Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 109674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
I rushed outside but froze on the staircase when the door opened. Nestore emerged bare-chested, the disturbing bone knife tucked into his belt, and his bone crown atop his head. Relief washed over me. He was back.
I could only imagine what Corvin and the others felt when they saw Nestore. He was an unsettling sight. I hoped he’d made them suffer, but knowing him, I didn’t have a doubt. The blood covering the blade only affirmed my hopes.
Nestore briefly gazed up to me, his expression hard and focused, before he turned to the back and opened the door. He bent down and straightened with his fur coat pressed to his chest.
I stumbled down the stairs. “Where’s Luciano?” What if Nestore had lied? What if my brother had died and he wanted to tell me the bad news in person?
My vision turned black at the edges as my heart pounded in my chest, an erratic rhythm that almost made me pass out.
“Here,” Nestore said calmly as he moved toward me. That was when I noticed a small nose peeking out between the fur.
“Is he okay?” I rushed toward him, then hesitated. What if he were seriously injured?
“I covered him in my coat so he wouldn’t see what was going on.”
I reached for the soft fur, then peeled it away until Luciano’s pale, tear-streaked face came into view. His eyes were squeezed shut, and he had a bruise on his cheek that was turning a dark purple. My heart clenched when I saw the leather collar around his neck and the leash attached to it. “I hope they suffered,” I whispered.
“The chimps had fun.”
My eyes grew wide with realization, then I gave a small appreciative nod. I touched Luciano’s unblemished cheek. “Luciano, it’s me, Amelia. You’re safe now. I’ll take care of you.”
His eyelids peeled up, and he looked up at me with bloodshot, glassy blue eyes. His face scrunched up, and he reached for me. I picked him up, careful not to tug on the leash or collar.
He pressed against me, his tiny arms practically crushing my neck as he sobbed against my shoulder.
Tears sprang into my eyes as I held him tightly. “Can you?” I nodded toward the leash. Nestore reached for the collar, and Luciano stiffened.
“It’s okay. Nestore will free you of that thing around your throat.”
When the collar finally came off, his bruised neck became visible. His skin was red and scraped. I kissed the top of his head. “Where’s Mommy?”
I sent Nestore a helpless look.
“She’s on a private jet on her way here. She’ll arrive in about two hours.”
“Did you hear? Your mommy will be here soon. Until then, let’s get you inside and clean you up.” The stench of urine and feces told me nobody had bothered to help Luciano when he needed to relieve himself. He still needed diapers, so of course, he’d sullied himself.
I carried Luciano inside, followed closely by Nestore, who only stopped when another car pulled up, and Niccolo got out.
“Go ahead,” Nestore murmured. “I’ll check on you later.”
When I arrived in one of the guest bedrooms, I ran a warm bath and helped Luciano out of his clothes, spotting more bruises on his upper arms and his back. My rage burned through me, and I half wished Nestore had captured the men who’d hurt Luciano and locked them in his basement. Even if death by chimps probably was horrific, a slow end by Nestore’s hands would have been even more deserved.
These vengeful thoughts stunned me, so I focused on Luciano and lifted him into the bathtub. He clung to my hand as if he feared I’d leave him alone. “I’ll stay, okay?”
He gave a small nod and sank into the bubbles with a shaky sob.
I grabbed a washcloth from the small rack next to the tub and began to wipe Luciano’s back and face with it. Ten minutes later, he was clean and a little less tense. I dried him off and carried him back into the bedroom from where I heard steps. I froze when I spotted the young maid, Milly. She held a package with diapers, wipes, and fresh clothes.
She put everything down on the sideboard beside the door. “Master ordered us to get this for the boy before he left.”
I smiled. Nestore had been sure he’d return with Luciano, and he’d thought of everything. Maybe my Nestore was in there after all. “Thank you. Can you bring us some food?”
“What does he like?”
Luciano clung to me, his face pressed into the towel as if he feared Milly would hurt him. “He loves spaghetti carbonara.”
Milly nodded. “It’ll be up in fifteen minutes.”
She hurried out and closed the door. I put Luciano on the bed. He let out a wide yawn. I stepped back to grab clothes and a diaper from the sideboard, but again his tiny hand stopped me. Fear filled his face as he peered up at me. “I’m just going to walk right over there to grab some stuff, okay?”