28. Luna
TWENTY-EIGHT
LUNA
Dante grabbed another blanket off the couch, covering the dead body on the floor. He made his way over to Luna, kneeling down in front of her. “Are you okay?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Do you want an honest answer?”
“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked. “I was supposed to be keeping an eye on you. Valerio is going to kill me.”
“I didn’t have your number, and you couldn’t have known. No one could have known.”
At least she didn’t think they knew. But judging by all of their reactions, they seemed just as puzzled as her about it.
Dante looked at her for another moment. “Don’t talk. Your throat sounds destroyed. You’ll only make it worse.” He stood, looking over at Finn. “Valerio has some men coming over to help move the body. Any idea who it is?”
Finn shook his head. “No idea. It doesn’t make sense. Who the hell would want to attack her of all people?”
“She’s not completely protected yet,” Dante said. “She’s just as much of a target as the rest of us if someone wants her gone.”
The fear entered her once again. She tried to keep their voices out. The sound of shoes hitting against the wooden floors of the apartment as if someone was running before they flung themselves on her nearly had Luna freaking out. Only when she saw the familiar black head of hair clutching her with a death grip did she slump into Cecilia’s hold.
“Oh my God, as soon as I heard we came over,” she told her. She spit the words out frantically, panic coating her voice. “I can’t believe this happened to you. I should have never left you here alone. Oh my God, can you imagine what would have happened if Finn didn’t show up?”
She chose not to think about that scenario. “I’m sorry you had to come.”
“Nonsense,” Cecilia said, waving her off. “Do you need a doctor to look you over? I can try my best, but I’m not a doctor yet.”
Luna nodded her head. “Can you check my throat? It’s killing me.”
Cecilia nodded, moving back so she could look at her throat. She touched and poked like a true professional. Her face stayed neutral while she eyed it, being mindful of the whimpers that left Luna.
“You’re definitely going to bruise,” Cecilia told her. “It’s already starting, and judging by the marks already, it’ll be gnarly, but keep switching from cold and warm compresses to help heal it. Your voice sounds strained, so you might have damaged your vocal cords. You should see an actual doctor to check for sure. Good news, your nose doesn’t look broken, but it’ll bruise as well.”
“What’s your official diagnosis?” Luna asked, her voice quiet.
Cecilia sighed. “Your voice and neck will heal, but your brain might take longer. Be kind to yourself. It’ll take time.”
She looked down at the floor. Would the fear ever leave? How the hell was she supposed to get over almost being killed? The body still sat only a couple feet away, being kicked around by Augustus, who held no regard for human life.
Cecilia dropped her hand on Luna’s shoulder. “I can get you some pills to help with the pain,” she told her. “It’ll at least make you a little bit comfortable. Besides, I’m sure Valerio will get you some anyway.”
Luna nodded. She would take it if it meant that she could forget about what happened even temporarily.
“Are you allowed to write a prescription?”
Cecilia gave her a small smile. “Something like that. Let me help you on to the couch. The floor is too uncomfortable. I’ll get you some ice too.”
She helped Luna stand up, setting her down on the couch. Cecilia went into the kitchen, leaving Luna to listen to the boys, who talked rapidly and quietly, throwing their hands around in frustration as if they were personally offended.
All Luna wanted was Valerio, who was no doubt on his way by now. But he was still so far away. She needed his arms around her, his protection and warmth. She needed him to tell her he wouldn’t let anyone touch her ever again and that he was never going to leave her side.
She closed her eyes, leaning back on the couch. She felt defeated, the exhaustion overwhelming her.
The sound of footsteps thumping around the room had her jumping up once again. Her eyes were frantic, looking around for some new intruder, but there was none to be found. Cecilia sat beside her with an ice pack in her hands, her eyes holding a comforting look. This time both Blair and Gianna sat in front of her as well with worried looks.
Luna let out a deep breath. “When did you guys get here?” She cringed at how much worse her voice sounded; it was hoarse and broken, completely different from the way she usually sounded.
“A little bit ago,” Gianna said. “You were sleeping, so we decided not to wake you.”
“He called a couple of minutes ago,” Blair said. “He’s almost here.”
Luna nodded, leaning back. She must have been asleep for a little bit then. The body was gone, as were all signs of a fight in the room or blood on the floor. Allister now joined the boys sitting all around the room, taking up space wherever they could. It felt odd to see everyone together without threatening each other or pulling guns.
“We managed to clean up the blood from your face and most of your body while you were sleeping,” Cecilia said, pressing the ice pack to her neck once again. “You’ll probably want a nice shower when you have a chance.”
So much for the relaxing bath earlier. It was funny to even consider anything from earlier in the night as relaxing. How long had he been in her apartment? Did he watch her get dressed? Did he listen to her on the phone with Valerio? Where was he hiding? A harsh throbbing returned in her temples, reminding her that stressing about the situation right now wasn’t going to make any of her injuries better.
The door banging open had everyone swinging their heads around to see who it was. Luna could feel him before she saw him. It felt like everything moved in slow motion when his broad frame stomped through the doorway and into the room.
His eyes met hers, a deep frown on his lips. Luna jumped up instantly, running toward him, but he met her halfway. She threw herself into his arms, her body melting when she felt his warmth once again. He immediately enveloped her body, pulling her against his chest.
She didn’t even realize she was crying until he lifted her head, wiping his thumbs underneath her cheeks. He skimmed the bruised skin of her neck and her nose, his face transforming into a murderous look. The look of vengeance in his eyes was clear, but his touch was still gentle.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he muttered, leaning his forehead against hers.
She shook her head. “It’s not your fault.”
“That doesn’t outweigh the fact that I should have been here. God, your precious voice,” he said. “I should have never left.”
“You’re here now,” Luna muttered, burying herself in his chest. “Please, don’t go anywhere.”
“Never again,” he swore. “I have a doctor coming to look at your throat. Where’s the fucking body?” The question was directed toward the other men, who now stood.
“On its way to the warehouse,” Allister said. “None of us could recognize who it was, but given how he managed to get in, he’s a professional. And a good one at that.”
Valerio’s jaw clenched. He looked over at Finn. “How did you get here so quickly?”
“She called,” he said. “I rushed here as soon as the call came through.”
Valerio was quiet for a moment. “You saved her life when I couldn’t. I owe you. Whatever you want, just name it.”
Luna’s eyes widened. Was this the beginning of a truce between the two of them? She could only hope so, but when Finn shook his head, reality hit her.
“She’s my sister,” he said. “You only proved you’re incapable of taking care of her.”
“How did he get in?” Valerio snarled. “My security would have never allowed this. If your father had allowed me to put my team here, I doubt we would be standing here right now contemplating how she was almost fucking killed.”
“We could all go back and forth all day, but how about we focus on the fact that someone wants her dead?” Dante spoke up. “That seems more important than anything else.”
“She’s not married yet, so she’s not under any protection,” Allister said.
Luna frowned. “What are you talking about? What does that have to do with marriage?”
“Since you and Valerio aren’t married, you’re still in the space where there is technically a way out of the contract. If one of you dies before the legality is set, then it’s like the contract never existed,” Allister said.
“You think it’s someone who doesn’t want this union?” Blair asked.
“Why the hell would anyone care?” Augustus asked.
“I can name a few people,” Cecilia said, huffing. Everyone turned to look at her. “What? Valerio did kill the man she was supposed to marry after he called off the marriage. I doubt Reece Kingsley is thrilled about having you as a son-in-law.”
“My father wouldn’t want his own daughter dead,” Finn spit out.
“Watch it,” Augustus warned him.
Luna thought about it for a bit. She didn’t have the best relationship with her father, but he wouldn’t actually want her dead. Besides, if he was upset about the engagement, he would have wanted Valerio dead, not Luna; she was still an asset to him.
“Either way, the apartment is compromised,” Gianna said. “I don’t want you guys staying here.”
“Agreed,” Valerio said. “You’re not staying here.”
Luna frowned. “I guess we could try to look for a new apartment.”
“No need,” he dismissed. “You’ll come live with me.”
Luna’s eyes widened. “Move in?”
“Yes!” Gianna yelled.
“No way in hell is Cecilia staying in your house,” Augustus said.
“Oh my God, leave me alone,” she groaned.
“Well, I’m not separating from my best friends,” Blair said.
“We have plenty of space at our house and the girls will be safe,” Valerio told them. “I’ll allow permission for you to visit whenever you want.”
“No!” Cecilia blurted at the same time Augustus said “Yes.”
She couldn’t stay at their apartment. Not when the place that had once been their home was now tainted and ruined. She would never feel safe in it again. Hell, she didn’t know if she would ever feel safe anywhere. Not until they figured out who did this to her. All they had right now was a dead man, and dead men couldn’t talk.
It was decided then. The girls were moving into the Vitali mansion. Luna was going to be moving in with Valerio when not too long ago she would have fought against the thought with everything she had. The girls went to their rooms, beginning to pack up what they would need for now until they could manage to get people in to pack up the rest.
Valerio grabbed Luna’s suitcase, tossing it on the bed while she began filling it. He didn’t take his eyes off of her for a minute, leaving her squirming under his gaze.
“I’m not going to disappear,” she said. A bitter cough left her lips. “You don’t have to literally keep an eye on me forever now.”
“You almost did disappear,” he said. “If your dumbass of a brother hadn’t gotten here, you would have been dead.”
Luna swallowed harshly, throwing her clothes into the bag. “I don’t want to think about that.”
He approached her, tracing her face with gentle hands. She leaned into his touch, relishing in it as if it could disappear at any moment. “I swear I’m going to find who did this to you, and when I do, I’m going to annihilate them. I won’t stop until there’s not a single trace of them left.”
She shouldn’t have liked the words that left his lips so much, but she did. And when his lips met hers, she accepted it. She needed him to taste the fear she’d felt before, and the safeness she had now with him.
He leaned his forehead against hers. “I swear to you, nothing like this will ever happen again.”
That was exactly what she needed. His promise. One she knew he would never break.
“I know.”