She takes me into her warm mouth and my head drops back.
“Stop. Please.”
I beg, and beg. And beg.
And she doesn’t stop.
I’m fully hard, sweat coating my skin with self-disgust.
The humiliation continues.
The woman stands. Shame takes hold of me, choking me, when she spreads her lips and glides her fingers in between. Ittakes a while and she needs to close her eyes but eventually, they shine with arousal. Then, she settles above me and guides me towards her centre.
“No. Please,” I beg weakly.
“They have my sister,” she says, low enough that only I hear her. “I have to. I’m sorry.”
Then, she drops down and fucks me.
And I come.
Tears fall down on my face.
Petar appears behind her shoulders, a glinting knife in his hand. The woman stills. “Well done, brother.” The knife knicks her neck and her lips wobble in fear. “Get out,” Petar tells her.
She doesn’t need to be told twice. She scampers out the door.
I will never see her again. I will never know if she escaped. If her sister is safe.
I’m dead inside. Like he wanted.
For weeks, he continues. Cattle prod for disobedience. A forced orgasm for obedience.
All I want is to die.
The name of the one I left behind fades. Except the vow I made. It seems a lifetime ago. There’s a woman here I need to send away. I don’t remember why but I hold onto it, and promise to end it once it’s done.
TWENTY-FIVE
LUCIE
“Mariella?” I call into the room my aunt has decided to hide in today. It’s not her bedroom. She’s elected the piano room, and Aleksei plays for her, but she looks out the window like she’s not hearing the music.
Dante’s mum lifts her head when I press a gentle hand to her shoulder. “Who are you?”
“It’s me, Lucie. I’m your niece.”
But today isn’t a good day. She shakes her head. Aleksei stops playing and stands. His bulk must scare her because she starts to stand and steps back, stumbling over furniture. “What are you doing in my house?” she yells as she holds her hands in front of her.
Dante barges into the room, but approaches her softly.
“I’m here, Mama. Come, let’s get you in bed.”
“Who are they? Why are they here?”
My aunt’s voice is fearful and confused and my lips tremble. I swallow before leaving, letting my cousin deal with his mother. He’s the only one she remembers these days, though she often calls him by his father’s name.
When coming home for the holiday break, I thought it’d be better to avoid the sterile flat Aleksei and I shared. I just can’t goback to a place that held me captive. I got a hotel room but spent most days withziaat the Ventura mansion. But her health is declining rapidly, breaking me all over again. One more parental figure fading away. Dante kept it from me. Yet another secret that makes my blood boil and resentment grow.
