Page 146 of Born for Silk

“That piece,” he mouths to me.

Tears burn the backs of my eyes.

Three.

And I stare at him—memorising—the black armour conceals his bulk, but I know every inch of his muscles, every scar, every hair, all the tension, all the twitches. I know him. My Rome. Mean. Cruel. Unapologetic. A warlord. A ruler.

And mine.

Go to him. Go to him.

Four.

Han closes the door.

Rome disappears outside.

Chapter Fourteen

Aster

Tears mist my vision as we scramble through a metal hatch into an underground chamber. The lights flicker once, or maybe, it was my imagination.

I stare at the trapdoor, knowing that in a few moments, an hour, or more or less—I don’t know—it will open again.

And someone will be on the other side.

I do not know who…

I cannot change what happens on the other side of that metal door. I have absolutely no impact on those events. I can only control what I will do on this side, on how I will react.

Meltdown?

Fall apart?

Imagine the worst?

Reel in his lies…

I once was told, if I’m ever unsure how I feel, I should toss a puzzle piece in the air and will either be pleased or disappointed by the result.

Colour side up, I forgive him.

Blank side up, I cannot forgive him.

But as I stare at the hatch, deaf to the surrounding commotion from the girls, it is crystal clear without the puzzle piece—half of my heart is out there fighting for our lives.

If somehow, he can feel me down here, I only want him to feel love.

Spinning around, I face the large concrete room. At first, I can barely absorb the details of the enclosure, but I feel it’s confinements. The windowless space presses on my chest.

Focus.

I scan the room presented like a small house, with all necessities and cabinets with old books and gold, except… If we need to fight— If the hatch is blown open— Are there any weapons?

“Are there any weapons down here?” I ask Han, my voice uniform and empty.

He opens a closet, displaying a single rifle, and I almost laugh. “We don’t believe in murder.”

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