Chapter Three
Rowan
After Luca and the guys formulated a plan, the consensus was that he and I needed to get away, especially me.
With the cabin burned down, Luca said he had a surprise for me. Not needing him to elaborate further, we agreed to hit the road after days spent locked behind the funeral home’s gates. I was getting stir crazy. There is only so much you can do inside these gates.
Luca wants to keep me out of the loop as much as he can. I know he wants to protect me, but I’m grown. He saw what I could do, so it pisses me off that he wants to keep me tucked away. I know it’s for my safety, but fuck.
We both remain lost in our own thoughts, creating a silent ride, as I watch towns pass by out the window.
I’m not sure how many times I’ve looked at him to see his eyes bouncing from the rearview mirror to the side mirror, eyes alert for any suspicious vehicles, guns at the ready, including mine.
Not being able to stand the silence anymore, I turn on the radio as The Reaper by Jonah Kagen plays. Laughing when he sings about a burned-down house. How poetic.
Luca looks at me like I’ve lost my mind, and maybe I have.
“You can be annoyed at me all you want for keeping you out of this, Rowan, but if I lost you, I would lose everything. I can’t put you in danger.
You’re the reason my heart now beats steadily.
The reason I see a future. And you’re my future, baby.
” His hand pulls mine from my leg, bringing it to his lips, kissing it.
He glances over at me, my hand still on his lips, and I see the small smile behind it. I know he’s right, but I hate it.
I turn to him, taking in his face. Luca’s the epitome of handsome. His eyes crinkle at me before he looks back to the road.
“I just need you to promise me you’ll take a backseat to this, Rowan. Please.”
Breathing in deeply, I say, “Okay.” I don’t promise him because I can’t.
Dropping my hand, I watch his grip the steering wheel before he shakes his head.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he mutters, but I can still hear him.
Leaning my head back, I fall asleep as the radio lulls me under.
“Baby, wake up.” I hear Luca’s voice.
Opening my eyes, I’m greeted by an immense tree in front of the car. “Oh my God,” I say sleepily.
Sitting up in my seat, I take it in fully. It’s huge and beautiful. And then it hits me. It’s his tree.
“Luca…”
“Come,” he says before I can get another word out.
Exiting the car, he meets me, grabbing my hand and leading me to the tree.
I’m in awe of it as I look up and see the limbs, the shade it provides. It is beautiful.
“This is your tree,” I finally say, finding my words.
He lets go of my hand and walks to the trunk, placing his hand on it.
“It is, and now it’s also Lauren’s.”
A tear comes to my eye as I copy him, placing my hand on the trunk, feeling the closest I’ve ever felt to her as the rough bark meets my palm. “We’re going to find him,” I quietly promise her. And in that moment, my words come out, and a butterfly lands on the grass below us.
We both smile, not needing any words, a confirmation that we would find him. She’ll lead him out of the darkness and back into the light.
Standing there for a few more minutes, Luca motions for us to get back in the car. As we drive up a hill, a house comes into view, and it’s breathtaking.
“Oh.” That is all I can say.
Luca chuckles next to me.
Parking in front of the house, I sit and just take it in. I thought the cabin was beautiful, but this is gorgeous. It’s dark green, almost black, with wooden accents. A huge picture window is the main focus. I’m in awe when stepping out of the car.
“Welcome home, Killer.”
I gape like a fish. “Luca.”
He walks to me and picks me up, bridal style, as he carries me to the door.
Laughing, “Luca! Put me down.”
I watch as he places his finger on the door, and it unlocks. My eyebrows raise; keyless, only our fingerprints will let us in.
He carries me over the threshold, kisses me before sitting me gently on my feet, allowing me to take in the house.
Breathing in, my lungs fill with cloves and wood. Clean and all Luca.
I slowly walk around, letting my eyes take in every inch of the house.
The open concept is beautiful. I look out the enormous window overlooking the property and see the tree down the hill. I smile. Spinning around, Luca stands just watching me as I walk to the kitchen and dining area. Everything is new and shiny.
Opening the fridge, it’s fully stocked.
I turn to look at him.
He shrugs. “I got ways.”
Even though the house has the necessities, it lacks full furnishing.
“You can decorate it however you please,” he tells me, waving me to follow him. Going up a set of stairs, we come to a landing with a few doors.
“Our room also overlooks the front of the house. I wanted you to see the sunrise and for me to see anyone who tries to come near the house.”
The only thing the room has is a king-size bed.
I walk into the bathroom and audibly gasp.
“It’s not the same one, but it’s close enough.” Luca voices when he knows I see the clawfoot tub. “My plan was to get it here once we were ready to move in, but of course, this all got moved faster than I was expecting.”
I’ll forever love and miss the cabin; that’s where Luca and I started, but this, this place feels like where it will end, when we're old and gray. Where laughs will echo throughout and families will gather.
I walk to him, reaching on my tiptoes, stealing his lips. “It’s perfect,” I say in between pecks.
“Come, let me show you everything else.” Luca leads me back downstairs to the door off the kitchen. When he opens it, I’m taken aback.
"This is a panic room, and it's fully stocked." There is a week's worth of groceries, guns, and bullets. Once I’m fully in, he closes the door behind us and shows how to engage the steel-enforced door. Turning a circular gear and I hear the locks engaging.
“There is also a satellite phone.”
He’s thought of everything.
I look at him, confused.
“With the line of work I’m in, we can never be too safe, Rowan. I need to know that you're safe if I'm not here.” He pauses. “And with everything else going on,” he spits out between his teeth.
“No, I think this is very smart.”
Following him out of the panic room and watching him shut the door, he says, “Hopefully you’ll never have to use it, but if so.”
He shows me the rest of the house. There are three other empty rooms upstairs, along with an office. And two more bedrooms downstairs.
“In the back, there is a shooting range.”
“Of course there is.” I laugh.
Over the next few days, Luca is constantly on the phone or his laptop. In constant communication with the guys. Making plans and having houses raided. And everything has still come up empty.
The fact that it’s been over a week, and Damian is still gone, fucks us all up. We barely sleep, especially Luca. I can see the toll it’s taking on him. The way his eyes are black, his hair a mess from constantly running his hands through it.
No one can find Briggs. They believe he’s left town, but we’re not all sold on that fact. He’s here, hiding somewhere like a fucking rat. With Catherine gone, he will not leave. It’s just where the fuck is he?
While all our minds are on Damian, a minor part of mine is on my father.
He’s the monster still left untouched in my story, and that isn’t right.
He’s the reason everything happened to me and for the pain I feel, and for him to go on about his life like he didn’t fuck mine up, that can’t happen.
I haven’t brought it or him up to Luca, but he deserves to feel the pain I felt while I was in that tomb a year ago.
He wrote part of my story, but he didn’t finish it.
I can’t go on living my life knowing he’s out there, still. How will I ever be able to fully heal if he’s still out there? I won’t be able to, so for that, to heal my crimson heart, I need to make my fathers bleed.