Page 104 of Cruel Knots

She waves a hand at us, continuing to eat her meal.

Mikhail and Lilja lead me out of the kitchen. Following a familiar path, we reach the second-floor wing where Lilja’s room is located.

Instead of heading into her room, she comes to a halt outside a different door. Mikhail grins at me, making my heart dance in excitement.

“This is going to be your room from now on,” Lilja says, opening the door.

She steps away, allowing me to enter the room first.

Peering in, I find a room that’s similar to Lilja’s in proportion and décor. A nice, big bed, covered in luxurious sheets and pillows, is set in the corner. Dark mahogany furniture dot the place. I pass by a plush couch and stand before a desk in the corner.

Lilja sprints across the room and opens another door. “Check this out.”

Walking over to her, I realize she’s holding the door to a walk-in closet. The space is smaller than hers with a lot fewer clothes but I smile. The clothes I chose yesterday are all hanging in neat rows.

“This is amazing!” I breathe, glancing at Lilja. “Thank you so much for all this.”

“You should be thanking him,” she replies, gesturing over at Mikhail who’s leaning against the closet door.

“Really?” I ask, gazing at him.

“You’re going to be with us for a long time, Lucia,” he says in a deep voice. His silvery eyes are calm and sincere. “We might as well make you comfortable.”

I cover the short distance between us and throw my arms around his neck. Drawing my body against his, I whisper, “Thank you!”

His arms come around me, pulling me closer. Leaning in, he captures my lips in a deep, searing kiss.

I open up to him willingly, letting my tongue tangle with his. Pure heat floods my body as I hang onto him, kissing him back with the same fervor.

Lilja coughs loudly, making me jump away.

“I was going to tell you guys to get a room but looks like you’ve already got one.” She winks cheekily.

“I can’t believe this,” I say, walking out of the closet. “There’s even a TV here! Did Damien really allow all this?”

“You’re still going to be locked in here,” Mikhail says in a grim tone. “And, we’ll have people watching you.”

“Oh.” A sliver of disappointment hits me but I ignore it. At least, I’m going to have a TV to watch, some amazing clothes to wear and a proper bathroom. These upgrades will keep me comfortable and over time, Damien will see that he can trust me.

“I need to get going,” Mikhail says, pecking my cheek.

“When will you come back?”

“Not for a few days at least,” he says in a grim tone. Glancing over at Lilja, he adds, “Shit’s about to go down soon, so be extra careful.”

Her eyes widen like she hadn’t expected him to say that.

Mikhail walks out of the room, leaving us staring at each other.

“I need to find Damien,” she hurriedly tells me before locking me up in my glamorous prison.

I inhale a deep breath and look around the luxurious room. Just be patient, I tell myself as hope flares inside me. Damien, Leon, and Mikhail will trust you again.

30

Damien

My eyes are glued to the five men before me. Concealed behind the folds of the curtains in a secretive room of Morelli Villa, I watch my prey breathe their last breaths.

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