Chapter 230: Transformation
- RAYA -
As soon as Rory and Luciano walk into the outdoor dining area where we’re waiting to have breakfast, I know immediately that everything between them has changed.
I was so worried about Rory when I found out she was hurt, but she is glowing this morning. There’s no other way to put it. She’s also trying not to smile and failing miserably.
I smirk at Dex who has been fidgeting with his phone and growing increasingly irritated by their absence. He was obviously super worried about Rory, too. But I can tell by his expression that he notices the same change I do.
Rory doesn’t appear to have a dark cloud hovering over her anymore. She looks even brighter and happier than she did before all this shit happened with Lawson. Maybe it’s how amazing and chic she looks in the tropical mini halter dress I picked out for her, but I doubt it.
Nope. This is all because of the man escorting her.
Luciano has his hand on her lower back, black eyes flashing dangerously as he scans the area. If anyone can protect Rory, it’s him. Thank God for Luciano.
I can’t wait until they make it to the table, so I push out of my chair and run to her, pulling Rory into a fierce embrace. She laughs, letting me squeeze her.
"Raya, I’m fine!"
"But you could have been hurt," I say, pulling away from her and lifting her hand so I can examine it. It’s crudely stitched with black threads poking out every which way. I can’t help but cringe at the look of it. "I mean, you could have been MORE hurt. Why in the world did you give her a knife, Luciano?"
He chuckles as he and Rory share a knowing smile. "Protection," he says simply.
"Protection," I repeat on a groan.
"I just fell," Rory explains, her smile wilting as she attempts to hide her hand. "It was an accident."
The softness Luciano reserves for my sister sharpens when his two men approach.
"Rory, this is Domenico and Santino. You can call them Dom and Sonny," he says, positioning himself between her and the two of them to facilitate introductions.
"It’s nice to meet you, Rory," Dom says, shaking her hand.
"Nice to meet you, Rory," the shorter Sonny parrots, though in a higher voice than Dom’s deep baritone. "What a lovely dress." Then he grins at Dom and Luciano as if he’s won an argument and is very pleased with himself.
"Your shirt looks nothing like that. Forget about it," Dom says with a brief chuckle. "The lady looks elegant."
"Okay, rule one. Don’t comment on what she’s wearing," Luciano says. "I don’t want to have to bury the two of you in the jungle."
"Sorry boss," Dom says quickly, unsurprised by the apparent warning.
Rory’s eyes widen. "Luci!"
"What?" He shrugs with a guilty smile and then kisses her before she can say anything else.
All the while Dex and I are watching, struck speechless by their interaction. And Rory realizes it. She catches my surprised smile, a blush quickly rising to tint her cheeks before she turns her attention to the short man in front of her.
"I appreciate the compliment, Sonny," she says, reaching to shake his hand. "It’s very nice to meet you. I also happen to like your shirt very much."
"Oh, well... thank you," he chuckles shyly, which is amusing because he’s such a burly guy.
When Sonny lifts Rory’s hand like he’s going to kiss it, Luciano cuts in to take her hand instead.
"Okay, okay," he says brusquely. "Enough with the pleasantries. I’m assuming you two met Dex and Raya as well?"
Both of his men nod, and when Luciano looks at me, I nod quickly, too, smiling as brightly as I can.
"Great, why don’t you both get some breakfast and rest a little while you can," he says, turning back to his men. "This place looks deserted. We’ll stay close to the resort today. Just keep your phones on."
"You got it, boss," Dom says, and then he and Sonny return to the table where they were sitting before Luciano and Rory arrived.
"Sorry about all of this," Luci says after he and Rory have sat down, and I realize he’s talking to me. "I hope they don’t bother you."
"Oh," I say with a frown, "no. They don’t bother me. They’ve been very nice."
"What he means is he’s sorry that his presence has endangered us," Dex mutters, focusing his attention on the menu.
"Yeah," Luci adds, his lips pressing together. "That too."
"We don’t know that," I frown. "I seriously doubt it was because of you, Luciano. It could have been anyone."
No one says anything else, but Rory gives me a crooked smile. And I wonder. Is it possible that this intruder had something to do with her and I instead? It’s easy to assume that it’s because of Luciano given how dangerous of a business he’s in, but that seems almost too convenient.
Dex once told me that I attract the darkness. What if he was right? And what if it’s a family thing that Rory and I share?
During breakfast, Rory tells me about her dream the previous day and how it woke her up at the right time, allowing her to get out of the cabina before it was too late. That only seems to confirm my suspicion.
Maybe I’m wrong, but these dreams seem to be primarily directed toward her and I rather than the guys. I don’t know if it’s ancestors or witches, but there has to be something about us that’s significant. And we’re going to have to get to the bottom of it soon.
Once we’re done eating, I take Rory’s hand again, studying the stitches.
"I should have been with you," I tell her, worrying my lip at the scare that she had. I can’t even imagine seeing a dark figure when I was alone and having it chase me.
"No, you shouldn’t have," she frowns. "I don’t want you going through that either."
"I should have been with her," Luciano counters. "It won’t happen again. She isn’t going to be alone."
Rory doesn’t reply with the usual snark. Instead, I detect a faint blush that rises to the apples of her cheeks, but she rolls her eyes and shakes her head to play it off.
"You’re going to be staying with Luciano then?" I ask.
"Yeah." She shrugs like it’s no big deal. "We already moved my stuff over."
"That’s probably for the best," Dex sighs. "We don’t want any more surprises."
Thankfully Dex seems to have relaxed about Luciano and Rory over the course of breakfast. He doesn’t seem quite as bristly as he was earlier.
I’m sure seeing them interact has helped, because Luci and Rory keep shooting warm smiles and little jokes back and forth, taking every opportunity to tease one another. It’s adorable, and I can’t help but smile happily as I watch them. It’s such a remarkable transformation in both of them... almost like they’ve known each other for ages and just been reunited after time away.
"I’d like to move Dom and Sonny into that cabina," Luci tells Dex. "That way they’re closer."
"Yeah. I agree," Dex nods, taking a drink of his water. "The rest of them will be in the hotel, I assume?"
"The rest of them?" Rory repeats, turning to Luciano with the question furrowing her brow.
"My father felt it was best to send more men," he explains. "Just in case."
"Oh." Her eyes flare and cut my way. I think we’re both surprised by just how serious this is being taken.
"Can I ask you something?" I venture, gaze pinging between Luciano and my sister. "Do you think the dreams you two had were warning you about this specifically? They literally started the day before, right? And then one woke Rory up at the perfect time."
Rory glances at Luciano. "Yes. I wouldn’t have gotten out when I did without it."
"Well, I only had the one dream," Luciano says, dark eyes returning to me. "But it was enough to confirm what I already know."
"And what is that?"
"That you both attract trouble," he says with a chuckle.
When Rory and I share an uneasy look, I can tell we’re wondering the same thing. Is this about us after all?
"I’m mostly kidding," Luci says, taking notice of our distress. "No, it confirmed that I need to be on alert, because there are literally dangers everywhere. In this case, there was a specific danger coming, and it was my job to protect her. I should have known and been there. Or I should have at least been closer than I was."
"It’s not your job to protect me," Rory argues with a soft groan. "None of this is your fault."
"It is my job, tesoro," Luciano grabs her uninjured hand with a tenderness softening his expression. "Because it’s what I’m good at."
