Vampires Among Us [Vampires Among Us 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

to be taught a lesson in obedience.”
    Knowing that pleading wouldn’t do a bit of good, Erica still found herself trying anyway. Tears spilling from her eyes, she began to tremble. “No, I have learned my lesson. I promise, it won’t happen again, I am truly sorry.”
    Those were the last words she was able to speak before her husband Shawn cut loose on her. Jerking her up by her hair, he punched her in the stomach several times before backhanding her across the face. He hit her so hard that it sent her flying across the room, hitting the kitchen counter, bouncing off of it before hitting the floor. He calmly stalked over to her and took aim with his booted foot, kicking at her as if she were no more than trash. She cried out in pain, several kicks landing in her abdomen and stomach, as she curled up in a ball, trying to protect her head as much as possible, just praying she would make it through his discipline alive.
    Suddenly, he stopped kicking and grabbed her by her hair once again. He pulled her through the house to the bedroom, calmly walked over to the bed, and threw her down. He stood before her and immediately reached down to unclench his belt.
    Erica watched him and flinched in horror. Oh no, not a beating with the belt! She wasn’t sure her body could take another beating. Her head and ribs were in agony, and she sat quietly whimpering on the bed, trembling uncontrollably. He knelt on the bed, and she glanced down to see that not only had his belt been removed, but he had also unzipped his pants, his flaccid penis hanging out.
    She stared up into his face for a few seconds, trying to guess his intentions. He was silent for a moment, and she recognized the faraway look in his eyes. She had seen that look before. As he stared down at her, he seemed to be in another world. Reaching down and gently stroking her face, he spoke words that assured her he was in his own world, not even recognizing who she was. “What’s your name pretty girl? I won’t hurt you.”
    His actions were the complete opposite of the temper he had just rained down on her moments earlier. Erica recognized and knew immediately where this was headed. When he drank, he would often have flashbacks from his time in the service. It was during these flashbacks that Erica would usually become either enemy or whore, neither having an advantage over the other. It looked like tonight she would be his whore. She held her breath as she watched him wobble as he attempted to stand back up. He hit his foot on the bedpost, which caused him to lose his balance. When he hit his head on the nightstand on the way down, she began to really worry. Surely she would be blamed for this, also. She cautiously took a breath, and gently leaned over to see him sprawled out cold on the floor.
    Leaning back on the bed, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was over, at least for tonight. As the pain continued to worsen, blackness began to descend upon her, and she welcomed it. At least then she wouldn’t feel anything.

Chapter One
     
    The next morning had Erica hurrying to get out of the house. She had class at the local college, so she had an excuse to leave, even though every muscle in her body protested when she tried to move.
    As she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, she thought about her life. Just how did an otherwise kind, law-abiding, reasonable individual get into such a tangled web of life? How does a young woman get to the point that she doesn’t trust another living soul, therefore, reaching out for help doesn’t even cross her mind? For her, it had all started four years ago. She was young, naïve, and blind in not seeing her husband for the monster he really is. She shook her head at herself in the mirror. “No, I’m stupid for letting someone trick me into thinking that I was safe and loved,” she told her reflection with a frown.
    It had all started off so innocently. She had allowed a friend to set her up on a blind date. That night he seemed so kind. That first date quickly led to a few more, and before she could blink twice, she was agreeing to marry him. He had quite literally walked into her young life, found her insecurities, and worked them to his advantage. As a young woman who had been raised in the foster care program with no family, having the attention of a good-looking older man was heady. She found herself swept off her feet with his charm.
    She heard a slight movement from the other side of the bed, and this gave her the