James had already asked if there was a chance he would be able to marry the young servant girl. Damon had never known it to happen, but with how fucked up everything was going of late, he didn’t see a reason why not. He was going to grant Glory freedom. In fact, he already had, but Glory had asked if she could continue to stay and work for him. The only difference now was she left with James and came back every morning.
Why the fuck were people around him finding it easy, but he, he was facing a battle everywhere he turned?
There was only a lock on the outside of the door.
“She doesn’t want anyone,” Glory said. “She hates me.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Damon said. “She hates me. Go. I’ll take care of her.”
James put a hand on his shoulder before pulling Glory into his side and leaving him alone. Opening the door, he saw Milah on the bed, curled up and sobbing.
“Leave!”
He closed the door, and Milah sat up.
Even with her face all puffy from tears, her lips swollen, and her hair all over the place, she looked so beautiful.
“What did you do?” Milah asked.
It was a fair enough question. He’d killed the kitchen staff who’d dared to disobey him. Ricky was the enemy.
“I found out who he is, and he is Antonio’s bastard,” he said.
“You killed him?”
“No. I did not.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Damon took a deep breath. “There will be time for you to see him.” He took a step toward her.
“Don’t come near me.”
“You didn’t hear anything.”
“Are you going to try and tell me that I misheard?”
“No. You heard part of the conversation.”
“Getting me pregnant, marrying me, removing the Russo name, that wasn’t part of your plan?”
“I didn’t say that, Milah. It was part of my plan. An ever-changing one. At first, I wasn’t going to marry you. I was going to breed you. Turn you into nothing more than my personal whore. Let your father see how the mighty fall. He gave you to me, and that was going to be one part of his punishment.”
“I hate you.”
“Your father made sure I had no choice but to change my plans. Like always, he had to take the lead, didn’t he? He was never one step ahead of the game, but he sure liked to fuck up a lot.”
“Your point?”
“I wasn’t going to let him put you in danger, Milah.”
“Why?”
“I started to care about you.”
“Liar.”
“I’m not lying.”
“You expect me to believe you?” she asked.
“I don’t expect you to believe anything. I’m telling you the truth, which I think you deserve. I’m telling you how it is. Do you think this is easy for me to admit?” he asked.
****
Milah scoffed. She couldn’t believe he was making this about himself. Trust Damon to do it this way. “So you hate the way you suddenly care about me.”
“It wasn’t just now or the baby, okay? For fuck’s sake. Do you think I like this?” he asked.
“Do you think I like hearing how you were only marrying me to make sure there are no Russos left? I’m a fucking Russo, Damon. You’re never going to change that.”
“You are not a Russo, Milah.”
“Oh, please.”
“To be one takes more than a last name. I’ve come to realize that now. You’re nothing like your father or the men of your line. You’re … so much more.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she glared at him. There was no way she was going to let his words affect her. He was going to use her.
All that they’d been building together was a lie. A big fat, stinking lie, and she refused to be fooled by it.
“Russos are manipulative, cruel, and they don’t give a fuck who they hurt in the process. All they care about is themselves, their own happiness. Your father was a prime example of that. He was Alicia’s brother,” Damon said.
“Did you know Valentino fell in love with her?” Milah asked.
“I didn’t know. He was … my grandfather was a hard man to understand. His hatred for the Russos was unlike anything I can describe.”
“Read the book I threw at you. It tells you everything. It tells you how her father and brother, my dad, killed her. She was pregnant with Valentino’s baby.”
Damon gasped, and he shook his head. “I never knew.”