HADES (t.h.)

Chapter 3

Tom had driven all the way back into London to Y/N's house with the intention to kill her, simply because he believed she was a loose end that needed to be taken care of. But as she sat beside him in the backseat of the black Range Rover, he couldn't imagine laying a finger on her. Her cold exterior had melted off like sugar in rain, she sat quietly as her hands shook in her lap, fingernails slicing into palms. Bruises in the shape of fingers on her wrists, becoming more prominent as each minute passed, bracelets of abuse. Her eyes were still glazed over, and around them was turning black and blue. Tom noticed her shoving her hands under thighs, desperate to keep them from shaking. She was suffering but refused to look weak. Tom admired her for that, but had had enough waiting,

"Who was he?" He asked forcefully, not even turning his head to look at her. She remained silent while staring at her palms. He continued, his tone growing more harsh, "what's his name?"

"Ivan," saying his name made the shake in her hands corrupt her shoulders.

"You're going to have to give me more than that, darling." he smirked, but Y/N could tell he was growing impatient.

"I don't have to do anything," Y/N snapped back, her hands sliding out from under her thighs and into shaky fists in her lap.

"That's where you're mistaken," he had turned and leaned over to her, snatching her wrist in a violent grasp as anger coursed through veins, "now, who is he?"

Her mind wanted her to stay strong and remain confident, but her body betrayed her the minute his fingers pressed against her freshly bruised skin. Instinctively, her hands pulled out of his grasp and she pushed herself further away from him and pushed her shoulder into the car door. Realizing what he had done, Tom sank back into his seat with his jaw clenched and didn't say another word.

Y/N wanted to tell him, she wanted to finally blurt it all out to someone. Explain what had happened periodically throughout the two decades she spent in that godforsaken house. She wanted to tell him about every girl that walked in and that was dragged out, to give him their names and their eye colour and the colour of their nails. But she held back, it was too much to say. Too much to process and too much to explain.

Why didn't you call the police?

The threats that he made her believe.

Did he ever assault you?

Physically, sexually and emotionally.

At first, a young Y/N wasn't aware that this wasn't a regular thing that happened in everyone's home. But after talking to a friend from school in sixth grade, and a half-hearted attempt at an investigation, she learned to shut her mouth. He showed her what happened when she talked about home.

He hadn't hit her or forced himself on her like that in years. And it brought back painful memories from a childhood full of trauma.

Tom watched thoughts flow through her head as she blankly stared down at her hands, they still trembled. Even from across the car it was obvious her bottom lip was between her teeth, but this time it wasn't seductive, she bit down so hard her skin had turned white and blood began to pool around her teeth.

Tom tried to read her life through her actions, like he did with any other person, but just found himself in the same situation the first time he met her. Only this time her eyes carried tears and her hands were no longer strong and unwavering, a mysterious pain.

+++

When they arrived back at the Holland Estate, Harrison led her up the grand staircase to a bedroom. Meanwhile, Tom drove away from the house with Ivan still tied up in the trunk, no one fucked with anyone associated with the Hollands and got away with it. That had just applied to members of the family yesterday, but Tom decided to extend the branch out to close associates.