Chapter 39 Roman
My foot hurts, but the pain there is negligible compared to the pain in my heart at seeing my best friend, my love, my Anima Gemella so distant and lost. I don’t care that he was forced to hurt me, I’ve been through worse. I just don’t know how we come back from this.
I may be okay with what happened, but Lio isn’t. His soul is too soft and tender for the deviousness of our enemy. Just because he’s Death, and one of the strongest people I know, it does not mean he’s impervious to the pain and suffering of his loved ones.
Being the one who had to create the pain? Yeah, my friend is not okay. Which means I’m not okay.
“Anima Gemella?” No response, and I swallow at the silence between us. “I’m okay, Lio, I promise. Niente si metterà tra noi. Io e te siamo per sempre.” I wonder if he can hear the desperation in my voice. I'm not sure if I care if he does or not. I just need him to be okay.
Tears burn my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. These fuckers don’t deserve to see my pain, not when they tried to tear the soul from my friend’s body. I don’t care what I have to do, that is the last thing they’ll ever take from us.
Cocking my head at some distant sound, I try to strain my hearing.
It’s been so silent in our cell, I half expected it to be soundproof, preventing us from hearing anything that is happening beyond the locked door.
But when I hear the sound again, I change my mind, not wanting to hope, but needing to at the same time.
“Do you hear that?” I ask.
Everything is silent for a long, heart pounding moment, and then I hear it again, this time closer. A discernible sound that has my breath catching in my throat.
Gunshots that are this easy to hear can be a good or bad thing. Our family riding to our rescue is a relief, but at the same time, fear rises up at the thought of any of them getting hurt.
“We’ll be home soon, Anima Gemella,” I say. “Then your Daddy can cuddle us while Hol gives a lecture to end all lectures.” I almost smile at that, happy to see the fire in Hollis’s dark brown eyes if it means we’re all together again.
I look over at Lio, and I think he’s finally going to respond to me, if the way he lifts his head and licks his lips is any indication, except before he can, there’s the distinct sound of explosions…
The world shakes and I tip over, unsteady as more explosions go off. The acrid smell of smoke seeps into our room, and I share a worried glance with Lio.
If those sounds I heard were gunshots, if the cavalry has come to the rescue, did we just lose our only hope for escape?
Another smaller explosion, this one the closest of them all, has my throat closing as the fear is too profound to push down. My heart pounds and I tug at the thick manacles around my wrists. The hand I broke previously spasms, letting me know it doesn’t like those movements.
More smoke begins to seep under the door.
“It’s okay, Amico Mio,” Lio says. The sound of his voice has me wanting to cry in relief. “No one is going to let a little explosion take them out.”
I don’t know who he’s trying to convince, because those explosions were anything but little, yet…he’s right. Our Family…the men we love, they wouldn’t let anything stop them from rescuing us.
I have to believe that.
But as smoke begins to fill our cell, and it becomes harder to breathe, I look at my friend. My stabby soulmate, the final piece of my heart. His emerald green eyes shine, even in the hazy, smoke-filled room.
I reach across the space between us, and Lio gives me his hand.
“I…” My throat clogs and I have to clear it, while pretending the tears streaming down my cheeks are from the smoke and not my fear overtaking me. “I love you, Anima Gemella.”
“Don’t…” he says, coughing a little from the smoke in the air. “It’s not over yet, Amico Mio. This isn’t the end.”
I squeeze his hand and give him a small smile. “No,” I reply softly. “It’s not.”
We hold hands and stare at one another, even as we try to bring our shirts up to our faces, hoping to filter out some of the smoke.
I can hear my wheezing breaths, and it gets harder and harder to keep my eyes open.
Lio’s hand falls from mine as I cough hard enough to make my ribs ache, and I fall over onto the floor, my side hitting the cement ground hard.
“Rome!” Lio’s voice wheezes that stupid nickname.
“Love you…” I say again, staring into eyes almost as dark green as my own, as the world around me dims, and the last thing I see is Lio holding his hand out for me, just out of reach.
As my eyes flutter shut, and I can’t catch my breath again, all I can do is hope Lio is spared. Ten and Hollis will need him if they don't have me. Jude, too. And my Anima Gemella has so much love to give, I know he can be there for them.
Please…take me, but not him. I’m nothing without him… Please.
Of all the ways to die, it could be worse…