"I found your list," I say, pulling the paper from my pocket.
"Good. Questions?"
"Several." I unfold it deliberately. "Starting with number one. What constitutes an escort? Can I walk to the kitchen alone, or do I need a security detail to go to the bathroom?"
Mila snorts with laughter. "You don't need help going potty."
"Your confidence is reassuring," I tell her solemnly.
Dante's mouth twitches, but his voice remains neutral. "The gardens are acceptable. The perimeter is not."
"Define perimeter."
"The fence line."
"And if I want to leave the perimeter?"
"Then you ask permission."
"From you."
"Yes."
I fold the list back up, fighting to keep my voice level. "So I'm a prisoner."
"You're under protection."
"Same thing."
"Not even close." He moves closer, and I catch the scent of the expensive cologne and something darker, more dangerous. Most smells trigger my nausea, but his scent just makes me want to bask in it for hours. I inhale through my nose. "Protection keeps you alive. Prison just keeps you contained."
"And what's to stop me from walking out that front door right now?"
"Nothing," he says quietly. "Except the fact that you won't make it to the gate."
The casual way he says it makes my blood run cold. "Is that a threat?"
"It's a fact." He sips his coffee. "There are people who want to hurt you, Hannah. People who would use you to send a message to your father and to me. Here, you're safe. Out there, you're a target."
"Maybe I'm willing to take that risk."
"Maybe I'm not willing to let you."
The words hang between us, loaded with implications I don't want to examine too closely. Mila continues eating her pancakes, blissfully unaware of the tension crackling through the air.
"I need fresh air," I announce, standing abruptly.
"The gardens?—"
"Are acceptable, yes, I heard you."
Maria puts a cup of hot water down in front of me along with honey, several tea bags in varying flavors and a spoon. It’s all so formal.
“Thank you.”
A moment later, a plate of pancakes is slid in front of me.
“Eat,” Dante says. “I have a meeting. Remember the rules.”
