Page 37 of Hidden

I knew there was no point in joining her. Breaking now would only make it more fun for Nico. If he came to me and saw me with a puffy face and red eyes, he would see it as a challenge to hurt me worse. He would know that the rally had affected me.

As I hugged my mother back, I couldn’t help but think of how different things would be. As I stroked my fingers up and down her spine, murmuring words of comfort, I wanted to lash out. I wanted to blame her. She had allowed this to happen. She knew what Nico was capable of, and she hadn’t protected me when Dad died. When Damien was murdered by that fucking bitch Rachel.

But she hadn’t. She had kept me here, and allowed all these things to happen. I wanted her to hurt for that. I wanted her to feel regret. To know it was her fault.

And then I’d look at her—her sunken cheeks, the bruises that were never given enough time to fade before new ones joined them. The cracked teeth, split lips and black eyes, and I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t blame her when she was just as much of a victim as I was.

“It’s okay, Mum,” I soothed. “Nico doesn’t hurt me. Not really. I’ll take my punishment, and then I’ll come back to you. We can do each other’s makeup and talk, just like old times. Wecan stay up all night doing each other’s hair and laughing about everything and anything. How does that sound?”

“Perfect, darling,” she replied with a sob.

Because we both knew I wouldn’t be returning to this room tonight.

We both knew that when Nico was done with me, I wouldn’t be capable of going anywhere for a while. And when he was done, he would be straight back to this room himself, unleashing onto my mother all the violence he hadn’t given me.

Because Nico had other ways of punishing me, and it wasn’t by being on the receiving end of his fists.

Chapter 14

Gabriella

Now

His breath whispered across my cheek.

“You were a bad girl, baby,” he told me, his grip in my hair sending lightning bolts of pain through my scalp and down my neck.

“I’m sorry, Nico,” I replied, my voice barely audible.

He chuckled, scraping his knife down my bare stomach, not quite breaking the skin, but enough to have my stomach hollowing and for me to suck my breath in between my teeth.

Stop showing him your fear, Gabby. It only makes it worse.

“I’ve heard sorry before,” he told me, circling around my body, running the knife down my spine. “Why do you continue to displease me?” he hissed down my ear, yanking my head back for a split second before shoving it back forward.

“Nico, I—”

My words were cut off with a gasp as the knife penetrated my skin, my back arching as it sliced down my spine.

“Fuck,” he groaned, pressing his erection into my ass. “I love seeing this pretty body painted red.”

And this is why I would always be punished. The truth no one spoke aloud. Because my punishments were his reward. And he would never deny himself what he thought he was due.

The knife continued down my body, scraping over the globes of my ass, and I felt the small beads of blood trickle down the back of my thighs, followed by Nico’s wet tongue as he got to his knees and chased his favourite liquid.

His loud groan filled the room, and he rested his head against my ass for a moment, his breath shuddering against my skin. I could picture him, eyes closed, his cock hard, savouring the taste of me.

As he got back to his feet, he ran his hands along the insides of my thighs, and I spread my legs automatically, allowing him to cup my pussy.

A pathetic whimper left my lips as I felt him at my neck again, sucking on the pulse he found there.

“Sometimes I think you’re as fucked up as I am, my sweet. Sometimes I think you like being punished. Is that right, Gabby? Do you like it when I punish you?” he asked, running his hands along the front of my body, cupping my breasts, holding his knife between his thumb and index finger, resting perfectly against my chest.

“Yes, Nico,” I whispered, though it couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

It didn’t matter what he said. It wasn’t the truth he was looking for, it was simply my agreement.

“Liar,” he chuckled, making my breath stutter in my throat, my heart stop, and my body freeze.