Chapter 7: Trust is a fool's game

“What are you talking about?” I blurt out, pulling my hand from his grip. This can’t be happening. Is he really letting me go?

“Belle, you want out. So go,” Ranger says. “I’m giving you an opportunity. What are you waiting for?” What’s going on?

***

~“Trust is a big deal in my line of work, sweetheart. You don’t trust people who might stab you in the back,” he murmurs, his rough hand caressing my cheek as he pulls me closer to him in bed.~

~“Why not just avoid trusting those who could betray you?” I ask. He chuckles at my question and looks at me.~

~“Because then I’d be alone. Everyone has the potential to betray you. Figuring out who’s loyal, that takes time, watching what they do for you, what they give up. Time, there’s never enough of it,” he explains.~

~“So, what do you do?”~

~“I test them. There are all sorts of tests, designed to measure different kinds of loyalty.” He looks into my eyes, then kisses me, his leg draped over mine. “I enjoy our talks, sweetheart.”~

~“How do you know you can trust me?”~

~“I don’t,” he whispers, kissing me again. “I don’t tell you anything about my business. I’m just giving you advice. It’s not just people like me who do this. Everyone wants to test someone’s loyalty. We don’t trust.”~

~“You paid for sex with me, but you haven’t done anything.”~

~“You want me to fuck you, sweetheart?” he asks, a sly grin on his face. I shake my head, our noses brushing because of our closeness. “I’m not like that. I don’t kick a horse when it’s down.”~

~“I’m the horse?”~

~“Hmm. A beautiful horse. Maybe a pony.” His fingers trace up my half-naked body, only my underwear on. They brush over the scars on my back, the harsh ones from my father’s belt. “I can’t hurt you, sweetheart. Would you let me fuck you if I wanted to?”~

~“I don’t have to let you. Men just take.” His eyes soften as he hears my words.~

~“Not all men are the same.”~

~“Maybe,” I mumble. “But trust comes with time. Time, there’s not much of it,” I echo, and he smiles at me, kissing me once more…~

***

“I’m giving you a chance, Belle. You can leave,” he says, pointing towards the door. I follow his hand, looking at my impending capture. I thought I could trust Ranger a bit more. But in the end, he’s part of the mafia.

He’s as cold and calculating as the rest of them. He was just pretending to be nice, to test me. He made me believe he liked me, that he had a certain fondness for me.

He answered my questions, tried to help me, acted concerned. He pretended he didn’t like that I was here, that he cared too much to put me through all this. He told me I could escape.

“Only to be caught by the other men, waiting in this trap. Then I’ll be punished and labeled untrustworthy. I told Enzo I was his, and then I try to escape.

This is what tests are for. Isn’t it a bit early? Maybe he wants me to fail, so he can get rid of me with a reason. I’ve come too far. I can’t die now.

“No,” I say, surprising him. People fail this test. I can tell. I know he’s done this before. He’s rehearsed.

“No? I’m giving you a chance to leave. And you’re saying no?”

“Yes. I’m not leaving.” I walk past him and back to the kitchen, picking up where I left off with Sofia, much to Marissa’s surprise and confusion.

I know that people can act kind and generous and selfless, but it’s all for their own benefit. They all have hidden agendas. They pretend they don’t, but they do.

No one is ever truly who they claim to be...

***

~“What are you doing?” I ask him, confused as he slides my panties down. I thought he didn’t want this.~

~“You want this too. I know you can feel our connection,” he tells me, pulling down his boxers. He strokes himself under the sheets.~

~“I don’t want to,” I whisper. I was a fool for trusting him, for believing that men could be different.~

~“Look, sweetheart, you’re beautiful, and I’ve tried to make this easy for you. I’m a good guy. I don’t want to hurt you. You don’t have to hate this.”~

~“You were just pretending?”~

~“No, no, sweetheart. I want you to enjoy it, and liking me, that’s how you’ll enjoy it,” he explains.~

~Without any more warning, he thrusts into me and I cry out, tears streaming down my face from the pain and betrayal.~

~No one is who they claim to be…~

***

After we finish preparing lunch and dinner, I’m tasked with bringing Enzo his dinner in his office. I knock confidently this time when I reach his office and enter when he says, “Come in.”

I place his food in front of him and start to leave when he grabs my wrist and pulls me onto his lap. “You, you’re interesting.” He grips my jaw in his hand, forcing me to look into his eyes. I pout at him as his hold tightens, digging into my skin. “You knew.”

“Knew what?” I mumble, barely able to speak from the pressure on my jaw.

“That it was a test,” he tells me, pulling my face closer to his.

“What was a test?” I ask, playing dumb. He tilts his head to the side and then shakes it.

“I’m aware you knew, ~piccola~. How did you figure it out?” His grip on me tightens as I attempt to shake my head. His other hand is firmly on my ass. “You belong to me, right? So you’re going to answer me. Answer me!” His voice is a growl, his hot breath fanning my face, his cold, dark eyes piercing mine.

“I-I’m y-yours,” I manage to stutter out. He shakes his head, his grip becoming even tighter.

“Don’t you dare lie to me!” he bellows.

“M-men are l-liars,” I stutter out, and his eyes narrow, his grip on me intensifying.

“That’s not an answer,” he retorts.

“R-ranger, h-he was being kind. N-no one is kind, not unless they w-want something,” I manage to explain, my voice shaky. His grip on me eases slightly as he studies my face. I’m not sure what he’s searching for, but his hand moves from my jaw to my ass, pulling me closer to him.

“You didn’t try to escape because you don’t trust men?” he asks, pulling my head into his chest and starting to play with my hair, twirling it around his fingers.

I don’t know why, but I feel safer in this moment. He’s holding me close, like he cares. I can feel it. “You’re smart, ~gattina~. And interesting.”

He stands, setting me down on the ground before sitting back down in his chair. He leans back, his gaze still fixed on me.

“Go,” he orders, his voice softer now. I leave, closing his door behind me and taking a deep breath. The tension between us is intoxicating, and I hate how much I crave it.

“Belle,” Ranger’s voice comes from behind me as I head back towards the kitchen. I turn slowly, looking up at the towering man. “What did he say?”

“Do you care?” I ask, my voice laced with bitterness. I quickly soften my tone, fiddling with my fingers. “I should go.”

“Why did you stay?” he asks, holding onto my hands.

“I belong to him,” I mutter, pulling my hands away and turning my back on him. There’s only one thing worse than a monster: a monster in disguise.

“Belle,” he calls after me, but I keep walking, heading into the kitchen.

“You’re back,” Sofia says, her eyes wide as she takes in my face.

“What?”

“Your jaw is bruised,” she says, folding laundry. He bruised my jaw. He’s no different from the rest. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I manage to say, holding back my tears and anxiety. I’m fine. This was all just a test. To prove I’m his. But a test isn’t a test if the person taking it knows the answers. He knows I knew.

He knows I knew I wouldn’t get away if I tried to escape. It’s not like I stayed because I believe I’m his. I stayed because I knew it was a trap.

He still doesn’t trust me. And he shouldn’t.

I’ve done what I had to do to escape before. I can do it again.

Trust is a fool’s game. People are always ready to stab you in the back. Because that’s just what they do.