The Monsters of the Mind

Part 26

Rose's POV

My poor little baby was red from the hits with Hugo's belt. That man - that monster - had beaten my baby to the point that bruises had begun to form on his back and bottom. 

He was only a few months old! He didn't deserve such hate! How could this have happened?

Jimmy sniffled softly when he was returned to me, Hugo dropping him into my arms without comment and disappearing into the bar - no doubt to erase what he had just done from his memory. Pulling back his nappy, I could see the lines from the leather belt - wide and red - edging with bruises in black and blue.

"Oh, Jimmy," I tucked my face into his little chest, nuzzling his form, "Baby, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean for you to endure that."

Jimmy started to cry again softly, hiccuping and whimpering in pain as I brought him into the safe cacoon of the kitchen. Everyone had evacuated the area - no doubt after hearing Hugo's rage when Jimmy had started to cry. I did my best to get a bit of cream on his back to cool the heated bite from the belt and a plaster to keep his injury protected from the fabric of his clothing. A small ice pack was placed against him as I tucked him into the crook of my arm - walking from the kitchen.

The remaining staff members were now in the main lobby of the hotel, one of them with my torn cloth cradle in her hands.

"Rose," the cook came forward when I appeared around the corner, "What happened?"

"I'm sure you heard," I answered grimly, rocking Jimmy.

Hands flew to mouths, soft gasps echoing in the silent lobby.

It should have come to no surprise that this would happen. He had been brutal to me ever since I brought up being pregnant - but he loved children, it was part of his job as a magician to entertain people of all ages. How could he hurt such a little one? Someone that was only a few months old - and related to him by blood? I couldn't understand it.

"What are you going to do?" one asked.

"Well, she's going to the police and reporting him! That's what she needs to do!" another staff member erupted.

"I can't," my body was shaking now, much like my son's, "If I go to the police... what will they think? Hugo has no reason to show that he hurt Jimmy - he's a teacher, after all - and if they do try something, I know that his family has the money to shut the whole thing down. Then, they'll attack me for making false claims - and I haven't a pence to my name!"

"Hey, calm down," one of the other staff members came around and hugged me and my baby, "One of us will go, then. If there's multiple witnesses, the family won't be able to do anything about that."

"Hence a whole different problem," the cook spoke sadly, shaking his head, "The Hall family will call all of us liars - pressure Rose to admit she told us lies. And, if we're successful at all, Hugo will force all of us out a job - slander the hotel until there literally is nothing left for us or for Rose."

"Well, can't we help Rose get away from here?" another worker suggested, "We could give her a bit of money so she could get away from here - file for a divorce, start fresh."

"I doubt that," the cook spoke up again, "Hugo knows everything - ex-magician and all - he'll find Rose and drag her back here. He'll probably kill her in the process - if not her little one first."

"Then, we have to get little Jimmy out of here..."

"No!" I tucked my son closer to my chest, my heart racing at the thought of losing my baby, "I won't give him up! I carried him for nine months without any help from his father. I struggled through twelve hours of labor to bring him into this world - this beautiful, kind child who should want for nothing. I can't leave him with strangers we hardly know! What if he is hurt worse than what Hugo has done? I won't be able to protect him!"