CHAPTER 26
CARA
Adrenaline flooded me the second my eyes shot open the next morning. I sat up fast and froze, trying to work out what had my body in panic mode. My heart was beating way too hard and fast.
Loud banging echoed through the room from out front and I looked to Cal as his eyes opened and met mine.
“What’s that?” I asked in a panicked whisper.
“Sounds like someone at the door. Get dressed, babe, fast,” he told me, then he was out of bed and pulling on the sweats he abandoned the night before. We’d both still been naked, having crawled into bed that way after a quick shower during the early hours of the morning.
I scurried out of bed and grabbed the first thing in my suitcase – a sweater of Cal’s. I pulled it over my head, then started to rifle deeper in my packing for underwear and pants of some kind.
“Stay in here until one of us comes to get you, okay?” Cal told me. I looked up and found him paused before the door, awaiting my agreement.
“Okay. Be careful,” I whispered.
The second he left the room I tore leggings and knickers from my case and pulled them on frantically.
Who would be at the door of our hotel suite?
No one even knew we were there. Anxiety was making me feel nauseous as I perched on the end of the bed and pulled on socks and my Converse.
Whatever was going on, I felt like it was best to be ready to flee if the need arose.
I was just getting to my feet when the bedroom door opened and Cal walked in.
“Everything’s fine. It’s Rafe,” he told me when I looked to him with concern. “He wants to talk to you.”
“How does he know we’re here?” I asked, a little shocked by the turn around.
“He called the security who have been outside the room and found out. Are you up to facing him?”
“Of course,” I nodded, but I still found my feet carrying me across the room until I was wrapped in Cal’s arms. “Is he still angry?” I asked as I clung to him and tried to draw some strength.
“I think he’s too exhausted and out of breath from getting here to be angry. I tried to check him over, but he wasn’t having a bit of it.”
“He’s stubborn,” I sighed. I pulled back from the hug and took a deep breath. “I’ll go and talk to him. Maybe he’s ready to be a little more rational now.”
“I hope so, for your sake,” Cal agreed. I reached up to kiss him once more, then slipped from his arms completely and left the room.
Rafe was sat in an armchair when I stepped out into the living area of the hotel suite. He still looked pale and he was breathing too fast. He was dressed in his customary suit and shirt, but he had a heavy wool coat over them. He just looked exhausted.
Dio was sat opposite him, perched on the end of the coffee table, and they were talking quietly – too low for me to pick up what either was saying, but at least Rafe wasn’t trying to lunge at Dio again.
“Hey,” I announced, feeling unsure as I walked further into the room and looked to Rafe hesitantly.
“Tesorino, please don’t look so nervous. I’ve come to apologise. I hate the way I spoke to you yesterday,” he blurted all at once.
“It wasn’t me that you needed to apologise to, Rafe. You didn’t threaten to kill me,” I told him steadily. I stared him down hard, not willing to forget the way he treated the guys.
“Yes, you’re right. I went too far in my threats, and I was in the process of apologising to Dar for the beating I gave him.
However, I had a right to be angry, Cara.
Dario and Arran were sneaking around with you behind my back.
They’re older than you, and whether you accept it or not, you have been in a very vulnerable place recently. ”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make my own reasonable decisions. You really hurt me when you made it clear how much you doubted that,” I reminded him.
“I know,” he nodded. “I was being a complete arsehole, and I shouldn’t have said most of what I said. I just worry about you. I want to protect you.”
“You can, but not from them, Rafe. You have no need to protect me from them. You know that.”
“That doesn’t mean heads won’t roll if they ever hurt you, Cara.”
“We never doubted that for a second, brother,” Dio cut in with a smirk.
His face was slightly less swollen that morning, but he was still bruised and cut up in places. Terza would be devastated when she saw him.
“I want you to come home now, sweetheart. Things are in too much upheaval for you to be here unprotected. I barely slept for worrying last night,” Rafe almost pleaded.
“And the guys?” I questioned.
“I want you all to come home. I’m still angry and unsure about this relationship between all of you, but I will learn to accept it if, as you say, they make you happy and take care of you as you deserve.”
“They do,” I assured him.
“Then you’ll all come home? I received intel last night that Adamian is days from death. It’s likely he will step up his plans to ensure the marriage before he dies. You’re not safe here.” Rafe looked from me to Dio. “We need her to be secure at home, Dario. Surely you see that?”
“I do,” Dio nodded. “And I agree, but ultimately the decision lies with Cara. Wherever we go, and whatever we do, she needs to be comfortable with the decision.”
I looked to Dio gratefully, a watery smile on my face as tears filled my eyes. I knew it had to be hard for him to hand that control to me, especially when it concerned my safety, but he had done it willingly, to support me. That meant so much.
“We’ll go home,” I nodded. “On the condition that you let Cal check you over before we leave and make sure you’re up to the journey back,” I stipulated, looking to Rafe and allowing all of my worry for him and the state he was in to show through.
“I’m fine, Cara. The doctor was at the house yesterday, and she said I’m healing remarkably well,” he argued.
“That’s my condition,” I stated flatly. He was too pale and shaky looking. It terrified me. I had never seen my brother weakened until he took that bullet. The contrast, to how strong and solid he usually was, rattled me deeply.
“Fine. If you insist,” Rafe relented and I let out the sigh of relief I had been holding onto and went to him. I lowered down to sit on the arm of the chair he sat in, then leaned over and wrapped my arms gently around him.
“I love you,” I told him softly. “Please don’t ever make me choose again. Please.”
“I won’t, Gioia. I let my anger take over and I was stupid. I’ll never do it again. I love you too,” he assured me as he held me tight.
***
The house was quiet when we got back. Cal had suggested I head up to my room to take a nap and I hadn’t argued because I felt exhausted after barely sleeping the night before.
Reassured by the others that they’d keep a close eye on Rafe, who also looked ready for a long nap, I did just that and ambled up the stairs.
Once I was in my room I filled the tub and took a long soak, hoping to ease the slight ache between my legs from the previous night with Cal.
I was going to need to get used to them all if this relationship between us was going to work, but how did one go about toughening up their girl parts for three men who were a bit too much of a tight fit?
I was pretty sure you couldn’t google that.
Or at least I was sure I didn’t want to look at the results of that search.
After the bath, I pulled on comfortable yoga pants and a loose t-shirt, then collapsed into bed with a deep sigh. At least we were all home, I told myself, and Rafe wasn’t trying to kill anyone so far either. Small mercies and all that jazz. I’d take it for now.
I didn’t remember falling asleep, but I obviously had, because when I opened my eyes it was dark outside my windows. I sat up and checked the time on my phone, groaning when I realised I had slept most of the day away.
I forced myself to get up when I realised it was almost dinner time, my stomach rumbling loudly as if to remind me I had barely eaten in the last twenty-four hours.
Once I pulled on a sweater over my t-shirt, and scraped my wild hair back into a ponytail that almost resembled something civilised, I left the room and virtually skipped down the stairs in search of food.
The kitchen smelled like garlic, rosemary, fresh bread, and heaven, long before I got to the door. Honestly, Terza weaponised food. She was a goddess in the kitchen and I was pretty sure she deserved one of those fancy Michelin stars.
“There you are, baby,” Dio sighed as I walked in.
He was at the counter picking up a large serving bowl filled with salad, but he put it down on seeing me and crossed the room to engulf me in a hug.
“I was starting to worry. Are you feeling okay?” he fussed as he held me in one arm and ran the back of his hand across my forehead with the other.
“I didn’t mean to sleep so long. I guess I was tired,” I shrugged. “I’m fine though. No need to worry.”
“Dinner’s on the table. We thought we’d all eat together,” he explained, and I smiled brightly.
“That sounds good.”
“Head on in then. Cal already grabbed you some water and Arran was making you a plate to put aside for when you woke up.” He leaned in to kiss my lips briefly and I barely caught the kiss before he was ushering me through the door into the dining room.
The long oak table was overflowing when I entered, and for a moment I just stared at it; huge bowls of pasta swimming in rich tomato sauce, creamy risotto, roasted vegetables glistening with olive oil, fresh focaccia still warm enough to steam when torn apart, and enough parmesan to bury a small child.
Terza had gone all out. Perhaps that was why she was stood at the foot of the table, appraising it all, and looking personally offended that there dared to be gaps unfilled with food.
“I should cook more. You’re all too skinny,” she declared, setting another dish down dramatically. “I cook like this constantly, and still you all look like starving dogs.”