I shake my head, even though she can’t see me. “Not unless I’m with him for some event. I’m a prisoner in our home, but he’s at least allowed me to leave the bedroom.” I swallow hard. “For seventeen days, he locked me in a room.”
“Fuck,” she curses. “Is he as much of a monster as they say?”
“I don’t know what they say, but he’s truly heartless, Lila.” I tighten my grasp on the receiver. “I need to escape.”
“Can we help? Thiago and Enzo are in the city, seeking refuge with the Italians.”
“The Morrone family?” I ask, surprised that they’d give my brothers refuge.
“Yes, maybe we can break you out.”
I swallow hard, wanting nothing more than to say yes, but I know it would be a suicide mission. On the two occasions Adrik has taken me out of the house since our wedding, the amount of guards posted around the house and at the gate is treble anything my papá had in place before he died.
“It’s too dangerous. They guard the place like Fort Knox.”
Lila sighs. “I feel so helpless.”
“Somehow it’ll turn out okay,” I say, but I’m not sure if I mean it. Adrik has broken something inside of me and I fear I may be slowly slipping into irreparable territory.
“I guess the asshole has no intention of letting you finish med school, as he said he would before?”
“He said he doesn’t trust me enough yet to let me leave the house.” I snort, as it’s ridiculous. “But if I’m good and behave that he may consider it.”
“Bastard.”
I smile at the ferocity of her voice.
“Thiago says he shot Papá without a moment’s hesitation and you were there.”
I clear my throat as the memory resurfaces, sending shivers down my spine. That same man that pulled the trigger is the man I was lying in bed fantasizing about only half an hour ago. Sickness rolls through my gut. “Yeah.” It’s all I can say.
“I’m so sorry, Eliza.” She pauses for a moment. “I guess it would be a stupid question to ask if he’s treating you badly.”
I scoff at that. “Kind of stupid, yeah.”
“Fuck, I wish there was something I could do.”
I shake my head, gazing out of the window at the grounds surrounding the house. “There’s nothing anyone can do. I’m his wife now.” I swallow hard. “I think I’m pregnant, too.”
“You think?”
“I’m late, but I can’t bring myself to take the test.” My stomach drops as I left the test exactly where Adrik put it.
“Shit.”
“I know.” I hold my head in my hands. “I can’t bring myself to think about the possibility that I’m carrying a monster’s baby.” I spin the chair around and almost shriek in shock. “Oh shit,” I murmur, staring at those unemotional eyes as he stands in the doorway, his fists clenched by his side. “I’ve got to go.”
“He’s there, isn’t he?”
“Yeah,” I say, dropping the receiver as terror sweeps through me. He’s going to make me pay for breaking into his office, even if it was for an innocent catch up with my sister. There’s no doubt he heard my last comment, and he’s going to think I was ringing for help.
22
ADRIK
Eliza stares at me with wide eyes as she drops the receiver of the phone. Fear dilating her irises as she shuffles uncomfortably under my gaze.
I clench my jaw, her words still replaying in my mind.