Page 4 of Burn
“Stop,” I command my driver.
“Sir?”he mutters.“You never—”
I glare at him through the rearview mirror until he swallows and immediately stops the car near the side of the road.
“Stay here and wait for me,” I say before I open the car door and hop out.
The streets are filled with trash and mud, and I skip over a puddle in disgust.Even an ounce of that type of gunk on my shoes makes me want to hurl.But when I spot the girl again, I forget about caring and walk over to her.
She’s not even remotely aware of my presence as I walk up to her, despite the fact that I tower over her and block the streetlights.Rain pitter-patters down onto the pavement and my clothes, which would normally annoy the shit out of me.But right now, all I can focus on is the soft sobs emanating from the girl just a few inches away from me.
Finally, she tilts her head ever so slightly, and her eyes immediately land on my boots.Slowly, they creep up my fitted pants and Colbert until her beautiful brown eyes connect with mine.
Her pupils dilate, and she gasps in shock.“Who are you?”She leans back.“What do you want?”
I cock my head while I crouch and extend a hand.“Vincenzo Ricci.”
Her eyes flick back and forth from my face to my hand, her lip twitching with distrust.
“I’m here to help,” I add.
She narrows her eyes.“Why?”
A smile creeps onto my face.
In this world, a healthy amount of skepticism is necessary to survive.
She’s smart.
“Because you look like you need it,” I reply.
She frowns and wipes a wet strand of hair off her face.“I don’t need help.”
I look her up and down.She’s barely wearing any clothes, and all of it is soaking wet.She’s clutching herself like she needs someone to hug but has no one left.
“You’re on your own in an alley, completely soaked through, crying your eyes out,” I say, lifting a brow.“It’s okay not to be strong for a day.”
She gazes at me but doesn’t inch back when I try to get closer.
“C’mon,” I say, beckoning her.“Let me get you somewhere warm and safe.”
She looks at my hand and then scans my face, almost as if she’s trying to spot the lie.
“You can leave anytime you want,” I add.“You can trust me.”
Her eyes flicker with hope.
She takes in a breath.
Finally, her hand reaches for mine.
The smile on my face grows when her skin touches mine, her fingers fitting so neatly into the palm of my hand.And when I rise, lifting her up too, I stop only to stare at how gorgeous she truly is.Her long black hair sticks to her porcelain face, her soft, heart-shaped lips, those round, hooded eyes staring straight into my soul … all of it beguiles me.
I pull her forward, out of the shadows of the alley and into the open.The rain still pours down on us, but my driver quickly hops out of the car and fetches an umbrella from the back, rushing to us.
“Sir, your new Colbert will get wet!”he says, huddling close to us to keep us dry.
“I don’t care,” I say as I guide her toward the car.
