Alessandro reaches for his gun. My hand covers my mouth, wondering if he’s going to shoot me. Maybe he was ordered to just now. But judging by Antonio’s body language, he seems to be worried about the same thing.
Alessandro looks him up and down, pondering him for an uncomfortably long time, then turns back to me. “Did he do anything to you?”
“Did he do anything?” I repeat the question back. My eyes stuck on his gun. If he shoots Antonio dead right here in front of me, I will not be okay. I can’t have that on my conscience. I won’t be able to handle seeing the aftermath. Him bleeding out all over the floor. Alessandro knows about my phobia. What if he leaves the body here just to fuck with me?
I can feel the color drain from my face.
“Sofia?”
“What?”
“Did he do anything to you?” This question comes out more like a growl than a human sentence.
“N..no.”
Antonio relaxes as I finally respond. “I only got out of the shower a moment ago. I didn’t know…”
“And this is what you put on?” He narrows his eyes at me. “Was the plan to flirt with my soldiers hoping someone would help you escape?”
My throat feels like it’s closing up on me as I stand there like a deer in the headlights. This was a horrible mistake. I lounge around the house like this all the time in the summer—my boobs are small, and when it’s paired with something high-waisted, it’s hardly revealing. But now I remember; people are more modest here. What the hell was I thinking?
Alessandro laughs without humor, looking me up and down one more time before putting his gun back.
“Go.” He nods his head towards the door, shooing Antonio away.
I’m happy he will not murder Antonio, but now all of his rage is going to be centered on me.
He closes the door shut, tapping his fingers and not turning to face me. I can’t tell if these theatrics are his horrible personality or if he’s trying to drag everything out just to frighten me.
He chuckles darkly as he takes a few steps towards me and then towers over me.
“I didn’t think I’d have to create this rule,” he starts. “You will never be without a shirt in front of another man again. If you break this rule, I will gouge out their fucking eyes in front of you.”
“P..please don’t.”
“Don’t? You’re in control of that, Sofia. Simply put on a shirt when there’s another man in the room and you won’t have to witness that.”
He takes the back of his hand and brushes down my arm, causing goosebumps to form. My heart pounds in my chest at his closeness as he moves on to absentmindedly touching my wet hair. “Do you remember the other rules?”
“Don’t escape. Don’t speak unless spoken to. Don’t mess with your things.”
I remember the ties and that stupid idea. Now, I desperately want to sprint back and change it to how he had it before.
“Good girl,” he whispers.
These two words have a confusing effect on my body. I shift uncomfortably, wishing I got married to an ugly man so I could simply be afraid of my new husband.
“And which of those did you break while I was away?”
“The talking one?”
“Yes.”
He chuckles again while glaring at me. I didn’t know those two things could happen simultaneously. “I can tell you’re hiding more from me. What else?”
I bite my lip and look away from him. If I keep hidden that I messed with his things on purpose, I can fix it myself and he wouldn’t know any different.
He reaches for the back of my head and tilts my head up so that I have to look him in the eyes. He’s not rough about it, but it doesn’t make it any less intimidating.
