Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81292 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81292 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Damon didn’t want to kill Milah. He wanted to scare her into submitting.
He unlocked the gate and charged forward, shining the light on the floor. He noticed several rats, and as he got closer, he saw Milah was on the floor with a few of the furry vermin around her.
He swatted at them, trying to clear her body.
Milah was passed out. Unresponsive.
Shining the flashlight on her, he saw she was pale. Her lips were chapped, and she was freezing cold. After removing his jacket, he spread it over her. Not that it would do much to ward off the cold, but at least it was something. He’d never had a soldier show so much disrespect. He pressed two fingers to her neck and found her pulse. It was there, weak, but she was still alive.
“Call for the doctor,” he said.
He picked Milah up in his arms. Her body was nothing more than a dead weight.
One of the guards stepped forward to help, but he growled at them to step back. He wasn’t in the mood to be argued with tonight. The guards heeded his warning, and they all stepped back. He quickly moved toward the entrance, taking her back to the house. The moment he entered the main hallway, he saw how ill she actually was. Her body was like ice.
He didn’t take her to her room but carried her straight to his.
“Leave!” He barked out the order, and the guards left immediately. He didn’t want or need any help in taking care of her.
Carrying her through to the bathroom, he had no choice but to place her on the floor gently. He quickly started to run a warm bath, constantly checking for any sign of life in her body, but there were none.
With every second that passed, his rage grew stronger. He wanted to kill that guard and the maids who dared to go against him. Their fates were already sealed. That was the problem with having young guards. They were foolish, always thinking with their dicks rather than their heads.
With the water warm, but not hot, he eased Milah into the tub, climbing in with her. Warm water surrounded them, but still, Milah didn’t wake. While in the tub, he gently removed her clothing until she was completely naked. He didn’t take the time to admire her body, although he wanted to.
The water was warm, and he held her close, removing his own clothes to help provide some warmth.
He didn’t speak, and all that Milah did was moan from time to time. Her body shook, and he held her even tighter.
Someone knocked on the door.
“What?” he asked, yelling toward the sound.
“The doctor has arrived.”
“Give me ten minutes.” He didn’t want to let Milah go, but the doctor needed to see her to check on her.
She finally stopped shaking, and he climbed out of the tub, wrapping a towel around his body, then doing the same to Milah.
After carrying her toward his bed, he placed her beneath the covers and quickly changed before going to the door to make entry for the doctor.
Doctor Pierce was a family doctor and the only one Damon trusted. Letting him in, he told him what had happened. Doctor Pierce tutted but got to work, assessing her. Damon stood, watching, waiting, seeing her look so pale.
“There is a chance she might get sick and feverish,” Doctor Pierce said. “For now, prepare some soup. It will help, and some water.”
Damon gave the order, and Pierce continued to treat her. “She does have a couple of bites on her body. I’m assuming from rats where you kept her. There is a chance of infection. She must be taken care of over the course of the next few days.” He looked behind him and shook his head. “I will return tomorrow to check on her. She will be in and out of it, but you must feed her. My bill?”
“Will be handled, and it will be doubled,” he said.
“I have served the De Luca family for many years, Damon. I have never known for them to treat a woman like this, unless they intended to end her life.”
“Get out,” Damon said. He didn’t need to be told by anyone what had happened here. This was a sign of disrespect, and if word got out that a soldier and maids dared to go against his word, there could be an uprising.
At thirty-three years old, he was the youngest person to rule the De Luca empire. Many people felt he didn’t deserve the title or the role. Some had even tried to oppose him. They had all ended up dead, apart from family members he had demoted them to a lower rank within the De Luca family.
His father had taught him there was no true family. Blood was not thicker than water, but power was everything. Only those who were willing to spill blood and die for you were the ones you kept close. That was what he did, but he also knew that he needed to keep his enemies closer still.