Page 45 of Romancing the Reaper

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

ADA

It doesn’t get easier to wake up alone. No matter how many times it happens, it still hurts. Which is insane, because I woke up alone every day of my life before Kieran kidnapped me. I have gotten accustomed to his warmth so quickly. The steady rise and fall of his breathing is soothing. I will never say it out loud, but I’ve never slept so well as I do when I'm pressed into his side. I haven’t taken the ring off. I probably should, but I also don’t want to. It’s a very strange blend of emotions.

I dressed and ignored the breakfast that he left out on the table for me. I’m sure that there’s going to be hell to pay for that choice later when he checks the cameras and sees that I outright refused, but I don’t think I can stomach it this morning. I don’t know why, but the nerves are double what they were before now. It’s some strange gut feeling that I’ve never had before. Is ithormones? Something else? It’s a gnawing and restless feeling that has me pacing the room over and over again. Comfortable designer pajamas, a knee length satin robe, and plush slippers normally would have me feeling right at home. They are simple pleasures that I’ve been relishing since he brought them, but now they almost feel itchy.

Is something happening?

Is Kieran hurt?

I don’t think that I can take him coming home bleeding again.

A strange tapping starts to come from the other side of the heavy metal front door. Almost like a ticking? I step closer, curious as to the new sound. Usually, it’s just the computerized beeping of Kieran returning back.

Heavy thudding has me moving away from the door, my arms wrapped defensively around myself. Is somebody trying to break in? That’s impossible. Nobody can know where I am… right? Nobody knows how to get through that door. Kieran said that it was completely impossible.

And yet…

A distant pop, and then a larger one, and the whole fucking door starts to rattle. I glance toward the kitchen. Should I try to arm myself? Would that even do any good or would it just be useless in the long run? I scramble backward as the door burstsopen with a small detonation. I scream. I can’t help it as I try to scramble for the couch.

“Ada? Miss Dominio!”

I know that voice.

It feels like a fever dream to hear that familiar tone in here. What is he doing here? Am I tripping and delusional? Have I somehow been drugged or am I still asleep?

No, Alberto is actually here. He storms into the room, checking for anybody lurking in the corners and seemingly wholly shocked to see me standing in the living room whole and untouched. At least, he likely thinks that I’m untouched.

I let myself be pulled into his arms. I hug him tightly, more reflex than anything else as he threatens to squeeze the life out of me. Despite the fact that we’ve become such close friends over the years, it’s a very rare thing that Alberto actually touches me for any reason.

“Are you okay?” Alberto pulls away from me, checking me over. He walks a circle around me, making sure that I’m not injured or bruised. At least I’m not bruised anywhere that he can see with my clothes still on.

I’m being rescued.

It doesn’t feel the way I thought it would.

“I’m okay,” I smile, and let him take my hand.

“Let’s get you out of here.” Alberto starts to guide me to the door. It hits me that either Kieran is dead, or he’s going to come back here and not know where I’ve gone, which means that other people are going to die. I don’t have much here, but the bed that I fall asleep in tonight isn’t going to smell like him. The clothes that he bought me are being left behind.

“How did you even find me?” I ask. I almost expect some sort of magical force field to stop me from actually leaving, but then I’m just over the threshold. Like it was just that simple this whole time.

“Cristiano got a tip on your location. It felt like a trap but he said that he wasn’t willing to risk it without coming here to check. I can’t believe that you were really here all this time. So close. Your brother is never going to stop beating himself up over this one.”

“An anonymous tip?” I don’t want to hear the answer. Kieran didn’t give me back…did he?

“Yes. For now, anyway. We will find out where the tip originated from, never you worry about that now. For now, we will get you home and cleaned up. Whatever you need, you know that it will be yours.”

Home. But they don’t mean my home. They mean my brother’s home, the family home.

Where I’m going to be watched and guarded every second of every day.

I have this horrible feeling that it’s not going to feel like home anymore. That damned hideout had started to feel like home. And Kieran… Kieran had started to feel like home.

I can’t tell my brother that.

Alberto escorts me into the back of his SUV, taking great care to be gentle with me and shutting the door. I hear the locks click into place and the feeling of being trapped grows. I can hear him talking to Cristiano on the phone, but my brother doesn’t even ask to speak to me, he just demands that I be brought home quickly.

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