Page 14 of Little Sparrow

“I didn’t even notice,” I mumble. Completely oblivious to all this before. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“No headaches?” he asks, I shake my head, not this time anyway. Not even last time.

“I feel great actually.” I peek around and see that I had created the bike, well a bike. I’m not sure what it is. He follows my line of sight and smiles. “You still managed to do it, I’m proud of you.” My body warms at his praise and I get flustered.

“Let’s try it out.” He reaches out his hand and I slide mine in his, Dante pulls me along until we reach the bike, his hand runs along the body of it and he smiles and lifts his leg over, “Come on with me, there might not be any wind, but you get to experience the power between your legs.”

My jaw drops, was that a dirty joke? I laugh and swing my leg over too. My hands hold onto his shoulders. His muscles are hard under my hands and I tremble, he’s only wearing a thin t-shirt and I can feel everything. I frown when he takes my hands off his shoulders, until he grabs underneath my thighs and drags me closer until my front is flush against his back. He wraps my hands around his hard stomach.

He gazes over his shoulder, “Hold on tight.” I fist his t-shirt, terrified and excited at the same time as he starts the bike and we jolt forwards and keep going. I press my body as close to him as possible, not even a millimetre is between us, my cheek rests between his shoulder blades and my eyes are scrunched shut. He was right, I can feel the power between my thighs and it’s amazing. I smile against his back, imagining that we are on a long road, just driving nowhere.

We go faster and my legs press harder on Dante’s powerful thighs, trapping him between mine.

“Look what you did,” he shouts over the roar of the engine. Slowly I peel my face away from him, we are on a road. There’s no beach view, no trees, just the road. But it’s something. A laugh escapes and I lean back a little, still holding on tight. My hair flies back in the wind we had made. This is freeing and I can’t wait to do it for real.

Chapter nine

Dante

Travelling through Italy

Idriveinsilence,my mind non stop thinking about Rose and our ride last night. We both got some freedom we needed and her power is developing, pride shines in her eyes when she makes something new. I’m excited about what could be next.

I’ll be at my uncles soon. One last night in a motel. I think I’ve taken enough days driving to avoid being seen. Going the long way round helped. Realistically I could have been here two days ago but people would expect me to have arrived somewhere by now, I need to know I won’t be walking into a surprise. My fathers soldiers would have been looking out for me. I could have left the country easily, I’m hoping that's what they thought. Even if they had spoken to Tomasso, I’m not there for him to be accused.

So here I am, looking for my next motel to stay. Rose’s face flashes in my mind, the way she looked when she realised what she could do. I want her, there is something about her. Her innocence, I don’t want to taint her but I’m not sure how long I can go without her. Small touches that send jolts of electricity through my body. I’ve never been this attracted to women. I had met a couple of mafia princesses but they have nothing on my angel.

I know I should push her away, maybe after tonight I will, or maybe I won’t sleep at the same time anymore. It will hurt both of us but we will get over it, find someone else. Fuck, I don’t want that either. If only I was a normal guy, with a normal family, be what she deserves.

I almost miss my turning to the motel so I needed to make a hard right turn, the other car that was behind me shouted something that sounded a lot like‘stronzo.’ I’m trying not to gain any attention so I ignore him, pushing my sunglasses over my face and keep my head down. It doesn’t disguise me, but I’m hoping I didn’t gain too much attention. I get my key and go to the final room of my journey.

As always the room is small with a double bed set in the middle of the room, and a small bathroom is on the other side of the bed, I’m grateful it’s small, I may not be able to hide many places in here, but if anyone does come, I’ll have time to get to them first. This particular one has a painting of the beach in Calabria; my heart sinks, I loved those waters, I will miss swimming in them. Maybe again someday, when it’s safe.

With my paranoia running high, I’m constantly looking out the window, waiting for someone to be there. Grabbing my gun at every sound of a car door outside, making my heart race. Nothing. I pace, wearing a hole into the carpet. It’s like this every time I stop, maybe I should have driven straight there, but it’s too late. I’m not too far away now until I’m safe. I take a long deep breath to relax.

My eyes keep drifting to the phone, I want to call my mother, but I have no idea where she is, I just need to pray that no one has found her and she is safe, in hiding.

As far as I know, there has been no word from my father. He’s looking for us, just not as much as I expected. Maybe I’ve been seen and he’s biding his time, to see if I come back on my own, if this is all a mistake?

Could this be to do with the weapon? Does he finally have a lead again? I open my phone and start searching online, what type of weapon can pull secrets from someone? If there is anything about ‘Project Sparrow.’ Female scientists who create weapons. Nothing. My head falls back and I close my eyes, I should have got more information, and gone through my father's desk. Tear the office apart. It’s too late for all that now.

Chapter ten

Rose

London, United Kingdom

ThistimewhenIgo to bed I wear different pyjamas. I want to dress a little sexier. Something more suited to my age, now that I've been around a man. So I go for a white silk tank top with matching shorts, on a whim I bought them after work. Still feeling self-conscious, I step in front of the full length mirror and give myself a once over. My hands glide over the silk. I’m feeling more confident the more I stare at my reflection.

My feet carry me over to my double bed and I curl up inside the purple cotton sheets, smiling as I think of Dante. This time, I want the room to look slightly different, not my work. He set me up for a challenge and I want to know if this is me in control of the room or if it would just stay white with a little bit of furniture everytime we came here, sure I’m proud of myself for bringing something, but I feel like there should be more. Things I’m capable of that I don’t know about yet. I’ll start with simple things. I think of our small cream sofa, and how comfortable it is. The feeling of the fabric underneath my bare thighs when I lay down on it, cosy with a book in my hands.

My eyes open and I’m back in the room, but it’s not the white room with a sofa. It’s my entire front room. My eyes scan the area. Everything is how I had left it earlier after cleaning up, minus my work name tag. This is amazing and hard to believe. I can truly control this. A smile stretches across my lips as I cross the room and search the tiny bookshelf, pulling one out at random. I open it, but the pages are blank. I guess I’m not that good, yet. At least this is a bigger achievement than yesterday.

With a sigh, I place the book back in its slot. “Rose?” a new but familiar voice says from behind me. My head turns towards him and I notice him glance down at my body. Heat rises on my face as I blush. I hate that I blush so easily around him, he must think I’m ridiculous.

“I did it,” I spin around with my arms wide open. “It’s not a plain white room, it’s my apartment.” His feet echo on the wooden floor as he walks around, peeking out the window at the view. There is nothing there anymore, it’s white like the room was. I followed him to the window and watched the emptiness around us.

“It probably won’t be something you’re used to. A view like mine.” I gesture out the window, but he shakes his head at my statement.

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