I counted down the days until Luca would be in my arms.

I almost couldn’t believe it.

He was eight years old now. Three birthdays had come and gone. I missed all of them. I missed his first day of school too. I didn’t take a picture of him before he walked out the door with his backpack. I didn’t get to hear about his friends and his schoolwork.

That had been taken away from me.

I still wanted to kill Egor for what he did to my son and me. But I had to let the vengeance go and find peace without murdering him. He deserved to die, but it was unrealistic to think I could pull it off. Carter was the only one who could, but I refused to ask him to do that for me. He’d already done enough.

My life in Carter’s home was simple and peaceful. I took regular trips to the store and the market to prepare our meals, and I cleaned the enormous house and made sure there wasn’t a spot of dust anywhere.

It was nice.

At night, Carter fulfilled my fantasies, and I fulfilled his.

There was nothing more I could ask for.

I wasn’t sure how I got so lucky. My life could have been quite different. As I aged, Egor would have gotten tired of me and replaced me with a younger version. At that point, he would have killed me since I had no other purpose to fulfill. My son would have been an orphan for the rest of his life, and I would have turned into fish food.

But then Carter came into my life—and gave me a second chance.

I would never be able to repay him for what he had done for me. Being spanked and whipped at night was the least I could do. The night before, he had me on my back while he fucked me in the ass. It hurt because he was so big, and he got off on the sight of my tears, but I still did it anyway because that was what he liked.

To fuck me in kinky ways.

That morning, Carter worked out and then met me in the kitchen with a bag over his shoulder.

“Are you going somewhere?” I blurted.

“I need to do some work in Milan. We’ve worked on a new schematic, but we need to fine-tune the details. I’ll only be gone for about two days. I’ll fly there and back. Easier than driving, as much as I enjoy driving my cars.”

I stared at him blankly, unable to process what he’d said. “So…I’m going to be here alone?”

“You’ll be fine, sweetheart. I’ve got an alarm system and a few guns. I told my father you would be here alone, so he’ll keep an eye on things.”

It would be the first time I was completely on my own. Even when I had Luca, I was never alone. Now I would be in an enormous house with no company. Before Egor, I would have been fine, but now everything was different. With Carter around, I always felt safe. But if he was five hours away, anything could happen.

Carter must have seen the terror on my face. “Sweetheart?”

“Can I come with you?”

“Back to Milan?” he asked incredulously. “That’s not a good idea. I can’t risk anyone spotting you.”

I’d forgotten about that.

“I know you can handle this, sweetheart. You’re tough.”

I didn’t want to be weak, but now that I had the luxury of a man like Carter, it was hard to picture my life without him. “I’m sorry…I just don’t like it. You’ll be five hours away, and that scares me. Anything can happen. What if someone tries to break in?”

“You shoot them in the face,” he said seriously. “But that’s not gonna happen. The walls are fourteen feet high, and the front gate has surveillance.”

“An alarm system isn’t going to stop someone like Egor. He’ll just snatch me before the cops arrive. We’re out in the middle of nowhere. It’ll take at least twenty minutes before help arrives.”

“Which is why I asked my father to keep an eye on you.”

That wasn’t good enough. “He’s not you.”

He sighed and set his bag on the floor. “I don’t know what to tell you. I have to go.”

I didn’t want to be difficult, but the idea of him being gone was terrifying. He was my savior, and without him I was helpless.

“You cut a tracker out of your ankle, sweetheart. Even though I was in the house, you managed to get my alarm code and take one of my cars. You actually jumped out of my car when I first got you. You aren’t the kind of woman that scares easy.”

“That was when I had nothing to lose, Carter. Now that I have everything, the game has changed. The only time I’ve ever been safe in my life is when I’ve been with you. Now that you’re leaving…it’s like the rug is being pulled from underneath me.”

He dropped his confident gaze and released a quiet sigh. “I have to head to work. I’m the owner and face of this company.”

“I understand that.”

“I’m going to have to go to work often.”

“I know…”

“So this is something you’re going to have to get used to.”

“What if I stayed with Griffin and Vanessa again?” Griffin seemed like a powerful man whom no one would cross.

“I don’t want to bother them, Mia. The only option we have is if you stayed with my parents, but I’m sure—”

“I would do that.”

Surprise entered his gaze. “You want to stay with my parents?”

“Your father knows the truth, so he’ll understand why I’m nervous. He seems strong and smart. I know he lives close to your uncle and cousin. Staying there sounds a lot better than staying here alone.”

“You’re serious.”

“Yes.” I wouldn’t be able to sleep at all here, not until Carter walked through the door again.

“Well, I’m sure they would be fine with it. I’m just surprised you would want to stay with them for two nights.”

“They were lovely people, Carter.”

“I know that,” he said. “But you hardly know them.”

“Your dad showed me what kind of man he is. I trust him.”

Carter rubbed the back of his neck as he considered it. He sighed then lowered his hand. “Alright. Pack your stuff.”

I wasn’t sure what Carter’s parents said over the phone, but they must have agreed because he dropped me off on his way to the airport. Like a gentleman, he carried my bag to the door and greeted his parents. “Thanks for letting Mia stay with you for a few days. The house is too big for one person.”

“It’s no problem at all.” His father smiled at me before giving me a one-armed hug. “We’ve got a lot of space, and we love to fill it with people.”

“You’re always welcome here,” his mother said. “Let me take your bag. We’ll have a few guest bedrooms upstairs.”

The place was two stories. It wasn’t as big as Carter’s place, but it was still a palace by my standards. They had a few acres of land, a private vineyard, and a pool out back. Their home was decorated with luxury items, from custom paintings to Italian-crafted furniture. “That’s very generous. Thank you.”

Carter pulled up his sleeve to look at his watch. “I’ve gotta catch my flight. Love you guys.” He turned to me, about to kiss me right in front of his parents. He quickly hid his intention, giving me an awkward pat on the shoulder. “I’ll pick you up on the way home. See you later.”

“Bye.” I wished I could hug him before he went, tell him it meant a lot to me that he’d left me in good hands. But since I would always be the maid in front of his family, I kept up my indifference and said goodbye with a quick wave.

When Carter left, his mother took me upstairs to the guest bedroom. It was large for a visitor, having a private bathroom. She set my bag down on the big armchair in front of the fireplace. “Let me know if you need anything. Cane goes to work in the morning, so I usually sit by the pool or read. Maybe we could have lunch?”

“Yeah, that sounds nice. Thank you for letting me stay here. The room is beautiful.” It was just as nice as the one I had at Carter’s place, the room I never slept in. I sat on the edge of the bed and felt the Italian sheets under my fingertips.

“It’s our pleasure,” she said. “Carter said you were uncomfortable staying alone.” She was in denim jeans and a black blouse, her thin figure noticeable in the way her clothes fit her. She had fair skin like snow, looking much different from her son. With painted red lips and mocha-colored eyes, she didn’t look Italian, but she was definitely beautiful. I saw Carmen in her expression.

“Yeah, that house is just so big, and I get paranoid sometimes…” I didn’t want to elaborate since I couldn’t tell her the truth. “When Carter’s there, I feel safe. He’s the kind of man that can handle himself. But alone…I feel powerless.”

“Do you know how to use a gun?” she asked bluntly.

I’d never fired one in my life. “Actually, no.”

“Let me show you tomorrow. You’re welcome to stay here whenever you want, but learning to handle a gun might give you peace of mind. I know Carter has guns around the house, so if you ever need one, you’ll be prepared.” She didn’t dismiss my fears as ridiculous and offered a solution to the problem.

I shouldn’t be surprised that she’d made such an offer. I shouldn’t be surprised that she knew how to handle a gun. If she was married to Cane, it only made sense. They seemed to be a powerful family, gauging from my short interaction with Griffin. “Yeah, that would be great.”

She nodded. “I’ll let you freshen up before dinner. We take it in the dining room.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

After she left, I pulled out the phone Carter gave me and searched through it. His name was stored in the contacts, along with every other member in his family, even people I’d never met. I had his family tree right at my fingertips.

I joined them downstairs twenty minutes later.

Cane pulled out the chair for me before I sat down. Then he took the seat beside his wife and poured me a glass of wine. “Anything else we can get you, Mia?”

“No, thank you.” I ate my dinner, enjoying Carter’s mother’s cooking as much as she’d enjoyed mine. It was quiet for a while, since we didn’t know each other very well.

His mother kept looking at me, staring at my expression like she was searching for something. “How do you like working for my son?”

“Carter is great,” I said honestly. “He’s been very good to me.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “When he told us he was moving back to Tuscany, I could hardly believe it. It was such a change, and then he brought you along too. It seems like my son is growing up, changing his priorities without even realizing it.”

It was difficult to lie to someone’s face, especially when you were sitting in their house, eating the meal they prepared for you. I was tempted to come clean, to tell his mother the truth. But since this wasn’t my lie to tell, it would be wrong. I kept my mouth shut. “I started working for him in Milan. After Conway moved here, Carter told me how much he missed him, along with everyone else. I think that had a lot to do with it.” No, it was all because of me. I asked him to save me—and he did.

“That makes me very happy,” she said. “Cane and I have been so lucky with our children. They’re both amazing in their own ways. Having both of them so close is a blessing. I have a few friends who have had kids who’ve moved away…and it’s so heartbreaking to hear. We’ve been very fortunate.”

“Yes, the Barsettis are nothing short of wonderful.” Carter battled with the darkness he possessed, but he never allowed it to pull him under. He had extreme kindness in his blood, and even his darker moments were nothing close to evil. It actually made me like him more.

After dinner, I sat in the living room and watched TV with them. They sat together on the couch, his hand resting on her thigh. They continued to enjoy their wine, still happy and in love.

When it got late, I said goodnight and retreated to my room. The phone was on the bed where I’d left it, and I looked at the screen to see if Carter had called or texted. But the phone was blank. I shouldn’t expect anything from him, not when he didn’t owe me anything. He was a man I was sleeping with and nothing more. I shouldn’t worry about him the way a woman worried over her husband. It was the first time we’d ever been apart, and I missed him immediately. I’d been sleeping by his side for a long time now. Would I be able to sleep in this large bed alone?

I pulled my shirt over my head and unclasped my bra, my back to the door. I brought one of Carter’s t-shirts to sleep in, knowing his parents wouldn’t see me in my sleepwear. It was the most comfortable thing to wear, much better than pajamas.

A knock sounded on my door and made me jump.

I quickly pulled the shirt over my head and turned around to see Mrs. Barsetti.

She was still in her jeans and blouse, and the friendly expression she usually wore was absent. Her fair skin looked even paler than it did before. She kept one hand on the open door as she stared at me, speechless.

I wasn’t sure what had just happened. Maybe she was appalled by the fact that I was wearing Carter’s t-shirt. It would be impossible to know for sure that it belonged to him, so I wasn’t sure why she would assume. “Everything alright, Mrs. Barsetti?”

When I asked the question, she seemed to snap out of her mood. “Yes…I brought you some water.” She held up the plastic bottle in her hand and came toward me. Instead of getting close to me like she had earlier, she kept distance in between us as she placed the bottle in my hand. “Sleep well.”

“I will. Thank you…”

She forced a smile before she walked out.

When I was alone, I looked at my phone again, hoping Carter would call.

He never did.

Cane was gone when I woke up in the morning, so it was just Mrs. Barsetti and me. I went downstairs and joined her for breakfast, but I was met with the same strange attitude she gave me last night, like I’d done did something wrong.

The silence was deafening, the tension palpable.

No amount of small talk could fix it.

She drank her coffee and glanced at me from time to time. She picked up the newspaper and scanned it, but her eyes were shifting back and forth so quickly it didn’t seem like she was even reading it. Her breathing was abnormal, and I could feel the hostility in the room. Carter spoke so highly of his mother, so I was surprised by the inhospitable environment she was creating with her silence. His father had been nothing but warm to me. “Mrs. Barsetti…did I do something?”

She lifted her gaze from her newspaper, the guilt in her eyes. “No, of course not.” She folded the paper and set it on the table beside her.

“When you came into my room last night, it seemed like I’d done something wrong. The t-shirt I was wearing was Carter’s, but I put it into my bag by mistake. I was doing laundry, and it must have—”

“Honey, no.” She held up her hand, silencing me with the gesture. Guilt burned in her eyes, as if she knew exactly how she was behaving. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I apologize for acting so strange. I just…I’m not sure how to handle this.”

“Handle what?” I whispered.

“I know it isn’t my place and I should mind my own business, but when I see this kind of thing, I can’t ignore it.”

Now I had no idea what she was talking about.

She lifted her gaze to look into mine. “Your back…all the scars.”

The second she spoke the words, everything made sense. She wasn’t appalled that I was wearing her son’s clothes. She was disgusted by the scars on my back, the violence that had been inflicted upon me in my past life. They weren’t the kinds of marks that happened naturally. Judging by the lines and colors, they were obviously inflicted by a whip. Anyone could see that. “Oh…”

She ran her fingers through her hair as she considered what to say. “Please tell me that my son—”

“No.” I wouldn’t even let her finish the sentence. Carter liked to hurt me, but not like that. The pain he caused was tame, even felt good at times. He was never brutal in his violence. “Carter would never do something like that.”

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling a deep breath to clear the pain in her chest. “Oh, thank god.” She ran her fingers through her hair again, opening her eyes once more. “Because if my son did that, I would do something worse to him.”

I believed her. She seemed like a fighter, like his father. “Carter has never been cruel to me.” I wanted to explain my story so she would understand, but I knew Carter didn’t want her to know. I kept my mouth shut.

“May I ask what happened?” She watched me with soft eyes, not pressuring me.

I didn’t mind sharing my story, but I didn’t want to incriminate Carter. “It’s not something I like to talk about…”

She gave a slight nod, her disappointment obvious. “Those things are hard to talk about…especially with someone you barely know. As time passes, it gets easier. But since the scars are permanent, you can never forget.”

My eyes watched her carefully, feeling something significant in her vague words.

“So, I understand, Mia. That’s all I want you to know.”

Carter never mentioned something terrible happened to his mother. If she’d experienced something similar, it seemed like he would have mentioned it to me. That meant he had no idea. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A man captured me, turned me into his slave, and I was in his captivity for three years.” I could share my story without mentioning Carter at all. Since she’d seen my scars, she already knew something was off anyway. Didn’t make sense to hide it. “He was brutal and cruel. There were times when I considered taking my own life, but I never did…because I have a son.”

Her eyes immediately watered, feeling the pain from my past even though she hardly knew me. “I’m so sorry…”

I looked away, unable to handle her compassion.

“He’s eight?” she whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

“Yes. I missed three years of his life while I was a prisoner. I’m supposed to get him back soon.”

“You haven’t seen him yet?” she whispered.

“No. But when Carter gets back, my son will be living with us.”

“That’s terrible, Mia…”

It was easy to feel sorry for myself, but since I was so happy to be free, it didn’t make sense to feel anything less than joy. It would be an insult to the time I lost. “It was the worst time of my life, obviously. But instead of letting that define me, I’ve moved forward. My son and I will have a good life together. I’ll raise him to be a good man, someone who would never hurt a woman. And we’ll be happy.”

“That’s a very good attitude,” she whispered. “I admire it.”

“Thank you.”

“My son plays into this story, doesn’t he?”

I didn’t say anything, not wanting to betray him. After what he’d done for me, I couldn’t throw him under the bus. I was loyal to him, would take a bullet for him.

Mrs. Barsetti watched me with twinkling brown eyes, not offended by my silence. “I thought it was strange that he had a maid when he’d never seemed interested in having one before. And the fact that you have a son who will be living there, I also thought was peculiar. I don’t want to put you in a position you don’t want to be in. But if my son is helping you…” Her eyes watered again, the tears growing so thick, they slid down her cheeks. “I would be so proud of him.”

Watching her eyes tear up made mine do the same. I did my best to keep my emotions in check, refusing to cry in front of anyone but Carter.

She cleared her throat. “Carter doesn’t know anything about my past. We agreed to keep it from him, from both of our children. I’ll share it with you now, but if the time comes, I want to be the one to tell him this story. The purpose in me telling you is…so you understand that you aren’t alone. That there is hope…and there is a happy life to be lived.”

I nodded, agreeing to keep her story a secret from Carter.

“My story is nearly identical to yours,” she said quietly. “I’d just graduated college when I took a trip to Greece with a friend. We got in the wrong taxi, and that’s when we were taken. We were bought by the same monster, and to get me to cooperate, he threatened to hurt my friend. I was his prisoner for a while… It seemed like a lifetime. I was so young, and that made it so much worse. Cane was doing business with my captor. That was how we met. The second I looked at him, I knew he was different. He wasn’t a clean-cut man without a dark past, but he was nothing like the monsters that surrounded me. He may have bad intentions sometimes, but he has a heart of gold. They made a deal for some weapons…and I became collateral. Cane took me home for a month…and in that time, we fell in love. The rest of the story doesn’t matter. But in the end, Cane saved me. He freed me from that monster by killing him. We married shortly afterward and lived very happy lives.”

I listened to her heartbreaking story that mirrored my own, and I was appalled by what I’d heard. Why was something like this so common? Common enough that two women had almost the exact same story? It was disgusting. “I’m glad Cane killed him.”

She wiped away a single tear that had fallen. “Me too. He’s a good man…the best.”

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“All of that pain fades over time. I never think about it anymore. This is the first time I’ve thought about it in years…because I saw the scars. I have similar ones.”

“I’m so sorry.” I suffered so much, and it hurt to know that Carter’s mother went through the same thing. “I’ll keep your secret. But I think you should tell Carter eventually. It will hurt him a lot, but he’ll admire you even more than he does now. He always speaks so highly of you…and now I know why.”

“He does?” she whispered, a smile spreading across her lips.

“Of course.”

“He’s tough like his father, but also sweet like his father. I’ve considered telling him, but I wanted to wait until the right time. Pearl told her daughter about her past, and it seemed to bring them closer together.”

I didn’t ask what that past was, assuming it was none of my business. “I told Carter I was afraid my son would hate me…or not remember me. He told me my son will be proud of me, for surviving something like that. So, I suspect that will be Carter’s reaction when you tell him.”

“He’s such a good man,” she said with a sigh. “We really did get very lucky with him.”

“He’s very brave.” Now I knew Carter had nothing to fear telling his mother the truth. He’d risked everything to get me out, but he was exactly like this father…and he had no idea.

“Since you don’t have your son back, I can only assume you recently left your captor.”

There was no way to maneuver away from the truth. “Yes.”

“And that means…my son saved you.”

I didn’t want to lie to this woman, not when I respected her so much. “Carter didn’t want anyone to know. Didn’t want anyone to know he took a risk saving me. If he knew what you’d been through, he would probably tell you the truth.”

Her eyes watered again, but this time in a new way. “My son is so good…to do that for you. He’s reuniting you with your son. Maybe it was dangerous. Maybe it was foolish. But what kind of life is this if we don’t help each other? I’ve never been prouder of him, for helping a young woman like you.”

“You should be…he’s very selfless.” She didn’t need to know about our attraction to one another. Now that she knew the truth, she probably assumed it, especially since I wore his shirt to bed.

“I think I’ll confront him when he gets home. I don’t think I can be in the same room with him without telling him how I feel…how proud I am. There are very few men out there who would do what he did. I’ve come to realize there are far more evil men out there than good men. That means we need to treasure the good ones even more, appreciate them.”

“I agree.”

She stared at me with newfound affection in her eyes, the gloss from her tears still shiny. “I’m happy you’re getting your son back.”

“I’ve practically been holding my breath until I see him again.”

She moved her hand onto the table and rested her palm on mine. The touch was maternal, making me think of my mother who died before Luca was born. The Barsettis were different from everyone else. Not only were they loving, but extremely generous. I hardly knew his parents, but they’d already been so kind to me, made me open up to them in a way I never did with anyone else. I never felt judged or persecuted. I just felt accepted…because she’d experienced the exact same thing. Now I had a special bond with his mother, a relationship I could never describe to Carter. “You won’t have to hold your breath much longer.”