Page 55 of King

I’m walking towards my bedroom, certain that Giovanni won’t want me in his bed anymore, but he reaches out and grabs my arm, pulling me to follow him.

He tugs me into his room and gestures towards the bed.

“You don’t want to me go back to my own room?” I ask quietly, unsure.

“I want to keep an eye on you.” He says coldly.

My heart sinks.

“Ok.” I mutter, climbing into his bed. To my surprise he wraps his arm around me and pulls right up against him, holding me just as he was before.

I fall asleep with a smile on my face.

Over the next few days the estate is tense with distrust, aggression and anger.

Everyone is looking at everyone else as though they are to blame. Or maybe it’s just me they stare at in that way.

Giovanni and Fabio have set up an interrogation area in the downstairs office and one by one they are dragging every staff member and every one of the security force, into a brutal interrogation.

They aren’t holding back anything, and when I sneak close to listen, it shocks me the levels they will go to in order to extract information - especially considering that most of these people are not bad people.

I hear screaming coming from that room and sobbing and pleading.

Fabio and Giovanni aren’t letting up or showing any mercy. They are determined to find out who did this.

On one hand it terrifies me that he’s so cruel to the people who work in his home - on the other hand I am relieved that he’s looking everywhere - and not only at me.

The days go by and the tension doesn’t settle.

We have no answers.

Every night I fall asleep safely wrapped in his arms - or trapped - it’s hard to know the difference.

My eyes flicker open, the first thing that comes into focus in the darkness is the alarm clock, blinking 3am.

I groan softly, stretching my legs out as I lay on my back beneath the blankets. I turn my head, wanting to move closer to Giovanni but in fright I gasp as I find him propped on his elbow and staring at me.

“Gio?” I whisper, my eyes slowly adjusting to the dark.

“Zina.” He whispers back at me.

“Can’t you sleep?” I roll onto my side, watching him.

He sighs slowly but doesn’t answer me. His face is lined with deep thought.

“What are you thinking about?” I ask, reaching out to touch his jaw.

He takes my hand, threading his fingers through mine and pulling it close to his chest. He still doesn’t answer me though.

I shift again, moving a little closer to him.

“Why haven’t you interrogated me yet?” I ask the one question that has been burning on my lips since the day they started looking for answers. Why not me? The person they suspect the most.

Giovanni lifts my hand and presses my fingers against his lips. He doesn’t kiss me, he just lets my fingers brush over his warm, soft skin.

I’ve asked - I don’t need to repeat it - he heard me clearly. But he’s taking his time to answer.

A minutes passes and Giovanni is just watching me.

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