Chapter 7

We have steadily been introducing her to regular foods, careful not to include dairy at this time. "How are you feeling?" I ask her, placing bacon on her plate.

"It's slowly getting better," she says, digging into the pancakes I made her. "I want to thank you for everything, but I don't want you getting in trouble for keeping longer than you are supposed to." she shrugs her shoulders anticipating the inevitable. And she is right. Giulia is going to be calling me soon and I need to figure out what I am going to say to her.

"I'll tell you what, why don't you let me worry about that. You just focus on getting better."

For the last few nights she has asked me to sleep with her, citing feeling protected so it is making the dreams seem less scary. What the hell was I supposed to say, when that is all I want to do anyway? I want to slay all of her demons and if that means I am uncomfortable, no let me rephrase that, if that means my cock is uncomfortable, then so be it.

"Satine, can I ask you a question?" She nods her head because her mouth is full.

"What was life like for you at home?" She looks sad for a moment and then contemplative. I am about to tell her I am sorry for asking when she starts talking.

"It was very enclosed and suffocating. My father didn't allow me any freedoms. Everything I did was meticulously planned by him, with like five or six guards. His goal was to keep me a virgin until he could marry me off to one of the Lozado's." She tells me that with resignation. I am forcing myself to control my rage, but it is becoming impossible. The more I know about her life, the more I want to kill everyone who was ever affiliated with her.

"What are your dreams, Satine?" She looks shocked when I asked. This beautiful girl has never had cause to consider her own wants. That is fucked up.

"Well, I used to want to be a teacher. I love English and reading. The classics are my favorite. Like Jane Austen and Bronte's . I also like the darker ones like Poe." Watching her talk about her passion is beautiful. Her entire face lights up which gives her this glow that is sexy as hell. I turn slightly, adjusting my cock that has been acting wild since I have been sleeping in the same bed as her. "But, what is the point in dreaming? Besides, what I really want even if I get it, it won't be the life I envision."

"What's that?" She sighs and goes back to looking defeated, which one thing I am vowing to change.

"To marry a man who loves and values me and to have a house full of kids." Fuck. She should have kept that to herself because my mind is spinning all sorts of fucked up shit that could get me killed, like: She is mine! I am the only one who will breed her. I will never let her go. See, I am fucked.

Not sure what to say because I can't tell her all the crap in my mind., all the dark, filthy things I want to do to her because they make me sound no better than the men who took her. Instead I help her off the stool and stare into her eyes. "What do you want to do today?"

"I would love to go to the library, but I am sure we can't leave here, right?"

"That is correct, Piccola. However, I can bring the library to you." She cocks her head to the side like she is unsure what I mean. I walk over to the tablet and bring it back to her. I open my purchasing account and hand it to her. Her eyes light up when she realizes what I mean. "Get whatever you fancy."

She spends the next thirty minutes filling the cart up with not only books, but movies she had wanted to see and clothes she wants. She buys cute cups and a coffee machine. When she is done, she looks at me, shocked by the total she hasn't paid attention to this entire time. I see her mind ticking away at her perceived error, but I simply smile and press purchase after selecting the same day delivery for things that are qualified.

"I…I don't know what to say," she says ,yawning and raising her hands above her head. Simple things tire her out right now, but she needs the rest.

"Piccola, why don't you go take a nap. I will wake you when it is time to eat. She nods her head, yawning again and then she turns back to me.

"Thank you for everything." She makes me want to be a better man, but this is who I am.

"You don't have to thank me angel. Most of your things will be here in two days. Until then, you can read on my Kindle." Before she answers me, she is out like a light. I pull the blanket over her and kiss her head before walking out of the room. Fuck. How am I going to let her go?

An hour has passed, and I have spent it making a light salad for her and some grilled fish. Before I can go to wake her, the phone rings. I already know who it is without looking.

"Boss."

"LB. I assume the girl is ready for transport?" Shit. I thought I had another couple of days. My mind begins to panic at the thought of letting her go, but I knew this was the assignment right? I mean what did I expect to happen? No one told me to fall for her. The thoughts are coming like sniper bullets, and I don't have a form of attack. "Is there something you want to tell me? Is there a reason you have not dropped her off, or at least making plans to do so, let's say in the next twelve hours?" My heart is hammering, going out of control, begging me to say something, anything to give us more time for me to come up with a plan and then I think of the one thing that could work in our favor.

"Actually boss, she gave me some intel we didn't know."

"Is that so? What could she have said that would be of interest to me?"

"She is being married off to one of the Lozado's." Silence meets my statement, and she is either doing one of two things, getting pissed about this information or trying to figure out why I am wasting her time.

It feels hours have gone by and I can hear muffled conversation, intermittently with cries of an infant and the babbling of a baby. Finally she speaks.

"Is this a fucking joke, LB? Some bullshit you have cooked up to not give her back? Have you fucked her?" My skin begins to get hot listening to her reduce my Piccola to a whore, but I swallow so I don't spell instant death for the both of us.

"No. I would never disrespect you in such a way that would waste your time, boss. She knows this for a fact."

"Those leeches. Does her father know what they will do to her? All of their brides disappear once an heir has been born. What the actual fuck." Her righteous anger makes my muscles intense. "This is what we are going to do. I am going to have this information confirmed. In the meantime you two stay there where it is safe. Should this be true, you will be bringing her to Miami, to Quan, so she is under the protection of us all. But so help me, LB, if you are lying, I will bleed you like the rest of them. Are we clear?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I will be in touch." Once the phone has been disconnected, I place both of my palms on the counter and take a deep breath. We dodged a bullet. For now.

"So when do you have to take me back?" I hear whispered behind me. Shit. I didn't know she was awake. I turn to her and try to smile to put her at ease. She is standing by the wall, biting her lip which is trembling, looking like a lost puppy.

"If I have it my way, never." I can see in her eyes that she wants to believe me but in her mind she thinks her father is the most powerful. Maybe if I tell her the truth, it will help her relax. "Come to me, Piccola." I open my arms for her and sit on the chair. The minute she is in front of me I pull her onto my lap and snuggle into her neck, inhaling her honey and chamomile shampoo and soap. She melts into me, and I know. I know I was meant to protect her, forever. "Have you heard of the DeSantis Family?" Her body riles up and she nods her head. "Tell me what you know of them."

"I only know from eavesdropping on my father's meeting sometimes. When he speaks of them I can hear the fear in his voice. He says they are the most powerful mafia family in the majority of the east coast. But they allied with the man who owns the rest of the U.S." I nod my head at how accurate her description is. "Why do you ask?" I move her hair from her neck and impulsively, I kiss her there allowing my tongue one swipe before I pull back. I hear the very faint mewl from her throat but as fast as it came it was gone.

"Well, Piccola, that is who I work for. I work for Giulia DeSantis directly. She is based out of New York, but my home is in Miami on the compound of her cousin Aurora who is the Dona of Miami." She gasps before turning to look at me.

"Is it true she slices off the heads of men with a sword and feeds them to crocodiles under the ground?" Well shit! I throw my head back and laugh like I have never done. When I look down, amusement all over my face, Satine's mouth is open, obviously surprised I can laugh.

"Yes it is true." I sober up and my mind is once again plotting. I am praying she lets me keep her without me being next.