Rachel called my name, and I heard the heartache in her voice, but I walked out, anyway. There was nothing more to say. My heart had never been in it. I gave her all I had to give. However, my heart and soul would always belong to Seraphina, and I was a dumbass to believe it could be different.
Chapter Eight
Seraphina
I don’t even have the bedroom door closed before the tension rises higher than it had been in the car. With Dorian, the quiet isn’t peaceful, it’s always the calm before the storm. He doesn’t speak right away. He just places his keys, wallet, and cell phone in the crystal bowl, sitting inside our room next to the entrance.
“Your sister saw.”
He doesn’t look my way as he walks to our dresser. He pulls open the top drawer before removing his cufflinks, then his watch, placing them both in their cases.
Fear rises in my throat as I sit at the end of the bed to remove my shoes. “I tried my best to cover it before we left, Dorian. I swear I did.”
“Not good enough, Seraphina.”
“I didn’t mean…”
He slams the drawer shut, cutting off my statement causing me to jump. The entire dresser shakes from the force. His eyes scan my face like he’s disgusted with me because my sister found out about one of our dark secrets. Or at least she has some suspicions.
“You think I didn’t notice the way your sister looked at me?” He takes a step closer to me, and I do my best not to scramble away from him because it will only piss him off more. “Like I was some monster?”
“I didn’t say anything, Dorian.”
“You didn’t have to.” He moves closer. “You want people to know what happens in our home? You want them to ask questions?”
“No.”
I shake my head.
“Then learn to keep your fucking mouth shut.”
The slap came fast. Not hard enough to knock me backwards, but hard enough to sting.
My hand goes to my cheek. But I don’t cry. I know not to. Then a fist slams into my face, the impact is so sudden, I don’t have time to block it. It’s so forceful my head whips to the side, and I fall backwards onto the bed. The pain is so excruciating I scream, but even if anyone hears me, they won’t help me. Dorian’s family owns this country. And they also have the cops on their payrolls. It will be covered up, and I’ll be in the same position, and my life ten times worse.
“Stop!” He grabs my hair, yanking me on the floor from the bed. “Please stop!”
“You stupid, bitch!”
He drags me across the floor away from the bed by the hair. I’m sure he’s pulled some of it out. Something else I’ll have to hide.
“You did that shit on purpose. But the Puglisi’s can’t save you from me. I’ll fucking kill you before I ever let you go.”
I curl into the fetal position, trying to make myself as small as possible but it doesn’t protect me from the swift kick to my side.
“Dorian…”
I lift my hand, trying to stop him but he kicks me again. Another burst of pain explodes through my entire body.
“Let me hear your screams, baby.” He rips at my clothes. “You know how much I love it.”
“Don’t!”
But I can’t fight him. My head is swimming, and my vision blurs before everything goes black.
The sound of a car door slamming outside startled me.
Confusion was written all over my face as I stare into the mirror. I didn’t even remember walking into the bathroom. One moment I was on the floor of the bedroom trying to protect myself from Dorian. Now I stood in front of the mirror, one hand braced against the sink, the other trembling against my side.
