The Enforcer | Re-Written Version (18+) BOOK 3

T W O

[TRIGGER WARNING: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SELF HARM.]

SERAPHINA watched the beast of a man walk away, her attention completely absorbed by the few words he'd spoken to her and the darkening of his forest eyes as Piero had made his way to her. A shudder ran down her spine, she wasn't prepared for the visceral reaction her body had, convincing herself it was curiosity. "Yes baby?" She smiled down at the bundle in her arms, "good day?"

"We saw the moon, ma! It was so big and I think we could fly there if we built a big plane, just you and me." Piero exclaimed, holding his arms out wide as he spoke in a animated tone.

Her chest ached, "mhm, will you make one?"

Nodding wildly Piero grinned and ran back through the house and into one of the spare bedrooms where he normally occupied himself until her shift ended. Standing from her bent position, she wiped her wet hands on the tea towel beside the sink and followed her boy. The sun had long since hit the horizon bringing brunt hues to the sky. Sera felt the nerves build in her stomach, it was the worst time of the day, signalling their return home. He'd be waiting, bottle in one hand accompanied with violence as a chaser in the other.

Grabbing her belongings, she picked up Piero's worn backpack and nudged the little guy out through the back of the house. His steps almost seemed more hesitant than hers, the boy having a keen sense for the real monster that resided in their living room rather than under his bed. "Ma, can we sleep under the stars tonight?" He whispered as she tucked him into his seat.

She stroked his cheek, "not tonight my sweet boy." Then she kissed his forehead and closed the door with a small thud.

Drawing in a breath she turned, only to feel her lungs constrict painfully. Dark eyes, lethally strained limbs and a cruel curve of lips watched her every more. He stood in the shadows of the veranda, making no move to hide the fact that he was watching her. Something told her she'd tempted the devil and there was no running from his ruin.

She remained cautious of the man, a part of her feared those sharp teeth and another craved to dance in the rage that simmered off him. The hypocrisy was not lost on her, she dreaded walking through the door of her own bloody nightmare, yet she'd fall to her knees on shredded glass just to hear another word from her watchers lips. Seraphina keyed the engine, blinding her view with headlights, needing the reprieve, she reversed out and finally felt the breath she'd been keeping hostage, escape.

The road seemed eerily quiet that night, and as she parked in front of their small one story wooden house, only the flickering reality tv creeped through a part in the drawn curtains. "Be quiet tonight, baby. Daddy is sleeping," she whispered, her own tone barely above a breath even as they sat in the tinkering idle car.

Piero nodded. "Yes, ma."

She slipped the metal into the lock and turned, pushing into the house just as silently. Having practiced the same ritual until it was burned into the backs of her eyelids. Sera slipped their shoes off and placed them gently on the wearing wooden floorboards. She then lifted Piero into her arms and walked through the house, he buried his head in the crook of her neck and inhaled. The boy was far to wise for his own good, she thought. Knowing those eyes hid from their reality, grasping onto what little innocence was left in his sheltered view. Their movements were small, mindful, cautious. Piero brushed his teeth as she helped him into his pyjamas.

Piero then led the way to their room and slipped under the drawn bedsheets. "Stay?" He pleaded, his eyes begging her to not go out to the monster.

As always she stroked his cheek and kissed his forehead, "dormi, bambino mio." (sleep my small boy.) Reluctantly she released her hold on his soft paling skin and walked away, closing the door.