Chapter 29

Arianna

"T hanks for looking after her Luis, I don't know what I'd do without you," I say gratefully as I return from putting Mads to bed.

It's true, without his help, I don't know what I'd do. I'd have to hire someone I suppose. But, although Kimiko tries to give me money when I see her, I refuse to take more than a tiny amount, I assume it's her or Nikolai who pays for the house, so I refuse to take more unless we're desperate. I work part-time hours at a restaurant to make ends meet, but a nanny would be an added burden that would tighten the purse strings. When Luis offered to babysit the three afternoons a week so I could work and go to yoga, I practically cried with relief.

"It's my pleasure, you know I'm always happy to help you," he says with that same longing look he gives me that makes me uncomfortable. "Here, sit, I made dinner," he says, handing me a glass of wine.

"Luis, you really shouldn't have," I admonish, though my rumbling stomach makes me grateful I didn't have to scrape together something from the leftovers in the refrigerator.

"Nonsense, I cooked for Mads, so it was simple to rustle something else up for the adults," he says.

We sit and enjoy an amicable dinner, chatting about everything and nothing. Luis often tries to pry more information about my past from me, but I always evade his questions. I sense he is hurt that I don't open up to him more. He's been a good friend to me, I know he wants to be more, but I can't bring myself to let him in. I have no interest in dating. I've tried to make this as clear as I can to him. But still, he sometimes tries to convince me otherwise. Tonight is one of those nights.

"We'd be good together don't you think Kate?" he says, calling me by my new name and leaning across to take my hand.

I pull my hand away, perhaps a little too abruptly. "Luis, we've talked about this. I value your friendship, I truly do, but I'm not ready. I'm not sure I ever will be."

I get up, clearing away our empty plates for something to do, trying to create some distance between us. Usually, he gets the hint and bids me goodnight. But something's changed tonight. As I go to pick up his plate he grabs my wrist.

"Luis, let me go," I say, shocked.

He stands and it's as though he's an entirely different person. Usually, he holds himself in a self-deprecating kind of way, stooping slightly. Now, he pulls himself to full height and he seems to radiate a dangerous kind of energy. But it's nothing like Nikolai used to be, it's pure rage and violence. The look in his eyes is like nothing I've seen before. His expression darkens and I try to pull my arm away. I back up but there's hardly any space between his seat and the wall, as my back presses against it, I realize there's nowhere left to go and he's still gripping my wrist painfully tight, advancing on me like a wild animal.

"Luis, you're hurting me!"

"Always such a fucking tease. ‘Oh, Luis will do whatever I say, Luis is a doormat, I'm too good for Luis.' Constantly parading yourself around me, flaunting it, and then acting like you're the Virgin fucking Mary when I try to do something about it. Well, I'm not taking it anymore, you're going to fucking give me what you've been taunting me with for fucking years," he snarls.

My blood runs cold as he places the other hand around my throat, pinning his body against me and trapping me between him and the wall. I put my free hand on his wrist, pulling it back to try to give me some space, his grip eases up enough so I can speak but doesn't move away.

"Luis, please, think of Mads," I beg, trying to keep my voice calm and quiet to not wake her.

But there's no reasoning with him. It's like he's a different man. Possessed.

"You think of Mads. Just be quiet and give me what I want, and everything will be okay, no one has to get hurt. I promise if you relax, you'll enjoy it," he says dangerously softly as he tightens his grip on my throat. Terrifyingly, it sounds as though he believes it.

In my confusion and fear, I don't know how to react. My first instinct to fight is overwhelmed by fear for my daughter's safety. I stand rigidly still, like prey that's frozen in shock, unsure whether to pick fight or flight. He takes my stillness as approval, that I've given in and will let him do as he wishes. His hot, stale breath is on my face as he moves his mouth toward mine. I tightly press my lips together, feeling sick from the sour taste of cigarettes. He releases my wrist, squeezing my breasts painfully. His hand is still tight around my neck cutting off my air supply. When I still don't move, he takes his hand off my neck and proceeds to begin fumbling with the buckle of his belt.

All of a sudden, the fight in me comes back. I will not let this man rape me with my baby girl asleep in the next room. I slap him hard across the face and he reels back in shock for a moment, his hands flying up to his cheek where I hit him.

"You fucking bitch!" he shouts incredulously, reaching up an arm to strike me.

The hand stays there in mid-air, and it dawns on both of us that someone else is there. Their hand is wrapped around his wrist.

My addled brain can hardly comprehend what I'm seeing, as I realize it's Nikolai.

He twists Luis's arm back so far, I think he might snap it clean off, delivering another blow to his kidneys that sends him to his knees.

"Ow, what the fuck man, who are you?" Luis cries out in pain and confusion.

All I can do is stand wordlessly in shock watching the scene unfold before me. How is Nikolai here? Why?

"I'm your worst fucking nightmare," Nikolai growls.

He rains down a series of blows on Luis, the other man doesn't even stand a chance. With Luis subdued, whimpering in a bloody heap on the floor, it dawns on me that Nikolai isn't going to stop, despite having won and incapacitated him. Even though he was attacking me, I don't want him to die for it.

I can't help myself from crying out, "Nikolai, stop! You'll kill him!"

Nikolai doesn't take his eyes off him, but he stops his frenzied attack. He stands there like a coiled spring ready to strike again, breathing heavily and clenching his fists, using every ounce of control he has, to do as I ask.

"Who is he to you?" he asks without looking at me, his voice eerily calm.

"He's my neighbor, Luis. He's lived next door to me for over a year," I reply, my voice shaking.

Luis groans on the floor and Nikolai bends down to lean over him menacingly. "Is this true, Luis?"

"Yes, please have mercy," he groans, before coughing and spitting up blood.

"It didn't seem like you had much mercy for our friend here, why should I? Not very neighborly of you. Now, I don't believe that you just happen to be your average run-of-the-mill neighborhood scumbag rapist," he hisses, leaning over the still incapacitated Luis to grab him by the balls and squeeze. "So, if you want to keep your manhood you'll tell me, who sent you here?"

"Nikolai, no one sent him, he's just…" I start to say but to my astonishment, Luis interrupts me.

"Giovanni De Luca," he cries, letting out big fat fearful sobs, his nose running like a pitiful child, "He told me to keep an eye on the woman and report back."

"What did he want to know?" Nikolai demands, he tightens his grip on Luis's balls and Luis screams.

"He wanted me to confirm everything about her, what she looked like, who she saw. When I told him about the child and her visitors, he told me to stay here, to get close to them as much as possible."

"Why?" Nikolai asks through gritted teeth.

"I don't know, I promise you I don't. But he told me that when the time was right, I had to take the child, by any means necessary."

The forlorn expression, terror, and fear on Luis's face are all for himself. My heart hardens against him and at that moment I feel like I could kill him myself for ever being near my baby. The horror of how much worse things could have gotten dawns on me, and I want to rush to my daughter. But my rage takes over. I stride over to Luis, standing over him I kick him in the stomach, and he crumples in on himself. I can sense that Nikolai looks up at me, but he says nothing and makes no move to stop me. My gaze is still focused solely on my would-be rapist.

"What does he want with her? Is that why you attacked me tonight?" I demand.

"Fucking bitch," Luis snarls, seeming to find his courage again.

Nikolai squeezes again and Luis cries out. "Answer the lady," he demands.

"I don't know why he wants her, I swear," he pleads.

"So why did you try to fucking rape me, you bastard!" I scream kicking him again.

Nikolai lets out a small chuckle, seemingly amused by my rage and unperturbed by the violence of the situation. That seems to scare Luis almost as much as the prospect of losing his junk as Nikolai doesn't have to prompt him to answer me this time.

"It just happened, I couldn't take it anymore! You were asking for it."

"No woman is asking for your fucking disgusting dick you creep!" I'm about to kick him again and really lose my shit, but Nikolai looks at me.

" Kukolka , go, check on the child. I'll take care of this."

I don't know if it's because of his commanding tone, the fact that I want someone else to handle this for me, that I desperately want to check if Mads is still sleeping, or because he called me by his old pet name, but I do as he asks. Perhaps it's a combination of them all. I don't bother to ask if Nikolai is going to kill Luis. I'm surprised to find I don't care either way.