Page 64 of The Don

I peek in past him and see Ruben sitting at his desk, toggling between the two monitors. “Can I...” I point toward Ruben.

He steps aside and gestures for me to enter. Ruben looks up and stands to his feet. “Amorina.” He walks around the desk and places a kiss on my cheek. The door closes behind me, and when I turn, I see Dante has left the office. “Have you eaten?” I shake my head. He places his hand to the small of my back and leads me out of the office.

“Ruben,” I start as we walk toward the dining room.

“What is it?”

“Last night.” I gulp and clear my throat. “I shouldn’t have done that to you, it’s unfair.”

“What are you talking about?”

The fact I told you I loved you. Thankfully you didn’t hear me.

I look around in case anyone is within hearing distance. “I’m a married woman.”

Ruben chuckles. “Technically, and only until I find him. Like I said, you’ll be a widow soon.” We arrive in the dining room, and he pulls the chair out for me before sitting at the head of the table. He looks at my fingers and lifts a brow. “You’re not wearing your rings.”

“I didn’t want a reminder of him, so I left them at his house.”

Maria enters the dining room, holding a vase of freshly cut flowers. She startles when she sees us. “Signore, Miss Eliza.” Maria places the flowers in the center of the table.

“They’re beautiful,” I say when I see the bright colors. A subdued floral scent drifts through the dining room. Truthfully, I’m glad she broke off the conversation Ruben and I were having. I hate speaking about Adrian, but I hate being reminded of him even more.

“They’re from the garden. Breakfast?”

“Yes, please,” I say and look over to Ruben who’s now tapping at his phone. His brows are drawn in and his mouth has thinned into a tight, stressed scowl. When Maria leaves, I clear my throat but Ruben is focused on his phone. “Is everything okay?”

His features soften when he looks up at me. “Of course.” Ruben lowers his phone and places it face down. “I need you to pack an overnight bag.”

My stomach drops and the painful memories of him pimping me out come flooding back. A boulder sits at the base of my throat. I lower my head when my eyes begin to sting with tears. “Yes, sir,” I say with a small voice.

How could I ever hope that things would be different? I thought Ruben was nothing like him. “Amorina.” Ruben places his hand over mine and squeezes. “You’re shaking.” He pushes off his chair, sweeps me into his arms, and drags me over to sit on his lap. “What is it?”

I take a moment to calm myself before looking to him. “You want to give me to one of your men.”

Ruben’s jaw flinches as he studies my face. “The only man to ever touch you again will be me.” His blazing dark eyes are locked on mine. All my worry lifts when I see his rawness. “Anyone else who touches you will die.”

My pulse quickens as heat flushes through my body. I’ve never had a man be so protective of me. This is unfamiliar territory. I lower my head in shame. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop.” He lifts his hand, grips my chin, and tilts my head to look at him. “I can’t erase the things he did, but I can promise he’ll die for them.”

My stomach churns with part excitement and relief, and part guilt. “I shouldn’t want you to do anything bad to him.”

“The choice is out of your control. It was made the moment I knew he’d lifted a hand to you.”

I sink further onto Ruben’s lap as my shoulders slump forward. “Thank you,” I whisper. I wrap my arms around him and close my eyes. His arms tighten around my trembling body. I feel so much relief and stupidity for jumping to the god-awful conclusion that Ruben isn’t offering me sanctuary. I pull back and move to sit on the chair when I hear Maria enter and place the coffees on the table. Ruben has managed to crack my hard walls just by his actions. I shouldn’t wait for the other shoe to drop, because I don’t think it ever will. Not with Ruben. “Why am I packing an overnight bag?”

Ruben cocks a brow as he holds in his smile. “Because I said so.”

A part of me wants to scream and tear my hair out, but I hold that part back and instead, change the narrative spiraling in my head. Ruben is not Adrian. “Anything in particular I should pack?”

“Whatever makes you comfortable.” Even those words aren’t what he would’ve said. He would’ve told me to pack the toys requested by his men. He would’ve told me to pack whatever outfit they wanted me to wear.

“I guess you won’t tell me where we’re going either?”

A smirk tugs at his lips as he picks his coffee up and takes a sip. “And you’d guess correctly.”

“Any hints?”