Mighty Oaks Ch. 03

Jason bounded up the stairs and on entering the bedroom took in the situation at a glance. His first action was to snatch Jenn's dressing gown from the back of the door to drape round her, his next was to ask if I was OK before turning his attention to the figure on the floor. Actually kneeling on the prone man's back, without any trace of gentleness he pulled Renaldo's arms behind him before clicking a pair of handcuffs in place.

The urgency for action having passed, Jason turned his attention to us. He was full of apology, saying, "I'm so terrible sorry, this was my entire fault and I don't know how I'm ever going to forgive myself."

"I don't see how it's your fault, this was all Renaldo's doing and I don't blame you at all," I told him.

"If it wasn't for me this would never have happened," Jason explained. "I wanted Renaldo for my team because I knew he would give an edge to the films but I always knew he had a very nasty streak, especially when he was in drink. My stupid mistake was to think I could control him. I obviously couldn't and now you two have suffered because of my arrogant pride."

"What should we do about him," I asked, pointing at Renaldo who had just started to moan.

"Ring the police and have him locked up," Jason's reply was simple and unequivocal.

"That's what I thought but the publicity is inevitably going to be terrible.

Jason gave a wan grin. "They say that no publicity is bad publicity but I doubt if that will hold true in this case. Don't worry about it. I was thinking of packing up anyway. For a start we're not doing as well as I'd hoped and what happened to night has killed all my enthusiasm. That bastard Renaldo needs to be locked up for a very long time and I don't want consideration for me to prevent that."

The police duly arrived and despite us telling our story, I was provisionally placed under arrest for inflicting grievous bodily harm. Both Renaldo and I were taken to hospital where I was found to have a cracked cheekbone. Renaldo was far worse with a broken nose and a fractured skull, (he was actually in intensive care for a short while). Jenn's medical examination let me off the hook when it showed that she had been viciously raped, a black eye, bad bruising on arms and thighs and significant (but not permanent) internal damage, this evidence conclusively contradicting Renaldo's claim that the sex was consensual. His attack on me didn't help his case and he was eventually sentenced to serve a minimum of eight years.

That is the end of the story. A month later Jason's house was on the market after he had got it almost back to normal, mostly by his own efforts. During that time Jenn did not have sex with him, he never rang and she didn't volunteer to go across. Just before leaving he came over to say that he was going back to Vegas from where he had received several offers. Characteristically he tried to give us our percentage from the income but, knowing how bad he had been hit financially, both of us declined to take it. Just before leaving he shook my hand and then held Jenn in an extended kiss and embrace that lasted more than a couple of minutes.

With his departure, both Jenn and I felt that a dimension had gone out of our lives and it was several weeks before we sat down and really talked about what had happened. "I can't believe what I put you though," my wife told me. "I was a real selfish bitch. All I can say is that I was really besotted with the guy but that doesn't excuse the film stuff. I'm ashamed about that. I just got it into my head that I wanted to be famous even though that fame would only be with the perverts that watch porn."

"I'm as much to blame as you," I volunteered, hoping to make her feel better about herself.

I half expected Jenn to dispute this but instead she nodded and said, "I think I might have come to my senses far sooner if you hadn't been quite so amenable."

We are very gradually getting back close to where we were before all this started. I still go day by day but gradually my confidence is increasing. My wife has sworn that she will never be unfaithful to me again and I can tell that she means says but my peace of mind depends more on the knowledge that there are only a very limited number of men like Jason in the world.

I still have a copy of every film that Jenn appeared in. I haven't watched them since but one day I will.