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Like I only see the parts of him he wants me to see.
It’s a ridiculous thought. I don’t yet know everything he does with his time as a mob boss, but I know it takes priority to listening to the drone of the top 40 hits.
It probably wasn’t even him, I decide, trying to put him out of my thoughts.
When I return to my room, its dimensions don’t feel quite as small as they once did.
Waiting for dinner, I take out a piece of sketch paper and begin to make a list of requests.
Salvatore has shown that he might give me what I want if I ask, even beyond material things, but I’ve been enjoying my time around the house too much to dare test the boundaries of how far that goes.
When I put my pencil down, my demands are as follows:
Time outside at least 2 days a week.
Help in the kitchen with Ava.
Trips outside the house with Salvatore, at least once a month.
A weekly phone call with my father.
Kay will attend my wedding as my maid of honor.
I am the very definition of give an inch, take a mile.
At the very least, maybe he’ll listen to me if I try to negotiate with him, instead of doing something dramatic like planning another escape.
Dressing up a little might help my case. I may not be the most persuasive speaker, but that’s what cleavage is for. I open the wardrobe to pick out a dress that says, ‘nod and act like you’re listening to me,’ but I’m taken by surprise. A dress is hanging on the inside door hook.
My heart catches in my throat at the sight of it. Kay’s dress. The one she bought for me on my birthday. I take it down, shocked to see the fabric at the front is seamless and unripped. I could almost believe it was a replacement, but I see the slight alterations on the inside of the garment where the damage has been repaired. From the front, you would never know.
The last time I saw this, it was on Salvatore’s floor. I don’t understand how it could have ended up here, as good as new and freshly cleaned, unless…
I curl my fingers around the edges of the dress, heart aching. I tell myself over and over that it isn’t kindness. Salvatore doesn’t do kindness. He only does leverage.
Even if he’s letting me out of my cage like taking the dog for a walk, he’s still a murderer.
A monster.
