She doesn’t meet my eyes as she sets it down next to the tray Damien brought in.

His icy blue gaze sweeps over the room again.

He tuts under his breath, “So I take it you simply didn’t like the food,bella?”

I cross my arms over his chest, glaring at him.

“I already told you I wasn’t hungry for anything you have to offer. Besides, why risk being poisoned?”

His mouth curves into something that might be amusement. Or disdain, it’s hard to tell.

“Why would I go through all this trouble simply to poison you? Seems a little short-sighted don’t you think? Plus, poison is definitely not my weapon of murder.”

“So what is it then?” I ask curiously.

“Sharp knives,” he replies cruelly.

A shiver rolls through me, reminding me that I’m not dealing with a normal human being.

“Do you also not like your new wardrobe?” he asks, nodding towards the massive closet that’s behind a black door in the room before his gaze trails over the dress I’m still wearing. “Hundreds of clothes, all in your size, carefully handpicked for you. And you didn’t find anything to your liking?”

I lift my chin, “I didn’t feel like playing dress up.”

He laughs, low and soft, almost genuinely entertained. It makes me want to throw something at him.

I stay seated on the bed, back straight, refusing to cower.

“I want my phone,” I say, keeping my voice steady.

He cocks his head to the side, his eyes never straying from me, “Why?”

The nerve of this man.

“Why?” I grit out. “I don’t know, because I need a phone to communicate with the outside world? I don’t even understand why your hulk of a bodyguard practically ripped it out of my hands yesterday in the first place.”

“Apologies for that. We needed to make sure your location couldn’t be tracked,” he states.

“Okay and now that you have, can I have my phone back?”

“No,” he replies. “There were two trackers on it. I’m afraid the phone had to be destroyed.”

My heart clenches in my chest, “Youdestroyedmy phone?”

“I can assure you everything on it was backed up so you’ll be able to recover whatever was on it. I’ll buy you a new one soon.”

I inhale softly, trying not to lose it.

“I don’t want anything from you. I want to talk to my uncle. And my friends. They must be worried about me.”

He contemplates that for a moment, his gaze steady.

“You’ll be able to speak with your friends later today. As for your uncle, what do you want to talk to him about?”

“Are you kidding? How about the fact that I was kidnapped by a psychopathic mobster?”

“I’m not a psychopath,bella. Psychopaths are devoid of feelings.”

“And you think you have feelings?”