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“Eat.” I bit out the command, frustrated with her fearful reaction. Even though I didn’t like it, intimidating her was necessary. Marisol couldn’t survive on her own, and I’d do whatever it took to keep her here with me.
My tactic worked. As soon as the terse command left my lips, she immediately jolted and grabbed the sandwich. She shoved it into her mouth with too much force, but as soon as the food hit her tongue, she closed her eyes on a low moan and slowed to savor the flavor. I wasn’t much of a cook, and the meal was beyond basic. She must’ve been starving.
I swallowed down a growl, restraining myself from scaring her again.
Later, I’d make her tell me more about her past and how she’d ended up fleeing for her life. Her situation must’ve been truly hopeless for her to risk the journey on her own. Her reckless actions could only have been fueled by desperation and terror. She’d been running for a long time, but I’d make her see that she didn’t have to run anymore.
I wouldn’t let her.
Chapter 9
Marisol
I lingered in Raúl’s mind-bogglingly enormous shower for a long time, but the hot water supply seemed to be endless. The pounding heat against my sore muscles felt like the most exquisite massage. My body ached from the unrelenting tension of my fearful flight from Raúl, and the powerful spray slowly soothed me.
I was careful to keep my head free from the strongest parts of the water pressure, mindful of the cut that’d split open when Daniel had shoved me against the glass coffee table. The area was still tender, but the pain was muted by the exhaustion that’d rolled back over me.
The gnawing hunger in my gut had finally eased, sated by the sandwich Raúl had made for me. Now that I’d eaten and rehydrated, weariness settled into my bones. As the water relaxed me, my eyelids drooped, and it became harder to open them again every time I blinked. Even the sharp sting of soap hitting the scrapes on my knees wasn’t enough to jolt me to full awareness.
I couldn’t remember when I’d banged my knees. During the fight with Daniel? Or the attack by the thief in Juárez?
It didn’t matter. The cuts and bruises would heal up. For now, I had food in my belly and a safe place to sleep. The plush, enormous bed in the next room tempted me out of the warm shower. It was Raúl’s bed, but that didn’t deter me. Earlier, I’d balked at the prospect of being kept in his bedroom. But at this point, I could’ve slept on a concrete slab. I believed that he wouldn’t molest me, and I so desperately wanted to sink into that soft bed.
The fluffy white towel that waited for me on a hook outside the shower was the most decadent thing I’d ever wrapped around my body. I blew out a long, satisfied sigh as I allowed myself several minutes to luxuriate in the lush pleasure of a bath linen that probably cost more than my most expensive party dress back home.
The thought of my beloved, abandoned home cut through my indulgent moment like a knife to my heart, and I quickly finished drying myself off.
One of Raúl’s huge, black shirts waited for me on the counter. He’d provided me with spare toiletries, but of course, he didn’t have any women’s clothes stored in his home. From what I’d seen so far, this house was almost aggressively masculine— all hard, cold lines framing cavernous, empty spaces. I hadn’t noticed a single trace of a soft, feminine touch.
I’d never wondered about Raúl’s relationship status before, but a strange sense of calm blanketed my frayed nerves at the confirmation that another woman hadn’t left her mark on his personal space. My fierce protector was focused solely on me.
The warm glow at my core should’ve disturbed me, but I was too tired to worry over it. I had a safe place to sleep tonight. That was all that mattered.
Even when I’d been held hostage in Stefano Duarte’s building, Raúl hadn’t been close enough to defend me if someone had chosen to attack me in the night. I’d lived in the staff quarters, surrounded by strangers who had no moral issue with working for a dangerous drug lord. I hadn’t experienced a peaceful night’s sleep since I’d fled from my family home.
But tonight, Raúl was the only person nearby, and I had no doubt that he’d destroy anyone who might dare to threaten me. The promise of deep, restful sleep was a lifeline I badly needed.
I tugged Raúl’s shirt over my head, loving the simple luxury of the soft material draping over my bare skin. I didn’t have any spare underwear, but the shirt that fit his massive frame swaddled me, dropping all the way to my knees. It was more comfortable that the nicest sleeping gown I’d ever owned, and it was definitely long enough to cover my most vulnerable areas.
