Page 17 of The Devil Can Be Kind

His harsh words sent a chill down my spine and a tingle through my blood that wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

The Don’s indifferent glare burned into me for a moment longer before he turned on his heel and stalked out, slamming the door behind him.

That evening,I kept my head down and ate dinner in my room, deciding it was probably bestnotto piss the Don off twice in oneday. As much as my lies appeared to be working… I wasn’t sure they were going to be enough if I pushed the Don too far.

Instead of causing any more trouble, I threw on some drama series on Netflix and tried to forget about the real-life dramas of being held hostage by a rival crime syndicate.

It was working until Jesse waltzed in and announced he wanted to watch a movie. Initially, I blew him off, not wanting company, but eventually, I relented to his constant pestering and easy-going humor.

After a considerable amount of bickering, we decided to put on‘The Silence of the Lambs’,and much to my dismay, Jesse ate his way through my entire mini fridge, pointing out plot holes as he went. Not only provoking my irritation, but also my sincere amusement whenever I managed to prove him wrong.

By the time the credits scrolled across the screen, it was late evening, and Jesse excused himself for bed. I took a quick shower before turning in myself, feeling completely exhausted.

Despite being groggy and tired, I tossed restlessly for a few hours but never seemed to quiet my mind enough for sleep. Thoroughly annoyed, I eventually gave up and pushed on my slippers to walk downstairs in search of my sleep medicine—hot chocolate. I made my way quietly through the vacant halls until I found the familiar white kitchen. I flicked on the light and rummaged around in the cupboards until I located some milk and cocoa powder.

A few minutes later, and feeling a small sense of achievement, I had a delicious smelling mug of hot, chocolaty goodness.

I padded back to the hallway and climbed the stairs to my room. My foot had just grazed the top step when a soft noise made me pause.

Was that…

Another moan drifted from the hallway to my right.

Before I even registered that I was moving, I found myself walking toward the source of the sound—a closed double door. I got within two meters of it before freezing.

Yup, that’s definitely sex.

I was close enough now to hear that the moan was from a female, though whether that female was of the human species I had no clue. She squawked like a fucking gremlin.

My cheeks reddened when the word “Please” bled from behind the door in a awfully high-pitched voice.

“Please what?”

Shit.

The rough, masculine voice that followed was unmistakable.

My heart fluttered violently in response, and the cup in my hand shook so much it threatened to spill.

It took two seconds for me to process exactlywhowas behind that door before I sprang into action. Half tiptoeing, half running, I sped back past the balcony and down the hall to my room.

I placed the mug to the side and breathed out a heavy sigh, relieved I hadn’t been caught.

It was then that I decided I was angry.

Angry that I knew nothing about what was happening. Angry that I was trapped in a gold-gilded cage with no way out, and angry that there was not a damn thing I could do about it. I was also angry that despite having so many things to be angry about, I was angriest of all that the great Don La Torre was getting his kicks across the hall while my life hung in the balance.

Fury curled in the pit of my stomach.

If he thought I would just accept my fate and play the role of powerless little hostage, he had another thing coming.

I would make him regret the day he ever decided to take me captive.

A wicked smile crept to my lips.

Oh, it issoon.

CHAPTER

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