Lorenzo pivots back to me, his expression smoothing into something colder.
“Go upstairs,” he repeats, voice quieter now. “Stay in your room.”
I plant my feet. “Make me.”
His eyes narrow, but then he smiles.
“Oh . . .” He leans in so close his mouth brushes the shell of my ear without quite touching. “Don’t tempt me, Little Bird. I’m trying very hard to keep you alive.”
My stomach drops.
He pulls back, gaze dragging over my face. Then he turns on his heel and heads for the door like the conversation is finished.
I stand there, breathing hard, watching him.
He pauses at the threshold, one hand on the door, and glances back over his shoulder.
“Don’t test the guards tonight. I won’t be here to stop them from being stupid.”
Then he’s gone.
The front door shuts, and I realize I’ve been holding my breath like I expected something else to happen.
I’m still standing in the foyer when I hear footsteps, then hushed voices. A maid passes with a tray in trembling hands. Her gaze meets mine for a split second, and in that glance, there’s fear so raw it makes my stomach churn. Not fear of me.Fear of him.Maybe I should be scared of Lorenzo, too.
I’m not, though, and that should be alarming.
Despite what I was ordered, I don’t go upstairs right away.
Instead, I drift through the hallways like I’m mapping the mansion.
Eventually, I find my way back upstairs, then slip back into my room and close the door quietly.
I wonder when Lorenzo will be home.
Home.
What a funny word.
This isn’t my home, yet despite being caged here, I do feel safe, so maybe it is.
Because Lorenzo is protecting me. While he’s currently planning a war, he still thinks of my safety.
I should feel scared, but ironically, I trust Lorenzo to keep me safe. And while I might want to fight him, I know that whatever is happening outside these walls . . .
It’s bigger than me.
And for the first time since the wedding, the fear in my chest isn’t just about what Lorenzo might do to me.
It’s about what someone might do to him.
And I hate myself for that.
45
Victoria
The library isthe only room in this house that doesn’t make me feel like I’m suffocating.
