Chapter 14
Chapter 14
(Raelyn’s POV)
It was one of those rare nights when the villa felt too quiet. The only sounds in the house were the constant passing of maids and guards around the house. Rafael had left earlier with his brothers for another business meeting that I was sure of,was Mafia, and I’d been left alone with Marco and Sofia.
Sofia had practically begged me to join them for a night out.
"Come on, Rae! You deserve to have fun. You’ve been cooped up here for too long! And my brother doesn't seem to take you out anytime soon"
Before I could even give her a real answer, she was already in my room going through my closet, while Marco grinned in the background like he knew I wouldn’t win this battle.
I reluctantly said yes, telling myself maybe a few hours out wouldn’t hurt and Rafael wouldn't mind right?
When we reached the club it was like a living, breathing thing with lights flashing, loud music shaking the floor, laughter and shouts of people blending into a dizzying wave of noise.
It was nothing like the quietness I was used to. I’d never been in a place like this before, and the longer I sat there, the more I felt like an outsider in someone else’s world.
Sofia and Marco, of course, were familiar with these kinds of things. They knew almost half of the people there, and the other half seemed to know them.
They’d insisted I sit with them in a private booth because of security issues, but even when I sat there, I still felt the weight of strangers eyes all around.
I was drinking the beer I didn’t even like when a man with black hair and a smirk that screamed trouble walked up to our table. He wore black sharp suit with a turtleneck, but his eyes were darker than they should’ve been, almost predatory.
" I haven’t seen you here before," he said, his voice was smooth but heavy with something I didn’t like. "Mind if I join you?"
Sofia gave him a polite, dismissive smile trying to indicate she was clearly uninterested and Marco was caught up in a conversation across the table and didn’t notice the way the stranger’s attention shifted entirely to me.
He leaned closer, the sour smell of alcohol rolling off him. "You’re too beautiful to be sitting here alone. Come with me,I can keep you entertained"
My stomach tightened with his words
“I’m not alone, I’m with my friends,” I said softly, my eyes darting toward Sofia, hoping she’d read the silent help me in my expression but she didn’t see it.
His hand reached for my arm, fingers brushing my skin in a way that made me want to pull back immediately.
"Come on. Let me buy you a drink."
I shook my head, trying to stay calm, but his grip tightened around my wrist.
"I think you should come with me," he said, voice dropping into something darker.
My heart began pounding loudly against my ribs.
“No,” I said, trying to pull away, but his hold only grew stronger.
That’s when Marco finally looked over and his face turned dark instantly “Hey, man. Let go of her.”
The man ignored him with a quick yank, he pulled me halfway out of my seat trying to get me to follow him.
“Let go of me!” I gasped, shoving him away panic clawing at my chest.
He only laughed, his hand sliding toward my waist but before he could do anything a chilling voice cut through the noise like a blade.
"That’s enough."
I froze ,my head snapped toward the entrance when I saw Rafael.
He stood there at the entrance tall and dangerous, his eyes were fixed on mine then shifted on the man like he was already dead.
The room seemed to froze as he started coming toward us , each step he took was steady, deliberate and almost lethal.
“Rafael,” I breathed both with relief and fear in my voice.
He didn’t answer me or even look at me Instead, he took a gun and aimed it straight at the man’s chest.
The man’s smirk faltered, his hands started to rise to defend himself, but Rafael took another step closer.
"You touched her," Rafael said, his voice was low and lethal. "That was your last mistake."
The man stammered trying to say something, but Rafael closed the distance between them like a shadow swallowing light.
"You will never ever lay a hand on her again."
Then the gun went off.
The bullet sound echoed through the club, silencing everything. The man went crumpling on the floor before his scream could even form.
I couldn’t move ,I couldn’t breathe my heart was still racing, but Rafael’s face was unreadable as he turned to me.
"Let’s go."
His hand found mine and he pulled me through the silent crowd without another word.
When we reached back at the villa, Rafael said nothing to anyone. He just walked past us, his was hard like it was made from stone, and went straight into our bedroom, shutting the door hard enough to shake the frame.
I stood there in the hallway, my pulse was still unsteady. I didn’t understand what had just happened and why he was shutting me out.
He’d saved me but now, he was… cold.
Hours later, I found myself standing outside our bedroom door, my hand hovering over the knob. I took a breath and knocked softly.
“Rafael?” I said, my voice came out small. “Please… can we talk?”
Silence.
When his voice finally came, it was muffled. “Go away, Raelyn.”
The words hit harder than they should have. This was what I wanted right? For Rafael to stay away from me but why my chest ached when I heard him chase me away?. I stood there for a moment, unsure if I was breathing at all, then turned away because what else could I do?
I lay awake, staring at the dark ceiling, replaying the scene over and over. The sound of the shot. The way he wouldn’t even look at me afterward.
I didn’t know what I’d done to make him angry angrier than I’d ever seen him.