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“Ha. Perhaps, but important, nonetheless.” When she fell quiet, he didn’t push the issue. There was something to be said for the comfortable quiet between them.
“How many others have you had?” she asked after a while.
It was a fair question, and if he wanted to build trust between them, giving her an honest answer seemed the best place to start. “Long-term? Three. There have been others for a play session here and there, to take the edge off.”
“I had no idea. You’re very good at keeping secrets.”
“Indeed. My own, as well as others’.” He let the implication hang between them, and hoped it would sink in.
When the water began to cool, he nudged her to a sitting position and lathered a washcloth. The scrub of the cloth over her skin seemed to soothe her, and her eyes were drifting closed again when he lifted her from the tub.
“You need to eat,piccolina,” he chided gently, wrapping her in the towel and carrying her back to the bedroom.
“Don’t wanna.”
“Eat and drink a little, and Daddy will let you sleep soon.” Sitting at the table where Benny had laid out the roast chicken and vegetables he’d requested for dinner, he settled her on his lap. He opted for piling enough food for both of them onto a single plate.
“Open,piccolina.”
At his soft command, her lips parted, and he placed a forkful of chicken in her mouth. He fed them both, alternating bites of vegetables and chicken for each of them until Amara waved him off and dropped her head on his shoulder. Emilio fed himself the rest of their dinner with her curled up on his lap, dead asleep.
As if on cue, there was a soft knock at the door and Benny peeked around the corner. “I brought some milk, sir. I thought Miss Amara might like some.”
“Thank you, Benny. You can come in.”
In that silent, stealthy way he had, Benny carried the tray to the table. The bright red cup adorned with polar bears made Emilio grin. “Where did you find that?”
“I picked it up this morning, while I was running errands. She doesn’t strike me as the pink type,” Benny whispered, giving the sleeping woman on Emilio’s lap an approving smile.
“Very astute.”
“Have you learned anything new?”
“No. It almost doesn’t matter anymore. I’m still curious as to what was in the syringe, but I’m not sure I even care about the why at this point. I’m more interested in figuring out how to keep her here.”
“Gio won’t be happy.”
“I can handle Giorgio Vitali. Has he been back?”
“No. And isn’t that rather odd?”
“Very. He should have been back, pounding down my door when she never showed up at home. Which makes me wonder what he’s up to.”
“Would you like me to have the men move to a full lockdown?”
“Yes. Nobody in or out without my approval. Including family.” The odds of someone within his own organization turning on him weren’t as astronomical as he would have liked.
“Very well.”
He waited for the door to close behind Benny to rouse his sleepy charge. “Wake up,piccolina. Benny brought you a treat.”
“Tired,” she whined, burying her face into his neck.
“I promise after this I’ll tuck you into bed. Sit up, sweetheart.”
Whining the entire way, she sat up and glared at him. “Wanna go to bed.”
“I know, princess. Drink this and you can go right to bed.” He held up the small red cup, eliciting a squeal of delight from her.
