Chapter 7

Lily’s Pov

My throat felt dry from all the crying. My fluid tank had run out. If I could shed blood as tears I think it would’ve been possible. The light in the room burned my eyes, my wrists and feet had gone numb a long time ago, and I was having trouble staying awake. I was genuinely afraid of what would happen if I closed my eyes.

“You still have time. You still have time.” I repeated to myself. I’d been telling myself the same thing over and over for the past…only God knew how long I’d been in this cell. This place.

Screw that Dante guy and his stupid face I couldn’t get out of my head. For one, he scared the hell out of me and second, the reason I wasn’t particularly proud of was that he was hot. My kidnapper was actually hot and part of the mafia. The odds of this

Yet, despite all that I had to be real with myself. Dad wasn’t coming. That would be a bigger miracle than the resurrection of Christ. And Dad was definitely not religious, but I didn’t want to be sold to a whore house. Like some property.

My eyes burned. No tears. Right.

The door twisted open. I braced myself.

Has my time come already?

On the other side of the door was an elderly lady dressed in simple clothes. A loose white shirt with a black collar and grey pants. She held a tray of food and water. My stomach practically ate it all on sight. But I controlled myself.

What if it’s poisoned?

The lady sat opposite me quietly, placing the tray on the steel table. She took the spoon, ushering some food unto it before attempting to feed it to me. I was hungry. I couldn’t lie but I still wouldn’t die this stupidly. They probably thought I wasn’t worthy enough for the whore house so they decided offing me would be better.

“You should eat. You’ll need your strength.” The older woman spoke. Her voice was clear and dainty. I bit down on my lip. “It’s not poisoned if that’s what you’re wondering. The Morettis, despite their reputation, don’t take the easy route.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.” I murmured.

“It’s not meant to. It’s the truth.” She set the spoon down in the plate. Brushing her gray hair behind her ears she looked at me. “I’m going to release you.”

My ears perked at the sound of that. Freedom?

“I wouldn’t advise you to run. You wouldn’t make it to the end of the hall.”

“That’s for me to decide.”

She chuckled, getting up. “It’s just so you can eat, then I’ll take you have a bath.”

A bath?

The woman called some guards into the room and they untied me leaving soon after. I rubbed my wrists, the feeling of blood flowing through my limbs hurting just a little bit. My stomach groaned. With one wary glance at the woman i shuffled forward in my chair digging into the food, wolfing it down so fast I had no time to register if it tasted bad or not.

I slowed down after a short while looking at the woman watching me.

“Hurry, your bath isn’t going to happen itself you know.”

“I never knew baths were customary to prisoners.”

“Courtesy of Dante. He wanted you to be well rested.”

I chewed some more clearing the dish. While downing the glass of water I squinted at her. Something was off.

“Well rested sounds like a premise for other things.” I exhaled. “Why would I trust a man who kidnapped me as collateral and threatened to sell me off.”

“Dante isn’t what he seems to be.”

“Oh really?” I couldn’t buy that. She had said that statement with a softness that I knew in my gut didn’t exist in that man’s body.

“You’re done eating. Let’s go.” she came to my side.

“Just like that?” I didn’t even realize when she pulled me up. My legs shook under me. The sudden movement almost sent us toppling if not for the woman’s strong grip on me. She guided me to the door and out into a wide hallway.

We bypassed a lot of separate rooms. A few grunts came from them and I didn’t dare think about what or who could’ve been behind those doors. This man was running a penitentiary. The guards from earlier followed closely behind us, up the stairs, into a nicer hallway and through the large building. Each place was immaculate in taste and opulent in design. How did people like this exist in the city?

I watched some younger women who looked to be maids dressed in a similar outift as the woman beside me except they wore grey skirts up to their knees, a white waist apron tied by their waists. Each one greeted the woman every time they passed. I glanced at the lady. She wasn’t some small fry.

“Are you important here?” I asked.

“I'm the head maid of the Moretti Residence.”

“Oh.” I nodded. “Then you’ve worked here for a long time?”

“I have. Some might say too long. But it’s better than some others.”

“What’s your name?”

“Rosa. Rosa Benedetti.” We stopped at a door. The guard opened it and shut it right behind us the moment we walked through. Inside was a white tiled bathroom, bigger than my living room. I gasped at the gold ornaments and accents in the handles and rims of each ceramic interior work. Rosa let go of me, I tried to balance myself on my bare feet still gawking around the room.

I turned and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Yikes. I looked hideous, tired, pale and any other word invented that was similar. Surrounded by all of this, I couldn’t help the question being raised in my head repeatedly.

“Rosa.” I called.

“Is there a problem?” She asked. I saw her search my face in the mirror.

“You’ve been here for a long time. So why would Dante help me out? Like I said, I’m leverage.”

“And like I said, Dante isn’t what you make him out to be. He’s not heartless, bless his actual heart. He only behaves in this certain way due to circumstances.”

“Such as?”

“Enemies. He is only ever ruthless to his enemies.” I nodded without realising. “You’re experiencing this hospitality because he wants to do it. So if I were you dear I’d think clearly.”

“Why?”

“Would you want to become that man’s enemy or take the olive branch that’s being given?”

I met her eyes in the mirror. Her face as warm as it had been for the longest while but still. Hospitality or no hospitality. I couldn’t stay here. I had no plan on how to get out but I could try. Someone--hopefully dad--was looking for me.

Screw your olive branch Dante.