Chapter Eight - Rosa
The tiny cuts stung her face as her tears rolled down over them. Even though Michael had only hit her a few times, her whole face and neck throbbed with pain. One of her eyes was swollen half-shut and a crack in her lower lip still oozed blood. There were more bruises on her arms.
Michael had assured her that he went easy on her because of her pregnancy. And she believed him.
He was always careful not to bruise her mother's face or arms–nothing that would make her wear long sleeves in hot weather, nothing that could be visible in her tank top and shorts. Rosa could remember lying in bed listening to her mother cry, glad that she had remembered to lock her door before going to bed so that he couldn’t get in. She remembered being angry with her mother, hating her for not just leaving and taking both herself and her daughter away from Michael.
Now she knew better. The deep fear that he had already instilled in her had her frozen. With every slap, he told her that it was her own fault for getting involved with Vampires until he had forced her to agree with him. If he had her under his thumb for years, like he had her mother, how long would it be until he had convinced her it was true?
Rosa wrapped her arms around her belly. Helena was kicking strongly. That, at least, was a relief. Even though Michael hadn't gone anywhere near her belly, she had been afraid that the trauma to her body would harm her daughter.
Angelus will find me, she tried to tell herself again, even though she knew that was next to impossible. The city was filled with places where a cop could keep her hidden, and Angelus didn't know it was her stepfather who was holding her prisoner.
The door to her lonely cell opened. Rosa sat up. Every muscle in her body ached and she chewed her inner cheek to stop herself from whimpering. She had been provided with a thin blanket and nothing else. The hard cell floor left her back in spasms, but she struggled to her feet and pressed herself to the wall as Michael stepped through the door. His blue eyes shone with a maniacal gleam, a triumphant grin over his face. He brought a lunch bag with him.
"I thought you might be hungry and thirsty." He held the bag out to her.
Rosa eyed the bag warily. Her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. Well, if he wanted to kill her, there would be easier ways than poison. And drugging her? He'd find a way, even if it meant shoving the drugs down her throat. There was no reason for her not to eat or drink. She accepted the lunch bag, opening it to find a sealed bottle of water and store-bought egg salad sandwich. Her jaw ached with the desire to eat. She tore into the sandwich, tucking the lunch bag and water bottle under her arm.
"Everything is going exactly as I planned," Michael said, watching her every movement. "And I'm glad that it's you, Rosa. I was always fond of you."
Her stomach churned and Rosa suddenly found it difficult to swallow. She backed away from her stepfather, eyes widening.
"Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. You've been defiled by a Vampire. Why would I taint myself with you?"
Rosa wanted to point out that there was nothing flattering about rape, but she kept quiet. It was the one thing she had never feared from her stepfather, but her circumstances had changed. She knew she couldn’t trust him, and he seemed to be alone with her here. There was nobody who had a shred of human decency around to stop him if he decided that was what he wanted.
"You asked me what I wanted from you," he continued, walking to the wall and leaning against it. A small smile was still on his face.
"Money," she said. "That's why you demanded a billion dollars for my safe return."
"Money? No. It will be nice to take a good chunk of his money, but that is certainly not what this is all about. I'm surprised that you haven't figured it out already." Michael chuckled softly. "I guess I'm not really that surprised. You were always a stupid girl."
Rosa bristled, though she forced herself to keep her mouth shut. That was exactly the sort of thing he used to break her mother. Calling her stupid. Insinuating that she wasn't good enough for anything except the treatment that she received.
It won't work on me.
Rosa slopped water down her front as she attempted to drink a mouthful of water to wet her dry throat. Was this a game he liked to play or did he have plans for her future that included having her hate herself so much that she would let him treat her this way?
"Vampires are very protective of their family, or so I was assured. Angelus even more so than others. Did you know that he slaughtered whole villages for killing people he cared about in the past? No? In any case, once he drops off that money and I send a video where it appears that you're dead and the child with you, he'll come after me. I'll be ready. The Angel King will die, and I will have his child."
Rosa forced herself to remain still as Michael drew near and rested his hand on her belly. She wanted to punch him in the face, but the door was closed. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to escape the beating that would surely follow if she dared to raise a hand against him.
"What do you want with my baby?"
"His baby. The Vampires have a strong monarchy. Those that are loyal to Angelus Rex will be loyal to his child, the new Vampire ruler. She will be my puppet to control. Once I have all of the Vampires under my thumb, I will destroy them."
Was he serious? Rosa's jaw dropped. How did he think something like that would work? "Vampires aren't cattle, they would never—"
A hand cracked across her face, making her cry out. The bottle of water fell to the floor, splashing every which way. Her bruises throbbed as she raised her arms, shielding her face.
"You have better watch it. I don't need you, Rosa. The only reason I am not going to kill you the moment this baby is born is because it would be good for my cause to have you condemn Angelus and Vampires in general when the time comes to exterminate them. You'll have to lose weight first, though. I need a pretty, delicate damsel in distress to really sell it. Nobody would care about you looking like that."
Angelus loved her curves. Rosa bit her lips shut, focusing on the throbbing of her cracked lip to stop herself from snapping back. She had to stay calm, to stay alive until Angelus could find her or she found a way out of here.
"What would your mother think of you if she could see you now?"
Anger flared. Rosa clenched her hands, forcing herself to stay still. He was goading her, looking for an excuse to hit her again. I am stronger than him, I won't let him provoke me.
Michael's mouth was twisted, sneering at her as he stepped ever closer, invading her personal space. "Nothing to say? You know she was such a devoted Catholic mother, always wanting you to be a good girl. What would she think, seeing you pregnant with a Vampire's baby? Do you think she would be proud of you? Or do you think she would turn you out herself for being such a—"
Rosa's hand flew, striking him across the face, hard. The slap rang through the room. Michael's eyes darkened and he grabbed her shoulders, pushing her against the wall. His eyes narrowed. A fist raised and Rosa threw her arms over her face. She braced herself for the blow—
An alarm started blaring. Michael let Rosa go, stepping back. His eyes widened. She slumped against the wall, panting as adrenaline coursed through her. Her stepfather grabbed his cellphone and flipped it open.
"What's going on?" he snapped.
Rosa didn't hear the reply, but Michael's face paled. Her heart lifted. Somebody was there. Somebody was coming for her. Angelus? Could he have found her? She glanced at the door: still shut. She strained to listen. Was that gunfire she was hearing?
Her heart plummeted. Her assumptions were wrong. Michael wasn't here alone. How many others were there? Was Angelus even going to make it to this cell?
Michael barked out some orders and turned off the phone. He was clearly agitated but pretended to be the opposite as he smiled at her. His eyes glittered dangerously. "Well. It seems that my plans have to be accelerated. Who knew that all it would take was to slap you around a little to bring the Vampire King to me? Don't look so worried, Rosa. I'll protect you from the big, bad Vampire. I'll make sure he never touches you again."
He advanced, his teeth bared in a snarl. Rosa pressed herself against the wall. I can't let him hurt Angelus. I can't let him.
But what could she do?