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Elijah
Her tears are all I see. I’ve been watching her cry for the last half an hour. Mrs. Chambers left after ten minutes of trying to comfort my inconsolable little Snowflake. She’s so pretty with tears streaming down her cheeks, and it’s all I can do to stop myself from storming in there and fucking her so hard she sobs for me.
My cock hardens in my jeans, and my hand twitches with the need to relieve myself, but I don’t. The next time I come, I’ll be coating my Snowflake, marking her as mine. No other man will ever touch my woman, not if they want to keep their hands attached to their body.
My phone vibrates across my desk, drawing my attention away from the beautiful woman on the screen. My lips tip up into a smile. I’ve been expecting this call for hours, but it’s taken him longer than I thought it would.
“Storm,” I say evenly.
“My sister is missing. Can you let your guys know to keep an eye out for her?” He hates asking me for anything. Hell, he hates this whole arrangement, but that’s nothing compared to how much he’s going to hate what’s going to happen next.
“I don’t need to.”
Storm sighs, and an image of him sitting behind his desk, massaging his temples with frustration, pops into my mind. “Look, Elijah. We agreed to this truce because it was mutually beneficial, but if you’re not going to be helpful, you can shove—”
“I don’t need to tell my guys shit because I know exactly where Snow is.”
Silence greets me on the other end of the phone and my eyes find their way back to Snow as she crosses the room to the soup Mrs. Chambers left for her. Maybe she’s realized I would have no reason to drug her again, not when I’ve already got her at my mercy. She has to be hungry, and I’m relieved I’m not going to have to pin her down and force-feed her.
“Where is she, Elijah?” he growls.
“She’s safe,” I assure him. “I’ll have her call you in the morning.”
“You’ll put her on the phone right this fucking minute, or I’ll come down there and slit your fucking throat.” The menace in his words only makes me smile more. He’ll be seeing this as an attack on all of them, but really, it’s just me claiming something that belongs to me.
“She’s safe, Storm. I’m not going to hurt her. She’s warm, and fed, and comfortable. I will have her call you tomorrow, but I won’t wake her just to calm your rage. I suggest that when you speak to her in the morning, that you’re calm and rational, because if you upset her, it will be the last call you have.” I end the call and turn the phone toDo Not Disturb. He can call as much as he likes, but he won’t be speaking to Snow tonight.
The bowl is empty by the time I look up at the screen again and she’s crawled back into the bed beneath the sheets. She looks tiny in such a large bed, and I can’t help but smile at the fact she’s decided to stay in her jeans. I thought it would go a long way to build trust if I didn’t change her while she was unconscious, but surely she’s not comfortable.
I stare at the screen until her breathing evens out and a soft snore comes through the speaker. As if the cameras weren’t enough, I wanted the closest thing I could get to being inside her pretty mind. I push the chair away from the desk and stalk out of the room I use as an office, making my way toward the wing of the house with the bedrooms. Mine is right next to the one Snow is asleep in, but it won’t be long before she’s moving in with me. Once I’ve eased her into her new life, she’ll spend every night wrapped up in my arms.
I hesitate by her door for a moment, my hand twitching to reach for the key hanging on the wall. I should let her sleep. It’s been a big day for her, but my body is drawn to her. Finally having Snow within my reach after so many years of planning makes me greedy. I’ve waited for what feels like a lifetime. So many times I considered throwing in the whole plan and running away with her, far away from our families and their influence, but now I have her here, I’m glad I waited. The moment I took her, all restraint should have diminished, but I find myself caring about something I’ve never given a fuck about before. Someone else’s feelings. It’s foreign to me, like waking up in another country where I don’t speak the language, but I welcome the unfamiliar feeling.
I reach for the key and quietly unlock the door. I don’t want to wake her, but the pull to be close to her is more than I can fight. And I shouldn’t have to fight my baser needs anymore, not when I can be as close to Snow as I like now. No more living in the shadows. No more staring at her from the other end of the bar or bumping into her on the street just so I can get a whiff of her perfume. No, those days are over. She’s mine now. All fucking mine.
Snow is curled up in the middle of the bed, the blankets tucked around her as if they’ll do anything to protect her. I suppose the illusion of safety is enough to allow her tired body to rest.
The steady rise and fall of her shoulder brings me comfort as I cross to the chair she sat in and cried about the loss of her freedom. She doesn’t understand yet, but she will. If she can just be patient and give herself to me, she will be freer than she has ever been in her life. There won’t be any ivory tower for my woman because she'll be standing right by my side, ruling our kingdom.
She’ll fight at first, defying the loss of her independence, but soon she’ll see how good it can be.
I stare at her for hours, even staying put through a nightmare despite my need to comfort her. Being so close to her without being able to touch her is so familiar it’s like breathing, but it’s harder to restrain myself now. But I won’t have to for much longer. Soon she’ll know all about the future I’ve planned for us, and once she comes to terms with it, there will never be another moment I hesitate to touch her.
It’s not until the sun starts to pool through the open window that I slip out of the room, heading to my own to shower and change. Today’s the day I finally claim my woman.
9
Snow
Igroan as I tug the pillow over my head. Why is the sun so bright this morning? Normally it doesn’t hit my side of the house until late morning, and surely I didn’t sleep that long.
My eyes snap open as memories filter back through my mind. The bar. Being drugged. The tattooed man. Waking up in a room that’s too similar to my childhood bedroom. Each memory is a kick to my stomach, making it impossible to suck in a breath.
I’m not at home. Someone kidnapped me. I have no idea where I am, or if I’ll see my family again. All I know is that somewhere in this house there’s a woman named Mary who held me while I cried but denied me my freedom. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this. I’ve never had anything to do with the darker sides of the family business, only participating when absolutely necessary. But what I do know is that all our threats have been neutralized. We have no enemies right now, and maybe that’s why I’m so anxious. At least if Angelo Russo was still alive, I could surmise it was him who had orchestrated my kidnapping. But being in the dark, having no idea where I am or whose hands my fate lies in, it has a sense of dread washing over me and nausea bubbling in my belly.
Slowly I sit up and look at my surroundings again. Maybe I missed something last night. The light of day is meant to bring new opportunities, new hope, but as my eyes cast across the familiar setting, all I feel is dejected by my new reality. All I can do is hope my brothers come and save me, because they’re my only chance of getting out of here.
The door swings open just like it did last night, and again Mary strolls in with a wide smile on her face. I wonder idly if this is how I’ll wake up every morning or if this ruse is to lead me into a false sense of security, and soon, I'll find myself locked in some kind of dirty basement. Although, in most cases, that would be the option I would suspect, I don’t think that’s the case here. Why would someone go to all this effort to make the room look exactly the same as my bedroom at home? Why would they source all the same products, buy all the same toiletries, right down to my favorite perfume Mom had bought for me when I turned eighteen, if they only intended for me to stay here for a night or two?
