Page 13 of The Don

“Your point?” I tighten my hand around hers, silently telling her not to continue with whatever else she has to say.

“Why?” Clearly Rose is protective of her older sister, and will ask the questions. “Anyone could interpret your name for her as affectionate.” I glance down at her and find Rose holds my stern stare. “Do you like my sister?” Rose is a pit bull with lockjaw. She’s not letting this go.

“I’ve always liked both you and Eliza,” I say. “You never had any association with my family, but you fit into it especially well.”

Her lips tug up into a small smile. “I just don’t want to see her hurt again. Eliza is vulnerable and she needs to heal from all that Adrian did to her.”

“How much has she told you?”

“Not a thing. But I’ve seen the bruises and scars.” My teeth grind and my body tenses. Adrian better go into hiding, because when I find him, I’ll fucking end him.

“I assure you, Rose, Eliza couldn’t be safer than with me. Besides, she now has Storm.”

“The dog?” Rose scrunches her nose. “What’s the dog got to do with it?”

“Storm is hers now. Wherever she goes, Storm will be with her. She didn’t tell you?” Rose shakes her head. “I’ll be teaching her the commands for Storm, and he’ll be with her all the time.”

“Will that dog kill?” Rose’s voice darkens.

“Not Eliza it won’t, but yes, it’s trained to tear someone apart if given the correct command.”

Rose pulls her shoulders back and looks over to Eliza, who’s sitting at the bridal table chatting with Dominic while stroking Storm’s coat. “She loves that dog.”

“Storm is good for her.”

“She’s comfortable with him.” She turns to look at me. “I’m okay for her to stay with you. But you need to know some things.”

“Which are?”

“She needs a light left on all the time. She’s not good in the dark. She thinks I don’t know but I do.”

“I’ll take care of that.”

“She struggles with not having to ask permission for everything. She also thinks she needs to be dressed impeccably all the time, and she’s frightened of how you’ll react if she’s not pristine.”

“I’ll be cautious of my reactions.” I don’t need to be careful because Eliza is perfectly beautiful regardless of what she’s wearing.

“She likes to read too.”

“I’ll buy her a damned library if it makes her happy.”

Rose softens in my arms and exhales a deep breath. “If she’s taking a bath, she’ll be in there crying.” My posture stiffens at the thought of Eliza feeling so bad that she’d cry while taking a bath. Perhaps I should have all the tubs removed from the house. “She’s most vulnerable when she’s alone in the tub. I don’t go in anymore, but I sit outside the bathroom in case she needs me.”

“That may be difficult for me to do.”

“The reason I’m telling you this is if that happens while Dominic and I are on our honeymoon, call me and I’ll speak to her. I’ll calm her down. If she’s really overwhelmed and starts having an anxiety attack, I’ve found deep breathing helps her.”

Rose is a good sister to look after Eliza the way she has. I look over to Eliza who’s still petting Storm. “Storm will do her good.”

Rose follows my line of sight and nods. “I think Storm will be her best therapy.”

“The only thing I ask of you, Rose, is to enjoy your honeymoon with Dominic. Eliza is in good hands, and Storm will be with her every moment of the day.”

Rose looks to me and smiles. “Thank you, Ruben. I’m confident she’ll be cared for with you.”

“She’s stronger than you think,” I say.

“I know she’s strong, but she doesn’t think she is. Until she can recognize and use her strength, I have to be there for her.”

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