I woke to the sound of shouting. At first, I hadn’t known where I was, and I barreled up out of bed. Then, remembering, I went still, listening to the low rumble of several male voices.
“First, you don’t let us kill her, and now she’s being given free rein to wander around the house. That’s awfully trusting of you. You fuck her already or something?” I couldn’t tell who was speaking, but I assumed it must’ve been one of Luca’s brothers.
“That’s pretty rich coming from Mr. Manwhore Extraordinaire. Molly Greene is my concern, not yours.” This was definitely Luca, his voice edged in irritation. At his mention of my name, I held my breath. “The house is clear, and there’s no evidence of anyone on the grounds. I’ve doubled security along the perimeter and around the mansion. I think what we all need is some rest. We’ll meet again tomorrow at noon.”
My fate was in their hands, and I hoped Luca could convince them not to go through with their original plan. Things became quieter, and I lay back on some of the fluffiest pillows I ever could’ve imagined, trying to calm my galloping pulse. Then, I heard more.
“You all right, bro?” This brother’s voice had a different tone, less harsh than the first.
“Not really,” Luca admitted. “You?”
“Not really.”
“You think Dad actually stole from the Bianchis?”
“I don’t want to believe that, but I honestly don’t know. I’ll tell you one thing, though. If I find out that they’re lying about all this, that they dared to come here and execute our father at his own house in cold blood, I’ll strangle Donovan Bianchi with my own two hands. Then I’ll make it our goal in life to take everything they own.” Luca’s words were chilling, but I had no doubt that he meant them.
Once the voices died out, I fell into a sleep riddled with hazy half-formed dreams.
Images of Luca wove in and out of them, ever changing. Sometimes he appeared with the cold mask I’d seen him wear early on. Sometimes I saw that look of heat and hunger in his eyes, the one that had filled me with terror. And sometimes, I’d catch sight of his grief-stricken form crumpled on the floor of his daughter’s nursery.
I woke again hours later, the sun streaming in through the gap in the extravagant cream-colored draperies. I dug through the drawers and closets, seeking something else to wear. I’d spent every minute of my time with these people in nothing but my threadbare cotton nightshirt, and I was sick of feeling so exposed.
I located some jeans that were too long and a very snug button-down top, but they’d have to work. The only underwear I could come up with was a thong that cut me nearly in two and a bra that made my breasts bubble out over the top—a common issue for me as a natural D cup—but they were better than continuing on with what I had.
In the afternoon, I overhead the brothers again. Whatever room they were in must be directly above me. They were discussing the report the Bianchi family had sent them, and their voices were more subdued this time. Somewhat. It made it harder to understand what they said. They wound up arguing again, but in the end, everything became quieter.
I couldn’t tell what conclusion they’d come to.
The next couple of hours drove me up the wall. Luca had mentioned that he would train me, that I would work for him and his family, but he hadn’t appeared. Even though this room was far more comfortable than that cell in the basement had been, it still felt like a prison.
When someone knocked on my door a couple of hours later, I yanked it open, expecting to see Luca. It wasn’t him, though. There in the hallway stood a woman with a wrinkled face, auburn hair pulled back into a severe braid, a gray pantsuit that seemed more like a uniform, and a stern expression. She appraised me with milky green eyes, her disposition reminding me a bit of a nun at a Catholic school who beat wayward students with a ruler.
“What size do you wear?” she snapped out, as if I’d somehow offended her just by existing.
Well, that was a hell of an introduction. My snarky side answered. “Oh, I’m sorry. I must’ve missed your name. I’m Molly. And you are?”
She pursed her thin lips, her eyes giving me a quick up and down. Then, she shut the door in my face.
Bitch.
I went to open the door and give her a piece of my mind, but it was locked. From the outside. Proving that no matter how much my accommodations had improved, my circumstances remained in flux. The Varassos could still choose to do away with me if the whim struck. But I didn’t feel upset or scared about this anymore. I felt angry. Irate.
By the time another knock came later in the day, I was fit to be tied. A paper cup dispenser had been placed on the wall, so I had access to drinking water, but I hadn’t eaten in over twenty-four hours. Probably a lot longer. Since I couldn’t actually answer the door, I plopped down on my bed and waited, arms crossed over my chest.
I heard a small click, then the door shifted gradually, creaking as it did. “You’ve got some nerve, you know that?” I yelled at the auburn-haired woman, but it wasn’t her. Instead, Luca stood at the threshold, laden with what appeared to be a couple of shoe boxes and several garment bags.
I probably should’ve stayed silent, but I was too frustrated. “If you’re going to kill me, I wish you’d just do it. I hate feeling like a goddamned toy for you to play with.”
He halted in his tracks, his gaze narrowed as he stared at my face. “Is there a problem?”
“Hell, yes, there’s a problem,” I stood and threw my hands in the air. “You come in the middle of the night and bring me here against my will. You almost shoot me. Then, when I think things might get better, you lock me in here to rot with no food. Maybe I don’t get a say in this, but for the record, I’d prefer to go quickly rather than dying of starvation.”
His eyes dropped from my face to the rest of me.
It was only then that I realized that during my little rant, I’d apparently popped some of the buttons off my too tight shirt. The ill-fitting bra underneath scarcely covered the heaving contents within, baring much of me to his view. This had an instant effect on Luca, making his eyes widen as they took me in. This caused another reaction of his to become visible, as well.
An impressive one.