Hammer & Anvil (Steel Rebels MC #2) [Ongoing]

TWELVE - Playing by the rules

Note: violence/abuse in this chapter.

Isabella

Isabella stared again out of the window in her room. Night was falling, as the sun had disappeared some time ago behind the tree line. She didn't know how long she had been standing there, after her mother had told her to go back to her room. Time wasn't relevant to her.

The metal heart that Roman had given her, she had put into her bra, because nobody would see it there. His instructions had been that she couldn't let anyone see the item. Nobody looked into her bra. It had seemed important to him and something told her that it was thus also important to her.

The door to Isabella's room opened. She could feel her mother's presence even before she announced herself.

"Eat your dinner and take your medicine."

Isabella turned around to see her mother place a tray with a small bowl of green salad, a glass of water and two pills on her desk. She nodded and walked forward to follow the request.

"You could at least say thank you. Don't expect me to bring you food all the time," her mother said and she sounded irritated.

Isabella looked at her. This wasn't a request, thus she waited for more.

Her mother sighed loudly.
"You are completely useless. I feel like I'm talking to a wall. Say thank you when someone does something for you," she demanded.

Isabella blinked. She understood the command but her mouth didn't open. She didn't know how to form sentences or to put them into speech. She tried but nothing happened.

"Say thank you," her mother asked more loudly.

Again the command registered but no words were formed on Isabella's lips.

Thank you, she thought, but stayed otherwise silent.

"Say it!" Her mother got louder and walked up to Isabella.

"SAY IT, you useless piece of trash!"

Slap!

Isabella's head flew to the side from the impact. The cheek where her mother had hit her stung but her expression didn't change. There was no surprise, no anger, no hurt. She slowly looked back at her mother, who had a wild, angry look on her face.

"This is all your fault, you ungrateful brat!"

Slap!

Isabella's head flew to the other side. Now her other cheek stung as well. Slowly she raised her head again.

"After all your father and I have done for you, you can't even say a little thank you. You should be happy that you're getting any food tonight. Tomorrow you won't get any."

Her mother grabbed the pills and the glass of water from the tray.

"Open your mouth!"

Something inside of Isabella rebelled against the command. It was a small voice that told her that she should keep her mouth closed.

"Open your mouth or I swear what happened last night will seem like a walk in the park."

Slowly Isabella opened her mouth and as soon as her lips had parted her mother pushed the pills in, so they hit the back of her throat. Then she pressed the glass to her lips and with the other squeezed Isabella's nostrils, cutting off the air supply.

"Swallow and don't even think about spitting them out."

Water was flowing into Isabella's mouth and over her chin, as her mother titled the glass. Isabella choked, as she was unable to breathe and water went into her windpipe. Coughing and spluttering she tried to move her head to the side.