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.”
