Page 35 of Unbroken Promises

Atense silence sits between us as Theo pulls away from my building. I glance surreptitiously in his direction and can tell with that single look that he is mad. Face tense, the muscles in his jaw twitching, knuckles turning white as he clenches the steering wheel. His profile is cast in shadows, illuminated by the partial moonlight peeking through the clouds and the occasional streetlamp overhead as we pass by. I haven’t said anything since we left my apartment. I know I should, but the words are stuck in my throat. What happened earlier, in the club. . . and now this? It’s all just too much. I am overwhelmed by his nearness after so much time spent apart.

“I-” My voice cuts out, and I clear my throat, trying once more. “You can just drop me off at a hotel. I’ll be okay for tonight.”

Theo glances over at me then, an incredulous look on his face, before turning his attention back to the road.

“If you think for one minute that I’m leaving you alone afterthatthen you are out of your goddamn mind, diavoletta. For fucks’ sake. They were in your apartment!”

I cringe at his raised voice. Theo has never been one to yell, but he is pretty damn close if this outburst was any indication. I raise my chin, determined not to back down. I have come a long way since he last knew me, and I am not a damsel in distress anymore. “I don’t need you to save me, Theo. I’m a big girl now, not thetortured princess that you need to rescue from her ivory tower.” Mentally, I cringe at my own use of the word ‘princess’ and the memories it invokes.

Still, I need to get my point across. “I told Caleb already, and I will tell you the same. There is nothing different that you can do that Finn and Jonathan haven’t already tried to keep me safe. Everywhere I go, this stalker seems to follow. If they haven’t been able to figure it out with all the resources at their disposal, then there is nothing that you will be able to do differently.”

He just scoffs, throwing another quick glance in my direction. “You were never some goddamnprincessin a storybook fairytale diavoletta. But you have always beenmineto save. You may have changed over the years but so the fuck have I. And make no mistake, la mia diavoletta, I have resources that Finn and Jonathan can’t touch. I will do whatever needs to be done to keep you safe. Ihave donewhat needs to be done to keep you safe, and I am sure as hell willing to bet that you can’t say the same for anyone else. They may love you, but you aremine. And I always protect what’s mine.”

“I’m not yours Theo. I don’t belong to any man.” My words are soft, but firm. And I know he heard me, though he says nothing in response.

We drive in silence for several more minutes and I glance out at the world passing by in a blur. Downtown skyscrapers give way to quiet suburbs, and still, we press on. At this time of night, there is no traffic so we are making our way quickly as we continue. I frown, eyes narrowing in suspicion. From what I have heard in passing from the guys, Theo has a penthouse close to the arena, and that is the opposite direction from where we are headed.

He takes another left, putting us on a quiet back road, and continues to head further out of the city. The houses are coming further and further apart from each other now, and soon, we reach an area where there are no houses at all. In fact, if it weren’t for the watery moonlight peeking through the clouds, and the narrow beams of the truck’s headlights, it would be pitch black outside. With a sharp right, Theo turns onto a narrow gravel road that I would have completely missed. I don’t know how Theo could even see it out here with how dark it is.

“Where are we going?” I’m sure he can hear the hesitation in my voice.

“We’re going somewhere safe.” His reply is gruff, and he doesn’t give me any more details. I roll my eyes at him, not that he can see it in the darkness.

“I saw that, diavoletta.”

My jaw drops. “What- how-?” I bluster, cheeks burning, and I am sure he can see that too, since he clearly has night vision that I was unaware of. He just shoots me a cocky grin, choosing not to respond.

We continue to drive down the long gravel road, I am lulled by the swaying caused by bumps in the gravel. Without even realizing it, my eyes drift closed and I feel myself begin to nod off, the exhaustion from the events of this evening finally hitting me. In a sleepy daze, I am unsure of how much time passes when I feel the truck drift to a stop. The door opens, and through the haze a part of me expects to be hit with a burst of chill from the wintry air, but instead I am met with a cool stillness, a comfortable temperature that belies the wintery weather we have been having.

Too tired to bother opening my eyes, I just sit there. Maybe I can get in a few more minutes of rest before I am forced to come back to the present. Instead, I feel a comforting warmth and weightlessness as I am lifted out of the truck. I feel myself rocking to the gentle sway as Theo carries me, and in my state of drowsiness I find myself snuggling into his warmth. Turning my head into his chest and breathing him in, soaking in his comforting strength and the feel of his heart beating against my cheek. And for a moment, I let myself pretend that this is my reality, that Theo is my home and he won’t ever let me go.

ChapterThirty-Five

Theo

My heart pounds in my aching chest as I hold Danica in my arms. This is the closest I have been to her in years, the most I have touched her, and my body burns with a need that is so much deeper than hunger. This woman is my world, my whole fucking life, and I have been forced to keep a painful distance, always watching from the shadows, stealing scraps of information from whatever source I could find. And now she is here, in my arms, letting me hold her and I don’t ever want to let go. It’s been too fucking long.

I carry her gently as I move through the quiet of the house, not bothering to turn on any of the lights. I know this place like the back of my hand; I have spent countless hours and poured my blood, sweat and soul into every inch of this place. I know which floorboards to avoid so the creak doesn’t disturb her peaceful slumber and move with a grace that belies my bulky frame. I wasn’t lying to Danica earlier, when I said that I had changed too.

The time we have spent apart is telling with every pound of muscle that I have packed onto my once lean frame. I had been fit before, toned, but there is a hardness to my edges now. Any time not spent on the ice, or doing work for my uncle was spent making sure that when I do find the fucker who had ruined our plans for the future, that I would be able to make them fucking suffer.

I poured every ounce of my frustration and longing into hours training at the gym or working on this property. And I am not oblivious to the fact that it reflects in my muscular physique. It has made me a popular favorite with the ladies,though there is only one woman whose attention I have yearned for. My movements are silenced by the soft carpet covering the steps as I make my way up the dramatic staircase to the second floor, but I don’t stop when I reach the landing. Moving with the turn of the banister, I continue further up until I reach the third floor and the master suite that takes up the entire space. With sure footsteps, I move past the breakfast nook, through the doorway that leads to the main room and make my way over to the enormous, custom-made bed that fills a large portion of the space.

Carefully, I shift Danica in my arms, trying not to disturb her as I reach out with one hand to pull back the covers. My movements are smooth as I gently place her away from the edge of the mattress, and deftly remove her shoes. Knowing how overheated she gets at night, I hesitate only for a moment, before carefully removing her leggings.

After folding and placing them at the foot of the bed, I turn to the large walk-in closet on the far side of the room. I step inside, finding one of my Sabretooth t-shirts and make quick work of removing my jacket that she was still wearing to replace it with the more comfortable shirt before pulling the covers up to her chin and tucking away a stray curl that rests across her eyes.

Pausing at the side of the bed, I take in the sight of my beautiful girl. So exhausted, yet peaceful in her slumber that she didn’t even wake through my careful ministrations. “Mi togli ancora il fiato.” My words are whispered, and I know she won’t hear them, but one day soon, she will know them to be true.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Danica

Iam floating in a sea of tranquility. Absolute heaven, these clouds that cradle me, and I sink further into their tender embrace. Time remains still as minutes and hours blur into oblivion and I am filled with a sense of peace as my body slowly comes to life. The first inkling of awareness tickles the recesses of my brain as warm sunlight brushes gently across my face.

I groan softly, a quiet protest at the thought of being pulled out of my serene place of respite. A soft crackling fills the air, and as I drift down from heaven, I slowly come to awareness; noting that I am not, in fact, floating on the clouds but instead, am lying in the most comfortable bed I have ever lain on; silken sheets and fluffy pillows cradling me in their softness.

And that crackling I heard? The glowing embers of a banked fire greet me as I blearily open my eyes, noting the comforting warmth and soothing sounds that act as my own personal lullaby. Lazily, I stretch out, back arched in a graceful feline posture, and yawn while continuing to take in my surroundings. Soft hues of an orangish-pink, the early morning sunlight, illuminates everything in its path as the earliest rays travel through the large windows and cross slowly towards the bed where I lay.

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