CELIA

My week without Hunter was strangely lonely, despite the fact that Spencer and my mom returned from their European cruise and we visited the hospital together. My mom wanted me to spend more time with her now that she was back, but I begged off, claiming that I was too busy with law school and wouldn’t be able to see her very much, given that I wanted to spend time each day with Graham.

"Come and have dinner with us," my mom pleaded one afternoon when we'd all been at the hospital visiting Graham. "It's been so long since we spent time as a family…"

I shook my head, feeling Spencer's gaze on me. "Can't do it. I have so much material to read before tomorrow. Some other time."

"You're okay?" Spencer asked me, frowning. "You have everything you need?"

I forced a smile. "I'm doing really well, thanks," I said, hoping like hell that he didn't check in at my dorm to find that I'd moved out.

Every day, I went to class and was a good little law student. Now that Hunter wasn't visiting and there were apparently no prospects for him doing so, I was able to keep up with my reading and asked pertinent questions in seminar.

Every evening, after I visited with Graham, I ate my meals alone while George sat in his little cubbyhole of an office, eating his. He didn't seem to want any company and although I was lonely, I didn't want to invite him, not really knowing what to say.

Finally, about eight days after I’d first arrived, Hunter returned to the safe house without any notice. Late one morning, after I'd returned from early class, he entered the floor and spoke quietly to George, who glanced over at me and then nodded. They talked for a moment and then George gathered up his backpack and left the apartment. Then, Hunter came right over to me, his eyes intense. The look on his face sent a shiver down my spine.

"We have to talk." He pulled me over to the seating area.

"We do." I resisted, standing my ground. "You've been spying on me."

He turned to face me, his expression guarded, as if he expected me to say something about it and was prepared.

"Only for your own good," Hunter said. "Only because you're in Victor Romanov's sights due to Graham and the fact that I paid off his debt. You don't know these people, Celia. I do."

"So you don't deny you were spying on me? A camera in my bedroom? Hunter, that's low even for you."

"Even for me," he said and shook his head, his hands on his hips. He looked up at me. "I did it to protect you"

"How does that protect me?"

"In case someone broke in, or forced you into the apartment. It wasn't me watching. It was George. He just monitored the video feed to make sure you were okay. It's moot now, anyway," Hunter said, his voice impatient. "I thought you understood that you're in danger. I'm trying to protect you. The cameras were a way to protect you."

I said nothing, because I knew he was right. It still irked me.

"Listen, I know you're upset, but there are more important things to discuss," he said and took my arm softly, pulling me into the seating area. "Have a seat."

I sat dutifully and waited while he paced in front of the sofa.

Finally, he sat on the coffee table in front of me, resting his elbows on his knees, his eyes on me, his expression serious.

"What is it?" I asked finally, wondering why he seemed so agitated.

"Did Spencer ever abuse you? Sexually, I mean?"

I frowned, totally shocked by his question.

Had Spencer sexually abused me? I took in a deep breath and wondered why Hunter was asking me that question, of all the questions he could ask.

"Why do you want to know?" I replied, my mind going back to my past with Spencer and all the nastiness.

"You didn't answer. Did he ever sexually abuse you? I know it's a hard thing to talk about, but I need to know."

"Why do you need to know? What do you mean, sexual abuse?" I asked, stalling for time. "He abused me by any definition of the word. He beat me, he slapped me. As punishment, he made me stand naked in cold showers and used to scrub my skin with a really rough sponge. Sometimes, he scrubbed so hard that my skin bruised." I thought back to those times when he punished me for some transgression. "He found me and a couple of neighborhood kids getting undressed together, you now, playing doctor. He told me I was a sinner and he had to cleanse me of my sins. But he never actually touched me in a sexual way, if that's what you mean."

Hunter took in a deep breath. "The fact that he even had you naked in the shower is sexual abuse," Hunter said. "Even if he didn't touch you."

"He touched me," I said. "He held onto me and when I fought, he grabbed me until I stopped fighting and stood still so he could scrub me down."

I sighed, the memory of those times making me choke up.

"I'm sorry I had to ask you that. It's bad enough that he beat you and abused you emotionally."

I shrugged, lifting one shoulder. "I had never thought of those punishments as sexual in nature. They always seemed to be about humiliating me, and making me hurt. Punishing me for doing anything that might be sexual in nature."

"They were sexual," Hunter said. "Even if he didn't touch you in any place that’s usually defined as sexual."

"Why are we talking about this?" I asked, frustrated and embarrassed. "Unless you tell me why, I'm not saying anything else."

"Let's just say I heard some things. I was told some things. I'm doing a bit of sleuthing to find out more. That's really all I can say without getting in trouble."

I thought back to Spencer and his punishments. "He hated me right from the start," I said, my voice breaking. "He never hid it."

"Did you talk to your mom about him? Did she know the things he did?"

I frowned. "My mom was too drugged out to see. She was always in the bedroom sleeping, or on the couch snoozing. She was happy to have Spencer there to discipline us because she couldn't do anything. When I complained, she just told us to be obedient if we wanted Spencer to treat us nicely."

"Did he ever do anything else you can think of that might be sexual? Did he ever expose himself to you? Did he ever show you pornography?"

I frowned. "No," I said. "Nothing like that. He was so uptight about sex, I thought he was a real prude about it. When my friends came over for sleepovers, he was pretty standoffish. I don't think I ever saw him naked. He barely even wore a bathing suit when we were on vacation—not that we went very often anyway, because of my mother."

He nodded. "She's been pretty sick all this time," he said softly.

"She sleeps most of the time unless she's watching television or reading. There's nothing the doctors can do for her pain. She has a pain pump and is pretty much an invalid."

Hunter sighed and leaned back, running his hand through his hair.

"Why are you asking all this?"

He shrugged and glanced away. "I wondered if he was abusive sexually as well as physically and emotionally abusive. Creeps like him often are." He stared at his knuckles, which were now healing up from the beating he administered to Stepan. "Guys like Spencer take advantage of their power over children. It's an easy step into taking advantage sexually so I was concerned." He glanced up like he was trying to see if I believed him.

"You know something," I said, getting this sense from him that he was fishing because he had something on Spencer. "Tell me."

Hunter shook his head. "I can't, but he's a piece of work."

"I already know that," I said ruefully. "Graham and I know that all too well, but you must know something if you're asking me questions about him."

"If I do, I can't say what. I'm really sorry about all of it," Hunter said, his voice soft, his eyes soft as well. "You and Graham… you both suffered so much all those years. It must have been hell."

I lifted a shoulder. It was hell, but it was normal for us when Spencer took over.

"I rebelled, and Graham tried to be the good older brother and protect me, but it only got him in more trouble. Spencer doesn't like his authority to be questioned."

"I guess that's why he wants to be the authority. What a fucking bastard."

"That he is." I sighed. "So, why is it that the first thing you ask when you come back after being away for a week is a question about Spencer?"

"I just know things," Hunter said. "I'll tell you when I can. It's about his past, before he met your mother. When he lived in Alexandria. That’s really all I can say."

"All right," I said and leaned back, watching him. He seemed preoccupied.

Then, he stood up and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. "Well, that's really all I wanted to ask you other than how Graham's doing."

I took in a breath and exhaled. "Pretty well, all things considered. He's going to be in rehab for a few weeks. Then physiotherapy for a while. He's really thankful that you paid off his debts, and wants you to know he'll try to pay you back when he's back on his feet."

Hunter nodded. "Tell him not to worry about it. If and when he can pay me back, that's fine. Tell him to get better. That’s all I care about."

I looked at him closely, trying to see if he really meant it or was just going through the motions. "That's nice of you, Hunter. I know he's really relieved that he didn’t have to go to Spencer. Not that Spencer could have paid off the debt, but you know what I mean."

Hunter nodded. He glanced around and sighed. "I better go. George will be with you tonight. If you need anything, he can help you."

"Thanks," I said, but of course, I didn’t really feel all that happy having to be a prisoner of the safe house.

Hunter turned and left the apartment, closing the door behind him. I felt strange after he left, knowing there was something going on that Hunter couldn’t tell me.

It was about Spencer's past in Alexandria. That was all I knew.

Later that afternoon, I asked George if he could take me to see my mother. I was concerned about her, and wanted to see her and make sure she was all right. I didn't relish the thought of seeing Spencer, especially after the strange discussion Hunter and I’d had earlier, but I had this vague sense of doom hovering over me.

James drove me to my mom's house in Cambridge and I went inside, using my key to enter. When I got there, the house was quiet. I usually called before I came over but that afternoon I hadn't, hoping that Spencer would still be at work. When I walked into the cool dark interior, I was surprised at how quiet it was. The drapes were drawn and the lights were all off. I walked through the house, checking the living room first to see if she was on the sofa, but she wasn't so I went to her bedroom.

Inside, she was lying on her side under the covers, her back to the door.

"Mom?" I said softly, not wanting to wake her if she was deeply asleep.

When she didn't answer, I went to the side of her bed and saw that her bottle of pills was open, next to a glass of water. The pills had spilled out onto the night table.

Alarmed, I sat on the side of the bed and shook her, worried now that she may have taken too much. She didn’t respond.

"Mom? Wake up," I said. She opened her eyes, blinking and my heart rate slowed a bit. She wasn't too drugged up if she was able to blink.

"Sweetie," she said and tried to roll over, but she made a face and I had to help her. "I didn't know you were coming over. How nice to see you."

"You spilled your pills," I said and picked up the few stray ones that were on the floor. "The bottle must have fallen over."

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," she said. "I'm so clumsy." She kept her eyes closed and lay on her back, a slight smile on her face. "I'm glad you're here. I missed you and Graham when I was away."

"We missed you, Mom," I said and leaned over and kissed her. Then, I adjusted the blankets and glanced around. "Did you have lunch?"

She didn’t open her eyes. "Lunch?" she said, dreamily. "What time is it?"

"It's four," I said, frowning. "Didn't you have lunch yet?"

"I don't remember," she replied. "I remember eating breakfast this morning. Is it really four o'clock? I needed some more pain pills and must have fallen asleep. Is Spencer here?"

"I didn't see his car in the drive, but I didn't check the garage. I'll go see."

I left my mom on the bed and went down the hall to the stairs, taking them to Spencer's basement room where he had his office. I knocked on the door and pushed it open, only to find Spencer hunched over a laptop, earphones in. When he saw me at the door, I could tell he was shocked and quickly closed the laptop.

"Celia," he said, pulling the earbuds out. "What are you doing here? Why didn't you call first before you came over?"

"Have you given my mom anything for lunch?"

He made a face, his back straightening. "She wasn’t hungry," he replied and I could see the anger start. It started in his body, and then made its way to his face, his mouth turned down, his lips thin. "I know how to look after your mother."

"Her pills were spilled onto the floor," I said, unable to keep the disgust from my voice. "She hasn't eaten since breakfast. Don't you know she has to eat when she takes those pills? You've been told enough times that she needs to keep her calories up."

"Don't you talk to me like that," he said and came over to where I stood by the door. "This is my office. You shouldn't just come in without my permission. I have classified material here." He covered up some files on his desk.

"Are you hiding something?" I said saucily, unable to hold myself back. "Surfing kiddie porn sites?"

He slapped me, his move so fast I barely saw it coming.

"You little bitch," he growled and then his hands went around my neck. I grabbed his hands, fighting with him, my anger now so great that I was not going to let him hurt me again. I kicked his shins and tried to elbow him but he was bigger and stronger.

"Stop," I managed, despite how tightly he held my throat. "You're choking me."

He said nothing, his face a mask of hatred.

"Stop!" I screamed, and kept kicking him, my heart racing from adrenaline.

"Spencer!" my mother said, and it was only her voice that stopped him from choking me to death. "What are you doing?"

He let go of me immediately and I pulled away, my hands on my throat, coughing to get air.

My mother leaned against the wall, and I knew it must have taken almost all her strength to come down the stairs. While I tried to recover, Spencer muscled past me and took her into his arms, one arm under hers for support.

"Why were you two fighting? " she asked and started to slide down the wall. "Why can't the two of you get along?"

I frowned. Did she not realize that Spencer was choking me?

"Now look what you've done," Spencer growled at me. "You've upset your mother. Come, dear," he said to her, his voice all soft. "Let me help you back into bed. You must be hungry."

"Why were you two fighting?" she asked again as he led her back up the stairs.

"We weren't fighting, dear," Spencer said. "I was showing her some self-defense moves they teach all the new female recruits with the police department."

"Liar!" I said and went to her side. "Mom, let me take you to Aunt Diane's place, You should stay with her."

"Why would she want to do that?" Spencer said, frowning at me. "She's my wife. She stays with me."

"I'll just stay here," my mother said when Spencer got her to her bed, her voice so tired she sounded as if she was going to fall asleep while she was still speaking. She rolled onto her side and that was it.

"You're a monster," I said to Spencer when he left the bedroom. I followed him into the hallway. "I could charge you with assault.”

"Go ahead and try," he replied. "I've told the police about you. How you steal from your mother. How you take her money and never visit. Who do you think they're going to believe, you or me?"

"You bastard," I said, barely able to speak. I stormed out of the house, tears in my eyes, determined to talk to someone about my mother's safety.

I couldn't go to Graham. He was still learning how to walk again and use his left hand to do things, because his right arm was in a cast. He couldn’t talk well because his jaw was wired.

Would the cops really not believe me?

When I got to the car, James was waiting by the door.

"Are you all right?" he asked when he saw my tears.

"Let's go," I said.

He closed the door behind me and got inside, driving off. "Back to the warehouse?"

I nodded, not able to speak.

My life had fallen into pure shit.

When we arrived back at the safe house, I practically ran into the building, taking the freight elevator up, hoping that Hunter wasn't there so I didn't have to talk to him. When I got to the top floor, I entered the hallway and then tried the door. It opened and George was standing there, waiting for me.

"You all right, Celia?" he asked, his expression full of concern. He must have seen my face on the security cameras and knew I'd been crying.

"Oh, I'm fine, George, really," I said, wiping my eyes and cheeks. "Just my bastard of a stepfather is all. Nothing I haven't dealt with a hundred times before." I forced a smile and tried to walk past him, but he stopped me.

"Your neck," he said and pointed.

I felt my neck, which was sore and realized I must have a bruise there from Spencer's hands. "It's nothing," I said, not wanting a fuss to be made. "I'm going to have a bath."

"You sure?" George said. "Is big bruise. Did your stepfather do to you?"

I nodded. "We had a fight," I said, and went to the washroom, waving George off. "Like a thousand others. I'm fine."

I turned back to see George before I closed the door. He was frowning. "Really, George," I said, smiling once more even though I felt like crying. "I'm fine. Don't tell Hunter, whatever you do."

He shook his head like he thought I was being foolish, but I didn’t need any fuss made. I would call my Aunt Diane and tell her I wanted my mom to have a day nurse or something to watch over her. She was too doped up. I was afraid she'd overdose. But first, I wanted to soak in the bath and recover from my run-in with Spencer.

The monster.