Page 25 of Cold

ChapterNine

ROMARE

He saw me.

Vito looked right through me and saw everything that I hid. I hated it. I stared at the door waiting for it to open, but it hadn't budged yet. When is he going to let me out?

I didn't blame Vito for locking me up. He was right; I was dangerous. Most times. But right now all I craved was something soft to cuddle, strong arms to hug me, and a binkie to suckle on. I shoved two fingers into my mouth as a placeholder, but it wasn't the same. I should have been smarter. If I controlled my temper, I would have brand new toys and something to comfort me.

But I snapped these days without thinking. It took a speck of trouble to set me off and I hated that. Who am I anymore? I gripped the pillow harder and buried my face against it before a knock made me shoot up.

Vito let himself in. “Breakfast is ready.”

I dragged myself off of the bed and nodded. Vito’s eyes swept up and down my body before he turned on his heels and left. I scrambled after him. When I reached the table, there was a gift bag on my side and I poked at it.

“What’s this?”

“It’s yours,” Vito said as he picked up his cup of coffee and peered over the rim of it at me. “Open it already and stop playing with it.”

I sat down. “Sorry. I mean, uh, okay.” I opened the top of the bag and peered inside. My eyes widened and I quickly overturned the gift bag and dumped everything onto the table.

Binkies, bottles, and small stuffed animals slid from the table and fell to the floor. I picked everything up carefully and ran my fingers over them. When I looked up at Vito, he watched me carefully as if he was trying to figure me out again.

“What’s this?” I whispered.

“You didn’t get to buy those last night,” he said as he set his mug down. “So, I had someone go back and grab the things you’d left behind.”

Everything I’d picked out from the night before was there. “They grabbed everything,” I mumbled. “That’s…amazing.” I gazed up at Vito. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “You looked like you really wanted them.” He paused and cleared his throat before he snatched up his phone. “And Ama said I should keep you happy and comfortable.”

Is that the only reason you’re being nice?

I didn’t want to ask that question out loud. Even if he was doing it only for Ama and his job, I wanted to enjoy it a while longer. And there is nothing wrong with pretending he cares about me.

Sitting down, I ate my breakfast and glanced at the bottle every once in a while. Vito had put out orange juice, but I didn’t want to drink it out of the glass. After last night, I wanted to be small. It always happened after I killed, but no one had ever given me things of my own to help with my little space.

Vito stood up and snagged the bottle. I stared at him as he screwed it open, rinsed it out in the sink, and then walked over to the fridge to retrieve the jar filled with orange juice. He poured it into the bottle and screwed the top back on before he made his way to my side. Vito held it out to me and my face burst into flames as he stared.

“I-I uh.”

“Take it,” he growled. “Do you think I got up for nothing? Here.” He pushed the nipple against my mouth and I accepted it without hesitation. “That’s better. Don’t be ungrateful.”

My heart swelled. I won’t be. Not for you. Vito held onto the bottle as I took a few long, slow drinks. Why wasn’t he pulling away? I expected him to drop it at any moment, but he didn’t. He held my gaze and I saw Vito as something I never thought I would have.

Daddy.

Vito finally set the bottle down and picked up a napkin. He dabbed my lips gently and everything inside me twisted up. There was more to him than what was on the surface. Why didn’t he show it more often?

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I know it’s weird, but thanks.”

He shook his head. “It’s not weird,” he grumbled. “You’ve been through a lot and I get it. Once you’ve gone through difficult times, you find ways to cope.”

“You say that like you’ve seen some things,” I said as a frown tugged on my lips. “What happened to you?”

Vito’s face darkened. “Nothing,” he said sharply before he walked away from me.

I tilted my head. “That’s not true. I can see it.”

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