Ryder's Claim (Mafia Heirs 2)

My blood chills at the thought. "Don't involve my child in your schemes."

She laughs as if I've just told a joke, throwing her head back. "You don't have a choice, Aurora. Once the baby is safely delivered, you'll stay here and fulfill your destiny."

"What destiny?"

"All for you to discover, cara," she winks, giving me the chills. "But for now, you're safe. You have a few more months. My advice? Don't get attached to that child. It's not yours to keep."

She leaves no room for me to argue, leaving my suite. A moment later, the tell-tale sound of a lock clicking shut tells me I'm once again a prisoner here.

I'm alone for hours before there's another sound in the hallway. The door unlocks, but all I see are two guards outside. A moment later, Angelo Giordani enters my suite.

"What do you want?" I bark at him, the scenes from mere hours ago still fresh on my mind. The way he took that doctor's life, and right in front of me... this man is impatient and cruel. He doesn't care about anybody. Not me or my unborn child, and not anyone else – all he sees is himself.

"To check on you." His smirk is cold and calculating. "You feeling well?"

"No," I spit out. "You had a man killed in front of me."

"Don't be dramatic," he waves his hand dismissively. "I'm sure it wasn't the first nor the last time. You're a mafia princess after all... At least now that you're carrying a Bernardi's child."

I worry my bottom lip between my teeth, trying to calculate my way out of here. Do I suck up to him? Will I have more luck as an obedient slave or a brat insisting on getting the hell out of here?

"I want Ryder," I say, going for the second option. "I want to speak to him and I want to go back."

"That's not going to happen."

"Why?" I demand. "He'll pay you for my safe return."

He laughs out loud. "Do I really look like I need money? I have more than enough of that, darling. Your pussy and your child are much more valuable to me than any ransom Bernardi could offer me."

His words make my blood chill. He's not an opportunist like I thought. He's a collector, which makes me even more afraid of what his next move might be.

I should've taken the pleading route, but I have a feeling that would have no effect either.

"What are you going to do to me here?" I demand next. "What the hell is this place?"

"A house of toys," he grins. "We train women here to serve their superiors."

I narrow my eyes at him questioningly, making him laugh out loud.

"Men, Aurora."

"Men aren't women's superiors."

"Sure, darling, you keep telling yourself that." He reaches forward with an amused expression, toying with a strand of my pale hair, but I slap his hand away. His expression falters and he looks at me with disinterest. "I can see we have a lot of work to do with you. You're as good as useless right now. I'd recommend adapting to this place, Aurora. You have a few months of freedom left, but the moment you're back on your feet we'll be testing you."

"I want to go back home."

"This is your home now."

"No," I shake my head vehemently. "My home is with Ryder."

"Don't you find this idea of monogamy a bit arbitrary?" he asks thoughtfully. "Here you are, obsessing over this man... Who says he even wants you back? Who says you aren't here to please him?"

"W-What?" My bottom lip trembles at the thought.

"It's not uncommon." Signore shrugs. "Men have brought their wives, mistresses, sometimes even daughters here before."

"To do what?"

"To train them to be obedient," he smirks. "It's the best place to learn, Aurora. You'll see soon enough."

"I don't want to see," I argue. "I just want to go back home with my baby."

"That's not going to happen, and the sooner you accept this, the better," he says. "Anyway, I'm bored of this now. I just wanted to check to ensure you feel well."

"I don't!" I spit out.

"I'm glad to see you in good spirits." He smirks, walking back to the door while I resist the urge to slam my fists into his chest. "Remember, Aurora, you have it easy right now. And if you don't behave, we have plenty of ways to enforce our rules. I'd keep that close to your mind if I were you."

I swallow thickly as the door closes and the lock clicks into place.

From one gilded cage to another.

I'm forever a prisoner.

The only thing that will keep me going now is thinking of home. Ryder, my kittens, the maze in the gardens, the feeling of falling in love for the very first time.

I'll do anything to have it all back. Anything.

But something tells me I don't have a choice. Not anymore.