12. Raphael
Raphael
12
There’s nothing quite like the rush of chasing your prey through the forest. The feeling that comes from the thrill of knowing how close you are to catching them. Every brief glimpse through the treeline, every crunch of leaves beneath her feet as she tries hard to escape me, fuels me forward. I’m eager to catch her. Eager to touch her, eager to savor the warmth of her soft skin beneath me as I devour her body and, ultimately, her soul.
She asked for this, and when I catch her, because I will, I’ll remind her of that very fact.
“Raphael.”
I turn my head to the left and follow the path, my steps as silent as a wolf stalking its prey. It’s like an invisible string ties us together. When she’s close, the string grows hot, and when she’s farther away, it’s cooler.
“Raphael.”
This time, she’s behind me. Only when I twist around, there’s no one there.
“Raphael.”
Gentle hands fall on my shoulders and shake me persistently. I close my eyes to the dark forest, and when I snap them open, a pair of blue eyes focus on me.
“Mei?”
The little girl’s lip trembles as she stares at me with watery eyes. “I can’t find my mommy.”
“What?” I suddenly sit up, my sleep and vivid dream instantly fading away. I throw off my blankets and climb out of bed, mentally grateful that I wore sleeping pants tonight. Typically, I prefer to sleep nude.
Mei backs up, frightened by my quick reaction. “I want my mommy.”
Crouching down, I try my best to soothe her. “Hey, it’s okay. Sorry if I scared you. We’re going to find her, alright?”
Nodding, she reaches out with her arms. It’s clear what she wants, and without even thinking about it, I let her wrap her arms around my neck and then stand. Searching for her mother would be easier without her holding on to me like a sloth, but I understand she’s scared and seeking comfort as best a child her age can.
We leave my room and check the spare rooms, the bathrooms, and hell, we even check the pantry, but Lily’s nowhere to be found. She has to be inside somewhere…unless… I head toward the terrace doors. Unless she’s outside.
Opening the door, I peer out. Soft lights cast a gentle glow on the stone floor and plant-decorated corners. At first glance, the terrace looks normal. Until I spy a small shape curled up on the couch. I set Mei down and hurry over to her mother.
“Lily!” I exclaim, kneeling in front of her. She’s fast asleep and ice cold to the touch. “Lily?”
“Is Mommy okay?” Mei asks in a small and fragile voice.
“Yes, she just fell asleep out here,” I tell her, hoping the forced smile I give her over my shoulder reassures her.
Mei giggles. “Silly Mommy.”
Yes, silly Mommy.
I try shaking Lily’s shoulder, first gently and then more forcefully, but she remains motionless. When I move to gather her in my arms, she still doesn’t wake up. That, along with her blue-tinged lips, concerns me greatly. How long has she been out here? Why was she even out here to begin with? And without a blanket, too?
The foolish woman deserves to be placed over my knee for her carelessness. Her reservations and past abuse be damned.
As I gently place Lily on her bed, her whole body trembles. That’s a good sign, right? Better than being deathly still, but I’m not a doctor. For all I know, she’s about to have a seizure or something.
Climbing onto the bed, Mei snuggles next to her mom, and I cover them with a blanket before digging my phone out of my pocket.
“Mommy’s cold.”
“Yes, I know,” I agree, fighting hard to keep annoyance and frustration out of my tone. I’m not mad at Mei but at her mother. Clicking on my sister’s name, I hope to God she’s awake at this hour.
Three long rings later, my sister answers, “Hello?” She sounds exhausted, and for a moment, I feel guilty about waking her. She graduates soon and has been working longer hours at the hospital, but then I watch Lily shake harder, and all guilt goes out the window.
“Gabriella, I need your help.”
I hear shuffling in the background like she’s climbing out of a bed and a low voice murmuring something before she responds with a muffled, “One second.”
Just because it’s not the eighteenth century doesn’t mean I need to enjoy hearing the details of my sister’s nightly activities over the phone. There was a moment when we suspected Dimitri Volkov from the Russian Bratva to be more than a “friend,” but that changed when Michael saw a woman on her knees sucking his cock at the Playground not too long ago.
“Must you answer the phone when in bed with someone?”
“Then don’t call me when I’m in bed with someone,” she bites back.
“Believe me, I’d rather not, but this is a medical emergency.”
That garners her attention. “What is it? Are you hurt? Is it Michael? Rose? Oh, please tell me it’s not Liam.”
“No. Everyone’s fine. It’s actually about Lily.”
“Oh, your new houseguest,” she teases, her tone turning a little too gleeful for me. “Rose told me all about her. She sounds lovely, brother.”
“Gabriella,” I grind out between clenched molars. “Can you help or not?”
“Of course. What’s wrong?” she asks, switching to doctor mode.
“Lily fell asleep outside, and she’s cold to the touch. I brought her inside, but now she’s shaking and won’t wake up. What do I do?”
“I’m not even going to ask why she fell asleep outside unless she was trying to escape your ugly mug.” She laughs when I growl out her name. “Do you know how long she was outside?”
“I don’t.”
“Shaking is actually a good thing. Okay. Listen carefully. You need to warm her up slowly. Blankets would be best and wrap her up like a burrito. It’ll prevent any more body heat from escaping. If you can, change her clothes too. I recommend throwing some in the dryer for a minute to help give her body a quicker restart.”
“And then?”
“Just monitor her. If she doesn’t stop shaking or she grows colder, then she’ll need a hospital and warm fluids.”
“Okay.” I pause, my eyes trailing over Lily’s shaking figure and Mei’s balled up small body next to her. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. I look forward to meeting them, by the way. Maybe tomorrow? I can swing—”
“Good night, Gabriella.” I hang up on my sister midsentence.
Mei remains curled up next to her mom as I follow my sister’s instructions to the letter. A spare outfit warms in the dryer while I get more blankets from the closet and throw on a shirt myself. When I return to Lily’s room with everything, she still trembles, and her lips appear bluer, but it could be my imagination.
“Lily? I have to get you out of your cold clothes and into some warmer ones.” It seems silly to tell her what’s about to happen aloud when she’s not even awake, but it makes me feel better, like I’m not a complete perverted asshole. She would be awake to give me her permission in a perfect world, but it’s life and death here. I don’t have a choice. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”
Lifting Lily against my shoulder, I try hard to ignore how she instinctively turns into my neck, as if subconsciously seeking my warmth. Grabbing the bottom of her shirt, I drag it up and over her shoulders, pulling back just enough to tug it off her head.
When she nearly topples over, I instinctively wrap my arms around her bare back to stop her.
And…fuck.
Her skin is cold and smooth to the touch, and I can feel the firmness of her nipples pressing against my chest. I fight the irresistible urge to pull her closer, my longing to bring her to the bed and possess her body overwhelming. But no…I’m not like Xiao. I prefer my women to enjoy their time with me. I never have to force them.
Somehow, without seeing or touching a single thing of note, I pull the fresh shirt down her body and place her back against the bed. She scrunches her face up in the most adorable way, almost like she’s upset her heat source is suddenly gone, making me chuckle.
My eyes fall next to her pants, and I pray to everything holy that she’s wearing underwear of some kind. She is. Much to my delight…and disappointment. Really, I should get a damn reward for being this…virtuous.
Once changed, I tuck a plush blanket around her like a burrito and then tug a thick comforter up to her chin. Mei curls up beside her mom once I’m done, and I cover her in a spare blanket before grabbing another one for myself. Pulling an oversized chair up close to the bed, I settle in for the night. It’s only after Lily stops shivering and a hint of pink returns to her cheeks that I finally fall back asleep.