Chapter Six
Milah was twenty-one years old.
Playing in the snow was for children.
Damon had finally rectified the problem within the house, and the rooms were warm. Glory had told her that several parts of the house had been closed off to help sustain the heating.
She hated that she loved this old house. The only bad part about it was the fact it was owned by De Luca. Men and women from that family had been born and raised here.
The house was more … homey than the one where she lived. Her father wouldn’t allow her to leave home, even though she had tried to do so many times. He didn’t believe in daughters going out on their own until they were married. It was such an archaic way of thinking, and she had laughed at him, which had earned her a slap for her troubles.
For all of his ranting on tradition and what was expected of a Russo woman, he’d given her up to his enemy.
She and Damon were never going to marry. This wasn’t a love match. Was it even a business contract? Damon got to play with Russo’s daughter for an extended length of time.
Milah needed to understand the full ramifications and terms her father had agreed to. She had no idea how she was going to do that without speaking to her father. Or would Damon tell her?
She doubted it. He would want to keep his power over her by any means possible.
She was all alone.
Wrapping her arms around her body, she snuggled into the thick sweater Glory had brought with her, along with the rest of her clothes. She wasn’t allowed to have any clothes. The bedroom was always bare apart from the bed. Glory was the one to bring her clothes in the morning, and she assumed at night as well. Every night, she left Damon’s room, escorted by a guard to her own room. The lock was always slid into place, only to be removed when Glory entered.
The first day she made it down to the kitchen with no one to stop her had surprised her. She expected there to be guards all over wanting to kill her. There were still guards, but they were assigned different jobs.
Staring out the window, across the gardens, it was hard not to be mesmerized by the fallen snow. She didn’t want to marvel at its beauty, nor take a walk outside, but she … couldn’t look away.
Even as a girl, she’d loved the snow. Hearing it crunch beneath her feet, and as she walked, seeing it glisten on the ground.
Her mother liked the snow whenever Antonio wasn’t around. There were a lot of things her mother enjoyed doing when he wasn’t near. She missed her mother dearly right now. No amount of holding herself was going to rid her memories or her wishing for her mother.
Milah spun around as she heard the door being thrust open. This morning, Glory had told her to wait in her bedroom. The house was in a little bit of chaos, but De Luca wanted her to remain here.
Her first instinct had been to make a run for it. This might be her only opportunity to get free, but as she’d gone to the door, intent on opening it, and finally embracing the chance of freedom, she had stopped herself. What if … this was a trap? What if Damon expected her to make a run for it, and as punishment, Glory suffered?
She didn’t know Glory all that well, and she doubted they would ever be besties. It didn’t for a second mean she wanted the young woman to suffer.
Rather than push open the door, she’d stepped back, sat on her bed, and waited. There would be a time and place for her to make a run for it. Damon would lose his guard, or something. She had to keep on hoping for some kind of miracle.
Anything.
What she wouldn’t do was use someone else, an innocent, as a means to make her escape.
Damon stood before her now, his gaze focused on her. Did he expect her to run? Had she passed his stupid test? What was he thinking?
Rather than ask any questions, she dropped her hands by her sides and greeted him. “Hello,” she said.
He smiled. “Are you liking the snow?”
She glanced behind her at the view. There was no point in denying the appeal. “It looks beautiful.”
“That it does.” He nodded his head in agreement. “Very beautiful. How would you like to take a walk with me?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse, but then she stopped herself. Why would she refuse him?
“I’d like that.”
His brows went up, and she took a step toward him. “I don’t have a jacket.”
He snapped his fingers, and Glory entered the room.
She smiled at the young woman, taking the jacket from her.
This wasn’t what she expected, and when Damon offered her his arm, she was tempted to refuse.
Sliding her hand around his arm, they walked out together, making their way downstairs. The corridors were large enough to accommodate two people side by side.
She couldn’t resist taking quick glances. Every now and then, she looked at him, curious as to what was going on in his mind.
The rumors that circulated about the De Lucas always made the women fearful. They knew of Damon’s grandfather who had no problem with stealing women, raping them, bringing them to the point of death, and at times, even killing them.
She had expected Damon to be the same.