friend a warning glare.

  “Oh my God! He’s coming this way,” Abigail said behind her hand.

  Before Linda had the chance to look in his direction, she felt his arm slink around her waist and his hot breath heating up her neck.

  “Oh my God” is right!

  Abigail drifted away through the crowd. Linda and the hunk danced for the next half an hour or so before they moved over to the bar. He bought the drinks while Linda went to the ladies’ to powder her nose.

  She returned and downed her drink in one gulp before he eagerly steered her back onto the dance floor. Was it a coincidence that the music tempo changed to a slow number? He held her tightly and rubbed his groin against hers. A tingly sensation took over her body as his kisses burned first her earlobe then her cheek.

  His hot breath lingered by her ear, and he whispered, “What do you say we get outta here?”

  Linda didn’t need asking twice. He was easily the best-looking guy in the club, and he wanted to leave with her. What more could a girl want? She nervously moistened her lips, then nodded her agreement.

  He took her by the hand and led her through the heaving club and the main door. She smiled shyly as he shared a private joke with the doorman.

  “Where are we going?” Linda asked sheepishly after they reached his Ferrari.

  “Thought we’d go back to my place for a nightcap. Is that all right with you?”

  She answered him by jumping in the passenger seat. They engaged in light, flirty conversation for the next ten minutes or so before he guided the car into an underground car park. He applied the handbrake, then slid a lazy hand up her thigh. He lingered at the hem of her mini-skirt for a second or two.

  Her eyes automatically clenched shut, and she held her breath, anticipating his next movement.

  He surprised her by laughing softly and ran his tongue up her right cheek. Linda shuddered as the excitement stirred.

  “Not here. Come on,” he told her, his tone sexy and full of promise.

  Linda stumbled from the car as if drunk with happiness when he held the door open for her.

  “Oops! Steady girl,” she reprimanded herself, pulling her shoulders back. She giggled and asked, words slurred, “You wicked man. Did you slip an extra voddy in my drink?”

  His hand covered his chest, and he innocently fluttered his eyelashes at her. “Moi?”

  Then he gripped her elbow, and they moved toward the elevator in the corner. The bell tinged, and the doors slid open. With every passing floor, his kisses became hotter and more urgent, until finally, with Linda gasping for air, the doors opened to an illuminated view of London.

  “Wow! You live in a penthouse.” She made her way over to the full-length window, her feet sinking into the luxury carpet beneath.

  He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Sod the view. I have something crying out for your attention.” His tone was flat.

  She felt a stiffness rubbing up and down her backside. She didn’t have to be a genius to figure out what it was.

  In a flash he’d turned her to face him. His arms pulled hers behind her. His handsome face had contorted with what appeared to be anger.

  Confusion made her ask, “Is something wrong?” Her head swam. Was that the drink or the confusion?

  Then she heard a click behind her back and thought she felt cold metal clasp her wrists.

  His lips turned up at the corner. “You’ve been begging for this for weeks. Now you’re going to get it.”

  Scared, Linda wriggled her arms, trying to release her hands. It dawned on her that they were being restrained by cuffs. “Please, I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You know exactly what I mean. Your type take pleasure in leading men on. You prick teaser. Well, I’ll teach you. Take your punishment, or I’ll go after your sister, bitch…”

  Linda opened her mouth, but before she got the chance to scream, his mouth roughly claimed hers. His hands tore at the buttons on her silk blouse. Linda squirmed, but his superior strength overpowered her feeble effort.

  It wasn’t long before the metallic taste of blood ran between her teeth and down the back of her throat.

  His hand thrust up her skirt, and he tore her panties aside. She sucked in a panicked breath.

  Everything went black.

  • • •

  When Linda Carter regained consciousness, she felt dirty. Disgusted. More so with herself than with the bastard who had raped her.

  She was lying in an alley. It took her a while to get her bearings and recognise her surroundings. She heard the drunken revellers leaving the nightclub. Even saw a few of the men relieving themselves against the alley walls before they staggered back out onto the high street.

  All of them were oblivious to the fact that Linda was in desperate need of medical care.

  Please. Somebody please help me!

  The attack was a fuzzy image in her mind. When she ran a cautious hand over her limbs, she flinched at the pain her body was in. Her clothes were torn, and her knickers had been removed.

  How could she have put herself in such a dangerous position? One minute she was dancing and enjoying herself on the dance floor with her friend; the next she was being led outside by the charmer who had been eyeing her up all evening. Foolishly and against her better judgement, she had allowed him to entice her to leave the safety of the club.

  Why did I go with him? When he
started to lead her out of the club her inner voice had warned her to be careful, but blinded by his handsome features and charming nature, she had obstinately refused to listen.

  Her legs wobbled beneath her as she tried her hardest to get off the cold, damp ground.

  Finally she found the strength, with the aid of the knobbly wall behind her, to successfully hoist herself to her feet. The pain forced her to steady herself for a moment. Once she’d caught her breath she hobbled, inching her way slowly up the length of the alley towards the entrance.

  Every time she put her left foot on the ground, the pain from her injured ankle surged up her leg and rattled through her aching body. She winced as she battled through the discomfort.

  When she finally reached the opening onto the high street, she raised her hand to hail an approaching taxi. She felt relieved when he pulled to a stop in front of her instead of the drunken group messing around about fifty feet ahead, though the screech of tyres in the dimly lit street jangled her frayed nerves.

  “Where to, love?” the driver asked. His eyebrows knitted together as he studied her in his rear-view mirror. When she didn’t answer, he turned in his seat. He inhaled in a startled breath and mumbled, “Jesus…‌I’m taking you to the hospital, right away.”That was the night Linda Carter’s life changed forever.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “My God! Is she all right?” Fiona sank into the worn leather sofa as she listened to the ward sister on the phone, giving news about Fiona’s sister Linda.

  Her Chinese flatmate, Ami—who had also been woken by the telephone ringing at two in the morning—sat down beside her. She tugged Fiona’s arm. “What is it? Has something happened to Linda?”

  Both women wore their towelling robes, still half asleep.

  “Shhh…‌Wait a minute…‌Sorry. Please go on.” She felt the colour drain from her cheeks, and her mind raced as she chewed over the information the nurse was giving her. She grabbed Ami’s hand and nestled it in her lap.

  Ami rested her cheek on her shoulder, and Fiona heard her let out a long sigh.

  Words caught in Fiona’s throat. “May I come in and see her?”

  “Maybe in the morning. We’ve just given her a sedative to help calm her down. Her ankle is broken, so she’ll need to go for surgery tomorrow afternoon,” the ward sister replied.

  “I understand. I’ll have to clear it with my boss, but I’ll try to get there first thing. If she’s still awake, tell her I love her and that I’m thinking of her.”

  “Of course. Try to get some sleep and try not to worry too much. Your sister is safe with us, now.”

  Fiona hung up and sobbed uncontrollably—something she hadn’t done in years—for a full five minutes. Ami cried also and held Fiona’s shuddering body tightly in a vice-like grip.

  Eventually, Fiona opened up and repeated the information the ward sister had shared. “Oh, Ami. If I had gone with her tonight, this would never have happened. If I hadn’t been so involved with my blasted paperwork…”

  “You can’t punish yourself like this. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control. Besides, Linda was supposed to be with her friends, wasn’t she?” Ami consoled her quietly.

  “You’re right, of course. I’m not sure what the ins and outs are of what happened, yet. Why or how did she get separated from her friends? It’s so out of character for Linda to go off with someone she met in a club. She’s always been the sensible one. Whatever possessed her to do such a thing?”

  Ami shrugged and stood up. “I’ll get us a mug of hot milk. It’ll help us sleep. Linda will need us to be strong for her. She’ll get through this. We’ll make sure she does.” She left the room.

  Fresh tears ran down Fiona’s cheeks as her sister’s beautiful face flooded her mind. Please let there be no permanent damage, either physically or mentally. During their childhood, Linda had always been the one to whom the boys had flocked. It hadn’t been surprising when she’d been labelled the most beautiful girl at school. She had endured copious amounts of jealousy from the other girls who’d been cast aside by the boys clambering to make a date with Linda. Fiona had found it all amusing, the way the boys queued up to talk to Linda in the school playground throughout their school years.

  Not once had she ever been envious of her sister’s popularity or good looks. It was unthinkable that her sister’s popularity would have led to something as harrowing as the night’s events.

  Ami came back with two mugs of warm milk and handed one to Fiona. “She’ll be fine. We’ll make sure of that, hon.”

  Shaking her head slowly, Fiona said, “I’m not so sure. She has a fragile spirit. You don’t know her like I do.” Ami’s head dropped onto her chest, and Fiona could have kicked herself for saying something unintentionally unkind. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that. Me and my big mouth.”

  Ami raised her angelic Chinese face, and blinked her intense black eyes a few times. “I know you didn’t mean anything by that. Since I moved in, you two have been like sisters to me. I’ve only known you for just over a year, but you both mean the world to me.”

  “I’m sorry, Ami. Just ignore me. Linda and I both feel the same way about you, too. Come on, let’s try to get some sleep. You’ve got college tomorrow, and I’ve got to inch my way into my boss’s good books.”

  They each went to their respective bedrooms, but sleep evaded Fiona for the rest of the night. Every time her eyes fluttered shut, all she could imagine was Linda being attacked and mauled by a faceless brute of a man.

  Fiona’s teeth ground together as she thought up ways to exact her revenge, most of which involved using a sharp implement. She shuddered the images away. She knew she could never hurt another human being like that.

  The next morning, Fiona rose at seven and jumped in the shower, during which she figured out the telephone conversation she intended to have with her boss at nine to wangle the day off. She had to come up with some plausible excuse. He wasn’t the type to be satisfied with a naff excuse like ‘I’ve got a stinking cold’ or ‘I overslept because the alarm didn’t go off.’ She couldn’t possibly tell him the truth.

  When nine o’clock arrived, she swallowed hard and dialled the private line to his office. “Rick? It’s Fiona. I hate to dump this on you first thing, and I know we have an important meeting with corporate clients today, but I need to take the day off.” She closed her eyes, anticipating the barrage of words that would come her way.

  “Fiona, I know you well enough by now to know that it must be extremely important for you to take time off on such a significant day. Do what you have to do, and come back soon.”

  Wow. His reaction floored her. Maybe Rick had picked up on something in her tone.

  Whatever the reason behind his sudden understanding nature, she was extremely grateful. “Hope everything goes well with the Tyler account. I’ll definitely be in tomorrow.”

  “It will. You’ve done all the groundwork, anyway. All I have to do is get them to sign the contract. Take as much time as you need, girl.”

  “Thanks, Rick. It’s appreciated. Good luck.”

  “You too,” he replied, and they both hung up.

  “Well, that went better than planned,” Fiona said when Ami walked into the room still wearing her night shirt and carrying a bowl of cornflakes.

  “Just the hospital to deal with, now. Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? I have a free lesson, first thing.”

  Fiona screwed up her nose and shook her head. “I’m heading off now. I’d rather have a few minutes alone with Linda, if you don’t mind. You know, assess her state of mind.”

  “The offer still stands, but I absolutely understand.”

  Fiona picked up her Yves Saint Laurent Muse designer handbag, and her coat from the coat rack, and headed for the front door. “See you later.”

  Chewing on a mouthful of cornflakes, Ami nodded.

  The traffic around London was horrendous as usual, but Fiona stopped caring about the length
of time the trip was taking her by focussing on her sister, instead. As much as her usually organised brain warned her to remain calm for Linda’s sake, it didn’t stop her seething at the injustice of the situation. Linda was such a gentle soul who definitely didn’t deserve to be treated like that.

  Not that any woman deserved to be raped. The situation still surprised Fiona; she always considered her sister to be the cautious one, as far as men were concerned. She usually chose her boyfriends after several weeks of consideration. She was never one of those girls who jumped into bed with a guy after meeting him a few hours before.

  Which was why Fiona found it hard to fathom how her sister had got herself into such a deplorable, unthinkable position.

  Finally, she arrived at St Thomas’ hospital. She asked at reception where she could find her sister and rushed through the corridors, her heels clicking on the tiled floor and echoing off the walls.

  Thankfully, Linda had been allocated a private ward. Fiona tapped on the door lightly before pushing it open.

  The sight that greeted her caused her to inhale sharply. Fiona was both sickened and repulsed by the bruises that had caused Linda’s face to swell. She was almost unrecognisable. Her left eye was a mere slit; the swelling surrounding it was a rainbow of colours.

  Okay, now. Remain calm. Don’t break down. Fiona approached the bed and kissed her sister gently on her bandaged forehead. Then she sat on the bed beside her battered sister.

  “Oh, Fi. What did I do to deserve this?” Linda asked her voice croaky and full of emotion.

  Tears welled up as Fiona studied her sister’s appalling injuries. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and patted Linda’s hand. “You mustn’t blame yourself, sweetheart. You don’t or can’t have any control over another person’s instincts. If this man set out to hurt a stranger, you were just unfortunate, to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Linda remained silent for a few seconds, but as fresh tears cascaded down her puffy cheeks, she whispered, “He wasn’t a stranger…”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Lorne clutched at the excruciating pain attacking her sides as tears streamed down her face.