19. Isabella

Chapter 19

Isabella

I have the package I had delivered this afternoon tucked under my arm. It’s a really cute set of dinosaur toys for Dante.

In my other hand I have my work file, my phone, my keys, and my purse over my shoulder.

The phone is ringing, I just want to let Lisa know I’m leaving the office and on the way home.

“Hello.” She answers.

“Hi, I’ve just walked out of the office. I should be home in ten minutes depending on the traffic.”

“Ok, super. I will pop dinner into the oven.”

“Thanks, Lisa. See you soon.”

She hangs up, but I can’t reach the button to hang up because the package has shifted under my other arm and I don’t want to drop it.

As I approach my car, I try to juggle the keys into position so that I can unlock it, but I drop my phone.

“Dammit.” I mutter, stooping to pick it up without dropping anything else.

“Hello, poppet.” The voice cuts through me like broken glass. An ice cold flame lights in my chest. Marcus.

I drop everything except for my car keys. Without even turning to look at him I shove the keys into the door - but his hands are locked around me before I have time to pull it open.

He yanks me away from the car.

I take in a deep breath planning to let it out as the loudest scream I have ever heard - but his hand clamps over my mouth, blocking the only sound that might have alerted someone to help me.

My heart is beating so fast it hurts.

Everywhere he touches me is like a thousand bees stinging my skin.

I hate him.

I hate him.

I hate him.

And I’m terrified.

My tears rush from my eyes and spill over his hand, still locked on my mouth.

“Shh, poppet. I’m only taking back what already belongs to me.” He chuckles, it sounds like a dark current of oil on the surface of a pristine lake. He is a stain, a virus, a monster.

Marcus lifts me off my feet and starts carrying me towards a black SUV. No matter how hard I fight it’s useless. He is far too strong. I don’t stand a chance.

I know I should save my energy - that’s the logic - but fear outweighs logic right now and I keep fighting, lashing out, trying to escape.

Until he spins me around and punches me right in the face.

The shock of it sends a ripple of silence through me.

A bright white light flashes in my eyes.

I go rigid and still.

“Keep fighting me - you know what will happen. Or have you forgotten the rules, poppet?”

He tosses me onto the passenger seat, slams the door and walks around to the driver’s side.

I try the handle, but it doesn’t budge.

Marcus climbs into the car and grins at me. His manic eyes, and calm smile are straight out of a horror movie.

My past flashes through my mind, all the things he’s done to me, all the pain he has inflicted.

I squeeze my eyes closed. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of my tears. He loves to see me cry. He loves to see the results of the pain he has dished out.

I sit in the car, staring straight ahead.

He isn’t headed to my apartment. He is going somewhere else. That means he isn’t aware of my son. I can hope.

“Have you missed me?” He asks, running his hand over my thigh.

I cringe away from him, nauseated. The low growl that rumbles through him is a warning. A warning that I must do as I’m told.

“You will be my bride, poppet. You were always meant to be my bride. But this time it’s going be a little different.”

Lisa will realize something is wrong. When I don’t arrive home, she will try to phone me - then maybe, just maybe she will try to phone the office and if I’m lucky Nico will answer.

“It’s going to be different because the first chance you had to marry me - it would have been beautiful. But you lost that chance. This time you are going to wear your punishment on your face - on your beautiful skin. The blood and bruises will be a lesson, a warning to you, that you should never try to leave me again.”

I swallow hard and clench my fists in my lap. Nico will save me. He saved me last time. He can do it again.

We arrive at an underground parking area, and he drags me into a lift that carries us straight up to the penthouse suite of the building. The elevator opens into the living room.

His hand is gripped around my arm that the blood has been cut off and pins and needles are tingling along my skin.

He throws me onto the ground and stands over me, smiling that evil smile. “Do you want to know what I love about this place, poppet?”

I stare at him without saying a word. I know that no answer will be the right answer. I can say anything, and it will give him reason to hit me.

I shift away from him, crawling backwards on the floor.

He kicks me, his boot connecting with my thigh.

I scream in agony.

He laughs again.

“I asked you a question.” He snarls.

“I don’t know.” I reply, squeezing my eyes shut and fighting the pain.

He leans down and grabs a handful of my hair, lifting me back to my feet as pain shoots through my scalp. I scream again, not wanting to, because he loves the sound of my pain - but it’s been a year since I had to deal with this -

“I love this place because it’s sound proof.”

His eyes are piercing into me like daggers.

“Sound proof - “ I stammer.

Marcus wraps his hand around my throat and pulls me close to his face.

“You will accept your punishment. When I break your jaw, and cut you open, understand that it’s just a lesson, poppet. It’s a lesson telling you that you should never, ever, have left me.”

“You don’t have to do this Marcus. I will do whatever you say.”

“You will. Because I am going to make sure you do. Right now though - I can see the fight in your eyes. I can see the defiance. A year away from me has made you believe you are strong enough to survive without me. You should know better. You are like a wild horse now - you’ve tasted the freedom. But I’ll break you again. I’ll make sure you know your place - at my side.”

He swings his arm and backhands me across the face.

I feel my lips split open on impact. Then I taste the blood. If his hand was not locked around my throat, I would have been flung across the room. But now, all I’m doing is hanging limp and dizzy in his grip.

“Marcus - “ I whisper, my lips wet with blood.

“What is it, poppet?” he says, stroking his fingers over my cheek which is already swelling from the hit.

“I’m not the same person I was when you had me.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” his eyes grow dark.

“It means you will bruise me and make me bleed - but you will never, ever, break me again.”

I know it was a stupid thing to say, but it’s the truth.

For years he made me believe he was the most powerful person on the planet. He made me believe I could never survive in the world without him. As though I should be grateful that he was bothering to be with me. He made me believe no one else would ever want me.

He took away every bit of myself worth - my inner strength. He broke me. In the past he shattered me. My spirit. My will. My heart.

But no matter what he does to me now - I will never let that happen again.

Physical pain - I will face that, it’s coming. I know what he is capable of. But I have strength now that I never had before.

I refuse to let him flood me with fear. I refuse to let him have that power over me. He is not a god. He is not immortal or untouchable. He is a man.

A sadistic, monster of a man - but just a man.

“You stupid, pathetic, worthless bitch.” He snarls against my mouth. Then he kisses me, my blood spreading across his face. And when he pulls away, he looks like a demon, straight from the depth of hell.

He swings his arm back again and this time his fist connects with my ribs. I hear the crack.

I bite back the scream that won’t leave the walls of this place.

He won’t kill me.

I have to remind myself of that.

He wants to marry me - so he won’t kill me.

But I know I will get close to death tonight.

And if I’m lucky - I’ll pass out - into the soothing blissful peace of oblivion.