Chapter 216: Blooming
- RORY -
The last nightmare was only terrifying at the beginning. Not the end. That’s the thought that sticks with me now, nestling itself into my mind as Luciano and I stare at each other.
When I told him that the words he just spoke were also words he spoke in my dream—the dream that ended right when it needed to so that I could get out of the bedroom in one piece—I watched more emotions swell in him that I couldn’t place.
It’s a stunning contrast to witness. He’s confident, powerful, strong, and arrogant. And he’s a killer. There’s no getting past that.
To be a killer like him is no small thing. Something inside has to be unflinching and cold. I have no doubt those parts of Luciano exist. They have to. He couldn’t kill Lawson so easily and with such little remorse if they didn’t.
But there is affection and warmth unlike anything I’ve ever encountered blooming so bright right in front of me, too. All of that—the cold and the warmth—exist in him. Luciano is so much more than I thought.
My thoughts flicker back to the rare cactus flower and its special light waiting for me at home, and I can’t help but smile at the similarity I see now.
He looks down at my lips at the change. "You’re smiling." His voice is so soft. "Why?"
"You’re the flower," I say, letting the thought slip free. "The cactus flower."
"Am not," he chuckles, "you’re the flower, dolcezza."
The wondrous emotions that were flowing so openly from him a moment before scatter when his attention is once again taken by our surroundings. That’s when I see the flicker between warmth and cold. He’s glaring out at the shadows.
"Let’s keep moving," he says with an edge that wasn’t there prior, his gaze cast away but his warm hand in mine.
I take a deep breath as we continue on as before, drawing myself closer to him when the ground turns to wood. The tall shadowed demons from my nightmares and the large shadowed figure of a man in the cabina twin in my mind as the current shadows engulf us.
I look behind us, watching the patio area slip away, making sure nothing crawls onto the path from out of the trees. This isn’t a long way to go, but it feels like it stretches on and we’re passing through the darkness forever. It’s behind us and in front of us, and I hate every second of it, especially since Luciano asked about what happened to him in my dream. Nothing better happen to him now.
Eventually, we make it to the suspension bridge, and Luci speeds up, not quite running but his pace much more hurried like he’s eager to make it to the finish. The trees aren’t as dense in this area, and the shape of his cabina is just ahead.
I think I hold my breath the rest of the way, because once he’s unlocked the door and we’re inside, my lungs are burning and I’m trying to greedily take in air without drawing unnecessary attention to myself while Luci searches the rooms. My back is against the glass door when he returns from the bedroom, dark eyes on me once again.
"It’s safe," he says, but he casts a cold look out through the windows as he walks over my way. His walk is all power—broad in his stance and gait to accommodate for the muscles that roll over his shoulders and down his body. "This place is beautiful, don’t get me wrong. But the glass," he points to it accusingly, "is not my favorite."
I glance over my shoulder, catching a vague reflection of myself and backing away from it.
"Come into the bedroom so we can get you cleaned up. This should probably be where we stay until morning."
I let him lead me by the hand again, but once we pass into the bedroom, he has me walk in first before shutting the door. Then he’s checking the frame of the far window presumably for structural integrity before pulling its long, elegant curtains shut.
"So you don’t think I’m crazy at least," I say lightly, glancing around his room. It’s clean. His things must be tucked away in the closet.
"Why would I think that?" He frowns.
"Part of me wondered if I imagined it." I stare down at my stitched-up hand.
"No, of course not. This was what I was worried about from the beginning. It’s why I didn’t want you and your sister walking around without us today."
With a shudder, every space Raya and I were alone in flashes through my mind. But I’m not going to allow myself to dwell on those details. Fear of what could have happened in the past is pointless. I’ll drive myself crazy.
"But then who was it? Who would it be?" I ask, a different fear instantly making my eyes go wide when I think of my sister.
Is Raya in danger? Is Dex? I allowed myself to believe that this is just some personal issue I had, and that was so stupid.
I dart back to the door, reaching for the handle before Luciano’s rush to beat me there makes me stop short.
"We have to check on Raya and Dex. What if—"
"They’re safe, Rory," he sighs, and he says it with conviction. He believes it.
"How can you know that? Did you text them? Shouldn’t we make sure?"
"I made sure. I promise you."
I stand looking at Luci, the vestiges of old fears prickling at the sight of him blocking the exit so completely when my instinct is to rush out and check on my sister. And it’s like Luciano is acutely tuned into that fear. He sees it immediately before I can dispel it. A muscle tightens in his jaw, and he drops his head to stare at the floor.
"You are welcome to leave, of course, to check. I’m not keeping you here. But please don’t."
He says all of this without looking at me, but once his eyes lift that rare flower is back—overflowing with emotion that shocks me. He pushes away from the door and passes me to approach the bed.
He doesn’t try to reason with me not to leave. Instead, he pulls a gun from the back of his waistband and sets it on the side table.
"How did you check on them? Did you call?" I ask, recalling how he said he would let me tell them about what happened myself if I wanted to.
There are several moments of silence when he doesn’t answer that have me squinting at his back accusingly. He wouldn’t lie about making sure they were fine, would he? No. I believe him. I trust him, I do. But when he doesn’t answer, it’s because there’s something I don’t know, and he’s debating on whether or not he should keep it that way.
"I brought a few guys here," he says finally, raking a hand through his hair and then turning to face me. "Dex and Raya’s was the first place they checked. They’re fine. Dom and Sonny saw them inside."
