8
Aleksandra
Antonio hasn’t come back to visit me tonight. I’m not sure why I thought he would. He’s made it clear that he’s swamped, and I’m not his top priority.
Fine, but why keep us here against our will?
Antonio sends a guard to my room a few hours after I’ve turned over my list.
There’s a rough knock, and I wait for someone to come barging in as Antonio did earlier.
“Ma’am?” a voice travels through the wooden door.
This guy has manners. I stand and head for the door with a heavy sigh, tugging at the handle.
It’s unlocked.
“For you and the kids,” he says, handing me four full bags of clothes. How long does Antonio plan on keeping us locked up inside his home? There’s several weeks’ worth of clothes in these bags.
“Is that all?” I’m mildly joking, and I don’t expect anything else, except maybe an answer that I’m not likely to get from Antonio or his men.
“No, there are several more bags and a few boxes of toys downstairs,” the guard says.
He doesn’t so much as crack a grin.
At least the kids will be relieved to have toys, something to do. A few sheets of paper in their backpacks kept them occupied coloring for an hour. It’s longer than I expected for the two of them to stay out of trouble.
I bring the bags into my bedroom and toss the contents onto the bed, sorting through everything. The sizing is correct, and I’m sure my cheeks are burning when I notice the undergarments buried in the new clothes.
They’re colorful and lacy. Now, why the hell would he think I’d need matching panty sets that are sexy?
There’s no way Antonio is ever seeing me naked again.
The kids’ clothes fit into a separate bag that I’ve dumped onto my bed. I fold their clothes and stack them to carry into the adjoining room.
“I’m bored,” Sophia whines as I carry her new outfits into the room.
“Me too,” Liam joins in.
“Great, you can help put your clothes away inside the dresser.” I open the bottom drawer and let the twins shuffle their clothes in, although they spend more time unfolding each item and admiring it before stuffing it into the drawer.
Sophia is enthralled with the bright purple sparkly sweater and colorful shirts. Liam is amazed by the T-Rex and dinosaurs on his new pajamas. Somehow, Antonio has managed to win them over.
“Ma’am,” the guard calls from the other bedroom. He must be standing near the door.
I head through the adjoining door to greet him. He’s carrying a huge open cardboard box with new toys filled past the top.
“Wow, you guys really overdid it,” I say.
I’m not sure what to say. For a kidnapper, they’re being too nice. Are they trying to win over my kids’ affections?
“Don Moretti wanted the twins to be well cared for, and you as well,” he says.
“Antonio?” It’s strange to hear him referred to as don.
“Yes,” the guard says.
“I didn’t get your name,” I say as I take the box from him. Perhaps if I try to win him over, he can help us get out of here.