Chapter 128 PROTECT ME.
\~~~RAINA.
It was the second day in this hospital room, and I woke up before Luciano did. The morning light filtered through the half-drawn blinds, soft and gray, casting gentle shadows on the white walls. I blinked a few times, feeling the warmth of his body pressed against mine.
We had fallen asleep tangled together on the narrow bed, his arm draped over my waist, and my leg hooked over his. It was messy and close, like we couldn't bear to let go even in sleep. A giggle escaped my lips, quiet and light, as I looked down at us.
Who would have thought we'd end up like this after everything?
But here we were, wrapped up in each other, and it felt right for the first time.
He was still holding me tight, his grip firm even in rest. His chest rose and fell steadily under my hand, and I turned my head to watch him. Luciano's face looked so peaceful when he slept, all the hard lines smoothed out. No furrowed brow from the stress of his world, no clenched jaw from the anger he carried.
Just him, vulnerable and handsome in a way that made my heart ache. His dark hair was tousled, falling over his forehead, and his lashes cast faint shadows on his cheeks. I marveled at how young he seemed, yet, masculine at the same time.
I couldn't help myself. My finger reached out, tracing the curve of his lips softly. They were full and slightly parted, warm under my touch. A small sigh left him, and he stirred, his arm tightening around me for a second. His eyes fluttered but didn't open. I smiled, pulling my hand back gently, not wanting to wake him. He needed this rest so I waited until his breathing evened out again, deep and slow, before I carefully disentangled myself.
Sliding out from under his hold took effort, he mumbled something incoherent, but I whispered a soft 'shh' and eased away. My feet hit the cool tile floor, and I stood there for a moment, stretching my stiff muscles.
I padded quietly to the bathroom attached to the ward, closing the door with a soft click. The mirror above the sink showed my tired eyes and messy hair, but there was a spark there I hadn't seen in months. I grabbed the toothbrush from the cup and squeezed on some paste. The minty foam filled my mouth as I brushed, scrubbing away the overnight staleness. It was a simple routine, but it grounded me, made me feel human again.
Rinsing my mouth, I splashed cold water on my face next, letting it wake me fully. The droplets ran down my cheeks, and I patted dry with a rough paper towel, staring at my reflection.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I glanced back at the bed. Luciano was still out, curled slightly on his side, the blanket pulled up to his chest. The monitors beeped softly in the background, a steady rhythm that had become familiar. I slipped on my shoes and headed for the door.
A quick walk down the hall might clear my head, maybe grab some coffee from the vending machine. The ward was quiet this early, just the occasional murmur of nurses or the distant squeak of wheels on linoleum.
I pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly lit corridor, the air cooler out here. My mind wandered to what the day might bring and talking to the doctors about Luciano's discharge, but before I could take more than a few steps, a hand shot out from the shadows near the nurse's station and grabbed my wrist hard.
I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat as I spun around.
“I... Irina?!” My eyes widened in shock, staring at the woman who had once been Luciano's biggest threat.
But this wasn't the Irina I remembered, the sleek, seductive one with sharp eyes and a venomous smile, the one who'd orchestrated the bombing and nearly destroyed everything.
She looked disheveled, like she'd been running for her life. Her once-perfect hair hung in greasy strands around her face, matted and unkempt. Her clothes were rumpled, an oversized sweater that swallowed her thin frame, and pants that looked stained. The seductive Irina was gone, replaced by someone hollow-eyed and desperate. I didn't miss the bandages wrapping her arms and torso, peeking out from under the sleeves and hem. Where the fabric didn't cover, angry red burn scars marred her skin, blistered and raw, twisting like ugly vines across her neck and hands.
Luciano and his men must have done this to her. The thought made my stomach twist and part of me pitied her, but the rest remembered the pain she'd caused.
“W... what are you...?” I stammered, trying to pull my wrist free. My voice came out higher than I wanted, laced with fear.
How had she gotten here? In a hospital, of all places? Was she going to do something again?
To me, maybe?
She didn't answer at first. Instead, her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor with a thud, her grip loosening on my wrist only to grab at my legs instead. Her fingers clutched the fabric of my pants, trembling.
“What are you doing?” I tried to pull away, stepping back, but she held on like a drowning person to a lifeline. Panic bubbled up in my chest as I wondered if I should call for help or yell for a nurse? But her eyes locked on mine, wide and pleading, and something stopped me.
“Please, save me,” Irina whispered, her voice breaking. It was hoarse, like she'd been screaming or crying for days.
“Excuse me?”I blinked, frozen in place. Save her? From what? The words didn't make sense coming from her.
“P... please l She lifted her head, and for a split second, I saw a flicker of that old pride in her eyes, the haughty gleam of the woman who'd manipulated everyone around her.
But it vanished as quickly as it came, swallowed by raw fear. Her face crumpled, tears streaking down her scarred cheeks.
“I am the next, p... please, save me from Luciano.”
“Irina,” I said slowly, trying to steady my voice, “get up.”
“No!” she cried, clutching harder. “I won’t survive him. You don’t understand. My dad is dead! I watched Luciano’s man kill him and his followers. There is no one left to protect me.”
My heart pounded violently.
“I can’t help you,” I said, shaking my head. “You should talk to the authorities. You know there is nothing I can do.”
“No!” she screamed in a whisper, glancing around wildly. “They won’t protect me. Only you can.”
I stared down at her, stunned.
“Why me?”
Her lips trembled. “Because he listens to you.”
“What?”
“Luciano loves you so much, and he will only listen to you, damn it!” She shrieked.