Page 42 of Lily

He was staring at the computer screen.

She shifted her gaze to see what he was so intently looking at.

He held her tighter. “Apparently, Leonardo Vanderbilt committed suicide four days ago. Single gunshot to the temple.”

Her knees gave out as she read the police report.

Stefano lifted her onto his thigh and kissed her temple. “This must have been soon after he found you missing.”

“My God,” she murmured. She wasn’t sure how to feel about it. She’d caused that man to kill himself.

Stefano turned her to face him. “Listen to me, sweetheart. He was not a good person. He probably assumed you’d gone to the police and that he would be arrested at any moment.”

She nodded slowly. “Still…”

“Don’t you dare feel guilty for his poor choices. He kept you as a slave. Not even a human being. He put a shock collar on you, Rose.”

“I know,” she whispered. He deserved to be dead. Now, he couldn’t buy another woman and hold her captive, work her to the bone, or cane her when he felt like it.

Roselia swiped at tears. “He made up reasons to hit me because it amused him, and he liked to see me suffer.”

“Yes, sweetheart. And now, he can’t do it ever again.”

“Okay.” She nodded, trying to agree. It felt wrong to wish another human dead. She wondered about all the other men who’d played a role in her kidnapping and torture. Part of her wished they’d all die in a terrible fire—especially Master J.

She had no idea how many other women he’d trained. Had he worked with groups of six before her group? Did he already have another group forming in his home?

The idea made her want to vomit. “Am I doing the right thing? What if Master J has already kidnapped another group of women?”

“I can’t promise hiding will be a good permanent option for you or for us, sweetheart, but for right now, all I care about is keeping you safe and making sure you heal.” He held her tighter, turning her so he could hug her close to his body.

Roselia was kind of surprised that he was so nervous and protective, especially now that they knew Vanderbilt was dead. Did he worry Master J would come after her? She certainly did, but the threat seemed less likely with Vanderbilt out of the picture.

Would Master J go to the trouble of hunting her down and punishing her for her escape? Maybe he wouldn’t even know she’d escaped. It wasn’t as if the police report had mentioned a missing slave.

Roselia felt unsettled about Master J. He’d warned her about any attempt to escape or doing anything that made him look bad. She’d certainly made him look bad, and she’d definitely escaped.

“You’re shaking, Rose.” Stefano rose, holding her in his arms, and carried her to the couch. He settled himself against the cushions and sat her on his lap, straddling him.

She wrapped her arms around him and held on. She could sit like this forever. She felt loved and cared for. He doted on her and made her feel safe. His hands roamed up and down her back, reminding her that there were no longer welts on her skin, that she had clothes on, and that she was worthy of a caring touch.

Chapter Fifteen

Three days later…

* * *

Roselia stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She’d showered, brushed her teeth, and used the toilet alone in the bathroom. She was getting stronger and more confident with every passing day.

Stefano seemed to be growing more nervous and concerned with every passing day.

She wondered if he regretted leaving his job abruptly. Perhaps he was worried about finances, or maybe he regretted convincing her to hide out in the woods indefinitely.

She knew he’d paid for the week, and that week was over tomorrow. Would he pay for another week or would he want to move on? She hadn’t asked him, but she’d watched him pace often enough with his permanently furrowed brow.

He spent a lot of time in front of his computer, too. Doing what? He surely wasn’t in communication with Santo after skipping town with no notice. That left financial concerns. Or regret.

Either way, she needed to face the truth. But more importantly, before facing reality, she wanted him to make love to her. She didn’t even care if he grew tired of her tomorrow or decided she wasn’t worth the burden. No matter what happened in the future, she wanted him to be the one to enter her for the first time.

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