Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 240(@200wpm)___ 192(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48087 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 240(@200wpm)___ 192(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
He showed no expression on his face, no emotion behind his dark, bottomless gaze. I swallowed, feeling on display as if I were a deer in the middle of the woods and could sense a predator.
It was as if I knew I was about to die and couldn’t stop it.
He straightened and walked toward a door off to the side. He turned the light on, and I could see it was a bathroom. I heard the sink run, and a moment later, he was back out, holding a glass of water.
When he handed it to me, I contemplated shunning him, cursing him out, and telling him to let me leave. Maybe even toss that shit in his face.
But my throat felt like the Sahara Desert, and I took the glass from his hands before I knew I was doing it.
I downed it in a sloppy manner that should’ve embarrassed me, but it didn’t. Water dribbled down my chin and covered my shirt.
He watched me the whole time, and when I finished, he refilled it for me. I was on my third glass when I finally rested back on the bed, my belly hurting from being filled, my headache easing slightly.
Although I knew he still stared at me, I focused on my surroundings. Dark shades of gray, paired with a minimalistic design, decorated the room.
A fireplace was across from the bed, massive and ominous.
There was only one picture on the wall, one that hung over the mantle and showcased a dark figure standing off in the distance surrounded by an eerie forest.
Chills moved along my arms because I could imagine that figure was Matteo, a demon in the middle of the night creeping through the dark forest as if it were looking for some sacrificial virgin to offer to the very devil himself.
“Baxter left some pain pills and is going to come back in the morning to check on you. I’m going to have him check in frequently for the next few days.”
His voice drew me out of my thoughts, and I thought about his words, that demand sinking in.
“Days?” I shook my head which caused my migraine to throb harder. “I’m not staying here for days.” I closed my eyes and breathed through the discomfort.
“I’m going to make sure you’re doing okay,” he said over me, as if I hadn’t just told him I’m not doing what he said.
But on the heels of that… it was strange seeing this concern coming from Matteo. I’d only ever heard rumors about his brutality. And I’d experienced that when I offered myself up like a sacrificial lamb, and then found that out firsthand when he killed my father and brother.
“I don’t need any medication.” But as soon as those words left my mouth, my head pounded, creeping behind my skull and down the back of my neck, like claws digging into my brain.
I gritted my teeth and winced, hating that Matteo saw the reaction. I could see this tightening in his eyes, the way his muscles twitched in his jaw as he clamped it shut.
“I’m not a doctor,” he said in a low, irritated voice as if I were wasting his time. “But I know you have to get on top of the pain or it’s a never-ending cycle.” He reached into the bedside drawer and pulled out a small, brown, unlabeled pill bottle.
He popped the cap and poured two pills in his hand before getting me a fresh glass of water and then held it out.
When I didn’t move to take them from him, he leaned in close and forced me to press back against the headboard. I could smell him… his cologne, which was a dark and wild, uninhibited scent.
That had the pain in my head feeling more noticeable as something else came over me.
“Christ, Liliana.” Matteo’s voice was cold and hard with no hint of softness laced within it.
We held each other's gazes for a long moment, my heart beating like a drum.
“Take the fucking medication or I’ll force it down your throat.”
I wasn’t a fool. I knew when to fight and when I needed to survive.
And right now, I needed to do the latter.
“I could have hurt you, drugged you, and had my way with you ten times over by now if that was my goal.”
I knew he had a point. A valid one.
Without breaking eye contact, I took the pills he offered. He didn’t smile, didn’t act arrogantly because he got his way. He just kept that steely composure as I drank the water and swallowed the medication.
And when I was about to pull the glass away, only half consuming the liquid, he placed his finger under the glass, tipped it back, and forced me to finish all of it.
I stared into his dark, bottomless eyes as I drank every drop. And when I finished, he refilled it in the bathroom before setting it back on my bedside table.