Page 84 of Savior

Our flight lands at a private airport in Vancouver, and then we’re transferred to a helicopter that takes us to a remote island. We land in the middle of a clearing with light rain and a chill in the air. The pilot gives us a map and tells us how to get to our safe house before lifting off and leaving us in the middle of nowhere.

Guilt is still eating at me because of Luca being beside me in the first place, and now it only grows in my stomach, clawing at me like a fucking bear coming out of hibernation, angry and starving.

Luca sighs, and it’s the first sound I’ve heard from him since the warehouse. He walked away from his life to keep me safe, and even though I wanted to tell him he didn’t need to, I wanted him with me.

I didn’t want to be here alone.

“Alright, this way,” he says, and I grab my bag and trudge behind where he takes the lead.

The hike to the safe house is treacherous, and by the time we get there, I’m soaked and shivering.

We push inside with a key that Ardesia gave to Luca and close the cold, rainy weather outside.

I sag in relief and toss my bag onto the table.

“It says here there are two bedrooms. So, you choose which one you want, and I’ll take the other,” Luca says, and I don’t argue with him.

Gio texted me to be careful and that my job would still be there when I got back. I hadn’t told him the details, but I told him I had to get out of town for a bit. I knew he’d understand, but wouldn’t understand me disappearing again. With all he’s done for me, I can’t make him worry.

I chose the room with the connected bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub, while the other only has a regular bathtub and shower. Luca says nothing as he takes his bag into the other room and shuts the door, likely getting out of his wet clothes.

Once I realize there’s hot water, I strip out of my clothes and shower to warm my bones. I stay far too long, but the water never runs out, so I don’t feel bad about it.

When I’m toweled off, I dry my hair. But all the while, the images of Lorenzo’s blood soaking through my fingers and his frantic eyes play over and over in my head. I shiver as I shake them away, but my subconscious is trying to taunt me as they come right back.

Even though I’m safe in this cabin in the middle of nowhere, part of me wonders if my mind will be my worst enemy while I’m here.

I trek back out into the living room, looking over shelves filled with books and the plush couch with a flannel blanket folded on the back. The cabin is decently sized, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a good-sized living room, and a dining room with an attached kitchen. There’s a door in the dining room that I decide I don’t have the nerve to investigate behind, and instead, I sit down at the table that seems handmade.

“Two of Ardesia’s men just left. It seems we’re not fully alone on this island,” Luca says, sliding me a sandwich on a napkin.

I tear into it, nodding at his words.

I’m mentally exhausted. I didn’t sleep last night or on the six-hour plane ride, and it’s growing darker outside again now.

I don’t have the space to answer him or even banter back and forth.

I’m so tired.

When my sandwich is finished, I head for my room, leaving the unspoken words between us for later. I stop at my bedroom door, though, guilt washing over me again. I nod in defeat for a moment before trudging back into the kitchen.

“What? What’s wrong?” Luca asks, and his concern for me, even though I’m behaving out of sorts, only worsens the guilt.

I don’t say a word, though. I wrap around him, burying my face into the side of his neck when he bends into my body.

We stand like that forever, just holding onto one another for strength.

“Thank you,” I whisper into his neck, and it’s all I can muster.

I leave him stunned in the kitchen as I get into bed and close my eyes.

“You shouldn’t be out herewith me, you know?” Mary says, biting her honey bun as I gobble mine up.

I shrug. “I know. But what else am I supposed to do?”

When I left, Mom was strung out on the couch, a cigarette burning in the ashtray on the coffee table, and Dad was nowhere to be found.

“It’s Friday afternoon. Shouldn’t you be off playing with friends or something?”

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