30. Rufino
I haven’t left the hospital for two days. Verity is still unconscious, and I’m terrified she will never wake up.
I’m completely drained and barely functioning without adequate rest, food, or anything else. I can’t focus on anything but her.
The smoke damage to her lungs was bad. They had her on a ventilator, pumping oxygen into her system for almost a full twenty-four hours before they were confident enough to take her off it.
Now she is on a drip and a cocktail of painkillers.
Between the dehydration and the smoke she is in not in a good way and they can’t tell me when–or if–she will wake up.
It’s killing me to not know.
Somehow I made it out in better shape than her. Which isn’t saying much.
I am in a great deal of pain. Every part of my body is pain. My have bruises all over, my lungs are heavy, and it’s hard to breathe, my skin is red and sensitive to touch. My face now sports a long, aching scar from just above my right eye all the way down my cheek.
My face is half burnt, half cut. A thin row of stitches hold the skin closed.
Will she still love me when she sees me like this?
Will she still love me when she realizes I am the one who caused her all of this pain?
The doctors have tried to give me painkillers as well but I don’t feel that I deserve them after what I did. I deserve to be in pain. I deserve to be hurting. My body and my heart.
I don’t know if I even deserve to be with Verity anymore.
But I can’t let her go. I can’t give up on our love.
I’ve been sitting too long. Staring at her resting face. Sometimes she mutters in her sleep, wordless panic as she fights imaginary things. Fire. Heat. Pain. Smoke.
She scrunches her nose and knots her brows and tosses in her lost space - lock up inside her own mind. I talk to her and she quietens down, other times my voice makes her panic worse.
I am helpless. But not hopeless.
If I lose hope that she will come back to me then I’ve lost the will to live.
In moments of peace, she seems joyful, as if she could stay lost in her own mind forever.
I talk to her to remind her I love her and I want her back. I tell her not to give up.
The hospital chairs are uncomfortable. Everything is uncomfortable.
I need to move so I stand up and pace up and down along the hospital passage outside her private room. Not far away. I want to be here when she opens her eyes. I want to be the first thing she sees.
But I can’t take the constant, methodical beep of her heart monitor because I’ve become so fixated on it - and terrified it will come to a sudden stop.
It’s taunting me and I listen to it for hours with intense fear growing inside me.
I’m driving myself insane. Sick to my stomach.
I’ve never felt this stressed in my entire life.
I can’t lose her.
And I can’t live with myself if I am the one who killed her.
“Is she awake yet?” I turn towards my brother’s voice - a tight knot forming in my stomach. Masaccio is standing in the hospital passage with a take away coffee in his hand. “Here - this is for you. Thought you might need it.” His other hand is shoved into his pocket and he doesn’t appear to be confrontational in any sense, but I never know with him. Sometimes he tries to manipulate me with the pretense of calm.
“What are you doing here?” I snarl, not at all interested in any lectures right now. If he’s here to tell me I fucked up–he can save it. I’m not in a listening mood.
“Just came to see how you were doing.” He shrugs, putting the coffee down on a little table nearby.
I look at it for a while. I really need a coffee, but I can’t tell if it’s a gesture of peace or not. Whatever. It’s coffee. It smells amazing.
Picking it up, I shake my head. “She hasn’t woken up yet. I’m losing my mind waiting.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He sighs. “She’s a strong girl though. I’m sure she will be fine.”
I sip the coffee, savoring the dark sweet taste for a moment. Then I sigh and clench my jaw. Let’s just get straight to the point.
“Mas, just tell me why you’re really here so we can get this over with.”
He pulls his mouth tight and sets his eyes on me. “We were all worried about you. Everyone wanted to come down and see you, especially Dalila. She threw a flat out tantrum when I asked her not too, for now - I asked them to let me come alone - uh - just to smooth things out first. I came to say that I’m sorry for the way we handled things.”
I study him carefully, looking for any signs of insincerity, but finding none.
My eyes trace over the cut on his cheek. It’s not bad. When it heals, you won’t even see the scar. But I still feel bad about it.
“Ok.” I reply.
His shifts his weight from one foot to the other.
The awkward silence between us is made worse by the fact that I know I need to apologize too.
“Alright then.” Masaccio says with a soft smile. “I’ll head out. But if you need anything, let me know.” He turns to walk away. “And I’ll tell our sister she can come visit if she wants to.”
“Wait.” I huff.
Stopping, he glances over his shoulder.
“Is Tuomo ok?” My feet shift awkwardly this time and I suddenly don’t know what to do with my other hand so I shove it into my pocket too.
“He’s a bit pissed off, but he’s ok.” Mas chuckles, gingerly touching his own cheek. “It’ll all blow over, Red. We’re family. We fight. We make up. Don’t worry about it.”
I nod, biting the inside of my cheek.
“I’m sorry - about all of that. I am not sorry for fighting to win her back - but I am regretful about the other things.”
Mas turns to face me. “Do you know what your new nickname is on the streets? Have you heard what they’re calling you?”
“No?” I scrunch my brows. I’ve been out of the loop for far too long now. Consumed with getting Verity back and not interested in anything else.
He laughs. “They call you The Red Dragon. I like it. Sounds ominous. And you earned it.” He raises his brows. News about the fires is spreading.
“I guess I did.” I grin.
Mas turns his back on me again. “Let us know when she wakes up.”
“Sure.”
My brother walks away from me, headed out of the hospital. I appreciate his effort to come here and resolve the situation. It was bothering me. I don’t always get on with my family, but I don’t want to be at war with them.
“Sir - come quickly she might be waking up.”
I bolt towards her room, almost knocking the nurse over. I’m at her bedside in a matter of seconds.
Taking her hand, I whisper her name.
“Verity, vixen.”
She sighs and groans a bit before her eyes flicker.
Patience was never my strong point, but I’m trying - trying not to grab her into my arms or flood her with everything that’s in my heart before she’s awake.
“Red.” She whispers - that gorgeous smile touching the edges of her lips.
“Hey you.” I grin. “Welcome back.”
“How long - has - it?”
“You’ve been resting for almost three days.”
The nurse standing on the other side of her bed holds out a glass of water. “Here you go sweetie. Let’s lift your bed so you can drink a little.”
The bed hums as it tilts upward.
I wait while the nurses check her over and make sure she’s ok.
When we are alone, I pull a chair next to her bed and sit down, taking her hand in mine.
“Verity, I need to tell you how sorry I am for what I did to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“The fire - I almost killed?—”
“Stop.” She demands. “Red, don’t you get it? You promised to burn the world down until you found me and - you did. You did all of that for me. You set me free. I fucking love you.” She grabs the collar of my shirt and tugs me towards her.
She doesn’t have to ask twice. I stand up and lean over her, pressing my lips against her and kissing her.
Something I’ve been longing to do for far too long.
Lying down next to her on the hospital bed, she wraps her hands around my neck and holds for me a long time, cradled in my arms - where she belongs.
She smiles when she traces her fingers over my cheek and the ugly scar that stretches across it.
“I love it. It suits you. It’s like a battle scar - from when you saved me from the dragon.”
“It turns out I am the dragon.” I chuckle. “They’ve all started calling me the red dragon.”
Verity giggles. “I like that too.”
T he hospital releases Verity the next day, but she is under strict instructions to rest.
The fourth day after her release one of the guards I’ve hired rushes into my living room. “Boss, Luca A’Vara is here. He wants to see you.”
“Alone?”
“He has two guards with him.”
“Let him in.”
I stand up to wait for my guest.
He walks in with a tight, angry expression on his face.
“Luca.” I say calmly. “What can I do for you?”
“I came to tell you face to face that I won’t be wanting my daughter back.”
“Is that so?”
“You can keep her. You’re fucking crazy. Both of you. Fucking psychopathic fucks.” He snarls.
“That’s not very polite, Luca. Watch your tone.”
His jaw muscles ripple and he clenches his fists at his side. After taking a moment to regain control, he takes a deep breath and tries again.
“The point is - it’s over. I won’t be coming after her or choosing revenge. I just wanted to hear it from your mouth - if I back away - will you back away as well.”
I smirk. He’s scared.
He realized he was messing with the wrong man.
“As long as you leave us alone - we will leave you alone, Luca.” I assure him.
He nods, not making eye contact. “That’s settled then. Bye.”
“Don’t you want to say goodbye to your daughter as well?”
“No. She’s your problem now.”
He spins on his heels and marches out of my home. The guards follow to escort him off the property.
Verity and I finally have the freedom to live our lives together. Everything we went through, everything we fought for - we have it.
When she is fully healed and back to her feisty, beautiful, spontaneous self, I will tell her about a surprise I have for her.
“We’re going to Hawaii?” She asks in excitement.
“Yes. For our proper wedding. We are eloping. Just you and me and the ocean and long stretches of beautiful sandy white beaches. I want to have a proper wedding. If you want to marry me again?”
“I’ll marry you a thousand times.” She squeals in delight and leaps into my arms.
I laugh as I hold her against me, kissing her passionately.
“You better get packed then. We’re leaving tonight.”
“Oh my goodness.” She squeals again, wiggling out of my arms and running to the bedroom to pack.
This time our wedding is exactly what I would have wanted it to be.
I’m standing beneath an archway covered in pink and white roses. Soft sheer white fabric is moving in the gentle ocean breeze and my bare feet are on smooth white sand right at the edge of the water.
Verity is walking towards me wearing a long white lace and silk dress that hugs tight over her waist and then flares wide, flowing like waves, right down to the ground.
She looks incredible. I’m left speechless, yet my heart is pounding.
She’s holding white lilies and pink roses and has a tiara made of rose quartz crystals. She refused to let me buy her another ring. The rose quartz ring from Las Vegas was ‘meant to be’ as she puts it. She loves it. And that’s all that matters to me.
We stand together on the Hawaiian shore. Salty ocean water lapping at our feet while we say our vows. This time - it’s perfect.
And when the priest finally says, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” I am already stepping forward to kiss my bride.
We dance beneath the full moon, alone on the beach, in front of our villa.
Then with the slight shine of champagne and amazing foods, I scoop her into my arms to carry her inside.
Our lips meet on the balcony before our hands explore eagerly over our bodies. My cock is throbbing and rock hard against my pants. I need her.
Now.
We’ve been through so much and come out on the other side - even more in love than before - even more obsessed and crazy for each other.
I lift her up onto the edge of the balustrade and push her dress up over her hips. She moans that beautiful sound as I slip my fingers inside her pussy and rub my thumb over her clit. She’s soaked.
She spreads her legs wide and wraps them around my waist while she tugs at my belt. Her tongue teasing my mouth.
I pull the zip open, grabbing her ass and pushing myself up against her. My cock pressing against her pussy.
With my arm wrapped around her back and the crisp night air on our skin, beneath a million glittering stars - I thrust my cock into her tight little pussy and melt at the sound of her gasping pleasure.
She digs her fingers into my back as I fuck her.
Harder and harder.
Pushing against her and gripping her tightly. She moans, not caring if anyone hears, not caring about anything but us.
In this entire world - it’s just us.
“You and me against the world.” I growl against her ear. “I will never let you out of my sight again, my love.”
She spreads her legs wider and tilts her head backwards, letting her long hair fall down her back and exposing her neck to me.
I trace kisses down her soft skin, over her collar bone.
Her nails scratch down my back and her pussy tightens on me.
My cock hardens.
She cries out when she comes. Waves of ecstasy pulsing through her, shaking her body as I cling to her.
I explode inside her, growling with intensity.
“I love you.” I whisper against her lips.
“I love you too, Rufino. Now and forever. I never want to be without you. It’s you and me against everything. Forever.”
Lifting her in my arms I carry her into the villa, because it’s our wedding night, and I still want to explore every inch of her.