Page 47 of The Don

“Why? Did you not enjoy what my mouth did?”

Eliza’s cheeks redden and she turns to look away, yet I can see a small smile tugging at her lips. “I liked that, a lot. Too much.”

“There’s no such thing as too much.” I lean over and kiss her cheek. “I’d be a happy man if you allowed me to feast on you every day for the rest of my life.”

The smile fades from her face, and she stands from the bed. Eliza bends and pulls her panties and tights on, then takes a few steps backward. “I’m not the woman you should be saying that to, Ruben. I’m so broken that I don’t think I’ll ever be whole again. You deserve someone who doesn’t have all the baggage I do.” She taps at her temple. “I could never be enough to satisfy you.” She wrings her hands together and looks down at her feet. “You’d make me be with other men, then resent me because I’m with other men. Then you’d hurt me because I’m not pure and I’m not faithful. I know men have needs, especially men like you.” Tears cling to her cheeks but she refuses to wipe them away. “You need more, and I can’t ever give you that.” Eliza turns and leaves my bedroom.

Her hurt has given me a snapshot into what Adrian did. That fucker has destroyed her self-confidence when it comes to sex.

Fuck.

I need to end him.

But mostly, I need to show her that I am exactly the man she needs. Not for now, but forever.

Chapter ten

Eliza

Ruben had an urge, and I was there for whatever he needed. At least he was gentle and didn’t hurt me. Not like he used to.

I stayed away from him for the remainder of yesterday, and when I went to bed, I fell asleep in my room. But now I’ve woken to find myself alone in Ruben’s room. I blink several times, trying to remember how I ended up here. Once my eyes have adjusted to the darkness, I instantly search for Storm. “Storm,” I say in a low voice.

The window coverings are dense, making the room dark and giving the illusion that it could be the middle of the night. My heart speeds up. I’m not fond of the darkness. It reminds me too much of where he kept me. I clear my throat and call for Storm again. He’s not in the room.

Pushing the covers off my body, I stand and pad down the hallway toward my room. I lock myself in the bathroom for a few moments so I can compose myself. When my heart has settled, I change into tights and a t-shirt before I quietly make my way down the grand staircase.

Light is peaking in from outside, and when I enter the kitchen, the microwave time blinks at just after four in the morning.

The silence of the house makes me nervous. My pulse quickens as I try to find Storm and Ruben.

Crap, is he here? Has he found a way into the house and killed everyone?

With trembling hands, I reach for the biggest butcher knife in the knife block and try to tiptoe into the butler’s pantry to hide from Adrian. If he’s going to come for me, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure I don’t go without a damned fight.

If I only get one swipe with the knife, I’m going to make it a good one because I know the torture he’ll have planned for me. I’ll show him I’m not the weak girl he used to own.

I push myself into the corner of the pantry and sink down the wall while clutching the knife in my quivering hand. If I kill him, I kill him. I won’t lose a moment of sleep over it.

I hear a door open and I freak out. I try to hold my breath so he can’t hear where I am.

I hear the clicking of Storm’s nails scraping against the marble floors. My shoulders relax and I let out a long, low sigh, but the knife remains seized in my aching fist. “Go, look after her,” Ruben instructs Storm.

I close my eyes and lean my head against the wall. My heart is beating so fast I can hear it in my ears. Suddenly, a wet snout nudges me, and I open my eyes to Storm standing over me, wagging his tail. “Hey, boy,” I whisper as I look to him. He nudges me again and licks up the side of my face.

The light switches on and Ruben advances toward me. Storm moves out of the way for Ruben. His brows furrow together as he kneels beside me. “What’s going on?” Ruben reaches out and pries the knife out of my death grip. “Amorina?”

My forearm is protesting in pain from how tightly I was holding the handle of the knife. I bring my legs up to hug them and lay my head on my knees. “I thought...” I start but pause when the imagery of my own nightmare plays over in my head. Ruben’s warm hand startles me when he carefully lays it on my upper back and gently makes circular movements. “I thought he’d broken in and hurt everyone and was here to take me. I knew I only had one chance, so...” I lift my head to glance at the knife Ruben took. “If I could get one good swipe in, maybe he’d think twice about taking me.” I shake my head and release a humorless chuckle. “Stupid, right?”

“Come.” He stands and offers me his hand. “You need to tell me everything he did to you so I can understand why you’re so afraid of him.” I place my hand in Ruben’s and he easily pulls me to my feet.

My throat instantly constricts with tension. “No,” I whisper as I shake my head. “I can’t.”

“I need to know what he did, so I can help you.” I shake my head again as Ruben envelops me in his arms. “I’m going to make him hurt,” he whispers in a voice I’ve not heard before. I pull back from Ruben and search his eyes for whatever he’s feeling. “Make no mistake, Amorina, he’s going to scream in pain.”

“Because of what he did to me?”

Ruben cups my face, leans in, and kisses my forehead. “I’ve found you in a cupboard, and now clutching a knife.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Because he deserves to die a long and painful death.”

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