Page 35 of The Viper

She lifts her shaking head and sucks in a breath. “You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it to me.”

“This life.” Eliza closes her mouth and wipes at the tears rolling down her cheeks. “It’s not for women. They hate us.” She looks around the room and whispers, “Get out while you can.”

I rush over to my sister and kneel in front of her. I take her hands in mine, and stare into her soulless eyes. She seems dead inside, but I know she’s still in there. “Come with me. We can leave, and get a shitty little apartment somewhere on the other side of the country. We can both get a job, and at night we can walk along the beach and talk and be sisters again. We can leave right now.”

Eliza’s chin trembles and her lips turn down. “He’ll find me,” she whispers. “He’ll find you.”

“Then we’ll run again. And again, and again until he gives up looking for you.”

Eliza’s mouth quirks into a humorless smile. “He’ll never give up.” Her eyes redden, but she sucks back the tears and straightens. “But you can get out before you’re in too deep.”

“We can go to the police.” Eliza throws her head back and laughs. “What? We can. We’ll get protection.”

“Half of the police are on their payroll. Do you really think they can help us?” She pulls her hands away from mine and wipes at her eyes. “Doesn’t matter.” Feigning happiness, she plasters a fake smile on her face.

I don’t see a married woman who’s blissfully happy, I see my sister. Broken. Her bruises are a mere symptom of what’s happening inside.

My own anger escalates as I watch her settle for a life no person should ever have to experience. There’s a pounding in my ears as I try to hold onto my own anger. But I can’t allow this to happen. I jump to my feet and tear open my bedroom door. With furious haste I head down the stairs and stand for a second to listen for where he is.

His booming laugh is like nails down a chalkboard. I follow the sound of him to find he’s in the kitchen hitting on one of the servers. “You fucking pig!” I fly at him, ready to smack the smug look off his face.

“Hey, hey, hey.” He overpowers me and manages to wrap me in his arms. His front to my back. “What’s going on, princess?”

“Let me go, you fucking pig,” I shout.

I search the room, hoping for help from any of the servers, but they’ve all cleared out. “You know,” he whispers in my ear. “I like them wild so I can break them in.” He licks my face and tightens his arms around my body. I stomp on his foot, and the fucker laughs. “That’s the best you’ve got?”

“You beat my sister. Let me go, and I’ll show you exactly what I’ve got.”

He kisses my ear, and I nearly vomit. “If you don’t behave yourself, you’ll never see her again,” he threatens.

“Rosa!” Dominic’s roar startles me. “What are you doing?”

“She’s a spitfire,” Adrian says and releases me with a smirk.

I turn and slap him across the face. “You’re a pig.”

“Hey!” Dominic leaps forward and drags me away from Adrian. “What the hell is going on?”

“He beats my sister, that’s what’s going on.” I fight out of Dominic’s grip, but in truth he’s barely holding me. He positions himself between Adrian and me, holding his arm out so I can’t go his brother.

Adrian cocks a brow and with a deadly leer he says, “I think it’s best if Eliza and I leave.”

“No!” I shout and lunge forward again.

“Rosa,” Dominic warns with a hard stare. He turns to look at his brother who’s adjusting his suit jacket. Adrian’s dark hair flops over his forehead, and he slicks it back, exposing his devil eyes. “Perhaps a drink in my office,” Dominic offers Adrian.

“Ugh,” I scoff as I leave and head back to the room.

Once back upstairs, I find Eliza pacing back and forth. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?” she asks as she wraps her arms around me.

“I fucking hate him.” I pull back and link our fingers together. “Why did you marry him, Eliza? It’s clear you don’t love him, and he doesn’t love you either, or he wouldn’t hurt you.”

Eliza’s shoulders tighten for only a split second before she relaxes. She releases my hands and steps over toward the window. “I love Adrian. He’s my husband,” she says in a rehearsed and emotionless voice.

“If you could just tell me why, then I could figure out a way to get you out.”

---