Free A Dark Beginning: A China Dark Novel by Paula Hawkes

through the thin fabric of control as she heard her attacker rapidly gaining ground. His panting sounded wet now, as if he was salivating at the prospect of finally catching his prey, a wolf that had patiently tracked along behind the doe, waiting for the moment to strike with slavering jaws. An uncontrolled whimper escaped from her mouth and she could feel the sting of tears adding to her myriad of other pains.
    With a broken sob she stopped and turned to face her nemesis. His slender silhouette was within ten yards now and she could see the rapid flashing of the blade as it caught the meagre streetlight, and noticed with almost professional detachment his unskilled, spasmodic running technique. Tears were blinding her, and her panicked brain tried to think what she could use to defend herself. She would punch and kick, though she couldn't rely on the luck that had delivered her first blow. He would be ready for her to fight back now so she would have to fight dirty. If only these damned tears would stop, and she could see clearly.
    Abruptly the shadow leapt sideways into the bushes of a front garden, and her eyes were blinded further by the bright lights of an approaching car. She stood slightly bent, sobbing uncontrollably as the car drew up alongside her. It was a black taxicab. A middle-aged man wound down the window and leaned across. "What's the problem, sugar?"
    She couldn't answer, angry at herself for her lack of control, but she was so scared that her crying just would not stop.
    "Hey look. Just jump in. I'll take you wherever you need to go and you can tell me all about it. If you want."
    As soon as she heard the click of the taxi door releasing she leapt into the warm sanctuary of its dark interior. Her breath hitched in her chest and she was totally failing to gain any sort of control, but the feeling of intense relief that washed over her was overwhelming.
    To his credit, the driver remained patiently silent as he waited for her instructions. When she was finally able to speak, all she could do was blurt out a barely intelligible "Thank you" and her address. The driver smiled at her, sympathy and concern creasing his face, but without a further word he drove on and she sank back into the warm dark leather of the rear seat and let the remaining tears flow like a river. The back of her head stung where she had been hit with God-knows what, and the stitch in her side was an agonising fire, but slowly and surely her breathing settled from broken, gasping sobs into a more comfortable pattern.
    She should call the police as soon as she got home but how the hell would she explain her reason for being at the restaurant that evening? They'd want to talk to her new companion, and she only knew his first name, his mobile and his moniker on the online cuckold dating site that her and her husband had recently joined. They'd want to look into that, most definitely. He would want no part of any investigation, and neither did she in reality. She was hurt but alive. The shame of talking to the police about her most secret fantasies would be unbearable. Her husband would feel the same way. Slowly, the tears stopped flowing, and she just felt dreadfully tired. Sleep crept up and numbed her pains as the warmth from the vehicle's heater blanketed her troubled mind.

Chapter 13
    The following morning China’s ankle was so sore that she was hardly able to walk. She decided to stay at home and extend her weekend. Anyway, she thought, it would do her good to stay away from the temptation of the café for a day. Get her thoughts straight. “Sort your life out, China Dark,” she told herself as she sat flicking through the myriad of rubbish that washed mindlessly through daytime television.
    Philip had left her stretched out comfortably on the sofa, with a large bottle of water, and an array of snacks within arms reach. He had also jokingly laid an old walking stick next to her. “For the invalid,” he announced. “At your age you