Chapter 79

She couldn't sleep that night, her eyes staring up at the ceiling, her dreadful mistake replaying in her head. 

She had discarded the dress, burning it right in the middle of the kitchen, the taste of his lips still on her tongue, sweat trailing down her face.

Sweeping the ashes off, she had walked up to the manor, feeling more like the darkness. What had she done?! What was she thinking? How did she become so horrible?

She had sat under the shower, the hot water burning her skin and trailing down her body. She wanted to wash off the memory, but with the way it appeared, making her gasp, it would be hard to do.

She had curled up on the bed, tossing and turning, fear and terror tearing at her skin. Her fingers holding her nightdress to herself, Maya thought she could see death staring at her in the face.

If maestro ever found out... She gasped.  No, he wasn't going to. No one was going to know.

And what if you get pregnant, her head chided...

She caught her breath and immediately sat on the bed, eyes widening.

And what if she got pregnant?

She looked at the clock. It was just two.

She needed Lina. And whatever her birth control was called, how would she tell Lina that she'd slept with Sir Derinem?

Except if she didn't have to tell Lina it was Sir Derinem, right? She could lie about it. She bit her lower lips, pacing. All this could have been avoided with self-control, Maya.

She took a deep breath. She wouldn't panic now; after all, nobody would smell her sins on her, not even Damon. She was going to act on it.

But the thoughts didn't leave. She was made for hell, and it seemed her dirty soul deserved to be burned.

She looked at the clock now—5 a.m. The sun began to set, and the light seeped into the room. Instead of standing there, she was going to make breakfast. Lina was in no position to make any.

She put on a robe over her nightie and set off for the kitchen; now inside, her first gaze was on where she had burned the dress; satisfied that it was no longer there, she went to the fridge.

A familiar, massive frame had her jolting up in shock.

"Calm down, Maya; it's just me."

She gave a huge relieved sigh when she saw Luca coming into the light, his buttons undone but still on the cloth he had worn last night.

He walked past her, opening cupboards just behind her. "What are you still doing here? You were supposed to leave last night, or didn't George tell you?" He sounded annoyed.

She croaked, "He did, but I just couldn't go anymore; something came up, Damon..."

"I saw Damon being taken to the hospital, Maya; what are you saying?" He was staring at her back.

Maya looked into the fridge, sweat beginning to form on her brows. The tension was high in the room; what could be her excuse now?

Luca sighed when nothing came: "Don Derinem won't be happy about this, Maya; there were a lot of sacrifices made to get you out of here."

Only if he knew where she had been the night before, she immediately changed the topic, "How's Lina?"

He shrugged and said, "Not taking it so well. I'm considering taking her out of this place to recover—maybe on vacation or somewhere close. She needs it.

She felt a sad smile curving her lips as she turned to look at him; he cared about Lina so much that he was willing to do anything for her.

"I agree with you," she nodded. "Lina overworks; she needs time off."

Luca looked at her slim frame and deep green, thoughtful eyes, and discomfort began to prick him. Derinem wouldn't be happy if he saw her still at the manor.

Besides, why was she dodging the question of her reasons for not leaving yet? What could even be her reason for not going yet?

He turned on the coffee machine when Derinem walked in a black jogger and the same colored singlet; his tattooed arm glistened from sweat, showing Luca he had been working out.

Though his eyes were deep red, signifying a severe hangover, he seemed to be handling it so well. 

He had a towel across his shoulders. and messy hair that seemed to be raked every time in frustration.

He waited for the annoyance and outburst upon seeing Maya, but nothing came.

Luca's eyes narrowed between them: Maya, who had her back stiff and was staring at the fridge, looking for nothing in particular, and Derinem, who was acting like Maya wasn't in the kitchen.

"How do you feel?" he asked Derinem, who was now in front of him, reaching up to grab a mug.

"Shitty," Derinem grumbled, splaying his palms over his face and rubbing his eyes. "I never expected to see you here, but now that you are here, there's something I need to tell you—"

They heard the crash of glass against the kitchen ground and turned to see where it came from, but there was Maya, her hands by her side, eyes on them rather than the mess she had just made.

"Maya, are you sure you're okay?" Luca asked with a raised eyebrow, "Maybe you should take a rest; let it be. "

"No," she waved at him, smiling nervously, her eyes darting from Derinem to him. "I'll sort it out right now," she said, bending to pick up the bigger glass debris.

He turned to Derinem, staring at the wall opposite Maya, and said, "You were saying something."

"We are leaving for Calabria tomorrow." Derinem returned his gaze to him. "Our mission here is done, and besides, Maria hasn't heard, and if she has, she needs somebody there with her."

Luca didn't look like he was going to follow any of that. He pointedly said to Derinem, "I'm not going with you, man. Sorry"

"You're fucking kidding me,"

Luca's patience was thinning. "I'm not fucking kidding you, okay! What happened this time? Why are you running?"

He thought he saw Derinem hide a wince, "and who said anything about running?"

"Oh, cut me that crap," Luca said. "I've known you for years, man, enough to know that right now you're escaping from something you don't want to face."

He turned his face away from Luca, confirming his suspicions. The idiot had something he was ashamed to face, and now he wanted to flee.

"Look, Derinem," Luca sighed, "I can't leave Lina; she needs me, so maybe you'll have to go alone this time."

Derinem nodded, understanding, then, seeing the steam seeping out from the coffee maker, he poured it into his mug, raised it in a mock toast, and left the kitchen.

And that was when Maya stood up with the debris in hand; she gazed at the door Derinem had just gone through and sighed in relief.

Luca didn't like what he was feeling. Something was going on with these two—something he didn't like one bit.

***

Damon came home later that afternoon with a new dressing on his wound and heavy lids. Maya knew he hadn't slept the night before; he looked disturbed and worn out.

It had taken all her willpower, bracing herself as she went to him at the door, stiffening in surprise when he hugged her, his cheeks against the side of her head.

"You're ok?" He asked her, staring into her face and tracing her cheeks with his thumbs.

Guilt rose to her chest—so much shame that it was hard to look into his face. She felt funny when he intertwined his fingers with hers and allowed her to lead him up the stairs.

When they were in, she shut the door, trying not to gasp when she turned and saw him standing in front of her.

His eyes were soft; he was worshipping her with every breath. She wished he'd stop so the guilt would stop pricking her skin.

He searched his pockets, pulling out the green stoned ring. Looking into her eyes, he held her fingers and dragged the dark ring off.

Replacing gently with the new one, he smiled at her, "It fits you so well, Mia Angelo." He filled his fingers with her hair, "the same way you fit me so well."

She swallowed hard, thoughts racing when he slept off on the bed, holding her against himself.

His breath becoming regular, she turned gently to face him, taking in his newly found features.

He was an angel right now, but she knew if he ever found out what had happened the night before, he would drag her to hell.

She was beginning to sweat profusely.

She shut her eyes against the thought.

He wasn't going to find out.