Page 30 of Blazing Desires
My gun is drawn, and I shift the weight of the cool metal to one hand whilst I pull my phone out with the other. I tap quickly and scroll through the different camera feeds in the house to find the threat or the source of the sound.
There. Anthony’s office.
I monitor the screen for a few seconds more to be sure that what I am seeing is truly the source of the loud noise. I watch as her father kicks the lifeless body now sprawled on plastic tarp in the middle of his office. Blood pools around the poor soul who had the misfortune of being trapped in his web.
Some of the people he’s murdered have probably deserved it, but a lot of them happened to be desperate enough to fall for his trap. I click off the feed, lock my phone and pocket it. I school my features from the disgust painted there to a neutral one before sheathing my gun.
“All clear.”
I turn to face her and that’s when I notice her hands have been on me. Only in the absence of them does it register that they were pressed to my back the whole time. The cold creeps in at the loss of contact. Before she can lower them back to her sides, I catch them in my hands, rubbing my thumbs over her knuckles to convince her that everything is okay.
Well, minus the dead body down the hall, but she doesn’t need to know about that.
“It’s safe, love. Nothing to worry about. Let’s get you to your room just to be sure though, okay?”
“Okay,” she says breathlessly.
Does she have any idea what the source of that sound was? I’m about to ask her what she thought it was when the stomp of boots on the dark marble tiles at the end of the hall catches my attention.
I pull my grip from hers and place it on her elbow as I guide her up the stairs. I don’t want to run into anyone right now. I want a day with her to myself after we were interrupted yesterday because I need her to trust me, to remember me.
We climb the stairs back to her room in double time. She doesn’t ask why we’re moving at such a pace, and I don’t explain. I don’t need to.
We’re back on her sofa, the only person we came across was the bodyguard outside her door. Thankfully it wasn’t Noel, and this guy wasn’t interested in us, just in doing his job. Around here that seems rare.
“Are you okay?”
Davina doesn’t look at me. She’s tucked herself into the corner of the sofa with her legs underneath her, and she seemsso small. She’s staring at her hands in her lap, but I’m doubtful she’s focused on them. I can’t stand the thought of her mind racing or numbing, so I scoot over to her and take them in mine once again.
I don’t speak, I merely hold them and offer her silent comfort. She surprises me by pulling and flipping our position so one of my hands is in the palm of hers while her other one traces over the tattoos inked across the top. The sensation makes me shiver and her dark brown eyes peek at me through long lashes to check I’m okay with it. My mouth curves and it encourages her to continue the movement.
“I hate living in fear like this.”
Her words confuse me at first. I’m not expecting her to open up at all. I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to interrupt the moment. Wanting to be someone she can confide in.
“Never knowing when something might happen or when someone will finally deliver on their promise to get revenge. Sometimes…” Her throat moves and she takes a deep breath before continuing, her fingers still tracing my ink. “Sometimes, I think my dad has made it all up to keep me in place. Other times, I wish it would just happen so it can be over.”
Her honesty and vulnerability cut me off at the knees. I can see her heart bleeding and spilling into the room as dark crimson covers every surface. I don’t hesitate as I pull her to me, relief taking over me when she doesn’t pull away. I hold her in my arms, draped across my lap with her head tucked into my neck.
“It’s going to be okay, Mea Divina. One day you’ll be free to roam and live your life how you want to. I promise.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Blaze,” she whispers.
Another tremble goes through me at her breath on my sensitive skin. She doesn’t notice or pretends not to. So I holdher tighter, pressing her to me. We stay like that for a while until our stomachs rumble at the same time.
“Let’s get some dinner.”
I reach for my phone to fire a text to the staff, shifting my hips to dig it out. Davina tries to move off my lap but I’m not ready for this to be over, I place my palm back on her thigh to halt her movements.
“Where do you think you’re going, love? I’m not ready for you to stop touching me yet.” My voice is rough even to me, but I don’t give a fuck. “Stay, quaeso?”
She nods and tucks herself back into the crook of my neck. I kiss the top of her head and inhale the vanilla scent of her shampoo before taking my phone out. Once the text has been delivered, I place it next to me. My hands are back on her soft body as quickly as they left. We stay like that until the food arrives.
Chapter 13
Kiss Me
Davina
