[TRIGGER WARNING: Personally I find this scene very disturbing, even though I wrote it... More references to physical abuse/violence in tandem with unwanted/coerced sex (implied – nothing graphic) and all in all just gross male entitlement/aggression vibes. Basically: Montparnasse and Thénardier are both pigs. If you want to skip, i'll summarize what you missed at beginning of next chapter. If you want to skip, i'll summarize what you missed at beginning of next chapter.]

The next time Montparnasse came calling, Éponine was there. Upon seeing her brutalized face, his mouth fell open. Then it closed into a grin and he let out a laugh.

"Crowley, T! You really did a number on her this time. Barely left an inch for me to blacken myself."

Thénardier shrugged. "You can layer it."

Montparnasse chortled some more, then walked over to Éponine. Leering, he took one of her hands.

"I missed you."

She clamped her jaw tightly and didn't respond.

"You've been so absent lately. Rumour has it you have your eye on the bourgeois boy next door."

"He isn't bourgeois. Not anymore. His grandfather disowned him."

Montparnasse clucked his tongue. "Defensive, I see."

His handsome red mouth was still smiling, but a more dangerous gleam had lit in his eyes. Éponine knew that gleam well and her chest tightened in fear. She knew what Montparnasse was capable of... She couldn't risk Monsieur Marius landing on his hit list.

"It isn't true," Éponine said, a little too hurriedly. "I haven't got my eye on anyone."

Montparnasse's grin stretched wider. Reaching out a slender, elegant finger, he plucked underneath Éponine's bruised chin.

"Except me you mean."

She nodded, swallowing the vomit that rose to her throat. "Except you."

Montparnasse emerged from the bedroom, buttoning his trousers. Despite his talk and Thénardier's suggestion of "layering", he'd chosen to be fairly gentle with Éponine this time. It wasn't his preference – but it was clear the girl had already taken about as much as she could physically handle.

Thénardier was still in the kitchen and Montparnasse beckoned him over with a wave of his hand.

"Lighten up just a touch next time, eh T? I'd rather keep her alive."