Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81292 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81292 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
She had fought them off for the first day. The second was much harder. With no sleep and nothing to keep her strength up, she had fallen.
Weakness was something she couldn’t abide.
She didn’t know if anyone heard her scream for help, or her begs, but it had all fallen on nothing. No one had come.
For a brief moment, she had prayed for death. Wanted it.
Even now, she wanted to sink into her pit of misery at how useless her situation was, but she kept the tears at bay.
“I … I heard that Mr. De Luca dealt with those responsible for hurting you,” the maid said. “They won’t be here anymore.”
“Why?” she asked, finally speaking.
“They’re dead.” The maid nodded at her.
“What’s your name?” Milah asked.
“I’m simply Maid,” she said.
Milah shook her head. “No, it’s not. What is your name?”
“It’s Glory.”
“Hi, Glory,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Milah. Milah Russo.”
Glory took her hand. The other woman’s was nice and warm. “I know who you are.”
“Do you hate me too?” Milah asked.
“I have no reason to hate you.” Glory smiled at her.
“I’m a Russo. A sworn enemy of De Luca. Trust me, you won’t be the first person to hate me because of my last name.”
Glory shrugged. “I guess I’m not like most people. I don’t see the fight you all have.”
“Why are you here?” Milah asked. Maybe if she got one of the maids to like her, that might be her key to getting out of here alive. It was a long shot, but right now, anything would beat being locked up.
The darkness. The rats. The chains. It had all been too much.
She grabbed the cuff that was locked around her wrist. Even this one was too much for her to bear. She struggled to keep her panic from rising.
“I … I … was given a choice.” Glory dropped her head. “I could work here and be protected by Mr. De Luca, or I could sell my body to whoever wanted me, for however long.”
Milah closed her eyes. She knew of the whorehouses. The women who were bought and sold for the profit of men. She hated it.
Staring at Glory, she knew the woman would make a nice living, but she didn’t have what it took. Milah saw that.
She used to hide while her father would have these meetings. Where women would be forced to strip naked and he’d assess them. He would grade them on their beauty, and at times, even their ability to suck cock. Not his own, but a guard’s. It revolted her, but she knew the only way to truly survive was to know what she was up against.
It would seem De Luca was no different than Russo.
“Do you have any family?” Milah asked.
Glory shook her head. “No family. Nothing. Just a foster kid trying to get away from a bad situation.”
Milah nodded. “I’m sorry.”
There was a commotion at the door, and Glory quickly bowed her head. “I better be going. I hope you get well, Miss Russo.”
“Please, call me Milah,” she said.
Glory nodded and then made her escape as Damon made his entrance.
“I see you’re awake.”
Milah watched as Glory left before turning her attention to Damon. She lifted her wrist. “Is this necessary?”
“I cannot risk you hurting yourself.” He closed the door and moved toward her, perching on the bed, by her side. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I was chained up, starved, and fed to rats. You?” she asked.
He chuckled. “I can see that even with death calling, it hasn’t stopped that viperous tongue of yours.”
“Why don’t you just kill me? I heard the head of the De Luca empire has no shame in ending women. You are happy to kill anyone and everyone who dares to intervene with your world.” In the back of her mind, she screamed at herself for being so foolish. Now was not the time to be arguing with him.
She didn’t have her strength. Nor did she have a death wish.
Right now, she had to keep in control or risk dying. He had already shown that he had no problem hurting her.
“I am happy to kill anyone who is set to betray all that the De Lucas hold dear. Isn’t that what your dear old dad does? It’s why you are here.”
She wanted to scream at him. “How is the guard?” she asked.
“Excuse me?”
“The guard that I shot. How is he?” She had thought about the man often while she’d been locked away, hoping she had been right in where she shot him. Killing someone was never her intention. She had no wish to do harm. Unlike her father, she didn’t have a thirst for blood.
There were times growing up when she’d asked about love and kindness, and he’d laughed at her. Her father wasn’t above slapping a girl. He took great pleasure in it too. As far as he was concerned, women had to learn their place, and if that meant hitting them, he was more than happy to do it.