Page 38 of Lily

On the third night, they were under the covers so early neither of them was tired. She didn’t mind. The snuggling calmed her. The way he held her, stroked her skin, and breathed against her neck made her feel safe.

Roselia was finally comfortable enough to feel like she might be able to talk about what she’d been through. She knew he had a million questions, and he’d been holding them back as a courtesy. “I know you’re curious. Ask me anything.”

“Are you sure, sweetheart? I don’t want to trigger you or force you to talk about anything you’re not ready to discuss.”

“Eventually, I will tell you everything. It’s just hard to say out loud, and I hate how it affects you.”

“I’m sorry about that part. I want to avoid reacting so you don’t feel like you have to hold back, but instinctively, I flinch every time. Forgive me.”

“Always.” She rolled over so she was facing him, inches separating them.

He drew in a slow breath. “The other night, you said it felt good to eat while sitting and using utensils and a plate. Talk to me about that.”

She could do this, one question at a time. “Master J fed us bland meals—a lot of oatmeal and protein supplements. He wanted us healthy and in good shape, but he didn’t want us to enjoy anything. He often put our food in a dog bowl and made us eat it without our hands.”

Stefano’s jaw clenched.

She continued. “After I was sold to Vanderbilt, he let me eat his leftovers after every meal. I ate better there, but always while cleaning the kitchen. I never sat on furniture in either home.”

Stefano smoothed her hair back. “I’m so sorry. I don’t want you to ever have food insecurity again. Whatever you want to eat, we’ll get it.”

She smiled. He worked so hard to right the wrongs.

“Tell me about the other women who were held by this Master J asshole. How many were there?”

“Six. I was the last to join the group. He worked me late into the night most nights because he said I needed to catch up so my training was as good as everyone else’s. He named us all for poisonous flowers: Marigold, Oleander, Jasmine, Tulip, Daffodil, and then me, Lily.”

“Did all of you have similar characteristics?”

“The characteristics that mattered to him, yes. We were all young. I assume they were also near my age. Slender. Youthful. Long hair. Flawless skin.” She hesitated before adding, “Virgins.”

His brows went up. “Virgins?”

She nodded. “It was a requirement.”

Stefano licked his lips as though his mouth had gone dry. “How the fuck could he know?”

She clenched her teeth and lowered her gaze. Her mind went back to the first time she’d woken up in Master J’s house. She started shaking.

Stefano rubbed her arm. “Tell me, sweetheart. If you’re ready.”

She closed her eyes and went back to that night. “I woke up when someone carried me from the car into his house. The lights were bright, and I squinted. My head was pounding. My mouth was very dry.

“Someone shoved a hood over my head, which made my panic worsen. I started screaming, kicking, and fighting the man holding me. Someone lifted the front of the hood, pried my teeth apart, and put a rubber ball in my mouth. I knew we were in a kitchen, and they placed me on the table, held me down, and cut my nightgown off.”

Stefano stiffened but didn’t say anything.

She let her mind go back to that horror and continued. She needed to talk about this shit and get it out of her. “I think there were five men in the room. Four of them held my arms and legs spread wide to the corners of the table. Master J introduced himself and calmly explained my plight. ‘It won’t do you any good to struggle, Lily. Your new life starts now. The sooner you accept your fate, the better things will go for you.’” Her voice wobbled, but she tried to disassociate herself as though the story weren’t about her. She even lowered her voice to imitate that piece of dog dung, Master J, and his trainers.

Stefano was breathing heavily as he stroked her arm again.

“‘Are you sure she’s untouched?’ he asked. ‘Confident. I’ve been watching her. Until recently, she lived with just her mother. Since her mother died, I’ve never seen her leave her apartment except to go to and from work. She’s nerdy and shy.’”

“Jesus,” Stefano breathed out as he threaded his hand in her hair.

“You want to know how they decided I was a virgin?” Her voice rose. She couldn’t stop it. She was shaking with fury, too. “They held me down, waxed me between the legs, and then spread me open and examined me. All of them. Was it scientifically accurate? No, of course not, but that didn’t matter. It was the humiliation that mattered.”

Roselia was panting when she finished.

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