Page 28 of Lily

Stefano shot her a quick glance. “Sweetheart, I want to hear every detail. Telling your story will help you purge it from your system. Plus, it will help me understand and know better how to help you.”

“Okay.” He seemed sincere. She wasn’t at all sure she could tell anyone most of what she’d endured. Her entire body shuddered at the thought. Most humans wouldn’t be able to believe it. Would Stefano?

Stefano seemed deep in thought for a while. Finally, he squeezed her leg again. “I doubt there’s a refund for escaped slaves. I have to assume the purchase of human beings is final and not refundable.”

He was mostly being serious because she’d asked, but it was hard not to smile at the absurdity of this conversation.

He shot her a wry grin, too. “I can’t picture any recourse Leo has. He can’t call the authorities, and it seems unlikely he would call the man who sold you either. And say what? ‘My slave outsmarted me and escaped’?”

Roselia’s entire body shook with fear.

Stefano looked at her again. “What’s wrong?”

“Master J made it very clear before the auction that if he ever heard a complaint about any of us, he would hunt us down and make us wish we’d heeded his advice.” She tried not to cry. Not again. Not now. Not while Stefano was driving. Her crying stressed him out.

Stefano flipped his hand over so his palm was up. “Give me your hand, sweetheart. And scoot closer to me. You’re killing me over there.”

She pulled her hands out from between her thighs, threaded her fingers with his, and leaned as close to the console as the seatbelt would allow.

“Better. Not ideal, but better.” He lifted her knuckles to his lips and kissed them without taking his eyes off the road. “Listen to me, sweetheart. I’ve only been in love one other time, and I failed her.” His voice cracked.

Roselia held her breath, her heart aching for the pain she could hear in his voice and see on his face.

He didn’t look at her as he spoke. He cleared his throat and continued, “I failed her, but I will not fail you. No one is going to find you. No one is ever going to fucking touch you again.”

He spoke with such conviction that she believed him. “Okay.” She wondered what the hell they would do for money. They couldn’t live on the run for very long. He probably had some money saved from working for Santo, but how much? And how would he access it? He couldn’t risk going to a bank and making a withdrawal, nor could he use a credit card. She was smart enough to know those facts, but she didn’t ask because she didn’t want to bring up even more stressful subjects while he was driving.

He held her hand for the rest of the trip, and she scooted close enough to lean her head on his shoulder. She kept rubbing her neck with her other hand. She felt so much lighter without the collar. The relief from that alone was overwhelming.

She didn’t bother him again while he was driving. She knew he was trying to concentrate and take care of her at the same time.

Her mind was spinning from this unlikely development. This man she’d had a crush on for almost four years had actually been eyeing her, too? It was hard to believe. What if she hadn’t been kidnapped eight months ago? Would he have taken her on a date at some point?

She felt like such a child compared to him. It was hard to believe he saw her as an adult. He’d made it clear, though, that this wasn’t a pity situation for some girl he thought of as a child. He was actually attracted to her.

Roselia didn’t ask questions as he pulled off the highway and wound his way up the mountain. Eventually, he turned onto an even more obscure road and stopped.

He turned toward her. “I’m going to check in and get the keys. Again, I hate to leave you, but I think it would be best if no one saw you. Just in case.”

She nodded, righted herself, unfastened her seatbelt, and slid down onto the floor where she’d waited for him at her apartment.

His brows were furrowed, and he looked troubled. It was obvious he hated this, but he also thought it was best. “I’ll be quick.”

She reached one hand up to the lock button on her side. “I’ll lock the door.”

As soon as he was gone, she wrapped her arms around her legs and started rocking. She hated being alone. She hated being so needy. When would she feel normal again?

Never.

She would never be able to erase the things that had happened to her. She would never forget. How would she ever be able to function? Get a job?

She’d had dreams. Even after her mother had died and she’d felt hopeless, she’d continued to save as much money as she could, not letting go of her plans to go to community college.

That seemed so long ago. She’d never be able to go to college now. In the blink of an eye, she was too damaged to do something that outgoing. She was nearly hyperventilating, sitting in the floorboard of Stefano’s car. How would she be able to attend classes?

Or even sleep alone?

Roselia had been in her own apartment, with the doors locked, when someone had broken in and kidnapped her. She would never feel safe again except, maybe, with Stefano. But he couldn’t be with her forever.

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