⋆ Chapter 32: Still A Cage
The next day…
Damon showed up at the penthouse just after noon, his arms full of shopping bags. Designer logos swung from the handles, the kind of glossy packaging meant to impress or distract. He didn’t bother with an announcement; the keycard let him in quietly.
The place looked the way he’d intended when he’d arranged it for her, and it had every comfort money could buy. And yet, the silence made it feel less like a home and more like a cage for Lindsey.
She sat curled on the couch, legs tucked under her, idly scrolling on her phone but not really seeing the screen. The restless set of her shoulders gave her away. When she spotted him, her eyes flicked to the bags and then back to his face, wary and unimpressed.
He dropped the bags on the marble island. “I brought you a few things.”
Her mouth twitched, not quite a smile. “You’re stocking me up like I’m a house pet.”
Damon didn’t rise to the jab. He started pulling out what he’d chosen for her. Clothes, shoes, sandals, and even a new tablet. “I figured you might get tired of staring at the walls.”
She set her phone aside, gaze narrowing. “How long are you planning to keep me here?”
Damon met her eyes, calm as ever. “Until I’ve dealt with the problem with Hans.”
She let out a sharp laugh. “I know it could take weeks, maybe months, even a year. Men like him, like you, disappear when it suits you. And you want me to just sit here? To endure this as some kind of punishment?”
“It isn’t a punishment, Lindsey,” he said. “It’s for your safety.”
“Safety feels a lot like prison,” she muttered, standing to pace the edge of the rug. Her arms folded tight, frustration seeping through her movements.
He watched her without flinching. “You’d rather the alternative? Being dragged right into the middle of this? Glancing over your shoulder every time you cross the street, sleeping with one eye open?”
Her lips pressed together, and for a moment, she had no comeback. But then her tone shifted to more urgent. “I can’t stay here doing nothing. I need money for my mom.”
That caught his attention. “Where is she? I’ll take care of everything.”
Lindsey froze. Whatever she’d expected, it wasn’t that. Her head snapped toward him, eyes wide, almost panicked. “No. Don’t!”
His brow furrowed. “I said I’d help—”
“Don’t go near her,” she cut in, her voice rising. “Don’t reach out to her. Don’t even introduce yourself to her. Leave her out of this, Damon.”
He took in her clenched fists and the way her chest rose and fell too fast. This wasn’t just stubbornness; this was fear.
For once, Damon’s tone softened. “I wasn’t trying to cross a line. I only wanted to ease things for you.”
She shook her head, not trusting herself to say more. And he studied her for another moment, then inclined his head slightly. “Alright. I hear you. I won’t touch that part of your life.”
He left the shopping bags where they were, as if to give her space, while Lindsey turned her back to the window, unwilling to let him see how rattled she was.
“If you don’t want me near her, I’ll respect that,” he added. “But you still need the means to take care of her.”
Lindsey was suspicious of how easily he backed down. “What are you saying?”
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a slim black card, setting it on the counter between them. “Use this for her. For you. Whatever you need.”
Her eyes flicked to the card, then back to his face. “So you get to bankroll my life now?”
Damon’s mouth twitched. “Consider it insurance. You don’t have to ask me for anything. You’ll have what you need when you need it.”
She walked closer but didn’t pick it up right away. The glossy card looked innocent enough, yet it carried the weight of his control. She could feel the invisible chain it represented: money that wasn’t hers and freedom that came with strings.
“Why are you doing this, Damon?” she asked.
“Because…” He took a deep breath, then said, “You’re right. I got you into this mess. Simple as that.”
She didn’t say anything at first before she finally slid the card off the counter, tucking it into her palm. “I’ll take care of her. But that’s all this is for.”
“Okay,” he said, smiling.
She crossed her arms. “Speaking of boredom, do you think this card and dropping bags of stuff is enough to keep me sane in here? I can’t stay trapped like this.”
Damon’s gaze swept the room, then returned to her. “Then don’t.”
She frowned. “What do you mean, ‘don’t’?”
“You can go out,” he said simply. “You’re not a prisoner, Lindsey. But you won’t be alone.”
Her brows rose. “There’s always a catch, right?”
At that moment, the penthouse door opened, and a young man stepped inside. He was broad-shouldered, dressed in black. Lindsey guessed he was around her age, mid-twenties, maybe.
Damon gestured to him. “This is Enzo. He’ll accompany you whenever you leave. Consider him a shadow, not a leash.”
Enzo gave a polite nod, his expression composed, though Lindsey sensed an awkwardness in his eyes when they met hers. He wasn’t threatening the way Damon was, but there was a seriousness about him that felt like a soldier on assignment.
Lindsey arched a brow at Damon. “So I get a babysitter.”
“A bodyguard,” Damon corrected smoothly.
“Same difference.”
Her words were dismissive, but her mind ticked over the details. Enzo’s jaw was too tight, his posture too rigid, like he wasn’t used to standing this close to Damon. Still, she noticed the quick way his gaze darted to her before he looked away again. It wasn’t disrespectful, more like curiosity he didn’t want anyone to see. She said nothing but tucked that away in the back of her mind.
Damon checked his watch. “I have to go. Business calls.”
As they stepped out of the room, Damon stopped just beyond the closed door, pulling Enzo a step aside. “I want to know every time she leaves, every place she goes. No exceptions.”
Enzo nodded once. “Understood, Mr. Massaro.”
Satisfied, Damon straightened his coat and left without another word.
Back inside, Lindsey glanced at the bags, the card in her hand, and then at the closed door. And she exhaled slowly. The cage had grown wider, but it was still a cage.