"Dante Moretti is the most powerful man in New York, child. He controls everything that happens in this city the legal and the illegal.
People fear him because crossing him means death. But" She hesitated. "He's not without mercy. He has rules. Lines he won't cross. You're safer with him than you would have been with any other man at that auction."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?"
"It's supposed to help you understand."
Rosa's eyes were kind but sad. "Make no mistake Mr. Moretti is dangerous. But he's also honorable in his own way. Don't give him reason to punish you, and you might find life here isn't as terrible as you imagine."
After she left, I picked at the food, my appetite gone. Safer than other options didn't mean safe. And honorable or not, Dante Moretti had still bought me like property.
I was just finishing my coffee when the door opened again.
Without knocking this time.
Dante stood in the doorway, dressed in a different suit than last night charcoal grey with a black shirt underneath. His dark hair was slightly damp, like he'd recently showered. He looked even more devastating in daylight.
And even more dangerous.
"Good morning, Isabella." His grey eyes swept over me in the silk pajamas, and I felt exposed despite being covered. "I trust you slept well?"
"What do you want?" I demanded, standing up.
"To discuss the terms of your stay here." He walked into the room like he owned it. Which he did. He owned everything, including me. "Sit."
"I'd rather stand."
"That wasn't a request." His voice didn't rise, but the authority in it was absolute.
I sat. Hating myself for it, but sitting nonetheless.
Dante remained standing, his hands in his pockets, looking down at me like a king addressing a subject.
"Here are the rules," he began. "First, you don't leave this estate without my permission and my escort. The grounds are secure, but beyond the gates, you're a target. Every enemy I have would love to get their hands on something I value."
"I'm not something you value. I'm just property you bought."
"Don't interrupt." His tone was mild, but his eyes flashed warning. "Second, you don't ask questions about my business. What I do, where I go, who I see none of that concerns you. Third, you will be respectful to my staff. They're under my protection, and disrespecting them is disrespecting me."
"And if I break these rules?"
"Then I'll punish you." He said it so calmly, like he was discussing the weather. "I don't want to, Isabella. But I will if necessary."
"What kind of punishment?" My voice shook.
"That depends on the transgression." He moved closer, and I fought the urge to lean away. "But understand this I'm not a patient man. I've built my empire on respect and fear. If you defy me publicly, I'll have to make an example of you. If you defy me privately…" He trailed off, letting my imagination fill in the blanks. "Let's just say it's better for both of us if you learn to obey."
"You want me to be your obedient little slave." Anger surged through my fear. "Bow down and worship you like everyone else does."
To my surprise, he smiled. "I want you to be smart enough to survive. There's a difference."
"And what about" I swallowed hard, forcing out the question that had been terrifying me all night. "What about… what you'll expect from me? In terms of…" I couldn't say it.
"Sex?" Dante finished for me, raising an eyebrow. "Is that what you're asking?"
My face burned, but I nodded.
He was silent for a long moment, studying me with those unreadable grey eyes. Then he moved even closer, until he was standing directly in front of me, so close I had to tilt my head back to meet his gaze.
"I don't force women, Isabella." His voice was low, almost gentle. "When you come to my bed and you will come to my bed it will be because you want to. Because you're begging me to touch you."
"That will never happen."
"Won't it?" He reached out and tucked a strand of my wet hair behind my ear, the gesture strangely intimate. "You're already attracted to me. I can see it in the way your breath catches when I'm near. The way your pulse races." His fingers trailed down to rest against my throat, where my heartbeat was indeed racing. "Your mind might hate me, but your body knows what it wants."
I jerked back, breaking the contact. "You're delusional."
"I'm observant." He straightened, putting distance between us again. "But I'm also patient. You'll come to me when you're ready. Until then, you're free to explore the house and grounds. The library is extensive if you enjoy reading. There's a gym, a pool, a theater. Consider yourself a guest rather than a prisoner."
"A guest who can't leave."
"A guest who's protected." His tone hardened. "You have no idea what those men at the auction would have done to you, Isabella. The Russian who brought you there? He runs trafficking rings throughout Europe. Girls disappear into his network and are never seen again. The man who bid five million? He's known for his… particular tastes. Women who go home with him don't come home whole."
My stomach turned. "And you're so much better?"
"Yes." There was no arrogance in the word, just cold fact. "I'm a criminal, Isabella. I don't pretend otherwise. But I have a code.
Women and children are off-limits. I don't deal in drugs or trafficking. I don't prey on the innocent." He moved toward the door. "You might not believe this now, but I saved you last night. The alternative would have been far worse than anything you'll experience here."
"You keep saying that, but you still own me. Still treat me like property."
He paused at the door, looking back at me. "I paid ten million dollars for you, Isabella. That makes you the most expensive thing I own. I protect my investments." His eyes softened almost imperceptibly. "And whether you believe it or not, I will protect you. From others and from yourself."
"I don't need your protection."
"Yes, you do." He opened the door. "Rosa will bring you clothes this afternoon. Join me for dinner tonight at seven. The dining room is on the first floor she'll show you." He started to leave, then stopped. "Oh, and Isabella? Don't try to escape. It won't end well."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a fact. My guards have orders to bring you back unharmed. But the world beyond these gates?" He shook his head. "Full of people who would love to get their hands on Dante Moretti's newest acquisition. They wouldn't be as gentle as I am."