Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
ELENA
Waking up slowly, Elena groaned and stretched. Not until she flopped to her back to spread her arms and legs wide did she realize that not only was she feeling better rested than she had in years, but that she was alone.
Bright morning light streamed through the windows, but there was no clock to note the time.
Assuming she’d slept in late, she bounded out of the bed, rushing through her morning routine before donning a simple fitted dress and short jacket.
She had precious little with her, and her options were dwindling fast. She’d need to speak with Mrs. Jacobs about her laundry, and eventually Leon about some sort of wardrobe.
These were all things she’d never needed to worry herself about, her father’s household running smoothly without her interference. It was something Linda saw to, making sure the staff kept up with the multitude of duties that such a large household required.
Sniffing hard, Elena fought down the surge of tears as she thought of the family who had abandoned her so easily.
Hurrying downstairs, she came up short as she saw Leon making his way to the front door.
“Ah, you’re finally awake,” he said, turning to face her with his arms crossed over his chest.
“I’m sorry,” Elena muttered, dropping her gaze to the dull shine of her shoes against the pristine floor. “I don’t normally sleep this late.”
“Just means I can get this over with.” Leon grabbed her hand, folding her fingers over a piece of paper and several stiff rectangles of plastic.
Credit cards, she realized. Unfolding the paper, she glanced up at him after reading the numbers scrawled across the scrap of paper in tight, slanting lines. Elena raised a single brow in question.
“Your pin for the front door. Memorize it and don’t just throw the paper away. Give it to Mrs. Jacobs to get rid of.”
“Am I going somewhere that I need a pin,” Elena asked, her thumb gliding over the smooth plastic of one card.
“You have guards assigned to you,” Leon said, stepping closer until he invaded her space. Forcing Elena to either hold her ground or retreat. “They’ll take you shopping today for more clothes. You’ll need the pin when you return. Mrs. Jacobs will arrange it after you’ve eaten.”
Opting to disengage, Elena took one step back and then another. Putting a gulf of space between them as she gripped the cards hard enough their edges dug deep into her palm. She hated that she was reliant on him now, that all of her needs had to pass his inspection.
But they didn’t. Not just yet. If she could see her father’s lawyer, Lamberti could give her what money was left in her father’s estate. She could purchase her own clothes then. It would hold her over for a time, keeping her from being wholly dependent on this monstrous man.
“Yes, of course,” Elena murmured, refusing to look up at him as he drew nearer. Ducking her head, she offered him her submission as he loomed over her.
His hand cupped her jaw, and it was as if fireworks exploded along her skin, coursing down her neck to plunge into her chest. A rapid fire explosion that tripled in size as he bent close to brush his lips against the corner of her mouth in a chaste kiss.
“Behave yourself,” he husked, the tip of his tongue teasing against her skin before he withdrew, leaving her swaying as he left.
Elena brought her fingers up to her lips, pressing them against the spot he’d touched. Holding the tingling sensation close as she stared out of the sidelight at the red lights of the car quickly disappearing.
“Miss, would you like some breakfast,” Mrs. Jacobs asked a handful of moments later where Elena had yet to move.
“What?” Elena blinked hard, snapping out of her reverie as her cheeks warmed and she turned to face the housekeeper.
“I asked if you would like some breakfast.”
“Oh, yes. Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you.”
Part of her almost wished he was still there to see she was capable of eating with proper manners, but the majority was definitely glad he was gone for however long he’d decided to vacate the premises. She needed time to plan, and then to act on them, and all without his interference.
“Mrs. Jacobs, how would I go about getting a driver into the city,” Elena asked as she rose from the table, the cards clutched tightly in her hand once more.
“Oh, I’ll arrange that for you, miss,” the kind woman said, shooing Elena upstairs to get ready.
In the bathroom, Elena twisted her hair up and out of her way.
Working the pins into the thick waves, she avoided looking at herself as much as she could.
There was nothing for it as she applied her makeup, layering it on to hide the deep bruises still ringing her neck, the bites littering her chest. It was too warm for any item of clothing that would hide it all, and so she was reduced to this.
Heaving a sigh as she completed her task, Elena’s lips pulled into a thin line that twisted down to one side. Her reflection stared back at her, daring her to do this, to risk his anger so soon.
Snatching up the credit cards, she shoved them deep into her dress pocket. She’d need to buy a purse, hers long lost at some point in yesterday’s nightmare. There’d been nothing of importance in it save her I.D. card, yet another thing she would be forced to speak to Leon about.
That was a problem for later.
Coming back downstairs, she peeked through the sidelight to see a car idling at the top of the drive. Swallowing down a knot of fear that she was mistaken, she headed for the door and turned the knob with care to poke her head out.
The three armed men swung around to look at her, the one at the front failing to hide his surprise as Elena continued her journey out of the door. Her mincing steps carried her towards the large SUV, clutching her hands tight in front of her so as to stop their wringing.
“I’d like to go into the city,” she said quietly, not quite daring to meet anyone’s eye as she came to a stop beside the hulking vehicle.
“We need to tell Mr. Marchetti a specific route, miss,” the first one said in gruff tones, snapping the back door open with more strength than the move warranted.
Perhaps they didn’t like their new duties, babysitting their employer’s Omega. Not that she blamed them. What could be more boring than driving a woman around town to shop? It was a job she’d never envied Jamie and had often rushed through just for his sake.
“Very well.” Elena clambered up into the high seat, arranging the folds of her dress as she latched her belt. Rattling off the names of several shops she knew of, she waited for them to get in.
Except the only one to speak so far pulled out a cell phone, pressing the piece of plastic and glass to his ear as he waited for an answer.
“Yes, sir,” the man said, repeating back all of the shops Elena had listed off to them.
This would complicate matters later on. If they had to clear every location with Leon, this would take ages, never mind her plan.
With a grunt, the man hung up the phone and climbed in behind the wheel, revving the engine as another of the guards packed his bulk in the front passenger seat.
Just when she thought they’d take off, the third made his entrance beside her.
Keeping his distance from her, he hugged the opposite door, palm resting on the butt of his gun the entire time.
“Honestly, how many people does it take,” Elena muttered as the SUV finally lurched into motion.
This would ruin her plans. She’d chosen the specific shops in the order she’d given them because they would take her close enough to the lawyer’s that it wouldn’t seem completely out of the way. One man she might have been able to convince, two would have been a sight harder, but three? Impossible.
“I need to make an additional stop,” Elena ventured as they neared the shopping district with all its busy glass fronts and artful taste.
“We’ve already cleared your agenda with the boss,” the other one in the front said.
“It’s just one place. It’ll take all of five minutes.” Perhaps more like forty-five minutes as she was arriving without an appointment and had no idea if Lamberti was even in his offices today.
The SUV lurched to a stop, the brakes squealing as the driver brought the car before the first of Elena’s proposed locations.
He didn’t even bother to turn around as he said, “We’re here and we’re staying here until you’re finished.
Then we will go on to the next place, and so on, as the boss agreed to. ”
His tone was so patronizing and full of ridicule, Elena growled.
She wrenched the door open, knowing it was stupid, but she enjoyed their scrambling to unpack their bulky frames from the car as she slid out with ease.
Stalking her way onto the sidewalk, her lip curled as they forced their way into a tight circle around her before she’d even made it into the shadow of the store.
“Are you planning on coming in with me then,” Elena demanded with a sneer, flicking her fingers at the shop that catered to lingerie.
“You have twenty minutes,” the first man snarled.
“It will take as long as it takes,” Elena said with a light sniff, brows arching high as all three guards scowled at her. “Unless you want me to tell my mate that I didn’t get what he wanted me to because I was being rushed.”
She hated to use her connection to him now as part of this, but there was nothing for it. Elena wasn’t just some passing fancy in Leon’s life. She was his would-be mate, his Omega, and the first at that. That held importance.
It was enough to make the other two back down with much grumbling and sneers in her direction, but they didn’t have the will to say anything against her. The first, however, wasn’t so easily cowed.
“He’s said you’re to be home in time for dinner. That’s six o’clock sharp,” the man ground out between clenched teeth. “You want to get to all these fancy shops, then you best get a move on, miss.”