Chapter 131: Just a Nightmare
- DEX -
After ending the call with Raya, I feel like pacing. I’ve been stuck with Lawson all day—first in the car, then the plane ride, then the hospital room with dad, and now here in the hotel suite. It’s suffocating.
I can see him on his bed from where I am in the living room area. He’s got a remote in his hand, watching me uneasily when he’s not focused on the television. I hope he’s as afraid as he looks. He should be. The only reason why he isn’t in that basement tied to a chair is because it would make father suspicious if he wasn’t here.
If I could get away with tying Lawson up in here, I would probably sleep better. I doubt he would slip out and disappear in the middle of the night when father’s surgery is tomorrow, but he is as self-centered as they come. I’m not going to entirely put it past him. If he thinks it will save his skin, then he may try to make a run for it.
Or maybe my brother thinks that’s it and the punishment is over. I haven’t been able to bring myself to reassure him. When he tried to apologize to me on the plane, I cut him off. I could’t listen to it, and we’ve been maintaining a tense silence ever since.
A headache is beginning to bloom behind my eyes. Raya texted to let me know she was going to dinner with Cricket and Jay, and I didn’t imagine there would be any problems. I know this worry of mine may be a little much, but I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to her while I was gone with all the crazy situations that she has encountered recently.
It would stupid of me not to be worried and to ignore the protective instinct that is lodged so deeply in my heart. It’s there for a reason. I want to strip off a piece of myself and leave it with her—shield her from any threats when I’m not there. Right now, that piece of me is Luciano.
As soon as Luciano told me that Raya was sitting in the truck without going anywhere, I knew something was wrong. I should have known she would be uncomfortable driving so soon after the accident. What was I thinking?
"I need my phone, Dex. I’m going to order some food," Lawson calls from his room, and my frustration flares to life.
"No you’re not." I stalk over to him.
"Why not?"
"It’s past eleven. Why do you need food?"
"I have barely eaten in two days," he scoffs.
"You ate on the plane, Lawson. You’re fine."
"Food from the plane and hospital hardly counts for much."
"It counts for plenty. Just be happy you’re here at all and not a hole in the ground." So much for reassuring him.
He glares at me—cold blue eyes that are like ice—and a cruel smile curves on my face. I feel it... the desire for him to bait me into a fight. Do it, Lawson. I dare you.
"What are you going to do tomorrow? After father is out of surgery?" He asks.
"I don’t know." I cross my arms, the humorless smile still playing on my lips. "What do you think is fair?"
"Not strapping me to a fucking chair!"
I laugh at his outburst. I can’t help it.
"Is this all just because of Auraya? I don’t see how she is worth getting involved with your mother’s fucked up family. She was all over my dick before you even got here. What makes you think you’re so special?"
My smile vanishes, and I grit my teeth together. "Get some sleep Lawson," I growl and push off of the wall of his room, stalking toward him until he shrinks back. Instead of delivering on that fear in his eyes like I want to so badly—the fury is burning like lava in my veins—I rip the phone out of the wall next to him and take it back to my room with the cord dragging behind me.
Later, I get a text from Luciano.
’All safe and sound. The sister is strafiga. I like em fiery.’
"Shit," I mumble and then text back ’Don’t even think about it.’
Luciano better not get any ideas about Rory. That would be a monumental disaster for so many reasons, not least of which would be Rory being brought into a world that I’m positive she wants nothing to do with. That and Luciano has never been serious about anyone... ever.
’Come on, cuzzo. Remember you owe me.’
’I don’t owe you that.’
’You said whatever I need.’
’You can’t get your own girl, Luci? You need me to do it for you?’
’Vaffanculo, fuck off Dex. Just bring her Sunday.’
I growl to myself and then sigh heavily. Great. What have I gotten Rory into? Like I don’t have enough shit to worry about at the moment. Now my cousin wants to hook up with Raya’s sister.
’She’s not your type.’
’How do you know my type?’
’Fine, you’re not her type.’
’I’m watching your girl for you, cuz. Don’t piss me off.’
I groan and rake a hand down my face. This is obviously unavoidable.
’Fine. I’ll do what I can.’
He sends me a thumbs up, and I toss my phone on the nightstand. What a disaster.
After retrieving my phone and sending a goodnight text to Raya, the day I’ve had culminates in the most obvious way when I lose the fight against sleep and find myself in a nightmare.
Lawson is at the house again, those icy blue eyes of his fierce and unforgiving as he stalks Raya around the living room and then pins her against the wall. I’m pounding on the glass of a living room window as a helpless observer, but neither of them seem to be able to hear me.
Why did I let him out of the basement? I should have left him there. I should have killed him when I had the chance!
A shadowy figure appears from the kitchen, and I see Raya’s fear ratchet up even higher. Kenneth Rider becomes visible, the gleam of his knife catching my eye when he walks up to Lawson with a twisted grin, bringing his knife up to Raya’s cheek. It’s like the stalker and my brother are partners in some kind of depraved game with Raya as their toy, and there’s nothing I can do but watch it all unfold.
When Raya knees Lawson to free herself this time, Kenneth is there to catch her on the stairs before she can make it to my bedroom. The last thing I see from the vantage point of the window is Raya’s legs kicking as she is carried up the rest of the way to the darkness on the second floor. I can’t see where he takes her, but I can feel the panic and the fear and the desperation rock through me so severely, it’s a wonder that I’m not able to smash right through the side of the house to get to her.
I jolt up in bed fully awake, panting and clawing at the nightstand for my phone. It’s just after five a.m.
"It was just a nightmare," I whisper into the silence. "Just a nightmare." Raya is not even at the house right now. She’s staying with her sister, and Luciano is parked outside keeping watch.
’Everything good?’ I shoot off a text to Luciano before walking the length of the suite to Lawson’s room.
He appears to be in bed, but I pull off the large comforter just to be safe, and my brother’s eyes squint up at me when it rouses him from sleep. With a heavy sigh of relief, I drop the blanket back where it was and consider smothering him with it but leave instead.
The reply from Luciano is still lit up on my screen when I go back to check my phone.
’All good. It’s quiet. Fucker probably knows what I’ll do if he shows up. Was hoping he would.’
I stand there, hands clenching my hips, staring at the bed. I wonder if Raya is having nightmares, too. I’m tempted to call her, but it’s only 2 a.m. there. If she’s sleeping, I’m not going to risk waking her. Hopefully my nightmare isn’t at all related to what’s going on in her dreams.
What does this mean? That we can’t sleep away from each other without having nightmares? Since she’s been falling asleep in my arms, neither of us have had any—good or bad. It’s almost like the cure for these dreams of ours is each other, which honestly doesn’t surprise me. But now it’s going to be hard focusing on my father today and being fully present when everything inside me is clawing to get back to the girl I left at home.
"God, give me the strength not to strangle my brother today," I mumble and stalk toward the bathroom to take a shower before Lawson and I have to show up at the hospital. If anything, that nightmare only made it more likely that I won’t be able to keep my anger contained for long.
