Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Highlander characters.
Roger, once outside, shed any pretense of a caring parent. He painfully tightened his grip on Luisa's arm and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Roger unlocked the car doors and shoved Luisa inside. She tucked herself into the smallest ball she could. The ride home was filled with tension and the promise of pent-up anger and violence.
They arrived at their house on the outskirts of the city and got out. Roger waited until Luisa came around the car before grabbing her roughly by her arm and dragging her into the house, hollering for Martha.
Luisa cringed but said nothing. Lately her mother had been siding more with her stepfather any time something was wrong. Luisa looked up when she heard her mother enter the room.
"Yes dear, what is…," she started and then gave Luisa disapproving look. "Has she been misbehaving again?"
Roger snorted and jerked Luisa's arm hard enough to make her cry out. He cuffed her sharply. "Be silent!" He looked at Martha. "She's been working at a bar."
Martha hissed in anger and took a step toward Luisa. Luisa tried to back up but Roger held her fast. "And she brought a note supposedly signed by you that allowed her to leave school to go to her new job," he continued.
Martha's blue eyes had gone cold. "So now we're resorting to lying are we?" she asked, her voice edged with anger.
"Mama, please," Luisa pleaded, trying to explain.
"No, Luisa. You lied. I can't believe you lied! How dare you?" Martha said, shaking with anger.
Luisa started crying. "Mama, I wasn't trying to lie to anyone. Normally, they let me leave but they saw the bruises and wanted to keep me after school. So I had to do something. Please, you have to believe me!"
Martha shook her head. "My daughter a liar. I'm so ashamed of you right now, Luisa. You disgust me! Get out of my sight!"
Roger released Luisa's arm. Luisa was crying in earnest and took a step toward her mother. "Mama," she said, her voice choked with emotion.
Martha whirled around and backhanded Luisa. Luisa cried out in pain and stumbled away from her mother in shock. She grabbed her stinging cheek and stared at her mother in mute surprise.
"I said get out of my sight! Go to your room now! You'll not eat tonight. Maybe that will teach you to lie to me."
Luisa hung her head and ran from the hallway and into her room. She flung herself down on the bed and sobbed her misery. She cried herself to sleep and for once, she slept without dreams.
Ritchie had been riding around for hours before he finally gave up and returned to the home he and Duncan shared. He entered and saw Duncan watching TV.
Duncan felt Ritchie's presence and waited until he entered the room. "Did you find her?"
"No, they've vanished. I'll try checking the outskirts of the city tomorrow. Maybe that's where they're at."
Duncan sighed. "I hate to think what he might be doing to her right now. I would've taken her but she warned me not try. I hated feeling so helpless," Duncan growled.
"I know what you mean. I just hope he doesn't kill her or there'll be hell to pay," Ritchie said, his voice hard.
"Well, best turn in. We've got a long day ahead of us," Duncan said, turning off the TV and heading for his room.
Ritchie walked out on to the balcony and looked out at the night sky. "Luisa, may the night keep you safe," he whispered before going back inside and to his bed.
Roger and Martha were in the living room, talking in low tones so as not to wake Luisa up.
"Tonight we go hunting, dear wife. There are a couple of new Immortals in town. I'd like to gift one of them to you," Roger said, caressing Martha's cheek.
"You know Luisa is the best acquisition we've made in the last two centuries," Martha giggled. "Can you believe that we actually have a creature of myth living with us, so cowed into submission she does everything we tell her to? And she draws Immortals, just like a bitch in heat. Yes, I'm ready for some hunting tonight. She's asleep. I'll get dressed if you'll get her ready," Martha said, kissing Roger and then heading off to their bedroom to change.
Roger sat and idly swirled the wine in his glass. "Yes, the day we acquired Luisa was a godsend," he mused quietly to himself as his mind roamed back to that day.