Chapter 42
ALEX
Drifting between sleep and consciousness, I fought against the nightmares commanding control of my body.
I tried so hard, telling myself it was time to wake up.
But every time I rolled onto my side, my eyes struggled to open, and I fell deeper and deeper until I couldn’t climb out from the darkness.
A group of men circled me, dressed in black cloaks with hoods covering their faces.
My heart pounded, beating so fast I couldn’t catch my breath.
Someone moved behind me and shoved the black dress with gold trim off my shoulders, one strap at a time.
The fabric fell to the floor around my ankles, baring my naked body.
All the men dropped to their knees, their heads lowered.
None of them attempted a glance. The man behind me gathered the hair off my shoulder and moved it aside.
His fingers brushed my hot skin, leaving a fire trail in his wake.
He dipped his head down, his lips grazing my neck.
I leaned against his chest, closing my eyes as the scent of sandalwood and the sea filled the air.
Luca.
He continued kissing my neck, eventually making his way to my earlobe. His breath ghosted my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. “Let them worship their queen.”
I turned my head and looked up at my handsome Devil. “Is that what you want?”
His hand traveled up my arm, searing every inch of my skin. I stared into his cold, blue irises that were so terrifying yet beautiful that I couldn’t pull away from him.
He cupped my chin with his strong hand. “I want whatever makes my queen happy. And the Knights, they want you. They’ve waited a long time for their queen. We must complete Legare before it’s too late.”
“But you said…” I licked my chapped lips. “I thought I had to marry you first.”
He shook his head. “I only need the promise of marriage.”
His hand snaked down my stomach, and I shivered from his touch. My nipples hardened. It was freezing in the Knights’ Temple, with the chill rolling through the stone walls. We were so far underground, I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten here, but I knew we were somewhere in Devil’s Creek.
My eyes swept over the room, lit by dozens of candles.
The walls had symbols carved into them, and two throne-like chairs were set atop a dais at the room's front. There was an altar with a long black rug rolled in front of it. A gold symbol on the fabric looked like a shield, two knights’ helmets on each side, and swords crisscrossed beneath the shield.
From this vantage point, it was hard to make out the details.
“You have to want this.” Luca held my chin and whispered, “What do you want, Drea? Will you join us? Will you become our queen?”
Before I could answer, my eyes snapped open. My eyelids were heavy and hurt like someone had glued them shut and pried them open. I rolled onto a soft surface, curled my arms around a pillow, and stretched my legs across a bed.
For a moment, I’d forgotten about everything.
My missing brother.
My forced captivity.
The attack at the Salvatore Estate.
The sound of the monitors.
Marcello’s heart stopped beating.
Tears coated my bottom lids, and as I hugged the pillow, my chest heaved from crying so hard.
“She’s awake,” a male voice boomed.
Someone appeared at my bedside.
“I’m here, baby,” Luca whispered.
I opened my eyes, forced to blink away the hazy image of my Devil. My head pounded so hard that I winced. After I blinked a few more times, Luca came into focus. He blew out a relieved breath.
Luca hovered over me, blood staining his suit jacket, his dark hair a mess from tugging at the ends. I hadn’t seen him look this bad in a long time. He was usually perfect and manicured, but nothing was out of place in his carefully constructed world.
“He’s dead,” I whispered. “Isn’t he?”
Luca took my hand, his fingers soft and warm against mine. “No, baby. He pulled through. Your grandfather saved Marcello.”
I released a deep breath and rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling. My heart raced, and I suddenly desired to climb out of bed. But when I tried, Luca held me down.
“You need to rest.”
“No.” I shoved his hand away. “I want to see Marcello.”
“He’s out cold, Drea.” His knuckles brushed my cheek. “Just lie back and let me take care of you.”
“I’m fine.” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and sat up. “Let me see him.”
Luca stepped to the side, and Marcello’s bed came into focus. He was in the hospital bed beside mine with his eyes closed. I could see his chest rise and fall, and I sighed.
He survived.
I slid my legs off the side of the bed and staggered to the right, which forced Luca to grab my bicep to hold me up.
“Drea, you’ve been out cold for close to twenty-four hours,” Luca said with a warning tone. “The drugs are still in your system. You need your rest.”
I clutched his shoulder, fighting the dizziness sweeping over me. “What the hell did you give me? I feel like shit.”
He shrugged. “A cocktail your doctor gave me.”
I pushed my hand to his chest, and my head lowered as I regained my balance. “Dr. Porter gave it to you?”
“Yeah, baby.” He hooked his arm around me, pinning me to his chest. “So you need to take it easy until the drugs wear off. It was a heavy dose.”
My mouth hung open in shock. “Why would you drug me?”
“Because I didn’t want you to see what was happening to Marcello.”
“He’s alive,” I breathed, saying the words to comfort myself.
“Yes.” He stroked my arm with his fingers. “And he’ll stay that way if you let him sleep.”
“I’ve been out for a day, and he still hasn’t woken up?”
He shook his head. “Your grandfather said he might never wake up.”
“But,” I choked out, tears streaming down my cheeks. “That’s not… No, he has to wake up.”
“Marcello could wake up a minute from now… or never. It’s too early to tell. At least he’s breathing, and his brain function looks good.”
“His heart stopped, didn’t it?”
“Yeah, baby.” He held the back of my head, running his fingers through my curls. “He died on the table twice, but your grandfather revived him.”
“But he promised me,” I sobbed. “He said he would come back…”
“Shhh,” Luca whispered as he held me tighter. “It’s going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not,” I muttered between crying fits. “Not if he dies.”
I pushed on his chest, ripping myself from his arms so I could see Marcello. Luca attempted to stop me, but I shoved his hands away.
He’s just sleeping , I told myself. He will wake up.
Luca stood behind me as I swept the dark strands off Marcello’s clammy forehead. Even in sleep, he was beautiful. He looked so peaceful. As I touched his skin, I felt a flicker of heat spread down my arm. That connection was always present. The same energy I’d felt every time he touched me.
I traced the length of his jaw with my fingers. Bent over the side of the bed, I whispered in his ear, “Come back to me, Marcello. I need you.”
I checked each dip in the heart monitor, studying it like a hawk. Gripping the metal bars on the bed, I kissed his forehead. “Wake up, Marcello. Your queen demands it.”
“Let him sleep,” Luca said over my shoulder.
“Shut up, Luca,” I snapped, anger surging as I spun around to face him. “Stop telling me what to do.”
A moment passed between us. My heart thudded as his teeth clenched, and I realized I was out of line. Marcello was his brother, not mine.
“I’m sorry.” I closed the distance between us and brushed my fingers against his. “I didn’t mean to yell at you. It’s just…” My words died off in my throat as I glanced over at Marcello.
“I know,” Luca muttered, his eyes downcast.
I slid my hands up his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck. Our eyes met for a moment. He looked so sad and beautiful that I wanted to kiss his lips. Luca held me firmly, as if he feared I would disappear if he let go.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered again, my head foggy from the drugs. “I can’t handle losing another person I care about.”
He tensed at my words. “I know. Try to relax, okay?”
“Okay,” I sighed.
His delicious scent consumed me as I rested my head on his chest.
“He’s going to live,” I muttered, needing confirmation. “Right?”
Luca rolled his shoulders. “Only time will tell.”
My chest tightened as I whispered, “He has to live.”
“He will, baby.” He kissed my head. “Stop worrying about Marcello. He’s a fighter. If anyone can pull through this, it’s him.”
Someone cleared their throat behind us.
Until then, I hadn’t noticed we were still in the ballroom. My eyes traveled around the room and landed on Arlo, Pops, and the Knights. They sat at a dining table on elaborate chairs emblazoned with the Salvatore crest.
Drinks in hand, they studied me with curiosity. Arlo sat beside Pops in a new suit. My grandfather looked as if he’d aged ten years within days. Sonny and Drake wore day-old suits, looking like they hadn’t slept in weeks. Dark circles ringed their eyes, and their hair was messy.
The golden boy of Devil’s Creek always looked like a billion bucks. But seeing Sonny so disheveled and heartbroken made my stomach hurt. This had to be killing him. He’d been Marcello’s best friend since they were in diapers. When Marcello couldn’t count on Luca, he had Sonny. They had each other.
Arlo watched me with curiosity, his gaze drifting to Luca’s hand on my hip. His intense stare unsettled me. Luca often looked at me the same way. Like he was staring through me, digging deep into my soul, attempting to extract my secrets.
Pops ran a hand through his white hair, forcing a smile as our eyes met. The stress of Marcello’s operation must have taken a toll on him. At his age, he hadn’t operated on anyone in years, and it showed.
I slipped out of Luca’s grasp and walked over to the table. Pops slid out of his chair, standing to his full height.
I launched myself into my grandfather’s arms. “You saved him,” I said as he hugged me. “Thank you.”
“This is a tough situation,” he confessed. “Marcello has to wake up on his own.”
“Do you think he will?”
“I’m optimistic.” He held me at arm’s length. “But you need to prepare yourself for the possibility of him never waking up.”
“Pops,” I groaned. “I can’t do this if he doesn’t… Not after everything I’ve gone through with Aiden. This place… It’s too much.”
He released a breath.
Before Pops could respond, I heard a familiar voice whisper my name, and my pulse raced.