Buttons and Shame (Buttons 4)

Bran shrugged again. “Sorry, I have no idea.”

Crow stood with his hands on his hips, looking calm despite the rage inside his eyes. That was the easiest way to read him, by looking at the doors that led to his soul. When he made love to me, I could see the depth of his feelings just by looking at him. Right now, he wanted to burn the whole place down. “I’ll hunt him down, then.”

10

Adelina

It was the first time I slept through the night.

Tristan didn’t wake me up in the dead of night to fuck me. My stomach didn’t growl with hunger. I wasn’t scared of Cane bursting through the door just to choke me. When my eyes closed, they didn’t open again. I slept better than I had in a long time.

When I woke up the following morning, the sun came through the window at my bedside. I could see the cathedral in all its glory, sparkling in the light of the sun. Its stained-glass windows looked even more glorious than they did the night before.

I’d never had plans to see Italy, but now that I was here, I realized what a treasure it was. I could see the fields in the distance, the grape leaves hanging from the vines. People walked down the cobblestone streets with their morning coffee in hand. There was something about the atmosphere here that I adored. Everything moved slowly. People didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get anywhere like they did in America.

If I weren’t a captive, I’d probably be thrilled to wake up to such a beautiful morning.

I would stay in my bedroom all day to avoid Cane, but I really had to pee. Plus, I was hungry. Last night, he proved to me that I was dead-on about his character. He wasn’t a monster like the others. He might be rough around the edges, but there were certain lines he wouldn’t cross. He had a heart inside that rock-hard chest of his. It might be small and almost unnoticeable, but it was there.

I was lucky.

My time with Cane would only last thirty-one days, but I was grateful for the break. It was pretty much a vacation for me. I wouldn’t have to be fucked in the ass in the middle of the night as I sobbed into the sheets. I could eat whenever I wanted. I could use the bathroom like a human being.

It was a dream come true.

I cracked the door and peered into the hallway. I didn’t hear a peep from the apartment, so perhaps he was still asleep. I went into the bathroom and did my business then washed my face in the sink. I’d had a shower the day before, but it was such a privilege to have the cold water splash onto my face.

I walked back into the living room and ventured into the kitchen. Cane was sitting at the dining table with his laptop and papers scattered around him. There was also a peculiar syringe right beside him.

I wasn’t sure if he noticed me. If he didn’t, I was going to try to disappear once more. After last night, any interaction we had would be awkward. I was stuck with him for a month so I needed to make the best of it—but that seemed unlikely.

“Eat.” He didn’t take his eyes off his work. “I made you a plate. Sit down.”

I noticed the plate beside him, two scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, and toast.

“Coffee is on the counter. I’m not making that for you.” He sipped his mug then typed on the keyboard.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had coffee. That sounded so delicious. I poured myself a mug and added a little creamer before I sat down. The second my butt touched the chair, he stuck the needle into my arm and hit the clicker on top. The needle went in and implanted something right unde my skin.

“What the hell?” I swatted his arm away and looked at the tiny drop of blood that formed from the wound.

“A tracker.” He turned back to his computer like nothing had just happened.

“A tracker?”

“Yeah. I have a friend who uses one. Swears by it.”

“A lot of your friends hold women against their will?”

He smiled like it was a joke. “Just my brother.”

“Disgusting.” My craving for my coffee had disappeared, but I drank it anyway. Cane pissed me off, but he was tolerable. I could sit at the dining table and eat like a human being. He treated me with more dignity and respect than other men I’d come across during my tenure in Europe. But I refused to show him too much respect, because if he really were a good person, he would offer to help me.

But he never did.

“I’m disgusting, huh?” he asked. “How about I knock your food on the ground? See who’s disgusting then.”