Luciano
“Easy,” I urged Raven as she chugged down the glass of water. With the way she looked, I feared she would break to pieces if she drank too much. Hell I feared she would break if she so much as batted an eyelash. Her eyes were swollen. One of them, the left, had a nasty bruise, huge and purple. It would take days to heal.
A pity Damian fell to his death. I would prefer killing him myself. I’d shoot all his limbs off and then watch him scramble around, suffering, in pain and agony. Ah yes. That would be much better to see.
He had the guts to lay hands on my woman, he had to be ready for the consequences. He’d battered her to bits! Her hair, her lustrous caramel hair was still soiled. I hadn’t wanted anyone else touching her when she was unconscious, afraid that moving her would worsen her situation. Perhaps if by tomorrow she looked a lot less pale and bruised, I’d help her take a bath. But right now, right now, I was fine with her being okay.
She sighed, removed the cup from her lips and stretched it back to me. Her arms were lined with purple markings, wounds that were healing up. I hated them. I Hated the grimace on her face. The way she winced with each body movement. I hated that she was in so much pain. And I couldn’t do shit about it.
“You’re okay?” I asked, hating the gravelly sound of my voice because it made her flinch. Fuck, was she afraid of me? Afraid that I might hurt her? I didn’t intend to. I would never hurt her, she had to know that. If I wanted to, I had all the excuses in the world to do so.
“Yeah,” She croaked, sighing and relaxing against the headboard. “Everywhere hurts,”
“I’m sorry Cara,” I whisper, reaching for her hands. “All this wouldn’t have happened if I was observant enough.”
Green eyes stared at me in disbelief. “You’re sorry? I caused all of this, ” She said, tears welling up her already swollen eyes.
“Fuck, Cara, don’t cry,” I urged, sitting beside her.
“I called the police. I planned with Damian, I betrayed you Luciano,” She sobbed, trying to pull away from me.
Silly woman. Like I would let her. I reached for her face, cupping it gingerly, careful not to press on her wounds.
“Is it a betrayal if I knew about it all along?” I asked, stroking her chin. “I had planned for the police Cara, I knew what to do to escape. What I hadn’t planned for was Luca stabbing me in the back.”
What she did wasn’t the best. But it wasn’t the worst either. She was just doing her job and avenging her father’s death. I understood that. Besides, who was I to judge anyone to be good or bad? I had enough sins on my neck to condemn me. The only good thing I hadn’t soiled yet was what I had with her. What I had with Raven.
“It doesn’t change what I did,” She disputed, shaking her head. Tears rolled down her cheeks in globes and I sighed wistfully, trying to clean them away.
“It doesn’t,” I agreed. “But it doesn’t change what we have either, Cara.”
Nothing could. Not even death. The sooner she realized that, the easier it would be for both of us. Her face scrunched up in dismay at my words and she shook her head, withdrawing from me.
“Cara-”
“You might want to lay off her for now,” Doc who had been sitting in the corner all along grunted, rising to his feet. His gray hairs were all swished around from him constantly yanking at it. He was one of the few who didn’t quake in their boots when they were around me. Hell this man was as proud as Italians came. “She just woke up out of a coma. You need to give her some space to breathe.”
I glared at him, letting Raven’s hands go. “I am all she needs.”
Doc snorted as he approached us. “I guess that makes you fucking oxygen then?”
I shrugged, turning to face Raven to see she was still crying. Fuck. What could I do? I was a dumbass when it came to these things. Hell if Giorgia cried while we were growing up; which she very rarely did; I’d just ignore her until she was done or give her a smack on the head. I couldn’t do that to Raven. She looked so frail and fragile, but I was certain she would have my head if I tried to.
“Raven,”
“It’s Athena,” She corrected under her breath.
“I don’t care,” I shrugged. “You’re Raven to me. Raven Gonzalez.”
She sniffed and looked away. Doc went on to examine her body while I watched. I hadn’t expected her to jump with joy and glee when she woke up, but I hadn’t expected this withdrawal either. It felt like with each word I said, with everything I did, the distance between us grew fucking wider. I wanted to close it. No fuck, I needed to close that gap.
“Damian’s dead,” I told her and she nodded.
“I know. I remember.” She mumbled, hissing when the Doc pressed on her arm.
“Be fucking gentle!” I bellowed.
“Quit yelling at me!” Doc snapped. “How the hell am I supoosed to examine her if all you do is fucking yell at me?!”
“You’re causing her pain!”
“I am not!”
“Will you two just shut up?”
We both glared at each other before glancing at Raven who looked rather fed up.
“Do you have anything to eat, Luciano?” She asked, closing her eyes tiredly. “Something soft preferably, my throat feels like a fucking desert.”
“I’ll make you something to eat. Soup? Does soup sound fine Cara?”
She nodded weakly. I rose to my feet, gave the doc one last warning look and walked out of the bedroom into the kitchen. It was a good thing I had Enzo get us groceries the day before. Perhaps he was worthy enough to join the Consiglieres. He had been quite loyal.
But then there was Luca’s post to be filled. A post couldn’t be left vacant for too long in the mafia. It would cause imbalance and people would start to get funny ideas.
Funny ideas that could cost us our family.
I had to find someone to replace Luca and I had to do that quickly, or shit would hit the fan.
I had barely shoved the ingredients for broth into the pan when a knock on the front door caught my attention. Wordlessly, I snatched my glock off the kitchen counter, cocked it and approached the door.
Just because we had gotten rid of any evidence that I and Raven were at the cabin, didn’t mean that the police would free us. She was part of the FBI after all. They would come looking for one of their own soon enough. I had to make sure she was okay to face them. I didn’t know what her decision would be, but whatever it was, I hell as hell did not plan to let her go.
The knocking became insistent but in patterns. It was a mafia call. But then anyone could learn it and fake being a mafia. Or it could be one of Luca’s supporters. Ah shit, I hoped Enzo had carried out my orders perfectly.
“Who’s there?” I demanded.
“It’s me Luciano!” Giorgia yelled and I allowed myself to relax. But only a bit.
“How’s the weather out there?” I demanded, narrowing my eyes at the door.
“Safe,” She called back. “It’s safe weather!”
Good. That meant she was alone. It was safe to open the damned door. But just to be safe, I gripped my gun tighter, ready to fire before undoing the locks on the door.
True to her word she was alone. She rushed inside frantically while I bolted the locks back in place and turned to face her.
“What?” I asked when I noticed her glare at me.
“Luca got arrested,” She supplied. “I don’t know how the police got him, but they seem to think he’s the mafia’s lord!”
“Oh, do they now?” I drew a grin and walked to the kitchen. That meant my plan was a fucking success. Ah fucking great. I could sleep a tad easy. And I could move on to the next step.
“And some of our brothers got arrested too! We should go for them, we need to get them out!” She yelled and I chuckled, lighting the gas stove and placed the pot I had prepared on it.
“We should?” I asked.
“Yes!” Girogia yelled. “What are you doing? And why on earth do you sound so nonchalant?! I just told you our familgia is in danger.”
“Relax Giorgia, they are not,” I told her.
“What do you mean they are not? Are you behind this Luciano?”