Page 9 of Sweet Retribution

I know this because Stone wouldn’t have sex with me in what I thought was a private area. He’d dragged me–quite willingly–to a far corner, used his phone to disable the cameras, then ravished my body.

Tio picked up his coffee and takes a healthy gulp, most likely to delay answering my question.

“You’re safe here.”

“Tell Stone I want to go home.”

He scratches the back of his neck and shakes his head. “He won’t let you.”

“Then he’s no better than Antonio Rossi holding me without consent.” I push back on the table and storm out the back door.

I’m not stupid enough to runaway. I’m safer here than out on the streets on my own. I hear Tio rush out the door behind me, afraid I’d flee, no doubt. He’s on the phone trying to keep his voice low but I can hear him as he catches up with me.

“I won’t let her out of my sight. You have my word... yeah... she says...” his voice drops and I don’t hear what he tells Stone.

I don’t care. I’m annoyed. I’m bored. And I’m scared. Every day I’ve asked about my mother. Tio and Lucca have assured me she’s completely safe and no threats have been made on her. Lorenzo still believes her dead, which is the only thing keeping me sane right now.

I walk a few laps around the house. The lawn has been well cared for, but the grounds aren’t anything compared to Stone’s place. Or even the home where my mother is staying. This is a simple, nondescript home in what appears to be a quiet family neighborhood.

It’s the last home on a dead-end street, and a river abuts the property in the back. Not the place you’d expect to find the mafia or a crime lord. Although, it’s exactly what you’d expect to see as a safehouse.

I don’t want to be troublesome for Stone’s men, so I climb the steps to the front porch and let myself inside. I scan the books on the bookshelf and find a cozy mystery. Tired of being alone in the bedroom, I curl my feet up under me on the end of the couch, and do my best to get lost in the book.

I’m a third of the way into the mystery when Stone bursts through the front door. At first, I panic. He’s normally so cool and collected, even in the direst situations. The only time I’ve ever seen him clam up was when Lorenzo taunted him about killing Stone’s family.

I close my book and rise to my feet.

“You’re not going home.”

I’m taken aback by his gruffness. “Excuse me?”

We have a stare-down. Stone won’t relent first. It’s how he stays in control. I can hold my own just as long. I fold my arms across my chest and don’t bat an eye.

After a minute, he brushes past me and into the kitchen where he speaks low to Tio. A moment later, Tio heads down the hall toward my room.

“What are you doing?” I follow him and watch as he gathers the ointment and prescription the doctor had left for me.

“We’re leaving,” Stone says behind me.

My eyes grow big with fear as I spin around. “Is he coming for me?”

The sharp edginess softens around Stone. “No.”

“Then where are you taking me?”

“To my estate.”

I scrunch my nose in confusion. “Two seconds ago you were adamant I don’t go there.”

“You said you wanted to go home.”

“And where exactly is myhome?”

He opens his mouth to speak, then closes it again before going back down the hall to the living room. I follow him and keep prodding.

“Where is my home, Stone?” He says nothing. “That’s right. I don’t have one. I haven’t since I ran away eight years ago. And I still don’t.”

Tears lodge in my throat. I jab at the center of his chest.

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