CHAPTER 24
CARA
“How is he?” I asked the second Dio walked back into the hotel room we were all staying in.
As soon as we left the house, me and Dio in his black sports car, and Arran and Cal trailing behind us in Arran’s Mercedes, we’d come to the hotel that Dio had suggested would be secure.
It was in the centre of London, close to Covent Garden.
From the outside it looked like a small boutique hotel, but when we walked in it was very grand and had security in the lobby.
The building was vast and we had been given a suite on the top floor.
It was a beautiful suite, with a large central living space, and two adjoining bedrooms, both with luxurious en-suites. I’d been too upset to take in more than that though. The guilt of leaving Rafe at home when he was recovering was swamping me.
“Yeah. Brax convinced him that he needed someone to stay with him, so Brax is going to stay there and keep an eye on him. He said Rafe’s holed up in the office, throwing himself into work.
Brax and my Mum will make sure he sleeps and eats,” Dio assured me.
“Rafe text me too. He wanted to know where we were staying so he could send a team of men to watch over you. Joey is out in the hall right now, keeping watch,” he added.
“Gotta protect the incompetent little sister, right?” I bitterly joked.
“He didnae mean that. That’s why we didnae want to tell him right now. He’s in pain, exhausted, and no’ thinkin’ clearly. He was angry and shocked. He’ll calm down eventually,” Arran tried to soothe me, but even if Rafe hadn’t meant what he said, it didn’t make the words hurt any less.
“Keep that ice pack on your face, babe. It’s starting to swell,” Cal told me.
“Dio needs the ice more than me,” I argued as I held out the napkin wrapped ice Cal had asked room service to bring. My face was already bruised and my cheek felt swollen. It throbbed angrily, but it was the least of my concerns right then.
Dio on the other hand had a black eye, split lip, and bruises covering almost his entire face. The right side had swollen badly, as had his nose. He kept on reassuring me it didn’t hurt, but I knew it did.
“I have ice for Dar too. Keep that on your cheek,” Cal ordered more firmly.
“Nice bed side manner there, lad,” Arran pointed out.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, We were all stressed.
“It’s not, Sorry, Cara,” Cal sighed as he sank to the sofa beside me and took my free hand in his. “Arran’s right. I snapped at you. I’m just so mad that you got hurt, and this time it was by your brother.”
“He didn’t know….”
“He knew enough. He shouldnae have gone at Dario like that with you so close. He should have kenned ye’d jump into the fray. Too brave fer yer own damn good,” Arran said as he moved closer and pulled me into his side. I happily leaned into him and settled there, with my head against his chest.
“He shouldn’t have hurt Dario at all,” I sighed.
“I knew it was coming, baby. I was just lucky he wasn’t at full strength,” Dio told me.
“What do we even do now?” I asked after several moments of silence. “We can’t stay here forever. It must be so expensive.”
“Don’t ye be worryin’ about money. Dario and I have enough put by to take care of us all fer a long time to come if it’s necessary.”
“But your jobs, and what about university, Cal? Is Rafe covering your course fees?” I worried.
“Hey!” Arran said loud enough to have my eyes meeting his. “What’d I just say? I pay for Cal’s university, and if Dario and I need to find work, it’ll no’ be a problem. Stop panicking. We’re all goin’ te take care of you, and of each other.”
“Your whole lives have just been turned upside down because of me. Of course I’m panicking!” I cried.
“I have confidence Rafe will come around, but even if he doesn’t, I wouldn’t change anything. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I wouldn’t give you up for anything,” Dio made clear, just bringing more tears to my eyes as my emotions swelled.
“Everything will be alright, beautiful. You just have to let Rafe throw his tantrum for a while,” Cal told me and I huffed a laugh, knowing he was probably right.
I curled up against Arran as Dio settled in the armchair beside us. He switched on the television while Cal made up another ice pack from the supplies room service had brought, then handed it to Dio.
I tried to relax and stop worrying, the way Arran had told me to, but everything was just such a mess.
I couldn’t help thinking about Dante too.
The search for him had found nothing and I felt sure something bad had happened to him.
What if I had lost him? It made my chest hurt to imagine him dying believing I didn’t want him – that I was scared of him.
My feelings for him hadn’t diminished in any way during his absence. I often found myself wishing he were there, longing to curl up against his giant body and feel the rumble of his chest when he spoke.
The more time that passed, the more what had happened between us in Chicago seemed insignificant in the scale of things.
He’d messed up and I’d reacted accordingly, but so much time had passed and I missed him.
All I wanted was for him to come back, telling us all we were idiots for worrying about him.
I wanted to hear that cocky surety when he bluntly told us he was indestructible or something equally ridiculous.
“We need to do something about Dante,” I announced after a while.
I sat up and looked to Dio. “He’s been gone for too long, and Arran hasn’t been able to find a trace of where he went.
He hasn’t used his bank cards or cell phone in most of that time either.
It’s time to face the reality that he’s likely been taken or… or killed,” I choked out.
“After what he did, it’s more likely he disappeared because he was so ashamed. He had to know we wouldn’t forgive him putting hands on you,” Dio stated flatly. I knew he was still angry with Dante, but he needed to let it go.
“Dante’s not scared of Rafe, or of anyone for that matter. Fear is not keeping him away,” I argued.
“I agree, and I doubt it’s shame either.
While he knew what he did was wrong, he was also resolute that he was just protecting the lass.
Keepin’ Cara safe was his only priority an’ I find it hard to believe he’d have left her fer this long,” Arran agreed.
“But there’s no’ a lot we can do about finding him, Cara.
I’ve already been through his entire life lookin’ fer clues and found nothin’.
I also put the word out that we wanted any news on him being captured or killed, and I havnae heard a word. We have nought to go on right now.”
“We can’t just abandon him. He made one mistake! You’re his family! Don’t you even care?”
“We care, beautiful,” Cal jumped in. “Arran and I are as worried as you are, but Arran is already doing everything he can to find Dante. Without a new lead to follow, or word from the man himself, we’re stuck right now.”
“I won’t believe he’s dead,” I sniffled. “He’s too tough. Too smart. There’s no way someone just ended his life. He has to be alive.”
“I keep thinkin’ the same thing, darlin’ and I pray we’re right. I was so pissed wi’ him when last we spoke. I don’t want things between us te end that way. That over bearing arse is like a brother te me. A really annoying, slightly feral brother.”
I looked to Dio to gauge where he was at and I was relieved to see his anger seemed to have abated from his face some.
“I’ll make some calls and see if anyone knows anything, but I’m not promising that I won’t land a few blows when I see the bastard, for what he did to you,” Dio warned.
“I’m not even mad about that anymore.”
“You should be. It’s not acceptable for anyone to leave bruises on your body, Cara, no matter what led to it happening.
Whatever happens, if you accept Dante back into your life, you have to make that very clear.
Don’t ever allow him to think what happened that night was alright. It wasn’t,” Dio told me.
“He’s right,” Arran agreed.
I nodded, knowing it was all true. Maybe I should still be fuming with Dante for the way he broke my trust and terrified me that night.
But he had been gone so long that I knew if I ever saw him again, all I would be able to feel was earth shattering relief that he wasn’t dead.
And if we were too late and he was gone – well than a piece of me would die along with him.
***
CARA
I’m sorry I had to leave. I’m worried about you.
I never wanted things to end up this way.
I’m sorry that the happiness I have found is making
you so upset, but I can’t let them go, Rafe, and I
don’t want to lose you either. I love you x
I took a deep breath and hit the little symbol to send the message.
It was the middle of the night and I hadn’t heard a word from my brother.
I knew he was home and safe, because Dio had been checking in with Brax all afternoon and evening, and he was still in the house with Rafe, but it didn’t stop me from worrying or feeling guilt.
A cold wind swept over me and I wrapped the blanket I was swathed in, tighter around myself.
I was sat out on the balcony of our hotel suite, bare feet tucked beneath me against the cold.
The night air bit at my skin, but it felt better than lying in bed staring at the ceiling while my thoughts tore me apart.