A soft knock at the door made me sit up from the bed. I got up reluctantly to open it. Georgie was on the other side with a plate of food and a bottled water.
"No thanks." I said, ready to slam the door in his face but his foot shot out stopping the door from closing all the way.
"I know you're mad at the guy but you need to eat." He pushed the door open and let himself in. He set the food down on the nightstand before taking a seat at the end of the bed.
I was still standing with my arms crossed in front of my chest. "I'd rather eat from the trash can than eat that. Did you hear the way he just talked to me?"
He held his hands out and stood from the bed. "You need to calm down, Mona. He's still down there and shouting about it is only going to make it worse."
He was right. I was working myself up over some words when I really needed to be figuring out how to get out of here. This whole thing had gone on far too long and I just wanted out.
I blew out a breath. "I need to get the fuck out of here, Georgie." I lowered my voice so that I was whispering. "How were you able to leave just then?"
He put his hands down and looked away from me. "Mona..." he sighed. "Look, there's a reason you're still here, okay? Trust me, Rafe could have gotten you out within the hour this happened but he needs you to stay here."
"For what?" My voice raised slightly in anger. What the hell could be so dire that I needed to stay captive?
He shushed me and looked past me at the door to make sure no one was there.
"This is ridiculous! What else could he possibly be doing?"
He was about to say something but thought to shut the door before saying it. I kept my eyes on him as he walked to the door and back.
"Look, this is how Rafael can keep you safe right now. He's fighting a war, Mona, for you and everyone who works for him." He ran his hands through his hair. "I mean no offense, but you're only a fraction of his plan. He's not coming to your rescue just yet because he knows you're safe here. If you're out there, all bets are off and anyone can get to you while he's out doing something."
Once he'd said it, I understood it. I really did. Levi was the enemy, and as long as he had me, nothing could happen to me at the hands of anyone else. As insane as he was, he wasn't interested in killing me. It was Rafael he wanted dead.
"You need to look at this from a different view." I looked up at him, wanting him to continue. "You're not exactly chained up to your bed sitting in the dark. You have water, you get to take showers, and you have an entire wardrobe. I mean, the man is even cooking for you."
I walked over to the bed and sat down. I tucked my knees under my chin and wrapped my arms around them. He was right, I wasn't as miserable as I could have been but I was one of those "I'd rather be anywhere but here" situations.
My stomach growled, loudly, reminding me that he'd brought a plate of food needed to build my own fajitas. I could smell the spices of the steak making my mouth water.
He chuckled. "Eat it. It's not poisoned because I saw him eating it himself down there."
—————-
"Pensé que era el único al que le gustaba lo dulce en medio de la noche. (I thought I was the only one who got a sweet tooth in the middle of the night)"
I looked up to find Levi coming down the stairs. He had nothing but a pair of black sweatpants on, making me realize just how many tattoos he had. His hair was a mess, I assume from lying down in bed.
"Pineapple upside down cake?" He questioned when he saw my plate. I had requested it earlier when Georgie had asked me what I was craving. Someone must have ran and got it because it was in the fridge when I came down for a snack.
I didn't answer deciding eating my cake was the only thing I was focused on right now. He walked passed the island to go to the fridge. From the corner of my eyes, I watched him pull out a bin of what looked like brownie pieces before removing the lid and popping one into his mouth.
I wondered if this was a normal thing for him to do or if he'd heard me when I loudly dropped a fork earlier.
"It's ten o'clock and my brain can only think of chocolate." He shook his head. "If my mom were here to see this, she'd slap me silly."
His mom? This was the first time I heard him mention her. I assumed something had happened to her because I had only known it to have ever been him and his dad.
It was silent between us for a while with only our forks against our plates. I was perfectly fine not saying a word to him if I didn't need to. His blatant disrespect earlier was not something I'd easily forget.
I heard him sigh before he came around to take a seat in one of the stools. He left a stool empty between us which I was very grateful for.
"Did you get the prenatal vitamins I had someone buy? They're supposed to help with the baby's development and everything..." he trailed off when he noticed the look I was giving him.
"No, I didn't. And I know what they do, Levi." I spat annoyed that he was still talking even though I was very clearly ignoring him.
"Okay, I'm sorry." he tore off a napkin from the holder and used it to wipe his mouth and his hands that were no doubt sticky from the chocolate mess on his plate and his fork. "But, you shouldn't not take them because you're upset at me."
I shook my head and turned back to my cake. "I just told you I didn't get them. I wouldn't withhold anything from my baby just to spite you."
"Ese temperamento tampoco es bueno para el bebé, ¿verdad? (That temper is not good for the baby either, is it?). Why do you insist on being so upset with me every time we talk?"
"Are you serious?" I said with my voice slightly elevated. "I'm not here on vacation, nor did I come here willingly. Georgie held me at gunpoint to get me here. So, I apologize if I'm not the most delightful person after being forced to stay here while God knows what is happening out there in the real world."
"I wish you would have just left him when I gave you the chance the first time." The smirk that he wore was that of someone who wanted to say "I told you so". "None of this would be happening and we'd be somewhere in the Caribbean right now enjoying fruits."
I set my fork down, loudly. I was tired of this man and his obsession with having me. He wasn't an ugly man and I knew there were probably plenty of other women out there dying for his attention. I'm sure he could go out there and find someone who looks exactly like me that would give him a lot less trouble.
"You need therapy. I'm happily married and not interested in leaving him for you."
He chuckled darkly. "Happily married? You allowed me to take you out multiple times as a happily married woman? Tell me something. How many nights a week do you see Rafael? How many times a week do you get to speak to him?
You've seen me more times in the span of two days than I'm sure you see that motherfucker on a regular basis. You're not happily married, you're enjoying the convenience of being married to him. You don't want to start over with another man, especially not while you're pregnant."
"That's not-" I began before I was interrupted by him.
"I can be the man you need me to be, Mona. I'll be here whenever you need me because my men take care of everything else for me. I can rub your feet when they get swollen or listen to your stories about school. We can go to your favorite museums and try all the different types of food you want to. I'm willing to make that sacrifice for you because it's you I want."
I stayed silent, lost in my thoughts. I couldn't deny that these are things I had wished I had with Rafael a few times here or there. It was just really weird to hear him say them because I hadn't ever said them out loud. Not to my mom, not to Sophia, not even to my diary.
"You're right." I turned in my seat so that my body was facing him. "My husband hasn't always been the most supportive."
He nodded his head. "No, he clearly hasn't. And I don't mean to put all of that out there but Mona you need to know that there are men willing to move mountains for you. You're young, you can start over."
I bit my lip and put my head in my hands. "I don't know. I'm just so lost right now. He's my husband and I love him, of course I can't just overlook that."
He chuckled before looking back down at his plate. "He doesn't care for you like a husband is supposed to. Are you willing to overlook that?"
I smiled, internally. I was playing this man like a fiddle and he was falling right into my trap. Yeah my husband had issues but he was working on them. WE were working on them. If he thought I'd toss him aside to be with him, he had another thing coming. I'd already promised myself that if I ever left Rafael, it would be to be alone or with a man who had a normal job with set hours.
He got up from his chair and grabbed his plate. He walked over to where I was sitting and pointed at my plate. I nodded my head when I realized he was asking if I was finished. He grabbed my plate before walking over to the sink.
"I'm not who you think I am." he threw over his shoulder while washing the dishes. "My parents... I watched them be so in love with each other growing up. They raised me in so much love." He shut off the water and shook his hands before turning to look at me. "I wasn't ever told to stop crying because I was a boy, or that I shouldn't cook because I wasn't a girl.
My father was the best role model for me growing up. Did you know, he never intended for me to get involved in any of this? They wanted me to be a musician. They put me in piano lessons really young and I caught on which is why they thought I'd want to continue my future playing. But, I watched my dad and realized that I wanted to be like him. I wanted to have that power."
"Do you ever wish you would have just become a musician?" I asked, genuinely interested in his answer.
"No." he smiled. "There's nothing else I'd rather be doing."
I looked down at the marble counter top. I couldn't understand having a choice and deliberately choosing to be involved in this kind of life. It was dangerous and the amount of enemies acquired just for existing wasn't worth the hassle in my opinion.
I stood up from my seat and pushed my stool in.
"I should get some sleep." I muttered.
"Right. Good night."
"Good night, Levi."
I turned swiftly to walk towards the stairs. I could feel his eyes on me making me want to hurry up the stairs.
Once I was out of his sight, I sighed relieved, and made my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I shut the door and locked it before turning the lights on. I jumped and took a step back against the door when I saw Georgie leaning up against the mirror with his arms crossed.
"What the fuck! What are you doing in here?"
I put my hand over my chest to feel my beating heart.
"Playing nice with the enemy?" his voice was sarcastic and instantly I knew what he was implying. But I wasn't going to let him in on my plan since he seemed to think me staying here was the best thing for me.
"I'm just following your lead." I walked over to the sink and took out the toothbrush and toothpaste. He watched as I spread the toothpaste on my brush before I began brushing my teeth.
"What are you talking about?" His whispered. "I'm doing what I was told."
I spit out the toothpaste I had in my mouth before answering him. "You're the one that gave me that spiel about being locked up in a mansion with everything at my disposal. I figured, why not make the most of everything?"
"Trashing your husband who's out there risking his life for you is making the most of everything?"
"Risking his life for me?" I laughed. "Georgie you should really mind your business. Don't forget how I got here in the first place."
I resumed my teeth brushing, ignoring the look he was giving me. He wasn't the boss of me and I was going to take matters into my own hands. Having no insight into what Rafael was planning was not something I was exactly happy with, I know he said to trust Georgie but I needed to get out of here.
Once I began rinsing out my mouth, he brushed past me and walked out of the bathroom.
————
I woke up the next morning feeling well rested and particularly warm. I smelled like a mixture of sweat and detergent which didn't really sit right with my nose.
I beelined straight to the bathroom, as soon as my feet touched the ground. My bladder was full but I also needed a shower.
Once I was out, I brushed my teeth and did my skin care before returning back to my temporary stay in my robe. I was surprised to see a tray of food sitting on the bed with a bottle of water. There were also different bottles of pills that I could tell were prenatals.
"Wow." I breathed out.
I got dressed quickly and then headed straight for my bed to delight in waffles with strawberries, yogurt, and oatmeal with berries. I ate everything, surprising myself. Once I was done, I read over the different types of pills before deciding to take the prenatal vitamins that contained folic acid and omega-3.
I collected my plate and bowls before slipping on my shoes and heading out of the room and down the stairs. The house was quiet letting me know that I had it to myself.
I went into the kitchen and washed my dishes before drying them and putting everything in its designated spot, a process that took my thirty minutes alone since there were so many different cupboards.
When I was finally done, I made my way to the living room. Everything in it was so...clean. It didn't look like it had ever been used but there wasn't a single dust particle that I could see.
I sat down on the emerald chaise lounge, surprised with how comfortable it was despite its hard look. I ran my hands over the soft material, impressed with the stitching. He must have had an interior designer. No way could he find pieces so elegant that fit together perfectly on his own.
I spotted a remote nestled in between some books and table decorations. I grabbed it and turned on the tv. The surround sound made me jump, unaware that he had that. I looked around looking for the speaker when I found it on the ceiling. There were multiple speakers which is why it felt like I was at a concert.
I lowered the volume slightly, not wanting to disturb anyone if there was anyone here.
To my delight, he had all the streaming services I liked. I hit Netflix and was surprised to see he had an account of his own with a profile picture of Lucifer Morningstar from the show. No surprise there.
I clicked into the guest profile and browsed the different shows before settling on Bridgerton. I hadn't ever watched the shows, despite hearing great things about it and seeing the previews everywhere but I knew it had to be good since it came from Shonda Rhimes who had also created Grey's Anatomy, which I absolutely loved.
I was well on the third episode before I was interrupted by Levi. He was dressed in dark jeans and a white t-shirt.
I paused the show so that I could hear him.
"I just wanted to check on you. Did you get the vitamins?"
I nodded. "Yes, I did. Thank you. And thank you for breakfast. It was really good."
He smiled and leaned against the frame. "Uh yeah, no problem." His eyes flickered to the TV. "What are you watching?"
"Bridgerton. It's an interesting concept but pretty good so far."
"Oh." He nodded his head. "Okay, well I'll leave you to it."
He was about to turn and walk away when he turned back around like he remembered something. "What do you feel like eating for lunch? I can make us something."
I cleared my throat. "You don't have to do that. I can fend for myself as long as you have everything I need for grilled cheese and tomato soup."
He frowned, clearly unhappy with my independence. "I can get someone to go out and get everything. I'll let you know once it's here."
"Sure. Thanks." I turned back to the TV and pressed play.
Getting the hint, he turned and walked out of the living room leaving me alone.
Thirty minutes passed before he came back into the living room to let me know everything had been bought.
I got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen to find an abundance of ingredients I needed to make a simple grilled cheese and tomato soup.
There must have been four different types of bread, three different cheeses, ten tomatoes, coconut milk and heavy cream, vegetable broth, butter, onions, garlic, and a few different herbs and seasonings.
"All this? Am I cooking for a family of fifteen?"
He chuckled. "I didn't know what you needed specifically so I asked Lina to get you everything you might need to make it."
Of course it was a woman. I couldn't count on a man to know the difference between regular milk and coconut milk.
"Feel free to use whatever you need." he said.
I raised my eyebrows feeling a little overwhelmed with the amount of stuff in the counter.
"Okay." he turned to walk away before I called his name. "Are you also having some? I can make some so that everyone can enjoy so that this won't all just go to waste."
He smirked. "I'd love some, Mona."
I nodded. "Okay. Perfect. I'll call you when I'm finished?"
"Sure." He turned to walk up to the stairs and I turned to began preparing the tomato soup.
"This is..." Levi paused trying to think of a word to describe the soup. "Exceptional. I don't know how I was living before never having tried this."
I rolled my eyes at his theatrics. "It's just tomato soup. I'm sure if you go to any Panera, you'll find soup that tastes just like this."
He took a bite of the grilled cheese. "Don't sell yourself short. Have you ever thought about opening up a deli?"
I shook my head no. "Nursing school is more than enough to keep me occupied, never mind a deli."
"How's that going by the way? I saw your mom not too long ago and she mentioned how well you were doing."
He saw my mom? And she hadn't told me? What I really wanted to know was where had she seen him?
"I mean, it's nursing school. It's been kicking my ass but I'm managing the best I can."
I was set to start back up in a few days. Everyone would come back with stories of how they were buried in their books or finally caught up with their sleep schedules while I'd have a different horror.
"What made you want to be a nurse?"
I tilted my head and thought about it because I really wasn't sure. "I've always wanted to be a nurse. Since I was a little girl. I don't know that I saw anything that made me want to become one. I just kind of always knew that was what I was supposed to be doing in life."
The heavy steps coming down the stairs made us both turn to look. Georgie was coming down the stairs with messy hair and the same clothes he had on yesterday. Once he got closer, I noticed his eyes were bloodshot and he had heavy bags around them.
"Can I have some, Mona?"
His groggy voice told me that he must have just woken up.
"Of course." I said while keeping my eyes on him. He looked horrible. "Are you okay?"
He grunted his response before walking to the stove to serve himself. I watched as he loaded a plate with three grilled cheese and filled a bowl completely to the brim with the soup.
"Shes a great cook." Levi said from beside me.
I could see Georgie's muscles tense from where he stood. "I know what her cooking tastes like." he spat.
He walked over to the stools and took the seat on the edge, away from where me and Levi sat. I tried to catch his eyes but he seemed to avoid mine.
"Okay..." I whispered, awkwardly.
We ate the rest of our food in silence. Georgie's mood had completely shifted the atmosphere.
Once I was finished, I got up to clean my dishes and wipe down all the surfaces I used. I announced that I'd be retiring to the living room before I left them together.
It wasn't long before Levi joined me in the living room. He didn't say much as he sat on the other lounge chair and joined me in watching Bridgerton. If his tastes included Lucifer, I couldn't see him being too keen on this show but he didn't complain.
"Twelve children? Jesus... how did she do it?" He exclaimed.
"It's eight of them not twelve. And if you ask one more question, I will turn this off." I snapped annoyed at yet another one of his questions.
He had commented on some of the most random bits of the show that had nothing to do with the plot. He wanted to know why the families wore the colors they did, why the Queen had so many Pomeranians, whether they owned their carriages or had to call them like a taxi service, and why they couldn't kiss each other before deciding they'd get married amongst several other questions. I didn't write the show nor did I have more knowledge about that he did since it was my first time watching it too.
"Okay, I'm sorry."
I turned up the volume so he'd get the hint that I didn't want to hear him at all. It was getting good.
When dinner came around, I was glad that it was Italian takeout. Since being with Rafael, it had become my favorite cuisine.
We had spaghetti and meatballs with a side of salad and bread. Georgie even seemed to be in higher spirits when the food arrived.
We all actually held an interesting conversation about sports during dinner. I didn't know much but I knew just enough about baseball to keep myself in the loop when the topic came up.
The whole thing made me think about how Rafael and I didn't do normal things as a couple. He didn't sit on the couch watching football or basketball while I looked on and tried to look interested. We didn't have a favorite tv show that we watched together. I wasn't sure i'd ever seen him watch TV for longer than ten minutes.
But that's what made us, us. I didn't need him to do those things for us to be 'normal'. We weren't in a normal situation to begin with. As much I wasn't a fan of it, I could appreciate Rafael being so involved in his "company". He wasn't the guy just calling the shots not worrying about what position that put everyone else in. Rafael cared about the people around him, unlike Levi.
"So, we finishing episode seven tonight?"
I zoned back into the conversation, realizing Levi was directing the question at me. I was feeling tired but we only had one episode left after this one and I didn't plan on being here much longer so I figured I'd finish it tonight.
I glanced at Georgie who was intently focused on our conversation.
"We can. I think we can actually finish the season tonight since we don't have that much to go." I said while cutting into another meatball.
He nodded. "Okay perfect."
Georgie was the first to finish his food, followed by Levi, then me. Luckily all the clean I had to do was throw out my container since we were eating out of foil dishes.
I went upstairs to shower and do my night time routine so I wouldn't have to later on when we finished the show. Once I was done, I came back down the stairs and went into the living room. Georgie and Levi were both already in there, surprising me.
They were both drinking some brown liquid out of fancy glasses like this was a normal hang out. I tried not to stare too long at it because I didn't want them catching on to what I planned to do. Them drinking what I presumed to be scotch would only help me in the end.
"Sorry I took so long." I apologized. "I had to floss."
"It wasn't that long." Georgie reassured.
I walk past them to take my spot on the chair. I grabbed the remote and pressed play on the show, only half way paying attention.
This would be my last day here, I thought to myself. No matter what, I'd be getting out of here.
Sorry for such a slow build up but I promise the action is coming! For the people who have stuck through my years hiatus, I just want to thank you. My life has changed so much and I'm finally in a position where I have so much down time to give myself to this story.
The end is near and as much as I am excited to finish this book, I'll miss these characters and this story line so much. And heads up, I'll probably go back and rework some things because the beginning of this book...whew! What was I thinking??