Page 3 of Claimed By My Stalker

“Rosa will attend to all your needs in my absence, I presume you’re more comfortable with a woman nursing you. I’ll leave you to get treated,” he says. I sense him hesitate for a moment before heading for the door.

A part of me wishes he’d stick around some more. Leaving me in the care of another stranger frightens me. He’s no more than a stranger himself, but in the brief time we’ve spent together I strangely sense I can trust him.

Walking out the door, he shuts it gently behind him.

“How do you feel today, miss?” the woman inquires.

“I feel like a bullet grazed my side. I feel like there's a rave going on inside my head.”

“It will get better, I brought you some painkillers…”

I sigh. “I take it you’re my doctor, or nurse, or whatever. How long have I been here? What’s today’s date?” A sharper pain at my side sends my body back to a horizontal position on the bed.

“I’m no doctor. I’m just a maid in the Conte house,” The woman replies.

But I don't know any Contes, and I can’t fathom why I’m here and not in a hospital. The woman also looks like she won’t give me the kind of information I need anyway.

“I need to use the phone. I promised to call my parents.”

“I’ll relay your request to the master,” is all she says.

“You don’t need to, he’s not here. It’s just a phone call.”

“Still, you’re going to have to ask the master.”

“You could just lend me yours,. The master doesn't have to know you know.” I take her hand gently and place it in mine. “You know, woman to woman.”

She shrugs my hand away and it’s evident that she isn't having it. "There are rules, miss. If you need anything you’re going to have to ask appropriately. It’s just what we do.”

I remain silent during the rest of the drug administration and watch her leave, finally finding myself alone.

Pushing my body up again, I groan in pain as I feel the skin in my side rip. I clamp my teeth on my lower lip to stop myself from screaming. Limping around the room I look for my possessions, my handbag or luggage, anything I can grab. Who knows…I might find a way to leave whatever this place is called.

As I force myself out the door, I collide with someone as hard as a brick wall. I look up at whoever it is and find the strange handsome man from minutes ago staring back at me.

“Going somewhere?” he asks with an expression that tells me he isn’t surprised one bit.

“Yes, I mean... No, I was just taking a look around.”

His face changes to one of slight displeasure. It amazes me how someone can look so vicious yet gentle at the same time.

“I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Carlo, Carlo Conte,” he says with an outstretched hand.

I shake the hand slightly, my eyes hovering around trying to avoid his intense gaze. “I haven’t seen all of it but I can tell you have a beautiful house, Mr. Conte. Something passed down in the family?”

“Please, call me Carlo. I built the house myself, supervised everything from the building plan to the window finishing. I wanted to create a safe place for my people and family.”

Carlo Conte doesn’t strike me as much of a family man, but the look in his eyes shows he means every word he’s saying. “I don’t see your wife and kids around though, perhaps you’ll introduce me later?” I look around the place frantically, my way of getting him to reveal how much of a family man he really is. There's a ring on his finger but the red-eyed skull on it makes it too sinister to be a wedding band.

Carlo doesn’t reply, instead he gives a half smile and stares forward.

“You’re not a man of many words, are you?”

“I like to listen more than I like to speak,” is all he says.

I run my fingers through the embroidered tapestry on the wall. “You look like you’re swimming in money, Carlo.”

Carlo shrugs. “Business has been good.”

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