Chapter 12 Elena
CHAPTER 12
ELENA
Reuniting with her daughter was bittersweet. Elena knew it was impossible, but it felt as if her little girl had grown since the last time she’d seen her. They both cried as they fell into each other’s arms. But Elena knew their time was limited. A predator was after her little girl and every minute they talked was another minute Vicky wasn’t safely tucked away far from the Morellis. Far too soon, Elena knew it was time to say goodbye.
No sooner had Vicky left than Viking entered the room.
“You don’t need to worry. I didn’t tell her about you shoving me in a cellar and leaving me there to starve.” Or about the other activities that had passed between them. No matter her daughter’s age, she was still impressionable and, as her mother, she needed to keep decorum, or at least try to. “When are you going to let me go?”
“Whenever I feel like it.”
“And when exactly does your royal highness think he will feel inclined to do so?”
His nostrils flared. “It took me fifteen years to find out I’m a dad. You know I don’t forget easily. You do the math.”
Her mouth dropped. He couldn’t be saying what she thought, could he? Fifteen years? He was planning to keep her locked up for over a decade?
“You can’t be serious.”
He grabbed her chin. “You don’t seem to grasp the situation you’re in. Let me enlighten you. It’s called the spoils of war. You being the spoils. We were at war. I won. You lost. Meaning you are mine now, to do with as I please. Consider that a royal decree.”
“So, now what?”
“What do you think?”
“I’m not going back into that moldy crypt!”
“You’ll go wherever the fuck I send you.”
Unbelievable. “And let me catch a cold again? Then why bother with the doc?”
“I didn’t call one,” he spat. “Baran did when he saw you lying in a pool of your own drool. He decided it was his job to keep you alive, so he took you upstairs and got help.”
So, it was like that? The only reason she wasn’t still coughing her lungs out was because of his sidekick’s sense of duty?
“And if he hadn’t?”
“He knows what happens when you fuck up. Baran!” Viking bellowed, not taking his eyes off her for a second.
Elena refused to look away first. His face showed the same swirl of emotions it had since he’d kidnapped her: rage, hate, and a not-so-well-covered desire. She was getting tired of that look, just as she was tired of his reign of tyranny.
When Baran entered, she knew what her fate was going to be before he spoke the words.
“In the morning, get her back downstairs. And give her a sweater and socks this time.”
She kept her mouth firmly shut as Viking left the room. She’d expected Baran to smirk and make another jab at her, but he didn’t.
“What? No hateful words on the eve of leading me back to my prison? No gloating?”
He arrogantly lifted a brow. “Where’s the fun in kicking someone who’s already down? You look as if one gust of wind could knock you on your ass. You’re not a threat to anyone. Viking’s marrying that Russian bombshell tomorrow. He gets a woman who is loyal to this life, who won’t screw around on him. And you? He’ll forget about you. You’ll both get what you deserve.”
After giving her another look of disdain, he left.
There was no need for a breeze. His harsh words were enough to knock her ass onto the bed. Apparently, she looked so worn out and defeated that Baran didn’t even found her worthy to cross swords with.
They all hated her for a treachery she hadn’t committed. She knew what it had looked like sixteen years ago. In her defense, she hadn’t had another choice back then. She’d been a teenager, barely taking her first steps into adulthood. Perhaps back then she had made the biggest mistake of her life, but it had been her only option.
He never asked. Not once did Viking ask why she’d married Lorenzo Morelli.
Of course, she couldn’t tell him. Not without jeopardizing her daughter’s life, but it killed her that Viking hadn’t even asked. He just assumed she’d betrayed him. Even now, holding her captive, all he wanted to know was why she’d never told him about Vicky. It was another effective way to show he didn’t give a crap about her. The only reason she was still breathing was because she was the mother of his child, and because he wanted to torment her. The rage in his eyes hadn’t dimmed one bit in the past week. It only seemed to grow.
He was going to marry some Russian mafia princess and keep her as his prisoner. Worse was that she knew she couldn’t resist him. It had always been like that. She craved his scent, his touch, his nearness.
She recalled all the times they had been together. And the long, lonely years after that, in which she had lived an isolated life. Lorenzo had directed her every move. She’d be damned if she would allow Viking to be the next man in her life thinking she’d be his puppet. He didn’t know Pedro the way she did. He had no idea about what the Morelli name meant to him and to what lengths of cruelty he would go to protect it. He didn’t know the extensive Morelli clan the way she did. Even if Viking killed Pedro, another would take his place, going after Vicky as well.
She was contemplating her next move when Katya walked in with a tray in her hand. Unlike Baran, she had actually brought a warm meal.
Spotting the hot soup, she almost cried. She was such a mess.
“Why are you being nice to me?”
“I don’t believe that the woman who mothered Vicky could be evil. You have a great daughter. I wish Viking would let her stay.” A pout followed with a possessive gleam. “I’m thinking of asking for that for my birthday.”
Elena couldn’t help but smile. Whatever Katya’s position in this house was, she sure didn’t like to depart with people she’d taken a liking to.
“Thank you.”
Katya shrugged. “I think we all need some help from time to time.”
“So, you will help me?” She couldn’t help but sound a bit suspicious. What if Katya would pretend to help her, but the second she walked out of the room she’d yell for help? That had been the case with one of Lorenzo’s nieces; the little witch had pretended to befriend her, only for Elena to discover she was his spy. It had been the last time she had ever put her trust in anyone.
Katya grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt from a closet and put it on the bed. “Let’s start with helping you into decent clothes. I hope they fit. I think it’s the closest thing to your size I could find on such short notice.”
Elena gave a tentative look at Katya’s willowy frame. Not only was she a head shorter than the girl, but no way would her butt fit in anything other than maybe Katya’s sweatpants.
“They’re from the housekeeper’s daughter. Just try them on.”
Finally able to get out of her pajamas, Elena threw on the clothes. The jeans were definitely tight on her ass and the shirt was too tight to hold her larger breasts, but other than that, she felt human again. As predicted, the cough syrup had taken the edge off her fever.She still felt a bit under the weather, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.
Katya tapped her chin. “Hmm, your breasts look like they could burst out of that shirt, but I’ve seen worse. At least your ass looks like a dream. Did you pay money for that?”
“Only if you count all the money I’ve spent on chocolate desserts.”
“Ah, chocolate,” Katya said dreamily. “Every woman’s true first love.”
“I feel like you’re my soulmate,” Elena confessed while braiding her hair. “Too bad I have to leave.” Almost, but not quite.
Katya opened the door, her head peeking outside. Her hand gestured for her. “The coast is clear.”
“Really? Even Baran is gone?” She could hardly believe her shadow would leave her side.
Katya flushed. “I might have told him that I’m keeping an eye on you for him. Besides, no one would expect you to just make a run for it while being surrounded by all of them. Also, they’re distracted. I think the men are using Viking’s upcoming marriage as an excuse to go through Kristoff’s good vodka.”
A pang of regret hit her hard. Thinking of Viking being tied to another woman forever made her nauseous. Catching him with her cousin had wounded her and made her bleed in places she didn’t know a person could feel anything. But even then, she had always held on to the hope that one day they would be together, silly and impossible as it may have seemed. Oddly, it had never crossed her mind that one day he would get married to someone else.
She must have stood frozen in place for a while because Katya turned to her.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“Don’t be.” She should’ve known that this day would come. Maybe it was a good thing. Now she could close that chapter in her life for good. No need to cling to the impossible dream of her eighteen-year-old self. Because Viking would never leave his wife. There was no divorce in his world.
“I know what it’s like to—” Katya shook her head. “Never mind. Can’t go there. I should never go there.” She rolled her eyes and plastered a smile on her face, but Elena could spot the underlying pain.
Sensing the girl’s need to change the subject she asked, “Are you sure you won’t get into trouble for helping me?”
Katya waved her concern away. “Denial is key. As long as they don’t see us leaving this room together, I’ll be fine. Let them prove I busted you out.”
Katya poked her head out of the door and peered down the hall, then she gave a thumbs-up. Elena tried to channel the same confidence as they left the room together. Katya pointed to the left, silently telling her where to go, and then took off to the right, as they parted ways.
She would forever be in Katya’s debt. She made another left, then took the stairs. This part of the house seemed abandoned. When she heard feet approaching, she jumped behind a door and plastered her back against the wall. Two men talking in Russian passed her. She waited until she could no longer hear them and continued on her path. According to Katya’s description of the premises, she needed to take a right turn and then she’d walk straight into the garage. Katya would be waiting for her there and smuggle her out. There was no other way to leave this place unless someone would open the door for her.
Just as she reached a hallway and turned left, she bumped into a body. An odor of sweat and liquor hit her nose.
She immediately stepped back, but greedy arms pulled her close.
“Now what do we have here? A treat for me?” the man said. His words were heavily accented. Russian.
She yelped when his hand groped her ass. Grinding her teeth, she stomped on his foot until he let her go.
“Suka!” he hissed and backhanded her.
Elena crashed into a high table against the window, almost taking down a vase with her. Her cheek felt on fire. Putting a hand against the wall, she pushed herself up. She had barely regained her balance when he yanked her back to his chest.
“Everything okay, Vasili?”
She turned her head, hoping to find a friendly face, someone who would help her out. Sadly, this man looked nothing but helpful.
“Leave us, Yuri.” Vasili sounded annoyed.
Yuri’s lips thinned. “She’s Viking’s.”
A grin appeared on Vasili’s face, turning his pudgy face into a terrifying canvas. And somehow, she just knew. This man wanted to hurt her, yes, but he wanted to hurt Viking even more.
Without giving it another thought, she grabbed the vase and smashed it onto Vasili’s head.