Page 35 of Bear
“This is your last chance, Mrs. Kirillova. Even if you were an excellent secretary, I have my limits. You know I am not a patient man.”
“Certainly not.” She straightened her shoulders. “You’re the worst person I have ever encountered by far, making your poor step-sister marry you. A sick and twisted pervert who only sees you as a family and not a man to warm her—”
His smack across her face echoed through the warehouse, but Mama didn’t scream. I’d never seen her cry, never letting out a sound of distress. Instead, she turned her head and licked the blood from her lip. “Is that the best you can do?” She said with a heavy Russian accent. “What will your wife think of you now when she sees blood on your crisp white shirt?” My mama cackled as she saw her blood stain on his sleeve.
He cursed and strode over to the table, ordering the men to get on with the worst part of my dream. They ripped off his clothes with a knife, and I braced myself for the worst to come. Mama’s chair was turned, but her head was held high. Papa looked at her and nodded—A look they both shared that I had come to understand as mutual love and respect.
They both knew they were going to die, and they both knew they loved each other without a doubt.
My eyes filled with tears, my hands holding my ears even though I knew Papa would not make a sound for at least the first few minutes. His hands gripped the table. He grunted at the surrounding men as they filleted his body and began pulling out his organs. Immediately Papa’s face grew pale, and I turned away, unable to watch.
It was then Mama broke. Her screams for mercy for Papa grew louder until his screams finally faded, and the tension in my body relaxed. I leaned my head back on one of the wooden warehouse boxes, letting the splinters poke into my skin.
In these dreams, I could feel everything: my heart constricting in my chest, the tears running down my cheeks, the cries I wanted to scream. And if I did anything to try to stop the madness happening to my family, I would then be thrown into the mix. More pain and suffering for my parents as they saw me getting tortured as well.
There was no winning in these dreams.
Master Cunningham turned on his heel. No more blood was added to his shirt since he was just a spectator. He took careful steps toward Mama, the clicking of his shoes timed with the drops of blood that still dropped to the floor from Papa’s lifeless body.
Mama gritted her teeth and glared up at the bastard.
“What will you do now? You’ve promised your wife and men you would not kill or harm a woman.” Her black eyeliner ran down her cheeks, her red lips smeared from the slap on her face. Her once-perfect hair was in a tangled mess.
“Ah, but you see.” He kneeled before her. “I have a better way to get rid of my lady problems.” He took her hair and rolled it between his fingertips.
One of his men brought him his phone. It was already ringing, and an ominous voice came on the other side.
“Shane Cunningham, what a pleasant surprise.” The voice was dark, evil, and I’d never forget it. “How may I help you today?”
“I have a problem that I can’t touch, and I was wondering if you could eradicate it for me with those eloquent words of yours.”
The chuckle on the other side made my skin crawl, and my eyes dart away.
“But of course, and you do have what I require?”
“I’ll have it sent right away.” Master Cunningham smirked. “In fact, my assistant is the one who urged me to send it to you.” He winked at Mama.
“Perfect, I suggest you all have your headphones on, and please untie her. I’m sure you would like to see the little show she produces for you.”
As always, I heard the evil smile behind the voice and wrapped my arms tighter around my body. Everyone in the room put their headphones on to block out the words that Duke Idris would say on the other line.
“Ex profundissimis animi tui somniis dimittam. terrores somniorum tuorum fruituri sunt. Praecipio tibi ut te ipsum perdas, et quia mens tua infirma et minuscula est, tenebrae te involvant et in profundum trahat te.”
As he spoke, my mother fell from the chair. She fought it valiantly, trying to cover her ears. But I watched as she clawed her ears and face. Black, dark shadows pulled her down to the floor until she heard every word. The shadows released her, evaporating into the air. Her chest rose and fell until her body levitated. Everyone stopped and watched in horror, except for Master Cunningham, who smirked as he watched.
Soon, Mama stood, her eyes red while she screamed, running around the room as if something was chasing her. Mad—she had gone mad, trying to claw at the cement walls, climbing plywood boxes and shelves. Her screams, her pleas for help were all for nothing until she found a cement wall. Her head leaned back, and she rapidly banged her head into the wall until blood fell from her face.
I put my head between my knees and waited until the thumping stopped and her body fell to the floor.
Chapter Fourteen
Bear
Forthenextweek,my mate ate and slept well, and I had become far too accustomed to laziness. I was always with her, not giving her a second to be alone, and for the first few days, I believe it bothered her. She couldn’t understand why I would not leave her, and even when she went to the bathroom, she would look suspicious when I waited outside the door.
Journey and Delilah had joked about it at dinner before, how it wasn’t normal, but when our female was not by our side, that was not normal.
If I had my way, I would carry her around all day, keep her by my side, but I have found she is a very independent little human. She tried to make her own food, get her own drinks, and wanted to shower frequently. At first, I thought it was to hide her scent, that she wanted to pleasure herself, but she says she never got the chance to bathe while she was in that confinement. She still felt dirty, as she says.
