CHARTER 139
BRIANNA’S POV
My heavy eyelids fluttered open to see Hermes’s face close to mine. He was so close I could feel his breath on my face, the tip of our noses almost touching.
“You’re finally up sleeping beauty,” he said, his lips spreading to a psychotically cartoonish smile.
Instinctively, my breath caught and I tried to pull away, but the thick ropes binding my wrists and ankles to the bedpost held me still. My head spun, and my body ached with heaviness from being unconscious for so long. Even the slightest movement added to my discomfort, causing me to wince in pain.
“Easy there, tigress,” he taunted and tried to kiss me on the forehead. But I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my face away in disgust.
I felt a warm gust of air on the side of my neck as he sighed in disappointment.
“Quit acting like a scary cat,” he said as he got up from the bedside stool he was sitting on. “I’m not going to hurt you. Unless you make me.”
My body stiffed from his words and a cold shiver ran down my spine as I looked in his direction. I was in a critical state now. For the safety of me and my unborn children, I couldn’t afford to be hurt or subjected to any form of stress. But Hermes was a psychotic brute who didn’t give a shit about anybody.
I prayed Sebastian was on his way to come get me before Hermes snapped like he always does and took it out on me. Sebastian should be back from the association headquarters by now, and already realized what happened. Realized this bastard kidnapped me. I couldn’t believe Hermes killed everyone at the castle. I was yet to recover from the horrific shock of him killing that maid so brutally, without hesitating or any iota of remorse.
I watched in laced fear, tears welling up in my eyes, trying to control my heavy breathing and deal with the pain of my sore body and being tied to the bedpost as he walked to the table at the end of the room and poured himself a generous amount of wine. From the way he winced and shook his head after tasting it, it was clear it was something really strong. I have always known him to be a heavy drinker and smoker, and I knew that only helped trigger his eccentric, cruel behaviour.
He took another shot, plonking the glass cup loudly on the table as if to smash it before turning to face me again. I swallowed a lump that blocked the passage of my throat, trying to keep my shaky control as his eyes fell on me. Now that I was seeing them clearly, they were still red from the pepper spray. That only added to his devilish appearance, making it seem like he had some eye defect. And the bridge of his nose appeared kind of swollen. I wished I had inflicted more harm and ruined his face.
A lascivious gleam lit up in the crimson depths of his eyes, each step he took closer to me making my heart pound in my chest. He looked like he couldn’t wait to drink from me. To drain me. To do to me what he always did in the past. The thought of that made me shudder in disgust, my brain feeling like it was about to freeze as those horrifying memories rushed back again.
Sebastian and I had done a great deal to help me get rid of those awful memories and move on with my life. But now that Hermes has returned to my life, they were inevitably coming back. And I hated it. I hated every moment of it.
“Doesn’t it feel good to be back home?” He said jubilantly like he had conquered the world, looking at me expectantly. “To be back where you belong. Back to me. The castle has not been the same since I sold you…”
“In your dreams, you bastard!” I spat at him with all the hatred I could muster. “This hellhole will never be my home. I don’t belong here, and I certainly will never belong to you!”
His temper flared as he growled viciously, and grabbed the empty glass cup on the table, hauling it across the room. The shattering sound as it struck the wall startled me and made me flinch.
He marched to me and mercilessly grabbed me by the face, his fingers digging into my cheeks as his eyes blazed, looking like they reddened more.
“Listen and listen good!” He instructed ruthlessly. “Don’t dare talk back at me. I won’t tolerate this nasty behaviour at all. These past months you have been away have made you forget what I’m truly capable of. Don’t test me. And don’t think I’ve forgotten what you did to my eyes and nose back in that castle. They still hurt because of you. Try that again and I swear you’ll lose a body part. It seems you don’t like how pretty you look. If I were you right now, I’d behave and do whatever I ask you to, like the sweet, innocent angel you were before or else I’ll make sure you regret it,” he concluded before choking me with a long, desperate kiss, the bitter taste of the alcohol he just took filling my mouth.
I struggled to break free but couldn’t because of how dominant he was and being tied down on the bed. Angrily, he let go, the forceful impact causing my face to whip to the side. I felt like spitting out every saliva in my mouth.
Silently, I wept in anguish, the tears excess and too heavy to be blinked away. A part of me was already wishing for death so this suffering would finally come to an end. But a bigger part kept holding onto hope that Sebastian was coming and he had a foolproof plan to stop Hermes for good. Even if it meant killing him. I don’t mind.
“That was…satisfying,” I heard him breathe out in satisfaction, walking away from the bed. “It’s good you know I’m still the boss around here and haven’t lost my touch. That way you won’t mess around. Look at me, princess,” he said, but I didn’t want to. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut and shook my head several times as if to get rid of a bad thought. “I said, look at me!” He thundered and I flinched, the impact making my heart skip.
Reluctantly, I did as he said, quietly sniffling in sobs.
“Good girl,” he grinned childishly. “I’m delighted to have you back. I think I will be throwing a little welcome party for you. You know, just the two of us like old times. I will get you a pretty little dress, have the maids come prep up for me before we could get into business.”
I was oblivious to his words. Of everything, too tired and helpless to pay attention until he extended a hand and poked my swollen belly.
“We will have to get rid of this quickly,” he said as he kept his hand flat on my belly and rubbed it comfortingly.