Love Beyond Boundaries

Chapter 6 A Risky Proposition

Before I could even process what was happening, I was slammed against the wall. Gasping for air in terror, I tried to steady myself, blinking in shock as I stared at two bearded men. A chill ran down my spine under their greasy, ominous gazes.

"What do you want?" I finally managed to choke out.

Fear and shock left me unable to move. I pressed myself against the wall, imagining a hidden passage behind it where I could vanish, away from these men.

"Your Mommy turned out to be a thief," one of them said. "Cleaned out our buddy while he was asleep and ran off with the cash."

"So what?" I didn't understand. "What does that have to do with me?"

"We came here and there's nothing to take," he continued, whistling as he looked around. "What a shithole. And your Mom already drank all the money away and passed out like a corpse. So you'll pay us in kind, blondie."

"Her face isn't bad," the second man snorted. "We'll bend you over right here as moral compensation."

"What are you doing?" My eyes flew wide open. "This has nothing to do with me! Don't!"

"You'll work it off, sweetheart," the bearded man leered. "Go on, start undressing."

The other stepped forward and ripped my blouse open. Several buttons flew off and bounced across the floor.

"Please, don't!" I begged again. "Please! Maybe it wasn't my Mom! Maybe it was someone else!"

"There's no one else it could've been," the man growled. "She was the only one drinking with him. We both saw it."

"Go to the police," I whispered, choking on fear. "You can say anything you want; just words don't prove anything!"

"You hear that, Vasyok?" one of them sneered. "She's telling us to call the cops."

"Shut your mouth, b***h," the other exploded. "Like I'm gonna stand here talking to some broad. Either bring the money or get on all fours. Got it?"

"H… how much?" I asked hoarsely, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Seventy," came the answer. "Bring it."

That was a huge amount for me. I hadn't expected a number that big.

"I only have ten," my voice trembled and broke. "But I'll find the rest! I swear I will! Please, don't touch me!"

"Don't touch you?" one of the men asked predatorily, his fingers sliding along my waist. I flinched, watching every movement in rigid terror. "Then you'll owe us a hundred."

"Are you serious?" I asked shakily. "You can't do that!"

"Ask your Mommy," he snorted.

"Vasya, screwing her won't help," his partner said. "We still need the money. Let her pay a hundred and we're done."

"We can screw her too," the bearded man stared openly at my chest. "Why not? Do it right now and be done with it. She's not paying this back anyway. Probably still in school, snot-nosed brat."

"I'll pay everything back," I promised desperately. "I work. Just give me time."

"We don't have time," the bearded man said darkly. "A week. That's the most I'll give you. Find the money however you want. We don't give a damn."

I sucked in a breath, my eyes burning with unshed tears. 'What a day. This is insane.'

"Did you hear me or not?" He shoved me in the shoulder, and I nearly fell. "If you don't have the money in a week, you're f****d. You'll be paying with every hole you've got."

"I hear you," I said numbly. "I'll find it."

'I would… wouldn't I? I have to come up with something. I have no choice.'

I hurried to my room, pulled ten thousand from my stash, then went back and handed the money to the brutes.

"Your time's ticking, blondie," one of them sneered as he took the bills. "You'd better shake your drunk of a mother awake and figure out together how to pay back the debt. And don't you dare call the cops. If I find out, I won't spare you."

He slammed his fist into the wall right beside my head. I squeezed my eyes shut and finally let out a sob. The two bastards laughed loudly and soon left.

Carefully opening my eyes, I wrapped my trembling arms around myself and, crying, looked around the hallway and kitchen. Everything was trashed, with broken dishes on the floor, bottles scattered everywhere, and the old TV smashed beyond repair.

Peeling myself off the wall, I hurriedly locked the door and went into the living room. Mom was still sleeping heavily, stretched out on the couch. I knew there was no point trying to wake her; it was useless.

But what was I supposed to do? Where was I supposed to get that much money?

Choking on tears, I stumbled into my room and collapsed onto the bed. Everything here was wrecked too, clothes scattered everywhere, pieces of broken furniture on the floor.

I was scared. I was afraid the door would burst open any second and those two men would storm back in.

What should I do? Call the police? But would they really help? They would come, take a statement, and leave. And I would still be here. They would find me again.

I wouldn't survive that horror a second time.

I also knew that Mom wouldn't pay the debt. She wouldn't even lift a finger. Because all the responsibility was on me, and she hadn't cared about me for a long time. I was trapped.

'Come on, Liza, think. You have to figure out where to get the money.'

But no ideas came to mind. I was so scared that I couldn't think straight. Faces of the men who had barged into the apartment and trashed everything kept flashing before my eyes.

I didn't sleep all night. Every creak made me jump. I was afraid to close my eyes for more than a minute. Even though I knew the door was locked, I still felt uneasy.

By morning, I dragged myself into the shower, trying to shake off the fear and gather myself. It didn't work. The only solution that came to mind now was to go to the restaurant, the same restaurant I had fled from so quickly yesterday. Somehow, that job seemed like my only way out.

Wrapped in a towel, I stepped out of the shower. On autopilot, I got dressed, covered the dark circles under my eyes, and brushed my hair. Then I let out a heavy sigh, dreading the thought of what I would say to Vladimir. I would have to humble myself again, beg to come back. Too bad no one would give me a loan either; I had already tried when I wanted to buy a laptop.

Taking another deep breath, I left my room. I shuffled across the floor carefully, avoiding shards of glass and splinters. In the kitchen, I came across my Mom; she was drinking straight from the pitcher, barely noticing me.

"Why did you steal the money?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe, feeling defeated.

She flinched and spilled some water onto her robe. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she scowled at me.

"Why do you care?" she said, not even trying to avoid the question.

"What do you mean by that?" I exclaimed. "Don't you see what's going on? Your friends came here! They trashed everything and demanded the money back!"

Mom grimaced, put the pitcher on the table, and sank onto a wooden chair.

"Well, I took it," she waved me off. "They'll forget."

"Are you insane?" I exclaimed. "They're demanding a hundred thousand from me! But you stole it, not me!"

"And where am I supposed to get it?" I saw nothing but emptiness in her eyes. "Stop bothering me from the moment I wake up. Can't you see? I feel awful."

"Do you realize they could kill both of us?" I tried to reason with her. "They broke into the apartment while you were asleep!"

"Don't yell," She ordered. "Why are you screaming?"

"Mom, are you listening to me or not?" I threw up my hands. "You really took the money? Seventy thousand?"

"I don't remember," she mumbled, leaning her head back against the couch. "Go away, will you? You're like an annoying fly."

I realized there was no point arguing with her. I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my bag, and left. The only place I could earn that kind of money was at Lenka's father's restaurant, amid the filth, the pretension, and the humiliation. Vladimir hated me, especially after everything I had said to him. And now I would have to play the good girl just to survive.