Page 37 of Blood and Beauty (Owned by The Don)

The other end is quiet, almost for a full minute, but then I hear his voice. His dark, infuriating, fucking smug voice.

"Enjoy your research, pequeña?"

I'm quiet for a moment. Of course he has my laptop monitored. He can't ever let me live freely without a pair of eyes on me. My anger flares to the point of my face heating.

"You can't ever let me live, can you?"

"Not until I can guarantee my own safety." I roll my eyes, my fists itching to slap him even though I'm nowhere near him. He's probably safe and sound in his empty castle.

"I think we both know I'm not the liability. I'm just the agitating hindrance in your long-stretched operation that has not seized control of my life."

Silence meets me on the other end, but I refuse to let him have it.

"Was it fun? Taking pleasure in my body and then not saying goodbye? Could I not even get that?"

He chuckles and it's dark, nothing genuine and light-hearted about it.

"I think we both know that this isn't goodbye, Esmeralda."

I'm going to fucking kill him. I'm going track down my father and then I'm going to kill them both.

"It is goodbye, because I say so. I don't give a fuck about you or your vengeance. I have my own life to live, my own future to build, without you or your bullshit in it."

I disconnected the call and turned the phone off. He gave me a fucking burner phone. Even when he's away, he's still fucking with me. I'm having none of it, not anymore. If my life is such a threat, then I'm going to live it up.

"Ricky!" I call out. He runs to my room immediately, his techno music blasting from his cell phone in his hand.

"Help me get ready?"

He smiles and opens up my closet.

16

Esmeralda

Ricky rummagesthrough my closet while I dig through the suitcase discreetly, keeping the top up so he doesn't question the contents inside of my bag. I know he's got a million questions about why I have designer clothing in my suitcase. Neither of us have ever been able to afford such luxuries.

"This black dress is cute." He holds out the knee length, tea party dress. It's cute, but not for clubbing.

"I wore that to your grandmother's funeral." His hand covers his mouth and he puts it up, rummaging through more of my clothes.

I spot something red in the suitcase and pull it out of the dress bag. It's a cherry red wrap dress, short enough that it'll hug my ass and rest just below the tops of my thighs. The long sleeves are tight and the sweetheart cut is low enough to show an ample amount of boob.

I quietly slide my suitcase under my bed as Ricky is still turned and going through my closet. I need to hide the evidence of my new belongings. I know he'll have questions after he sees this dress.

"What about this one?" He turns around and looks at the red garment dangling from my fingers. His jaw immediately drops and he rushes towards me, fingertips running all over the dress.

"Emmie, what the fuck is this?"

"It's a dress." He gives me his bestno shitlook and continues.

"I know it's a dress. What I meant to say is what the fuck are you doing with a dress from Neiman Marcus? This easily retails at five hundred dollars. I know you didn't make that kind of money at the shop this month. Especially if you've been gone for a week."

His eyes narrow at me and his voice is skeptical. I think of a lie on the spot and it scares me how smooth it felt.

"Promise not to be mad? I had extra from my tuition fund this semester and I wanted to splurge on myself…"

I start to ramble about how I stupid I am for making such an impulsive spending decision and he starts to comfort me. His reassuring hands on my shoulders and caring eyes make guilt crawl up my throat.

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