Page 49 of The Don

“And my father.” I stare at him in complete shock. “Continue please, Amorina.”

I look over to Storm, who stands and lays his head on my lap. I force my fingers through his coat and pet him. He turns his back to me as he protectively watches the door. “Um.” I take a moment for my heart to stop beating so fast before I continue. “Adrian would be worse when he was high, which became more frequent.”

There’s a moment of silence between us before Ruben asks, “You never told Rose, did you?”

“All she knows is that he’d hurt me, and I’m begging you not to say anything to her. I don’t want her memory of our parents tainted, and I don’t want her to know that he’d allow his men to do whatever they wanted. Please, don’t tell her or Dominic.”

“Tell me the things he’d do to you.”

My stomach roils as a lump of vomit sits at the base of my throat. “No, I can’t.” I stare at Storm. “Please don’t make me relive that part of my life.”

Ruben shuffles over toward me and wraps me in his arms. “I won’t.” He kisses my temple. “But you need to know, I’m going to kill him and all his men.”

“I know,” I say.

“He’ll never get anywhere near you again.”

I close my eyes as I relax in Ruben’s tight embrace. “Thank you,” I whisper.

Ruben pulls back to cup my face, his mouth only a hair’s breadth from mine. His dark eyes are locked onto mine. “I’d tear the world apart with my bare hands for you.”

“The world hasn’t wronged me, Ruben. Only Adrian has.”

“Then I’ll start with my nephew and if anyone else thinks they can touch you, I’ll fucking rip them apart too.” He lowers his head and takes my mouth with his. The kiss is soft and gentle, but quickly escalates into much more. His desperation is obvious, but I’m nowhere near ready to give myself to him.

Not yet.

I pull back and lean my forehead on his. “I’m sorry, I can’t give you what you need yet.”

“I know.” He laces his hand into the hair at my nape and pulls me toward him. I lay my head in the crook of his neck and shoulder and close my eyes. Ruben believes he can stop Adrian from coming back to take what belongs to him, but I don’t think he has any idea of the things Adrian is capable of.

And I’m scared for Ruben. I already know he won’t kill me, because he takes too much pleasure in torturing me.

What a mess.

Chapter eleven

Ruben

“The boys are on their way over,” Dante says as we have our morning coffee.

Yesterday was difficult for my girl. She was as forthcoming as she could be with the things Adrian did, but I could see how much that stressed her. Especially when she was tossing, turning, and whimpering all through the night. Even Storm couldn’t settle her, but eventually, wound tight in my arms, she relaxed and fell into a deep sleep.

“Good,” I say as I pick my coffee cup up and sip on it. “Anything on Adrian?”

“Nothing.”

“We need a sit down with the president of the Fallen.”

“What?” Dante says in a hard voice as he lowers his cup. “Why?”

“I’m working on a hunch.”

Dante clears his throat and nods once. “I’ll set it up.”

“Not yet. Let me talk to the boys when they arrive, and we’ll go from there.”

Storm’s toenails against the marble flooring alerts me to Eliza’s presence. “Good morning,” Eliza greets us in a small voice.

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