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Someone was trying to come into the apartment.
At first, she thought she hadn’t heard it. Stepping around the corner, she looked down at the door and the unmistakable jarring of the doorknob could be seen.
Without thinking, she rushed toward Raphael’s room. She’d opened and closed the closet as the front door flung open. Keeping all fear locked up inside, she found the door. It was hidden, and she crawled inside. The space was so small. There was a lock from the inside and as she closed it, she was careful not to make a sound as she slid the lock into place.
It wasn’t dirty.
The space had been carefully designed to keep someone here, for someone to hide. Had Raphael done this before? Did he go around saving women who’d been taken by his father? Did he make a habit out of this?
She didn’t know what to think as she curled her legs close to her. If he helped people, it only made her like him a lot more. Or had he done this for her?
She liked him a great deal but her feelings for him made no sense. He owned her, at least he did while ever she lived with him.
Stop thinking now.
You can’t even read or write.
There’s no chance he would ever want someone like you.
She’d seen the sophisticated woman he was supposed to marry. Raphael was a king in their world and would marry a queen. A woman who deserved him. Who had the power to rule over his kingdom.
It didn’t matter that he’d given her a name, a chance. She was still no one and would always be. Nothing changed that.
Pressing her forehead against her knee, she waited, listening. Whoever invaded his home was inside his room. She heard the closet door open. The light clicked on. Whoever designed this room did a good job. Only distinctive sounds were easy to detect.
The cell phone?
She’d forgotten it.
Fuck!
Chapter Five
One of the few places Raphael hated to go was the docks. It was full of crooks and criminals. During the day, it always tested the loyalty of the cops who were on their payroll.
He slammed his car door closed, aware of his soldiers checking out the area. They weren’t his father’s men. They were the ones he’d picked and their loyalty belonged to him and him alone.
Antonio arrived seconds later. If their little enforcer was here, it meant this wasn’t girls this time.
His father liked to deal with the girls down at the docks before shipping them out. It was where he made his assessments, taking the best ones for himself, and the ones who’d bring in good money at the brothels.
Elenore hadn’t come on a boat.
She’d arrived at his father’s house, a cold, shivering girl who’d blossomed into a beautiful woman. Even when she first arrived, Raphael remembered being drawn to her. Her hair hadn’t been the length it was now. Someone had hacked it off when she first arrived. His father had made him watch as he’d given her the rundown of how things were going to be and what it meant to be owned by a Giavanni.
Her enslavement had started and now, she was in his apartment, and as far as his father was concerned, dead.
Did he miss her? The scars on her body indicated she’d been a favorite of his.
Raphael did get a hot flush of pleasure knowing he’d taken something precious away from the bastard, but he had no intention of hurting her.
No, he was going to set her free, all he needed in place was time and people on his side. That was all he required. As soon as he did, Elenore would be safe and he’d be able to give her a choice.
“What are you doing here?” Raphael asked.
“I’m guessing drug bust, or a couple of traitors if I’m here.”
“Sounds fair.”
“You okay?”
“Fine.”
“You want to talk about what’s bothering you?”
“No. Nothing is bothering me.” They walked down to the main docks where his father stood with his most loyal of soldiers and he noticed Gino stood close as well. When had his uncle started coming to these kinds of meetings? What was more, why did his uncle look like he had his own entourage of people? Four men were tied to chairs, all of them bleeding from the face. One of them looked like they’d pissed themselves.
“Ah, Raphael, Antonio, it’s a pleasure for you to finally join us.” He heard the affection for Antonio.
“Traffic was a bitch,” Raphael said.
“I imagine it was. Now, these four men, they seem to think it’s easy for several hundred grams of good-quality Giavanni coke to go missing. I ask them how this is possible. I have a deal in place. I know what I pay for, and what I’m supposed to get. They have me convinced this is what was sent to me. I’m old but I’m not stupid.”
