"Please, I don't know anything." I sobbed and he grabbed the metal stick from the burning flame. "Oh really?" He asked his voice sly and harsh. I nodded as the tears flowed down my cheeks and he balled my hair up in his fist. "I don't exactly believe you, my dear. And now you'll be punished." He exclaimed and pressed the metal against the skin behind my ear. I screamed in pain and he pulled me towards him. "Now you'll forever know, you belong to me."

"Emma!" Nikolai yelled as he shook my shoulders. I blinked and stared at him.

My cheeks felt wet and my eyes stung. I knew I had been crying. I was used to this feeling.

He pulled me into his chest and held me tightly. "You were crying and begging." He whispered.

I wiped away my tears and curled up next to him as he held me closely. "I had a nightmare. That's all." "It was about them wasn't it?" He asked and I nodded. "I'll make them pay." He vowed and pulled me closer.

NIKOLAI'S POV

I lay in bed next to Emma working on my laptop. It was really late and I was tired. I yawned and powered the laptop down.

I had to leave tomorrow, again. I put the laptop on the ground when I heard whimpering.

Emma began tossing and turning, sweaty and tears flowed down her cheeks.

"No...please....please....please." She sobbed and began scratching at the mark behind her ear.

"No, Emma stop." I demanded and pulled her small hand away. She was frozen.

I began shaking her shoulders and calling her name. "Emma!" I yelled. Her eyes began to flutter open then she stared at me, her eyes and cheeks wet.

She looked scared and sad. I pulled her into my chest, close to me and held her tightly.

"You were crying and begging." I whispered. Her hand reached up and wiped away her tears. She curled up closer to me and I held her tighter.

"I had a nightmare. Thats all." She replied, her voice hoarse. "It was about them wasn't it?" I asked trying to remain calm.

I could feel her nodding against my chest and I felt the rage boiling inside of me. They did this to her.

"I'll make them pay." I vowed, darkly. I was going to make them pay for everything. I pulled her closer to me and slowly she fell back asleep.

EMMA'S POV

I woke up in his arms and he kissed my forehead. "I have to leave soon Emma." He whispered and I frowned. "Why?" I asked. "Business." He replied. Of course. Damn it.

"Ok." I whispered and he hugged me tightly. "I'll be back before you wake up tomorrow." He said and I sighed.

I sat up and softly kissed him on the lips. "How bout' some sugar before I leave?" He asked smirking.

"No, you've had enough sugar. You're teeth will rot." I replied and he kissed me back. "I haven't even used my teeth yet." He whispered and I blushed.

"I'm leaving in thirty minutes, we can have a quickie." He muttered and I shook my head. "You can have some when you get home." I replied.

He fake frowned and I shrugged. I sighed and he looked at me. "I want to talk about, something." I muttered, tracing my finger over his chest he nodded.

"Ok. I just feel now is the time to tell you, since you told me about Eva." I muttered and he nodded, staring at me. I sighed and cleared my throat, trying to think of how to tell him.

"Um. When I was fifteen, and you hadn't visited for a long time, I was out in the city with a maid and two of my fathers men.

All three of them were shot and killed in front of me by the Swedish Mafia. They took me and I was brought to a new place each week.

But, I was constantly tortured, whipped, burned, beat. Many, terrible things that I can still remember to this day.

Every scent, every feeling, every single little detail, I can remember it.

Thankfully, I was only there for two months when my father found me, but the Swedish Mafia leader escaped.

Before he had escaped though, he told me he would find me again and that I belonged to him.

I lived in fear for an entire year, about five months into that year, I grew back into my normal routines and habits.

By my seventeenth birthday, I was fine. I was back to my normal self and I didn't live in fear or nothing." I told him, gripping Nikolai's hands tightly and staring at his chest.

Nikokai pulled me into him and I hugged him tightly. I closed my eyes and he sighed.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you." He whispered and I shook my head. "It's not your fault." I replied and he pecked my forehead.

"Thats all I wanted to tell you." I whispered and he sighed. "Thank you for telling me." He muttered and I gave him a small smile.

"I'm going to go have a shower, ok?" I whispered after awhile of silence and he nodded. I rolled off of him and left to have a shower.

When I got out he was talking on the phone. He sounded angry. "Shut the fuck up. Get it done or you'll regret it, understand me?" He hissed then tossed his phone onto the bed.

"You ok?" I asked. He shook his head then zipped up his bag. He brushed past me and I grabbed his shoulder. "What?" He hissed and I removed my hand from him.

He sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, babe. What do you need? I gotta go." He muttered grabbing my hand.

"No goodbye?" I asked. His jaw clenched while he stared at me and he released my hand. "I have to go." He muttered and began to leave.

"Nikolai wait-" I replied following him out of the room. "Nikolai! What is wrong with you?" I called after him as he walked outside towards a car.

"Nikolai! Nikolai! Talk to me whats wrong?" I shouted as he got into the car. He shut the door on me and I stared at him through the tinted glass.

The car sped away leaving me in dust and I coughed then ran back into the mansion. I found Adrien and asked her what the hell was wrong with Nikolai.

"He didn't tell you?" I shook my head. "Today was Eva's birthday. The day she was taken. He had to leave for business, and he was pissed, and the last words she said to him was, 'no goodbye?' And a year later, we found her body outside the gates." She muttered and my eyes widened.

I covered my mouth and stared at her. "I said that to him." I whispered. Her eyes widened but she sighed and shook her head.

"It'll be ok. He'll get over it. You didn't know." She tried to reassure me but I didn't feel better. I left to the bedroom to try sleep, but I couldn't.

•*•*•*•*•

I attempted to reach him again but he wouldn't answer. All day. I threw my phone and dropped on my side. I slowly cried myself to sleep.

"I swear. Please. I don't know anything." I whispered as the tears flowed freely down my cheeks. It burned, my wrists stung, same with my ankles. He pulled my hair back so I was staring at him. "I'm positive you do. Five lashes." I begged and begged as they chained me to the wall. As they stripped me of my ragged clothing. As it slashed at my back. I sobbed until darkness overwhelmed me.

"Emma! Get up! Please!" Adrien called shaking me. I screamed and she grabbed my phone. "Ok, ok she's awake. Alright. Got it." She sat me up and handed me the phone.

"Emma?" Nikolai. I didn't answer. Just sobbed. "Listen it's ok. We're on our way home now. You're ok. You're safe." I kept crying and Adrien gave me a wet cloth. "I-I'm sorry." I whispered, trying to stop the flow of tears.

He stayed silent then told me it was ok. That I didn't know. I felt so relived. "Go back to sleep. I'll be home soon." He whispered and I sighed then gave Adrien the phone.

She made sure I was cozy before turning off the lights and leaving.

•*•*•*•

I felt the bed shift under his weight and he pulled me into him and held me tightly. I kept my eyes closed and moved closer to him. I slowly fell asleep.