Chapter 40
CHAPTER FORTY
SERENA
E ntering the motel room and taking in its retro, sixties mod décor causes my body to release some of the tension I’ve been holding for the past three days. It feels safe here. After Dom lost his shit on me when we got home on Friday night, I’ve been living in terror of setting off his temper again. I never got my purse or phone or car keys back, so running was out of the question.
I’ve been biding my time, hoping to earn back his trust enough to gain a chance at freedom. I even let him fuck me when he “apologized” for losing his temper, hoping maybe it would be enough to placate him. Joke’s on me. The way things went after that, I realized what an idiot I had been to imagine I was letting him do anything. He considered he had a green light to use me any way he wanted with impunity. Honestly, if Kai hadn’t come looking for me, I wasn’t sure if Dom would let me return to my life at all.
“I’m sorry we left before we could grab your stuff, but I’ve got my gym bag with me, an extra pair of sweats if you want them.”
I turn to look at Kai and the way he is holding up his gym bag in offering is almost bashful. Like he feels bad for rescuing me from my abuser with nothing more than the clothes on my back.
“Gosh, Kai. Next time you come to rescue a damsel in distress, be a little more prepared.” Kai looks crestfallen and I regret the sarcastic quip as soon as it leaves my lips. He doesn’t deserve my anger. He’s not the reason I found myself in the clutches of a monster. That was all my dumbass decision-making.
“I’m sorry, Kai. I didn’t mean that?—”
Kai cuts me off before I can finish. “I don’t want to hear that word out of your mouth again, Serena.” Kai’s stern use of my government name takes me aback. “You have nothing to be sorry about. If you need a punching bag to work your anger out on, then use me. If you need someone to scream at, scream at me. If you need someone to hold you while you break, then let me hold you. But don’t you dare apologize for what you are feeling. I’ve got you ReRe.”
Unsure of how to respond, I grab Kai’s gym bag instead. “I’m gonna go take a shower. I need to wash Dom’s touch off me.”
Kai nods and lets me retreat into the bathroom, despite how much he looks like he wants to protest. I’m grateful he allows me some space to get my bearings.
Sequestered in the bathroom, I lock the door behind me. Leaning against the plywood door, I close my eyes, inhaling a deep breath, trying to calm my jittery nerves. Even though we are well outside of Birch Falls’ city limits, I can’t help but feel like we are still at risk of being found. When I open my eyes, I see my reflection in the mirror, and it turns my stomach. Dark bruises dot along my arms in some sort of sick dot-to-dot pattern. My throat is ringed in bruises too. My eyes are bloodshot from all the crying I’ve been doing, and my skin is pale and ashy like I have the flu. In short, I look like shit.
Unable to bear my reflection another moment, I turn to the shower and turn the on water as hot as it will go. I grab Kai’s body wash and tie my hair up on my head before stepping under the scalding stream. I don’t know how long I stand under the water—trying to scrub the ghost of his touch from my skin—but by the time I’m done, my skin is red and raw.
Leaving the bathroom in a cloud of steam, bundled in Kai’s oversize sweats and hoodie, I find him sitting on the bed staring pensively at his phone. He looks up when he hears me enter the room, his face tight with concern.
“What’s going on? Did something happen with Dom?” My stomach pitches in worry, scared we have been found already.
“He stopped by my folks’ house, looking for me. Didn’t tell them why he was looking for me and he didn’t mention you, so I think he’s keeping it on the DL for now. Ma called me to ask why ‘Serena’s cop’ was looking for me.”
My knees go weak at Kai’s words, with concern for his parents getting sucked into my relationship drama. “Oh God, Kai. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to get Grace and Luther involved.”
Kai raises a displeased eyebrow at me. “What did I say about that word, Serena? Don’t worry about them. They’re fine. They have plausible deniability. I told them we were safe together and that we aren’t in town, but I didn’t tell them where we are. I want to keep our whereabouts under wraps until we come up with a game plan.”
Taking a seat next to him on the bed, I bury my face in my hands. “What is our plan, Kai? You know he’s going to be looking for me. He probably has his cop buddies looking for your car. We can’t go back into Birch Falls without him finding out. We don’t have any food or clothes. I don’t have any ID or money. We are fucked.” Kai nudges my leg with his knee in the way he does when he wants my attention.
“I took care of the food while you used up all of the motel’s hot water.” I follow his line of sight and see a pile of vending machine snacks and several bottles of water on the desk. “It’s not much, but we can make do for tonight. Tomorrow I was thinking we could go to Poplar Springs and pick up some supplies…” Kai trails off like he’s afraid to finish his thought.
“Pick up some supplies or…” I prod, waiting for him to finish.
“Or go to the hospital and get your injuries documented and file a report.”
My blood runs cold at Kai’s suggestion. The thought of going to a hospital and talking to someone about what Dom did to me causes my chest to tighten in panic.
“I can’t do that, Kai. They won’t believe me. Dom is too well known and too well liked. They’ll say I’m making it up. Dom will find me and hurt me worse. No…no, that’s not an option.”
“Hey, ReRe. Calm down. Deep breaths. We don’t have to if you’re not ready. Okay?” Kai leans down, making sure he can look me in the eye, pulling me out of my panic spiral. “We will do this however you want, ReRe. I won’t push you to do something you’re not ready for.”
I nod at his words as hot tears stream down my cheeks. When did I start crying again?
“C’mere, kid. Let’s watch some TV.” Kai tugs me against him and positions us so we are facing the TV. I settle into his side as he flips through the channels before settling on a rerun of Supernatural . Watching the episode, I can’t help notice how much our motel room looks like the ones Sam and Dean stay in on their travels.
“What room do you think Sam and Dean are staying in? Do you think if we told them Dominick was a ghoul, they’d go take care of him for us?”
Kai laughs at my lame attempt at humor, giving my shoulder a squeeze.
“I thought the tall motherfucker standing in front of me at the check-in desk looked familiar.” I laugh at his joke and settle in to watch the Winchesters hunt demons. It’s like this, wrapped up in Kai’s embrace feeling safer than I ever have, that I fall into a dreamless sleep.