Page 37 of Capo

He hesitates, then he grabs my elbow, surprisingly gentle. “There are always games, Miss Becker. He is not a nice man. I’m sorry.”

I blink from the unexpected words. He’s sorry? I thought he was the same as his boss. As he leads me through the hallway, I stare at the stairwell that leads to my prison, my insides shrinking, but we pass it and walk toward a heavy oak door at the end of the hallway. Ivan opens it and leads me inside a large, luxurious room, also with the same masculine feel as the bathroom. I flinch when the door closes with a heavy thud.

“I will leave you alone,” he says in his grave voice. “Go sit on the bed. Don’t try anything.” He leans closer and puts his mouth to my ear. “Or you will be punished.”

I recoil and stumble back, staring at him in horror. “I won’t. Please—” A knock on the door interrupts me. Ivan strides over, interacts with someone and then returns with a tray holding a small meal of deliciously smelling food that he puts on the floor in front of my feet.

“Eat,” he grumbles. “Take it slow. It’s all yours and no one will take it away. I’ll leave you to it.”

I stare at him one moment longer, then I sink down onto the floor, crossing my legs and throw myself over the plate. Unable to take it slow, I shove in cod, seasoned with a pinch of black pepper and bathing in melted butter, mashed potatoes, and a little pile of green beans. When I look back up, Ivan has disappeared without a sound. The food settles in my stomach like a slab of concrete, and still I’m far from satisfied. I lick off the plate, not caring if anyone watches. I need every last bit of energy I can get my hands on.

When I’m done, I stand and turn to take in the room. Is this the master bedroom? I stare at the bed and a shudder runs through me. I try the door. I must. It’s locked. Of course it is. I cross the room in a few strides and try the other door. It leads to a bathroom. No escape. A curtain catches my interest. Maybe a window? Pulling it to the side, I stare in horror at my finding. Canes of different sizes, leather cuffs, whips, and chains. My insides clench up as I see myself in them. I have no doubt he’ll use them on me. I grab one of the canes on pure instinct, thinking I can use it on him, but it’s locked in place.

“Fuck!”

Snapping the curtain closed again, I aim for a cupboard at the other side of the room. All the drawers are locked. The rest of the room only contains a set of armchairs, and a little table. I dart back into the bathroom, my heart pounding. I’m partly excited at the thought of maybe finding something I can defend myself with, and partly terrified that I will find something and that it won’t go down well. I rummage through every cupboard and drawer, but there is nothing heavy, and nothing sharp.

Finally, I give up and sink down on the edge of the bed. No one comes. Nothing happens. If this is my new prison, at least it’s a million times more livable than the old one. Weeks of too little sleep eventually get the better of me. I shuffle higher up on the bed and lie down, my eyes getting heavier.

Something jolts me awake. It’s as if the atmosphere in the room has changed, become darker, more sinister. I open my eyes and widen them, shrinking back. Salvatore sits on the edge of the bed. His hand shoots out and grabs my wrist.

“Don’t move.”

With his skin on mine, I can’t, no matter how much I want to. His voice leaves no room for pleading. There’s no mercy to be found.

“I have your brothers.”

“What?”

“They are out of prison. I have them.”

“Please! Don’t hurt them!”

His thumb strokes the soft skin on the inside of my wrist. “That is entirely up to you, Chloe.”

I can barely breathe, terror lodging itself in my chest.

“You are to obey me at all times. No fuss. No resistance, no fucking glares when you think I’m not watching.”

“What do you want with me?” I whisper, fighting to get my lips to cooperate.

“Everything. Take off your shirt.”

My free hand flies up on its own accord, clutching the shirt that I had longed for so much. Now he’s going to take it? Salvatore takes my other hand and pulls it away, then he lets me go.

“Your obedience begins as of this moment. Every time you resist me, I will cut a finger or a toe off one of your kid brothers. Between them, that’s forty strikes, then one of them dies.”

My mouth falls open. “You’re a monster.”

His eyes glitter as he laughs. “Oh yes.”

I grab the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head, dropping it next to me. “I’ll obey,” I say dully. “I’ll do what you say. I won’t make a fuss.”

A smile spreads across his fucking beautiful face. “There will be perks for you if you’re good. I won’t deny you food. You’ll get to stay in my bedroom. I might let you see the sun. You see, I can be nice too.”

I scoff and immediately regret it. “Thank you, sir,” I say and bow my head.

“Good girl. Now remove your panties too and go stand in the middle of the room. I want to see you. When you’re alone, you may use clothes. There will be more where that came from. When I’m here, though, you are to undress without me telling you.”