Page 19 of The Don

“Amorina?” The crying stops. I open the cupboard and find her wedged and huddled on the floor with one arm wrapped around her knees and her other hand over her mouth.

Fuck.

She looks up at me, and her entire body is shaking. “I’m sor-sorry,” she gurgles between sobs. “I’m trying.”

I bend and lift her out of the cupboard. Her slight body vibrates against mine. “Shhh, don’t apologize.” Why is she hiding in the cupboard? What was so bad that she thinks she needs to hide? Storm trots beside me as I carry her up to my bedroom. Once in my room, I close the door with my foot and sit on the bed with a shaking Eliza on my lap. “What happened?”

Eliza buries her head into my neck. Her hot breath caressing my skin as her quivering lessens. “I’m sorry,” she repeats in a shaky voice.

I smooth her hair and place a kiss to the top of her head. “Did any of my men hurt you, Amorina?” I’ll gut them if they did.

She shakes her head and whispers, “No.”

Is this all because of Adrian? The sooner I find him, the better it’ll be for my girl. “Why were you in the cupboard?” My hands cup her face and tilt it up. “What happened?” I ask in a gentler voice.

She shakes her head and peeks her pink tongue out to wet her lips. “It’s stupid,” she says as she wipes at her shimmering eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. “I’m sorry.” She moves to push off me, but I snake my arm around her back and keep her in place.

“What happened?” I push.

“The men in the office...” Eliza lowers her eyes. I’m already playing the scene out in my head. I’ll walk in there and lay an entire clip into them. “They scared me.”

“What did they do?” my voice is tense.

“Nothing. They did nothing at all.”

What the fuck? “I don’t understand,” I say, completely perplexed.

She taps her temple. “They asked me what I wanted and I froze. They’re respectful, and spoke nicely, but they’re two men I don’t know in the safe space you gave me and I panicked. I tried so hard to not let it get to me, but I...” Eliza’s shaking her head as her eyes fill with tears again. “I did what I used to do.” Eliza’s trembling against me, although she’s trying not to.

“You hid,” I say with a daunting realization. She’s even more fucked up than I imagined. “What did he do to you?” Eliza shakes her head furiously before covering her face with her hands to conceal her pain. “I’ve got you,” I whisper and kiss her hair again while holding her tight.

That fucker has screwed my girl up. Whatever he’s done to her, he better be prepared to receive the same treatment from me when I find him.

Storm nudges Eliza and she extends her hand for him. She smiles down toward Storm and straightens. Once she’s wiped her cheeks, she pushes up off me and walks over toward the door. “If it’s okay with you, I...” she pauses as she points toward her room. “I’m not sure I’m ready to speak with the men who are renovating the office.”

I stand from the bed and approach her. “I’ll come with you, then once you’ve told them what you want, you can come to my office with me.” She looks down to Storm, then to me. “With the dog.”

Eliza’s shoulders soften, and she offers me a tiny smile. “Thank you.”

This woman is fucking broken.

As will Adrian be, once I find him.

Chapter five

Ruben

“Maria, you’re awake early,” I say as I head into the kitchen for a coffee.

“I could say the same thing about you.” She looks over her shoulder and arches a brow. “Caffe?”

“I’d appreciate one.”

“Sit.” She points over to the stools at the island counter.

I walk over and drag out a chair. She makes quick work and places a coffee on the counter. “Thank you,” I say as I pick the coffee up and take a sip.

“How’s Miss Eliza?” Maria has a large pot on the range and is cutting tomatoes and plonking them in. “She’s a quiet girl, signore.”