Her mother’s sixth sense was always spot on. Elsa knelt in front of her and wiped the tears from her face, stricken with the unconditional love she was witnessing. She loved her mother so much. To see her hurting was killing her.
It wasn’t a coincidence, but she didn't have the courage to tell her mother that. “Victor is different now,” she avoided the statement altogether. “He’s trying to change.”
She ran an agitated hand through her mussed hair. “No one ever changes, they just reveal their true selves.”
The intensity of her mother’s stare pounded her until she had to look away. The words she had spoken were the very same ones Victor had said on the day he had beaten her. Maybe they were both right, but Elsa refused to believe it. People could change if they wanted to. If they worked at it. If they made a genuine effort.
Just as Elsa stood, she heard the door to her office open. The scent that filled the room made the blood drain from her face. When she turned to face Victor, she fought the nausea that climbed up her throat.
His eyes immediately fixed on her mother. “Elise,” he acknowledged her.
“Agent Laurenzo,” she heard her mother’s whispered voice over her shoulder. Though her words were softly spoken and disguised with politeness, contempt laced every syllable.
Tension enveloped the room as the two silently battled with their gazes. Victor’s lips parted several times as if he wanted to say something, but no words came.
Finally, Elsa spoke up. “My mother has been traveling all night. I’ll be staying with her at my place…” she promptly shut her mouth when she heard her mother’s horrified gasp behind her.
“Have you been staying with him?”
“She’s safer at my place,” Victor’s words were smooth, low and disarming as he defended her actions.
“I doubt that.” Elise moved around to the front of the desk in the blink of an eye and came within inches of Victor. “Let’s get this out in the open, shall we?” His body swayed as he stared at her a moment, his expression unreadable. “I don’t like you. I never have. In fact, I detest everything about you. You hurt my daughter just like I knew you would…”
Elsa hurried to them to try and stop her mother from provoking Victor. “Please, Mom. Please…”
“I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing with her, but it ends today.”
Elsa was shocked at her mother’s words and her jaw nearly hit the floor.
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told your son: that’s not your decision. It’s not mine either. It’s Elsa’s and Elsa’s alone,” his tone held an air of unequivocal authority.
Her eyes narrowed and their gazes locked. “Why can’t you just stay away from her? I’m sure there are plenty of women lining up for your kind of fucked up attention. Why can’t you…”
Elsa had never heard her mother speak so fiercely about anything. Not even her own father who had broken her mother’s heart by cheating on her.
The edge in Victor’s voice stopped Elise mid sentence. “Because I don’t want anyone else. Because…” his eyes darted quickly to Elsa as if afraid to admit what he was feeling. “I need her.”
Elise’s mouth drew back in a silent snarl. “What about what Elsa needs, you selfish son-of-a-bitch?”
The sudden tensing of his jaw showed the infuriation bubbling up in him. “I know you find it hard to believe, but I do know what she needs, so let it go, Elise. She’s with me. End of story.” The warning tone of his voice was deep and foreboding.
Her mother’s voice rose sharply and her face grew red with anger. “You don’t know a Goddamn thing except how to hurt people and take what you want!” In a flash, her hand came up, “You let her go!” and caught his cheek, leaving a red streak in its wake.
“Mom, no! Don’t do that to him!” Elsa put herself between them, horrified at what was playing out. Her heart was pounding and her knees shaking when she saw the fierce light in his eyes die out and the pained expression on his face. All she could imagine was how his own mother had treated him.
She pushed her mother back by the shoulders until she fell into the chair she had set out for her. When her mother tried to jump back up, she shrieked at her. “You have no idea what he’s been through!”
“I don’t need her to understand what I’ve been through,” he whispered wearily.
Elsa stood and moved toward him to try and console him. Instead of the pain she had sensed in him a moment ago, now there was just cool detachment as he began to withdraw. When he turned to walk out, she met him in the hall outside her office.
“I’m so sorry, Victor. God, I’m so sorry for what she did…”
He caressed her face with an unexpected tenderness. “Don’t be sorry. She loves you. I can only imagine what it feels like to have a parent care so much that they would risk being arrested for assaulting a federal agent. Not that I would ever allow that to happen,” he stopped to glance back into the office at her mother. “I deserved what she did. I deserve worse for what I’ve done to you.” His voice lowered and he let out a deep breath. “You said it yourself, Elsa: we’re all liable for our actions. I’m finally ready to accept that.” He couldn’t disguise the anguish in his eyes. “No one will ever understand what we have. I don’t expect them to,” his mouth brushed over her ear as he pulled her into an embrace. “I don’t care if they do.” His fingers laced through her hair, tugging on it gently. “I only care what you think. And that you forgive me.”
Ready to give him what he wanted, whether or not it was true, she opened her mouth.
His hand came up and silenced her. “Not yet. I haven’t earned it yet.”
27: Show & Tell
The week had been a blissful one considering what was taking place outside the walls of 2500 East Grace Street. Victor’s protective nature had kicked into full gear and he was refusing anyone, including media, to come near Elsa. She was thankful for it because anonymity is exactly what she needed.
Blissful wasn’t even an accurate description to the way things had been. Things were surreal. Peaceful, even. Relatively speaking considering she was sharing quarters with both Victor and Mr. Black. Although Mr. Black seemed to be in hiding, he wasn’t gone. Not completely. She could see the dark of his eyes shining behind Victor’s when he pushed her limits; the satisfaction in his voice when she begged to come; the twitch of his mouth and clench of his jaw when she’d spoken out of place or didn’t do exactly as he wanted.
She wondered how long it would last like this. She didn’t dare try to foresee the future with him and simply lived day to day, enjoying the good moments when they came and dreading the darkness when it overtook Victor.
When she found him several nights in a row sitting in his office in the dark, staring blankly at the wall, she knew he was struggling with everything that had happened between them. With the things he had shared with her. With the memories of his past relentlessly playing over and over in his head. Only once did she go to him and try to comfort him, but he had back lashed with such ferocity, she knew it was best to just let him try to sort it out himself. He had demons the likes of which she would never comprehend, but one thing she did understand was that he needed help, and it was the kind that she couldn’t give him. Not alone. But would he accept help or seek it out? How could he when he was so fiercely stubborn and proud. And still holding onto that stoic mask that he had been wearing for so many years?
Regret soon took over after he lashed out at her. When she saw the guilt and shame in his eyes, she knew at that very moment that she needed to meet Anthony Bruce.