Page 27 of The Don

“Darlin’, that’s all you’ve been doing.”

Maybe, just maybe, Ruben’s right. I’ve been in survival mode since the moment Adrian entered my life and attempted to destroy it.

My parents fucked me over with their arrangement. I hope they rot in hell. And soon, hopefully, Adrian will join them.

Chapter six

Eliza

Something wet jolts me awake. Storm is staring at me. His snout is so close that his tongue comes out and licks me across the mouth. “Yuck, Storm,” I say as I wipe his saliva from my mouth. “That’s gross.” I sit up in bed and use the edge of the sheet to wipe my mouth clean. “What makes you think I want you to lick your butt, then me?” Storm wags his tail. I playfully rough him up a bit before pushing the covers off my body and heading into the bathroom.

Storm waits by the door until I’m ready to take him out. I throw my hair up in a messy bun, brush my teeth, and change into leggings and a t-shirt. Storm follows me down the stairs and we walk out the back of the house, and I give him the command to go do his business.

“Good morning,” Ruben’s deep tone drips over my skin and I close my eyes to take in his voice.

I pull myself together and turn to smile at him. “Good morning.” I can’t help but notice the slight stubble covering his chin and cheeks. It’s a little more than yesterday, but not quite a fully-formed beard. Coupled together with his impeccably fitted dark suit, it’s hard to drag my eyes away from him. “Don’t you ever sleep?”

“A few hours.” He looks over to Storm who’s stopped to smell something down at the back of the property. “How did you sleep?”

“Believe it or not, I’ve been sleeping like I’m comatose.”

Ruben smirks and tilts his head to the side. “Don’t you mean you’ve slept like a baby?”

“Babies cry and wake every few hours, I did neither of those last night.”

His shoulders stiffen and the smile fades into seriousness. “Do you cry yourself to sleep often?”

I lower my head to look at my nervously wringing hands. “Up until a few nights ago, that’s all I’d do.” I look over to him and hold my head up. “It helps having Storm close.”

“Good.” He scans an eye over my body. “You need more clothes. I’ll have the boys take you to the department store.”

I take a step backward while shaking my head. “I don’t need anything.”

My anxious reaction is obvious to Ruben, because he instantly replies with, “I’ll take you.” I look at Storm and although he’s closer, he’s stopped to pee on a tree. He’s staring at me, looking stoned as he does his business. “You can bring Storm.”

My shoulders relax and I exhale a relieved breath. “I have no money,” I whisper, completely embarrassed that I’m a twenty-four-year-old woman without a cent to my name. How mortifying to be in this predicament.

“Don’t worry about money, Amorina.”

“Why do you call me that?” I ask as I bring my hand up to shade my eyes from the morning sun. “It means ‘little love,’ Ruben.”

He pushes his hands into his pockets and looks out to Storm. “I know what it means,” he says, a roughness entering his voice.

“I’m sorry,” I reply as I take a step away from him.

He notices my shift and crinkles his forehead. “I won’t hurt you.” His face softens and he retrieves his ringing phone from his pocket. I’m glad he was interrupted, because I’m not quite comfortable with talking about whether he’d hurt me or not. “Yeah,” he snaps without looking at who’s calling him. He looks to me and a smile stretches his lips. “She is.” He holds the phone out to me. “For you.”

“Me?” He steps closer to offer me the phone. I take it and bring it to my ear. “Hello?” I say in a small voice.

“Do you miss me?” my sister’s voice has never sounded sweeter.

“Oh my God! Rose!” My eyes well up with tears. I walk through the patio, and drag one of the chairs out. “How are you? Are you having fun? Where are you? What have you been doing? I miss you so much.”

“You’ll never guess where I am. Go on, try and guess.”

“When it comes to this family, I have no idea at all. They all surprise me, in one way or another,” I say in a low voice so Ruben doesn’t hear me. I look around for him, but he’s nowhere to be seen.

“Why? Are you okay? Has anything happened?” Rose asks in a stress-filled tone.

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