His Gift

So maybe Miles didn’t leave me completely, but he also didn’t say anything about where he was going, or how long he’d be gone. Where did he go? The thought of being taken by one of his men, of not having him here to protect me, it terrifies me more than anything.

What if someone hurts me while he’s gone?

I don’t say anything as Daniel slowly pushes the door open and walks into the room, carrying a tray with an assortment of breakfast items on it. My stomach growls at the sight of the food as he sets it down on the tiny table near the bed.

Swallowing, I force myself to remain calm as the question I want to ask rolls off my tongue, “Where-where is he? And when is he coming back?” I ask.

“Business,” he replies, looking everywhere but at me, “if you need anything, there is a man posted at the end of the hall. Please only come out if it is an emergency or you’re in dire need of something.”

“Is… Is he coming back for me?” I don’t know why I ask this man the question, maybe because I’m desperate or maybe because I want to ease my mind while waiting for Miles to return. Either way, I’m shocked when he responds.

“He will be back. You need to eat…” he gestures to the plate. “I’ll come back in a bit to get the plate.” The look he gives me then is one of guilt, “If you make trouble, I will call Miles.”

Call Miles? That relieves me a little, to know he is a mere phone call away. I bite the inside of my cheek. Knowing that there isn’t much this Daniel man can do to help me, I nod my head in understanding. And still, the thought lingers in my mind: I don’t want to be Miles’s prisoner; I want to be his equal.

“Eat,” he orders and then walks out of the room, exiting just as quietly as he entered. My thoughts swirl as soon as I’m alone again, the walls closing in on me.

What if he doesn’t want me anymore? What if all he wanted was my virginity, and now that he’s got it, I’m nothing to him anymore?

Feeling vulnerable, I force my legs to carry me back to the bed. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I stare at the food on the plate. Orange juice, bacon, eggs, and French toast. It looks delicious, but my appetite has disappeared and is replaced with uncertainty.

Why didn’t he wake me up before he left? Because he doesn’t want you. Something inside me says. All my life, I’ve been unwanted, shuffled from place to place, never really loved by the people who were supposed to care for me. I’ve always been a nuisance to those around me. Tears sting my eyes again, and this time I let them fall.

Sobbing, I wrap my arms around my middle, drowning in my fears.

Sitting there, I devise a plan. As soon as he gets here, I’ll beg him to keep me. I’ll tell him that I will do whatever he wants, so long as he keeps me as his and no one else’s.

Yes, that may make me sound desperate, but the last place I want to end up is in the club he owns as a stripper or sold back to Drake or some other vicious man. Yes, Miles is scary, huge, and intimidating, but he’s never tried to hurt me.

He’s always been gentle and kind. My thoughts drift to last night, and the care he used as he took me, owning my body. He went slow even though I know he wanted to rut into me, and when it was all said and done, he held me in his arms, whispering sweet nothings into my ear until I fell asleep snuggled against him.

Last night, I was certain we were both falling in love. Now, I’m not so sure, now I wonder if giving myself to him was a mistake, if I should’ve held out longer. Or maybe it was just inevitable. Confusion ignites in my mind. If he wanted to get rid of me, he would’ve done that by now, but why leave without warning, after everything that happened last night?

My thoughts are interrupted when the bedroom door creaks open and a man I’ve never seen before enters.

“Rose, is it?” he asks, his eyes are dark, almost black, but beneath that darkness is something else and before I can pinpoint it, it’s gone.

“Yes,” I answer in a hushed voice. I don’t recall Daniel saying another man would come in, but maybe something came up, and he couldn’t get my plate?

“Good.” He grins, and the smile that pulls at his lips is frightening and a lot like staring into the face of a lion seconds before it rips into you. You want to run, but you just can’t because running will mean they chase you.