CHAPTER XXXIX
I blinked several times before my eyes opened.
Something moved in the bed with me. My body locked up like a stiff board, but when I saw Nico and a little ball of warmth with brown hair lying beside me, a smile tugged on my lips. Aurelio’s little head was buried under my armpit with his small hand resting on my chest. My legs were begging to be stretched, but when I started to move, he stirred by my side and his hazel eyes landed on me. He smiled big, like Santa gave him the best gift on Christmas Day. He wiggled out from underneath my armpit until he was sitting on his knees. He yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes.
“Did you sheep ok?” I loved the way he said sleep.
I nodded with a smile.
“That’s good.” He leaned forward, running his tiny fingers over the bruise on my face. “You got a boo boo. I’ll make it all better.” He placed a light kiss on my face. “See? All better.”
I couldn’t help replying with a huge grin. “Yeah, it’s all better.”
Nico emerges from underneath a mountain of plush pillows until he was sprawled onto his back. His arm lay over his eyes, giving me a perfect view of his sculpted abs and chest. My eyes gazed down his body until they reached a small batch of black hair leading down toward his…
“You’re staring.” He smirked with one eye peeking at me. His grin grew wider, and I felt my face getting heated.
“Nico! I kissed her boo boo!” Nico looked over to Aurelio and back to me with a huge grin on his face.
“You did?” Nico shifted onto his side, propped up on one elbow and supporting his head with his hand.
“Yeah. Yeah. She said she’s all better now.” He nodded enthusiastically.
“That’s good, buddy. Be careful not to lay on her, okay?”
Aurelio gave him a thumbs up, earning him a chuckle out of Nico. This was the calmest I’d ever seen him. I remembered how attentive and sweet he had been last night, listening as if my words were the most important thing in the world. Could this be a turning point in having an actual relationship with him?
Nico turned to face me, and I saw pain in his bright blue eyes. “Did you sleep okay?” he asked, his voice low and tender.
I nodded slowly, a small smile breaking through.
He swung his legs over the bed, and grabbed his shirt from the floor and pulled it over his head. I stared at the tattoo covering his entire back. It was a dark angel with black wings, and a female angel with brilliant white wings enveloped the dark angel in a gesture of comfort. Around them, deep red and black roses were intertwined. It was like it was telling a story to bridge the chasm between light and darkness.
My eyes were glued to the way he moved his body. The muscles in his back bunched together, and his biceps jerked when he pulled his hand back to rub his neck. He cracked it side to side.
“Come on, buddy. Let’s go see what’s for breakfast.” Nico held his arms out, and Aurelio jumped into them, wrapping his legs around Nico’s waist like a koala.
“Mom said she’s making dinosaur pancakes.” Aurelio looked over his shoulder at me and asked, “Do you want some? I’ll share with you.”
He was so freaking adorable.
“Yeah, I’d like that,” I said with a smile.
“Yay!” He clapped his hands.
“I’ll be back,” Nico said to me. They left the room, closing the door behind them.
Reality finally set in when I glanced around the room.
Nico’s room.
I slept with Nico in his bed.
I planted my feet on the floor and started looking around for my clothes, wincing in pain with every movement. I rubbed my hands through my hair and noticed my clothes neatly folded on his desk. Before I could move, there was a soft knock and the door creaked open.
Serafina appeared, her expression warm and inviting. “Can I come in?” she asked, her voice laced with a sweetness that made me feel at ease.
“Of course.” I pulled the hem of the shirt I slept in lower, trying not to expose anything she probably hadn’t already seen.
She stepped inside, her movements graceful and poised. She approached the desk and handed me my clothes. “Here you go.”
“Thank you,” I muttered.
“How are you feeling, Winter?” she asked.
I glanced down at my freshly washed clothes; tears threatened to spill, but I swallowed hard, forcing them back.
“That’s okay,” she reassured me. “Just know that I’m here if you ever want to talk.” She squeezed my hand, a silent promise that I was not alone in this.
I managed a small smile in return, grateful for her kindness. “You know… you’re the first girl he’s brought to his home,” she continued. “He’s different with you, and that’s a very good thing.”
“Really?” I said, surprised, while sitting back on the bed.
“I see how he watches you,” she continued, her smile genuine. “How he protects you and wants to keep you safe.”
“I think last night hit him hard,” I admitted. “But I don’t know if he’s being sweet out of guilt or if he actually feels something for me.”
“What do you feel toward him?” she asked, taking a seat beside me.
“I really care about him,” I confessed, the words tumbling out. “He makes me feel things I never thought I could feel. But… it’s all so confusing.”
She chuckled, a knowing glint in her eyes. “Yes, my son is certainly intense.”
I smiled, silently agreeing with her.
“But he means well, Winter. His methods may not be conventional or what people consider normal, but don’t give up on him. He needs someone like you in his life.”
“Why?” I whispered.
“Because you are the angel who has come to save the devil from himself,” she said. “I believe you were sent here to help him find the peace he’s been searching for.”
I was taken aback, unsure of how to respond. When I looked into her eyes, I saw the deep longing of a mother who wished for her son to escape the shadows that had haunted him for so long.
“I won’t give up on him,” I promised.
“Good,” she said, patting my knee. “Now, enough with the heavy talk. We’d love for you to join us for breakfast.”
“As soon as I’m dressed, I’ll be down.”
She walked out of the room, and I blew out a breath of relief, needing some space and time to myself. The memory of last night would forever haunt me, and I still hadn’t processed what happened. I tried to wish it away like a bad nightmare, but it was real. It happened. I needed to wash their touch from my body. Maybe I should just dip my body into a tub of bleach.
I rose to my feet, and the pain suddenly came back in full force, making me sit back down on the bed. The room spun slightly, and just then, my phone rang. With a grimace, I crawled across the bed and grabbed it from the nightstand.
“Hi, Tabi,” I answered.
“Oh, my God! Winter, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“I heard you were attacked at the club. I went looking for you right after, but Miguel dragged me back home, per Nico’s order. What happened?”
I recounted the details of the attack, my voice shaking as I described the fear of what those men did to me and what they were about to do. I could hear Tabi’s breath hitch on the other end.
“I’m so sorry, Winter.” Her voice broke, and I could almost picture her wiping away tears. “That’s horrible. Did Nico kill the fuckers?”
I paused, the image of Nico’s rage when he found me flashing through my mind. “I’m not sure,” I admitted quietly.
“Well, I hope he did. Just focus on healing, okay? I’m here for you,” she said, her voice softer. “Once you’re home, I’m bringing Tristan over and we can cuddle on the couch and binge on Netflix. And Liam can come too if he wants.”
I chuckled. “Thank you,” I murmured.
The door swung open, and Nico walked in. He stood in front of me with a glass of water and two white pills.
“Hey, Tabi, I gotta go, but I’ll call you later.” With that, she said goodbye, and I ended the call.
“Take this. It will help with the pain.” I was surprised at how sweet and caring he was being.
“Thank you.” I took the water and popped the pills in my mouth, swallowing them down. Nico placed the glass on the nightstand, then crouched, planting his hands on each side of me. “Do you need help in the shower?”
I shook my head and smiled. “I can handle it.”
Nico stood up and extended his hand to me. I reached out and wrapped my fingers around it. He led me like a little kid to his bathroom. When he let go of my hand, I stood there awkwardly while Nico turned on the shower.
He faced me and said, “I set clean towels on the rack.”
“Thank you.” I tucked a loose hair behind my ear. He followed the movement and gazed up and down my body. When his eyes landed back on my face, his jaw tightened like he was in pain.
Nico cleared his throat. “I’ll leave you to it.” I stepped to the side, allowing him to move past me.
* * *
After my shower, I walked out to find Nico sitting on the edge of the bed looking at his phone. I cleared my throat. He looked up and smiled, tucking his phone in his pocket when he stood up. “Feel good?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Come on.” He stared at me for a moment, like he was wondering what to do next. He surprised me when he ran his hands through my hair, pulled me close, and pressed his lips against mine, the kiss soft and tender. He grinned against my mouth when I shuddered. “No one else will ever hurt you again. No one.”
“Did you kill them?”
“I will keep you safe.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Well, that’s all you’re going to get,” he said. “I always take care of what’s mine.”
“I really wish you would stop saying that,” I protested.
“But you are. I don’t know how many times I have to remind you.”
He kissed me again, shutting me up.
He took my hand again and led me down the stairs. I spotted Enzo at the bottom, his posture tense. He glanced toward Nico, appearing to be seeking permission of some sort. Nico nodded, like it was a sign that it was okay to approach.
“Winter, I am so fucking sorry. I?—”
I raised my hand, cutting him off. “Don’t, Enzo. You did nothing wrong. I knew better and should’ve waited for you. It’s over now, and I want to move past it. And so should you.”
Before he could argue, I released Nico’s hand and wrapped my arms around Enzo.
Nico let out a low possessive growl.
I chuckled against Enzo’s chest and pulled back, offering him a smile. He accepted with a nod before stepping away.
Nico took my hand once more, leading me into the kitchen, where his family, including Luca, Mya, Aurelio, and Matteo, were present.
Mya stood abruptly and pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m so fucking glad you’re still breathing. And I am so sorry,” she murmured, her voice trembling. When she stepped back, I could see the glistening tears in her eyes.
“Oh, Mya,” I whispered, but she cut me off.
“Don’t worry about me, girl. Just take care of you.”
She gave my arm a gentle squeeze before returning to the table, where she sat beside her son. Luca looked up, amusement dancing in his gaze as he glanced between Nico and me.
“Shut up,” Nico told him.
Luca laughed, but then turned to me, his expression shifting to something more serious. “It’s nice to see you smile again, Winter.”
Nico pulled out a chair for me to sit, and like an obedient child, I did. Mya’s son stuffed his face with his pancakes, and Lo read the back of the cereal box while Nico filled my plate with a pancake shaped like a dinosaur and a few slices of bacon and poured me a glass of orange juice. He set the plate and glass in front of me and kissed my forehead. “Eat.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks as he sat beside me and brushed his leg against mine.
When I looked up, I caught Serafina’s gaze. She watched us with a tender expression, and her smile brightened.