20. Trapped
Chapter twenty
Trapped
R urik came back four days later. He had breakfast and then went to his office, saying nothing.
Luerna took another shower, scrubbing her body of any evidence. Levka had visited her a few more times in different parts of the house, and the last few days had been a blur of sex, laughter, and warmth.
Now, she was drowning in fear. Luerna put a knife under her pillow. Another was in Irina’s room. She wanted to pack a few bags, but they weren’t easy to hide. Levka told her they could buy anything they needed, so don’t bother packing anything. But these were items her children loved. They had emotional value. Their world was gonna change. She wanted to keep it familiar and safe.
As her brothers, Katia and Helina prepared to fly back to America, she watched them with a jumpy nervousness she tried hard to suppress. Her brothers kissed her cheek and told her to call if anything happened. She didn’t bother glancing at Katia, but she kissed her sweet little niece on her chubby cheek.
Then the door closed, and she stood at it like a loyal dog waiting for their owner to get home. But no one was coming.
“Mom?”
Luerna jumped, swinging around with a hand to her heart. RJ stood there with concerned brows.
“You’ve been standing there for fifteen minutes. You okay?”
“I’m fine, baby.” She wrapped an arm around him, hating how much he was growing. RJ came up to her neck, and soon, he’d surpass her.
“Is Dad mad about something? He hasn’t talked to me since he came back.”
Luerna cupped his cheek. He still had a little bit of a baby face, which made her heart ache. “Do you want to go stay at your friend’s house tonight? You don’t have school tomorrow.”
“But he does. School doesn’t get out for real school for another two weeks.”
Luerna nodded and chewed her lip as she stared off into space. What would happen if Rurik got too rough? Or she got too loud? RJ has been noticing more, commenting more, about Rurik’s attitude toward her. He asked about the fading bruise on her face and she wasn’t sure he believed the lie she told. How long until he realized what was happening and tried to stop it? Would Rurik turn his attention to their children?
Luerna put the kids to bed earlier than usual and then found herself in her bedroom, waiting. She had the TV a little louder than normal. She hugged her knees and stared at the door in wait. He was coming, there was no doubt in her head. The only question was, how bad would it be?
The bedroom door opened up, and Rurik came in. She froze, wide-eyed, with her heart pounding in her chest.
He glanced at her, a laziness in his movements that told her he was drunk. He smirked. “Happy to see me?”
Luerna swallowed. She never wanted him to see any of her fear. “You’re talking to me now?”
“You gonna tell me where you were?”
“I told you already. My brother flew me to England. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if you think my fun time is fucking someone else, you’re confusing me with yourself.”
He chuckled as he struggled to remove his shoes, falling on the bed. “Give me your phone.”
Luerna didn’t comply immediately. Not because she had anything to hide, since she already deleted all her conversations with Levka, but because it was the only way to call for help if things got too bad.
But who would I call? The police? The thought would have made her laugh if she wasn’t terrified.
Rurik got up and flowed to her side of the bed, snatching it off the table. He didn’t even try to look at it. He banged it on the table till it smashed to pieces. She flinched but remained where she sat.
“Where’s your purse?” Rurik glanced away, swaying before throwing himself to the dresser. He poured the contents out and shuffled through it. He found each credit card before digging scissors out of a drawer and cutting them in half. Luerna dug her nails into her skin.
“Did you take my birth control?”
“We haven’t fucked in years. You don’t need it. It was making you fat.”
“Fuck you, no it wasn’t.”
He shrugged. “Maybe you’re just getting old.”
“Have you seen yourself?”
Rurik took off his shirt, tossing it on the floor. His hairy gut and saggy boobs brought disgust to her lips, and she turned away. “My mother told me not to marry you. Said you were a ‘cactus’,” Rurik chuckled as he unbuckled his pants. “Thought I could smooth you out. But you are stubborn, Luerna.”
Luerna kept silent. He was looking for a fight. Anything she said would be risking a violent reaction.
Rurik held a belt, draping it across the ground as he approached. “We are going to try something different from now on. See what sticks.”
She glared at him. “What do you mean?”
“Lay down.”
The belt caused panic. “I’ll tell my father.”
He chuckled. They both knew Yakov didn’t care.
“Lay down.”
Luerna glanced at the door. She could make it. With her heart pounding, she crawled on the bed, racing for it, but Rurik snatched her foot, yanking her back. She kicked at him, but he laid on top of her, all his sweaty weight squishing her into compliance. Luerna smacked him, doing her best to be quiet. No amount of begging would get him to stop. She scratched his face, earning a hiss and a hard slap.
The world blackened, and she couldn’t open her eyes. The pain was sharp, blinding her, and she curled into her pillow, fisting the material.
Rurik stood above her, huffing and cursing. He wiped blood from his cheek and sneered. “You think because your brothers back you up, you have some power. But they’re gone now, Luerna. It’s just you and me. I can make your life a living hell, do you know that? I’ve been good to you, and you don’t appreciate any of it.” He grabbed her ankle. “It’s time I show you how bad I can get.”
Rurik yanked her closer, only to find a knife in her hands.
Luerna stared wide-eyed, the weapon clenched tight. She shook, but it didn’t mean she was afraid. “Don’t touch me.”
He stepped back. “What the fuck is this? You gonna stab me, huh? This is one of your crazy moments, isn’t it? I’m gonna call the police.” Rurik looked around for his phone, but when he looked at her again, he changed his mind. “No. They’ll just take you to the crazy house. That’s what you want. You want to embarrass me?” He clenched his teeth, tightening his hold on the belt. “You’re trying to ruin me.”
“Get the fuck out!”
Rurik swung the belt, smacking the knife out of her hands. She shrieked, holding her hands to her chest as welts pulsed on her skin. “I gave you so many chances. But you’re an ungrateful bitch.” Rurik raised the belt.
A knock on the door interrupted. “Mama?”
Luerna slapped a hand over her mouth to quiet her crying. She looked at Rurik, silently begging with a shake of her head.
“Go to bed, boy,” Rurik hollered through the door.
“Is Mama okay?”
Rurik rushed to the door while Luerna called out, begging. The knife was on the floor right behind where he stood as he opened it. “I told you to get to bed.”
RJ leaned around him, searching for Luerna. “Mama?”
Her eyes snapped up. The terrible of idea of killing Rurik in front of her son dissolved and she smiled. “I’m okay, baby.”
Rurik pushed him on. “We’ll go horseback riding in the morning. Go on, boy.” He watched RJ till he was far enough down the hall, then slammed and locked the door. He sighed, turning toward Luerna, only to see her eyeing the knife feet from where he stood. He stepped on it. “You want to kill me?”
“Just leave me alone,” she begged, getting up, trying to find some other exit. The balcony was too high. She had stood on the edge of it once before and knew she’d die on impact. There was no escape.
When Rurik came toward her again, she tried to run but it was pathetic. He tossed her on the bed. “My father used to beat me so badly I couldn’t go to school. I’ve been good to those kids but mark my words, Luerna. If you don’t fall back in line, I’ll punish them. And they’ll grow to hate you for it because I’ll make damn sure they know it’s because of you.” Luerna nodded, unable to speak. “Now, take off your shirt.”
She clenched her eyes shut. She begged Levka to rescue her, but she knew it was pointless. He’d never make it. They’d kill him, and she couldn’t risk it. She couldn’t let anyone else suffer because of her.
Luerna yanked her shirt off and then pressed her face into it.
The first hit exploded all nerve endings, and she arched off the bed, screaming into her shirt. Rurik didn’t give her a moment to recover. He hit her again and again. She cried and wailed, her noises muffled and stifled. She begged RJ couldn’t hear her. Every breath was terrible. Every shift was agony.
Four hits and Rurik tired, panting. He dropped the belt on the floor. “Next time your brothers come to your defense, it will be worse. Tell them to mind their fucking business.”
Luerna struggled to breathe, trying not to make a sound but little whimpers were released with each fast exhale. She stared at the wall, and sarcastic comebacks filtered in her head, calling him a coward, a pathetic bitch, a pussy. But she said nothing.
Rurik leaned on the bed over her. She could feel his weight, a leg on each side of hers and his hands pressing into the mattress beside her shoulders. His lips were at her ears. “Now,” he whispered, pushing his body against hers. It sparked a fight in her, but she was too weak to move. Rurik chuckled in her ear. “That wolf won’t want to fuck you with my baby in your belly.”
“No,” she moaned desperately. “Please.”
“If this one kills you, then I can’t be blamed, can I? I’ll be the poor widower. And if you’re lucky, you’ll finally get the death you crave.”