Page 20 of Silent Night With Luca

I carry her as quickly but as safely as I can down the hall to her suite, hoping to avoid anyone. It is midday so most of the family is out enjoying the Holiday Market or sledding on the back hill. The last thing I want right now is for the rumor mill to start.

When we get to the room carefully place her on the sofa and make sure she is covered.

I turn on the gas starter to light the wood the staff put out this morning. The fire starts swiftly and it will only be a few minutes before the wood catches and starts to put off some heat. I kneel beside her as she snuggles up. “Fiamma, I need to know what happened. Can you tell me anything at all?”

She doesn’t respond, her eyes half-lidded, drifting in and out of consciousness. I grip her hand, feeling the ice still clinging to her skin, the faint pulse beneath my fingers.

She’s freezing. Her body’s been through hell. How for fuck’s sake did this happen? And why did she go out there?

“Fiamma,” I whisper again, leaning closer, my hand resting on her shoulder on top of the covers. “Please talk to me.”

Her lips part slightly, but no words come. I can see her struggling, her body trembling, fighting the cold that still lingers inside her. I don’t want to push her—not yet. Not while she’s like this.

But I need answers. And I need them soon.

I stand near the fireplace,pacing back and forth, my mind racing. Fiamma’s still out, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. She’s been sleeping for four hours now and I’m about to lose my shit. I’ve smoked almost an entire pack of no-filter cigarettes on the back deck waiting for her to awaken.

The room is quiet, but it feels suffocating. Every time I look at her, lying there so fragile, I feel this knot tightening in my chest.

I should have been there. I should have stopped her from whatever the hell happened.

I pull out my phone, my hand shaking slightly as I swipe through my contacts until I find a number for Vin,head of security. He’s good at his job, but he’s also a talker. If I tell him what’s really going on, it’ll spread through the lodge like wildfire. And I’m not ready for that. Not until I get the full story from Fiamma.

Fiamma is back. You can call off the dogs.

Is she okay? Just another bout of her running out to get her rocks off?

I glance over at Fiamma, her lips still cracked and dry, her skin pale. Okay? No. Nothing’s okay.

Yeah, all good.

I grit my teeth. I hate this—lying, playing it cool while Fiamma’s half-dead on the couch. But if I give Vin the truth, it’ll get back to Adrian or worse, Massimo. And I don’t have all the pieces yet.

I decide to send a second text in case someone wonders where she’s been.

She’s fine, just needs some rest. Big night.

Copy that. You need anything from my side?

Not right now. Let me handle this. Just keep it quiet for now. She already has everyone mad at her.

10-4

I shove the phone back into my pocket, my heart pounding in my chest. It’s not much of a lie, but it still sits heavily on me. I don’t like hiding things from the family, especially Adrian, but until I know what really happened, I can’t risk blowing this up into something bigger.

My attention drifts back to Fiamma as she lays there. Shelooks so small, so different from the wild, stubborn woman I’ve been chasing.

I sigh, running a hand through my hair, my mind racing. What the hell happened out there?

The thought of her running through the snow, barefoot, freezing makes me sick. She’s tough, but even she shouldn’t have to handle that. And now, I’m stuck waiting for her to wake up and give me the answers I need. I need to know if she’s really safe now or if this is just the beginning of something worse.

I start pacing again, the frustration bubbling up inside me. I should be doing something. Anything. But right now, all I can do is wait. I’m not a patient man.

I glance back at the door, half-expecting someone to come barging in, demanding answers I don’t have. But the lodge is quiet. Too quiet. It’s the calm before the storm, and I can feel it in my gut.

I walk back over to the couch and kneel beside her, brushing my hand over her forehead. She’s finally warm to the touch and the color has returned to her face.

Thank God.

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