Chapter 229: Four Letters
- RORY -
Luciano said I wouldn’t lose him, and then he made love to me.
Love.
Four letters—so easy to say. I’ve said them plenty of times, but this... this love? Luciano’s love? It’s so much different than anything that’s come before. It fills me without trying to keep anything for itself.
Now I’m tired and blissful and tangled up with this man in the covers, smiling stupidly while my eyes remain closed. I could lay here forever. Warm. Safe. At peace. With a giant, skillful, heavenly penis at the ready. With Luciano’s words rolling over me in sweet murmurs while he caresses me and presses kisses into my hair.
"How is your hand?" The deep husk of Luci’s voice rumbles beneath the firm chest I’m pressed against, and he tucks me closer, retrieving the injured hand from my side and lifting it for close observation.
I don’t even bother opening my eyes, content to be a rag doll for now. Maybe Raya and Dex won’t miss us if we don’t come to breakfast. I’m not sure my body will hold me up.
Luci sighs. "Meschina. It’s swollen. It looks painful." Then I feel the soft texture of his lips against that tender area of skin.
"What does meschina mean?" I ask sleepily.
"Poor thing," he tells me, and I can hear the smile in his words.
"Ugh. I’m not a meschina. It will be fine," I groan softly. "It just needs time to heal."
When I think about it, the body is so remarkable. Those two sides of skin that were cut open and separated will heal back together again. All they need is those stitches to force them to align, and then they will take care of the rest.
Maybe Luci and I are like that—brought together by outside forces and then healed into a whole. That’s how it feels. It’s like my soul calls to him, wishing to be made whole again.
"You’re my meschina," Luci says. "And I’m going to take care of you. Are you hungry?"
My stomach takes the opportunity to betray me and growl.
"I don’t want to move," I laugh softly, slapping a hand over my stomach like I can make it behave. "I’m too comfortable to get up."
"I could bring food back to you, but then your sister will probably imagine the worst. She might think I’m holding you hostage or that your injuries are worse than you said they are."
I make a few exaggerated cries in protest. "You’re probably right."
"She’s probably already going to be upset that I gave you a knife," he chuckles, kissing my eyelids and then my nose and then my mouth.
"Probably," I laugh. "I’m not usually clumsy like that. I was just barefoot, and the bridge..."
Luci growls, squeezing me close. "I can’t stand that I wasn’t there. And I had a feeling, you know? I should have listened to it."
I frown and open my eyes. "A feeling? What feeling?"
"It took so long to check Dom and Sonny in last night, and then Reddy wanted to talk. But I felt like I needed to get back. Like I was taking too long and I should be where you would expect me to be."
Goosebumps start around the crown of my head, like my spirit is acknowledging this connection between us. They continue until I’m covered from head to toe.
At this point, it seems like all the signs that link Luci and I together are as subtle as a sledgehammer. But maybe that’s what it takes for me to get the message, because I’m stubborn. I still can’t believe this is happening. I still can’t believe Luciano feels this way for me, truly.
"Do you really think it’s ancestors? Or stregas? Or..." I shrug, "I don’t understand why this is happening. The dreams and the feelings and... everything."
"I don’t know, but if it means I get to be here with you, I’m grateful."
"Yeah," I smile. "Me too."
His hand runs over my arms and my back, and I walk my fingers over his chest. His phone pings, and he reaches for it with me still tucked against him.
I guess this peace was going to be interrupted at some point. It was only a matter of time.
"We should get ready," Luci says, looking at his phone. "They’re already waiting for us."
"Is that Raya?"
"No, it’s Dex," he chuckles. "He’s not happy with me."
"What? Why?" I frown and pull back.
"He cares about you," he says, kissing my forehead and then slowly untangling himself from me. "He doesn’t want you hurt. I tried to tell him that I don’t want you hurt either, but he’s still acting like a growly, protective big brother."
I stare at the space Luci vacates as he walks to the closet, considering what he just said. Dex cares about me like a brother? That’s not something I expected, but it’s really sweet.
"Why do you look so surprised?" Luci chuckles from across the room.
"I don’t know. I guess I just... wasn’t expecting that. I don’t know him that well."
Luciano walks back over wearing only pants, and god, he is sexy as hell. He moves with so much power like it’s second nature. And right now, with his hair a mess, he appears more primal—more raw and real but more vulnerable, too.
I can’t believe I get to be the woman in his bed, blushing when he leans down to whisper against my lips.
"We’re your family now, dolcezza. So get used to it. It’s in our blood to protect our own."
—————
Ten minutes later, Luci and I are in my cabina. Standing just inside the door, I can’t tear my eyes away from the place where I saw the man rise like a shadow last night.
"That’s where he was?" Luciano asks at my side.
He walks that way and stops, turning to observe the area between the island and the counter. It’s a narrow place, illuminated now by light but shrouded in darkness last night.
"He crouched here when he heard you," he says, like he knows.
"I heard a noise," I suddenly recall. "From here. From this area. But then I came out, and it was so quiet. He was probably staring right at me."
"Come on," Luci says, taking my hand and guiding me through the bedroom door. "Let’s get your things. You’re staying with me from now on."
It doesn’t take long to gather everything. I didn’t really unpack. There are just toiletries to retrieve from the bathroom, the bag with my clothes, and then the shopping bag from yesterday.
"Oh, my phone."
I climb onto the bed, throwing back the covers until it drops free.
"Do you want to change here?" Luci asks, observing me in his shirt.
"No."
The last thing I want is to act scared of this place when there’s no reason, but I can’t help it. Being back in here still gives me the creeps, which is weird because it’s almost an exact replica of Luci’s cabina. But his feels warm and safe. This one doesn’t.
"Maybe Dex can get a refund," I say, biting my lip.
"Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out," Luci assures me. "Actually..." A slow smile spreads over his face. "This is perfect. We’ll move Dom and Sonny here."
"Oh. Really?"
"Yeah, it’s closer. It will be much better."
While we’re walking back across the bridge with my stuff, I look around, half expecting to catch sight of the bodyguards hiding in the trees.
"They’re with Dex and Raya right now," Luci says, catching the direction my attention has wandered. "I’ll introduce you when we get there."
"Do you really think the cabina is good for them? There’s only one bed."
"They’ll deal with it," he shrugs, unconcerned. "I told them they had to act like lovers while they were here so that you wouldn’t catch on."
"Luci!" I exclaim, gawking at him when we walk back into his place.
"What?" He chuckles, carrying my things into the bedroom. "You know about them now. I’ll never lie to you again, okay? Now get dressed before Dex and Raya come looking for evidence of life."
"Dex already had evidence of life," I say, rolling my eyes.
But I march into the room anyway and grab another dress from my bag.
"So many dresses," Luci whistles, watching me walk into the bathroom with a grin. "You can change out here, you know."
"If it was up to me, I would have brought all sweatshirts," I tell him. "And if I change out here, I have a feeling we won’t make it to breakfast."
I shut the door to the faint sound of a growl on the other side, and I end up smiling like an absolute fool at myself in the mirror.
I may have a swollen, stitched hand. I may have been run out of my cabina by an intruder. But today... today is going to be a good day.
