—Ellie— I lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, worrying about my family, especially Mateo. He was so protective of me, what if he did something stupid like attack and get himself killed? I wanted to be saved but if something happened to Sam, I wouldn’t survive. I’d rather suffer pain and endure Tristan’s presence than see my cousin get hurt. A heavy weight settled in my stomach when I remembered the look in his eyes when Tristan had put the knife against my skin. That look had hurt so much more than the shallow cut. But the cut had given me an important piece of information about Tristan. He had a weakness, and it had something to do with those scars and his brothers. Steps sounded in front of my door and someone knocked. I sat up, surprised. Nobody had bothered to knock. The lock sounded and the door swung open as I stood, and a young woman with dark hair and dark eyes, wearing a yellow summer dress, stepped in. She was shorter than
—Ellie— There wasn’t a clock anywhere in the room, but it must have been early afternoon by now. Except for the cold pizza and the tap water, I hadn’t had anything to eat or drink. Maybe this was another part of Tristan’s game. The sound of knocking followed by the lock being turned made me face the door. I winced at the dull pain in my forearm. A teenage boy in fight shorts and a T-shirt stepped into my room. He had slightly longer curly brown hair and was lean but muscled. “Hey,” he said hesitantly, brown eyes kind. “Tristan sent me to get you.” I didn’t move from my spot at the window. “What are you, his servant?” The boy smiled an unguarded, honest smile. A smile few could afford in our circles. “I’m his youngest brother, but that’s as good as the same in Tristan’s eyes.” He opened the door wider and gestured for me to walk through. I wondered what he would do if I refused to follow him. He was taller than me and definit
—Tristan— I headed for the utility cupboard. Savio leaned against the bar, nursing a drink and his bruised ego. “Next time you should pay more attention.” He glared. “I think from the two of us, you have more reason to worry. She’s yours, not mine. Wait till she tries to boil your dick.” “I can control Eleanor. Don’t worry.” I took a mop and a bucket out of the closet before I returned into the kitchen. Eleanor stood at exactly the same spot, frowning down at the floor. I handed her the bucket and the mop, which she both took without protest. She avoided my eyes as she set out to fill the bucket with water and put it down on the ground. It became apparent pretty quickly that she had never wielded a mop in her life. She used too much water, flooding the floor. Leaning against the counter, I watched her in silence. She should have taken a rag, gotten down on her knees, and cleaned the floor properly, but I knew her pride would stop he
—Ellie— The next day, I woke up and took a shower. I didn't have any plastic to wrap around my cut so I just stuck my hand out the shower so it would not get wet. The painkillers that Tristan gave me last night helped, all I felt was a soft pain. But I didn't trust that he did it out of the goodness of his heart, because he doesn't have a heart, he must have an ulterior motive. I heard the sound of the lock and I quickly got out of the shower and dried up, then I put on one of the summer dresses that Kate got for me. I stepped out of the bathroom barefoot, with my hair still damp. Tristan stood with his arms crossed in front of the window, tall and dark and brooding like the love interest in romance movies. He turned and scanned my body. It was unsettling how physical his gaze felt on my skin. “We're going outside for a walk in the garden.” He tells me and I know it's not a request but I'm not just going to make it easy on him and agree. “Why?” I asked him as I folded my
—Ellie— I was laying down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, when I heard the lock click and I immediately sat up on the bed. I wasn't going to let Tristan catch me unaware. I was shocked when I saw Fabian and not Tristan step inside the room, he was carrying a plate with what I assumed was food inside. I stood up from the bed. What was he doing here? I hadn't seen him since the first day I was taken. Was he here to help me escape? As if he could read my mind, he shook his head. “I brought you dinner lee.” He said, calling me by the nickname he gave me when we were children. He came into the room but left the door wide open, why did he do that? It was definitely not to help me escape as much as I hoped he would, he wouldn't he was now loyal to Tristan and not the Famiglia. So why did he leave it open? Was he worried about being alone with me? “Here,” he held out the plate with steaming mac and cheese to me. I glared at him and the plate of food even though it smelled
—Ellie— I was still in bed when the lock turned and didn’t have time to sit up before Tristan stepped inside the room. Feeling vulnerable lying in the bed, I pushed into a sitting position. He regarded me with an intent expression. I was only in a chemise and shorts and was acutely aware of how little the fabric covered. Swallowing my nerves, I got out of bed, not wanting to show weakness. His eyes followed my every move, lingering on my breasts. My body betrayed me as my nipples hardened in the cool air. “I’m fairly sure God designed your body to drive men into insanity,” Tristan said darkly. Stifling the excited thrill his words sent through me, I retorted, “You believe in God?” “No. I don’t. But looking at you, I could turn into a believer.” I huffed. “There’s a cozy warm place in Hell reserved just for you.” “I’ve burned before.” I slanted him a look. He’d said the same words before, and I wondered what exactly he
—Ellie— It was around lunchtime when someone knocked. I hadn’t seen Tristan since he’d brought me back to my room after my call with Mateo yesterday. Savio brought me breakfast in the morning without a word. He was probably still pissed. Kate opened the door with a shy smile and two bags in her hands. “I bought clothes for you. I hope they fit.” She stepped in followed by Damian. I hopped off the windowsill. My limbs were starting to feel sluggish from lack of use. I’d worked out almost daily before my kidnapping, and now all I did was sit around. “I assume that means my stay won’t be ending anytime soon,” I said bitterly. Kate sighed. “I don’t know.” My eyes moved over to Damian, who looked his usual stoic self, not that I had expected an answer from him. Kate held the bags out to me. “I got you sandals and a pair of sneakers. A few pairs of shorts, tops, and dresses. And underwear. I really hope I got the right size
—Tristan— As promised, I picked Ellie up at seven so she could run with me. Usually I preferred to do my morning run alone, but I couldn’t resist her presence. Ellie had put on shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers. She followed me quietly through the house but stopped when I led her toward the driveway. “Where are we going?” “We’re going running, like I said. Did you think I do my laps in the garden?” I opened the door to my Bugatti SUV for her, and she got in without another word. I got behind the wheel and pulled down the driveway, feeling her eyes on me. I enjoyed her confusion. I took us to a trail in a nearby canyon where I’d run before. Soon it would be too warm, but this early in the morning the temperature was perfect for running. Ellie followed me out of the car and looked around the gravel parking lot. We were the only people around. Her eyes were assessing and attentive. She’d try something, and I had to admit I couldn’t wai