CHAPTER 18 #2
“He told me. We crossed paths in the gym. He said Cara is too afraid to sleep in her bedroom alone. Asked me to keep an eye on her and make sure someone was with her if he wasn’t home tonight.”
“Damn. I didn’t know that,” Rafe uttered quietly.
“Talk to Dario, but I don’t mind staying with her if she needs me, Rafe.
We will all take care of her,” I tried to reassure him.
It wasn’t really my strong suit, but I could hear the concern in his voice and I wanted to soothe it.
He was doing the best he could to help Cara, but she was in a bad place.
“Thanks. I’ll speak to Dario about it,” he agreed. “Do you think you’ll get anything from the guy in holding?”
“Yes. I’ll get whatever he knows from him, but we already know he’s Russian, and we also know the Russians want us to ease up on our rules at the port. It’s obvious why they want to get their hands on Cara, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but I need confirmation, and it would help to know their exact plans if we can. I plan to prove to Kozlov that we are not a family to be trifled with, but to do that I need proof so the other families don’t turn on us for breaking the peace.”
“I’ll get you the proof. This needs to end before they try to get to Cara again.”
“Let me know when you get something,” he ordered and I agreed. “And Dante…” he said just as I was about to end the call.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for caring about Cara. I really think she needs people around her right now, and she seems to like you and the others.”
“Don’t thank me for that. I like her too. I’ll be home later.” With that I ended the call. I had work to do. The sooner I got those answers for Rafe, the sooner I could get home to my Cara.
CARA
I was still gawping at the gym, which was housed on the basement level of Rafe’s house, and I had been working out in it already for the last thirty minutes. It was just a lot though.
It was a vast room, just like all of the others in that place.
It took up almost all of the basement level and reached out into a glass extension that filled part of the small lawned garden.
It was light and modern and very spacious.
The floors and walls were tiled in slightly glossy white tiles, with a wide, navy border that circled the centre of the room.
In the centre of the room there was a large open space, filled with some kind of soft cushioned flooring that felt like the mats I had trained on previously, only this was built into the floor seamlessly.
All around the central area was a wide border filled with every single work out machine you could imagine.
There were state of the art treadmills, rowing machines, cross strainers, stationary bikes, and so much more.
There was even a bloody Stair Master, or whatever it was called nowadays!
Closest to the door, one long side was dedicated to lifting weights, with benches and an array of machines I had never used, all with weights attached to them.
Obviously, the guys who lived there liked to lift weights, not that you needed to see the gym to work that out.
Just seeing their muscles was the only clue that you needed.
I had just come down to try and do some cardio in a desperate bid to up my fitness.
I hadn’t thought I was that unfit with all of the walking I used to do, and the hours I spent on my feet in the club, but as soon as I stepped on the treadmill my legs had ached and it wasn’t getting any better, despite the fact I had now slowed to a fast walk, my ribs hurting too much to run or even jog.
Dio had shown the gym to me the night before, just as I had asked him to, then he followed me up to my room and told me he was staying the night with me in there.
When I tried to argue, he shot me down, determined to stay close if it would help me sleep.
Eventually, I had given in and we’d both spent the night fast asleep inside my closet, Dio sleeping on one of the duvet’s from my pile, close to the door, while I huddled in my corner.
It had helped and I had slept almost through the night, only waking from one nightmare in the early hours of the morning.
Luckily, I hadn’t awoken Dio when I jolted awake gasping and panting, but knowing he was there with me had helped me to calm down, and after minimal drama, I had fallen back asleep.
He’d been gone when I woke early that morning, but he’d left me a note telling me he had gone to the gym if I needed him.
It was such a small gesture, but it had filled me with emotion and excitement.
I had stashed the note under my socks in one of the drawers of the dresser, determined to hold on to it.
It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me.
I hadn’t seen him since, but the decent sleep I got, and the pep in my step, which that tiny note gave me, had spurred me on to have a better day.
That was how I found myself in the gym, trying – and failing – to do something positive.
The huge breakfast Terza had served me as I sat with Rafe and Arran that morning had urged me on to start some kind of fitness routine, knowing I would need to if Terza planned to continue feeding me up like a turkey on the run up to Christmas.
Exhausted, I gave up and slammed my hand down on the ‘stop’ button on the treadmill, stepping off shakily.
I had barely managed five kilometres and I felt like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest, it beat so hard and fast. I was sweaty all over and my ribs despised me for putting them through the agony they were throbbing with.
I just about managed to stumble on wobbly legs to the centre of the room, then I flopped down exhaustedly on to the soft mats, and grunted at the pain that move caused in my side.
I dropped flat to my back to try and ease the pain.
I was completely done in, laid out on the ground like a starfish, just trying to catch my breath.
I’d barely been laid there a minute when I heard my voice being yelled. I struggled to lift up onto my elbows and looked to the door just as Cal ploughed through it like his arse was on fire.
“Fucking Jesus Christ!” he panted as he paused close to my feet and just looked me over.
“What the heck is going on?” I asked with an amused smile. I loved how frantic and winded Cal looked. It was so opposite to how calm and cool he had been most of the day before.
“Dante called…he saw you on the cameras…he said you collapsed,” he gasped as he held his phone, which he had in his right hand, up to me.
“I didn’t collapse…well, not in the unconscious sort of way anyway,” I assured him, still feeling out of breath myself.
“CALLAN! ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW!” Dante boomed so loudly through Cal’s cell phone, that we could both hear it loud and clear.
“Maybe you should deal with him,” Cal said as he leaned in and handed me the phone, then sat down beside me.
“Dante?” I said as I cautiously brought the phone to my ear, ready to tear it away if he yelled again.
“Cara? Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?” he asked all at once.
“I’m fine, big guy,” I assured him with a smile. “I just wore myself out on the stupid treadmill and decided to have a lie down while I recovered. You were watching me?”
“Not watching you. Checking on you. It’s my job to keep you safe, even when I’m not there.”
“Where are the cameras?” I asked as I looked to Cal. He pointed up to the corner of the room and I saw a tiny white box that was barely noticeable.
“There are cameras on that floor and the three above, in every room. Above that we just have them in the hallways. Rafe didn’t want them in the bedrooms,” Dante told me, clearly not happy about any part of this house not being surveilled at all times.
“Gotta say I agree with him on that,” I told him.
“You shouldn’t push yourself that hard. You were too exhausted. You’re still healing. In future, you don’t go to the gym without one of us with you,” he told me bossily.
“One of you?” I questioned as I tried to keep the smile from my face, knowing he was watching me.
But it was hard to do when I found his directness, and grumpiness so endearing.
He had been checking in on me despite the fact he wasn’t even in the house.
Maybe to some that was stalkerish behaviour, but to me I thought it was kind of sweet.
“Me, Rafe, Dario, Arran, or Callan if no one else is available. Your family. We’re the ones who will take care of you. You come to one of us if you need something. No one else. Just us. Understand?”
“Yes,” I agreed, knowing he needed to hear that answer. “Where are you?”
“Working. I’ll be home soon. No more exercise. Hand the phone to Cal,” he ordered, and I just laughed out loud.
“Okay, Mr. Demanding. I’ll see you later.” I was still laughing as I handed the phone off to Cal, who brought it to his ear even more hesitantly than I had done.
“Dante?”
I don’t know what Dante told Callan, but Callan seemed to be doing a lot of agreeing.
I left them to whatever they were discussing – me, I suspected – and laid back down flat again.
I had caught my breath now, and Dante had brought a smile to my face.
I knew the grumpy arse likely wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he was mine.
I liked the way he spoke to me. He wasn’t rude.
He was just honest and direct. I could handle that – more than that, I enjoyed it.
I’d never been great at reading people’s true intentions, but with Dante I felt like I didn’t need to.
“He’s an odd one, huh?” I asked when Cal ended the call and tossed his phone down on the mat. He collapsed back to lie beside me, then chuckled.
“You could say that, but he means well. He’d never hurt any of us, and he’d do anything to protect this family.”
“I can believe that. Is there a reason he is the way he is? Or is that just him?”