Rosemarie's Revenge

Three Months Later McKenna settled in with Raul as Rosemarie was arraigned in court. She pled not guilty and posted bail, remaining free pending the outcome of the trial. McKenna didn’t expect her to get much jail time, if any at all. She lived in a country where violence wasn’t taken as seriously as nonviolent crimes for reasons she would never understand. She’d seen people get years for theft and just a few months or less for assault. More than anything, McKenna was glad she never fully moved in with Rosemarie and that she didn’t know where Raul or Elsa lived. She tried to think back on whether she had mentioned the street Elsa lived on, but she was pretty sure she’d only mentioned the general area. Hopefully, there would be no way for Rosemarie to search records at work to find that information, but she was confident she couldn’t. She quit her job because she couldn’t stand working with someone who’d beaten the shit out of her, and she knew she couldn’t simply ask the doctor to fire Rosemarie because of something that occurred off the job. She had enough money from her lottery winnings to take care of her needs, even though Raul always assured her she didn’t have to worry about money. McKenna knew he made more than enough to support them both, but she didn’t want him to think she was there only for his money or because of Rosemarie. She may have started off there because of Rosemarie, but she stayed because she wanted to be there. She personally would rather Rosemarie not know where she or her friends lived and get away with what she had done than have this info and serve a few months in county jail. Life went on without incident, and McKenna didn’t feel threatened, especially in an upscale gated community. She grew closer to Raul and enjoyed her time with him when he wasn’t working. When he was, she took care of the condo and enjoyed activities at the clubhouse, especially swimming and aerobics. McKenna walked to and from the clubhouse since it was only a ten-minute walk. The community consisted of scattered strips of condominiums, usually four per strip. Raul lived at the end of one towards the back. Next to him was a couple with a teenage son, and next to them an old lady with a penchant for gardening. As McKenna walked up the walkway toward the front door after working out, the woman called out a greeting. A split second before the tumblers turned, McKenna got that eerie feeling of another presence looming behind her. The wind was knocked out of her as she was shoved roughly inside the condo. She fought to maintain her balance but fell to the floor nonetheless. She heard the door slam behind her and quickly scrambled to her feet to face her assailant. Rosemarie! “What the fuck?! How did you get in—” “Shut up! Just shut your fucking mouth! If I’m going to have to go down for you, it’s going to be for a good reason.” “You already gave yourself a good reason,” McKenna dared say, trying to sound braver than she felt. “I said shut up.” McKenna scrambled to think of a way to escape or draw attention, but the old lady next door hadn’t noticed. She had returned to her gardening and was hard of hearing. No one was home next door either. McKenna had to get away. “Take your clothes off,” Rosemarie demanded. “What?” McKenna asked, surprised by the unexpected demand. She expected Rosemarie to kick her ass, not order her to strip. Was she about to be raped… by a woman? “I said take your fucking clothes off, McKenna.” “Raul’s on his way back, and I hope you know he’s the ADA—” “I don’t give a fuck if he’s the president, and I’m not stupid either! He won’t be back for another three or four hours. That’s way more time than I need to do what I’m going to do.” “W-what’s that?” McKenna asked, stalling as she slowly backed toward the kitchen, hoping to grab a knife. “Last time I’m going to say it. Get your fucking clothes off or I’ll rip them off you.” McKenna was in the biggest dilemma of her life. Did she comply and hope for the best, or fight back as hard as she could? She chose the latter. “Fuck no. You get your sorry ass out of here now!” Rosemarie kicked her in the shin, nearly knocking her off balance. McKenna yelped in pain. She wanted to cuss but feared it would make things worse. Maybe a little compliance was in order. “Okay. Okay!” “Do it fast.” “I thought you had more than enough time to—” “I do. But that doesn’t mean I want this to take forever either. I have other things to do, you know.” “Well, you'd better enjoy your freedom while you can.” “Clothes off, or I’ll punch you in the fucking face!” McKenna stripped down to her bra and underwear. “I want everything off.” McKenna slowly removed her remaining garments, unable to believe what was happening. If letting Rosemarie have her way would keep her alive, so be it. But that wasn’t what Rosemarie had in mind. Rosemarie pulled out a cell phone from her back pocket and held it toward McKenna. Oh, shit. The fucking bitch was going to take her picture… nude. “This is going viral. Consider it your punishment for contacting the police.” “Not only is assault a crime, but so is taking nude pictures against a person’s will and distributing them,” said McKenna. “They can prove I beat your ass, which is why I’ll refrain from beating it further, as much as I’d love to. But no one’s going to trace your sexy little nudies back to me. I promise you that much.” A knock on the door a few yards away came so suddenly and loudly that it caused them both to jump. McKenna screamed like she’d never screamed before. “HEEEEELP!!!” The door flung open with such force that it smacked the wall behind it. McKenna instinctively covered her breasts with one arm and her groin with the other. Thank God Rosemarie hadn’t locked the door. As naked as she was, the sight of the big, burly security guard, Marcelo, was heavenly. “Th-thank God!” McKenna sputtered as Rosemarie made a run for the back door. “I’ll get her,” said the guard. McKenna redressed while the chase was on, then called Raul’s office and left a message with Bernice, his secretary. “A crazy woman I have a pending case against just broke into the condo and attacked me. The guard is chasing her now!” she said frantically. “Oh, dear. Are you okay, sweetie?” “Yes, but Raul would want to know right away.” “Oh, absolutely, honey.” She hung up and was beyond relieved when Marcelo returned with Rosemarie in handcuffs, threats still spewing from her lips. McKenna smirked, not hiding her relief. The sight only ignited a deeper rage in Rosemarie’s eyes. Once the police arrived, Rosemarie was placed in the squad car. McKenna explained everything to Marcelo and the officer in the passenger seat. The other officer remained behind the wheel with Rosemarie cuffed and secured. She was just finishing when Raul arrived. She ran into his arms, his body trembling with concern and relief. When he released her, she looked into his loving gray-green eyes, solidifying how right it felt to be with him. The four of them spoke briefly, then the police left along with Marcelo. No one was sure how Rosemarie had gotten into the community undetected, but they were confident she wouldn’t divulge it. Inside the condo with the doors shut tight, McKenna and Raul didn’t need words. They kissed passionately and held each other close. The following morning, Raul’s cell chimed with an incoming call. McKenna watched as he answered, concern evident on his handsome face. He clicked off a moment later. “What is it?” McKenna asked, propped on one elbow, thin satin sheet covering her bare body. “Rosemarie made bail.” McKenna fell onto the pillow like a deflated balloon. She knew it was only a matter of time before Rosemarie got to her again. She just hoped she’d be as lucky next time.