Chapter 56 Another Nightmare
Lorenzo’s POV
I waited a little longer for Evelyn to fall asleep before opening my eyes. From the moment she walked into this room, when she slipped into the bathroom and even when she returned and stood there, staring at me longer than she should, I saw everything. I didn’t move or open my eyes, but every single motion she made was registered in my mind.
And the only reason I kept pretending to be asleep was because I don’t trust myself around her anymore.
Having her in this bed, in my space, breathing the same air as me every damn night, it’s becoming torturous.
Even now, just the light brush of her body against mine, the faint scent of her shampoo drifting toward me…. it’s already driving me insane.
I keep telling myself to hold on.
Just one year.
One year and I’ll get my powers back.
One year and I can discard her, free myself from this weakness, and go search for Delilah the way I promised.
But the more I try, the harder it becomes to resist her.
Evelyn affects me in a way I can’t explain…. a way that terrifies me.
These days, I catch myself wanting more, craving more. Even when I punish her, half the time it’s for my own satisfaction, because I enjoy every damn moment, every reaction she gives me, more than I should.
I find myself wanting to claim her. Mark her. But I can’t.
It wouldn’t be fair to Delilah.
I made a promise on my dying day to find her in our next life. And I swear by anything that made me what I am, I will find her. I will. I won’t break that promise.
A cool breeze slipped through the window and brushed my cheek, hitting that sensitive spot on my neck that always reacts. I shifted and there she was.
Evelyn Martins.
Sleeping peacefully beside me.
Even after everything I’ve put her through, she carries this…. bravery. A strength so rare. Something I’ve never witnessed in any mortal.
Before I realized what I was doing, my hand reached for her. My fingers touched her cheek, then trailed down to her lips.
Her lower lip was soft, warm…. too inviting for its own good.
Fuck.
My cock throbbed instantly, hard, immediate, demanding.
Begging to push into her.
I snatched my hand back like I’d touched fire.
My chest rose and fell too fast, my pulse hammering with a warning I couldn’t ignore.
No.
I need to get a grip before I do something I won’t be able to take back.
I forced myself to roll over, turning my back to her, clenching my fists so tight my knuckles cracked. I shut my eyes, too tight.
Shoving away every image of her, every sound of her breathing. Every way my body reacted to her nearness.
I kept pushing it away, over and over, until exhaustion finally dragged me under and sleep claimed me.
Then came the nightmare again.
And I saw her.
Delilah.
She was falling off a cliff and my whole body went stiff. It was like time stopped around me. My mind couldn’t process what was happening. She was dying, slipping away from me, and I wasn’t even moving.
Her eyes suddenly locked onto mine from afar, wide with terror, and she screamed my name.
“Lorenzo!!!”
Her voice tore through me, ripping open every wound that had never healed.
Something snapped in my brain, violent, desperate, forcing me to move.
“Delilah!!” I screamed, sprinting toward her. My lungs burned. My legs felt heavy. But I pushed harder. I had to reach her. I had to.
But before I could get to her, she was already over the edge.
Falling.
Her last words echoed through the entire cliff, taunting. ““Save me! Find me! I’m close now!”
My heart thundered painfully.
Then I heard it.
The sound of her body hitting the ground. A sickening thud that shattered something inside me.
My legs froze. My knees trembled. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even bring myself to look over the edge.
Was she dead again?
The thought alone twisted my chest, burning me alive from the inside.
But I forced myself to the cliff’s edge and what I saw stole the words from my mouth.
It wasn’t earth. It wasn’t water. It wasn’t even the forest floor.
It was fire.
Delilah had fallen into hell.
Flames wrapped around her, pulling her deeper as she screamed my name, begging for help.
She needed me.
She was suffering.
I didn’t think twice. I jumped straight off the cliff because I’d rather burn with her than live without her.
But the moment I fell, something snapped hard inside me, yanking me back to reality.
I woke up sweating dangerously, every breath heavier than the last. I jerked upright, panting, heat dripping from my skin.
My hand dragged over my hair in frustration.
Fuck.
Another nightmare.
I have seen her again, but her face vanished the moment my eyes opened. Every time I dream about Delilah, I try. God, I always try hard to memorize her face. But once I wake up, it goes blank. Empty. Gone.
But today, today was different.
I didn’t remember her face, but her voice. It still echoed in my head.
Wherever she is, she needs me. Desperately.
And I need to find her.
Fuck whatever Emiliana told me. I can’t sit back while the only person who ever gave me a reason to survive suffers in hell. No. I’m done waiting.
I need to save her.
I turned. Evelyn was still asleep. Peaceful. Unaware of the storm raging inside me.
I reached for my phone on the bedside table and checked the time. Early morning. I dialed Gideon immediately.
“Boss….” he dragged out, groggy. I must have woken him.
“Gideon, I need you in my office. Now.”
I ended the call before he could respond. I dragged myself out of the bed, got ready, and slipped out quietly, careful not to wake Evelyn.
A few minutes later, Gideon walked in. His face held confusion, a kind he didn’t bother to hide. He must be wondering why I summoned him at this hour.
“Gideon.”
He straightened immediately. “Yes, boss.”
“We’re going on a mission.”
He tilted his head, brows knitting. “Mission? What mission?”
My chest tightened. Anger, fear, desperation, all twisting into one unbearable knot.
“I’ve decided to go in search of Delilah once more.”
“What?” he snapped. “Boss….. I don’t think that’s a wise idea.”
Something inside me snapped.
I slammed my fist against the desk, the sound cracking through the room. “You don’t get to tell me what’s wise or not! Your job is to follow my orders. No questions.”
He lowered his gaze, then lifted it again with a quiet defiance. “No, boss. This is an impossible mission. The Moon Goddess said…”
I slammed the desk harder, the wood vibrating under my hand.
“Fuck whatever she says!” My voice echoed, raw and ragged.
I was breaking and he could see it.
Gideon didn’t flinch. He just stood there, silently watching me lose my grip. His lack of response only made the weight inside my chest heavier.
But I ignored it. I had made up my mind. Nothing and no one would stop me.
“I’m sorry, boss,” he finally whispered.
I collapsed back into my chair, my chest rising in uneven breaths. My head spun as I turned slowly, staring into the thin air like it held answers.
“Get the car ready,” I said, my voice low, strained. “We’re leaving.”
“Now….?”
My gaze pinned him in place, daring him to challenge me again, to give me even the slightest reason to unleash everything I was holding back.