by Rimmy London
“That would have been smart.” I agreed, turning to eye the cars trailing behind us. “You know you’ve got about five tails, right?”
“Sure do, but they never last long. Most of them are cabs anyway, and starving photographers can’t afford it.” He nodded his head in the rear view mirror. “See?” Looking again, I watched the last remaining cab pull into a U-turn.
With a sigh, I leaned into the leather seat, enjoying its surprising comfort. The city outside my window was grey and wet. Twinkling lights from inside shop windows reflected on the sidewalks, and a few bundled people held umbrellas and meandered unrushed through it all, as if there was nowhere they’d rather be.
“Where can I drop you, folks?” The policeman asked, twisting in his seat a little. “You live far from here? I just got off, so I’d be happy to take you home if you’d like.”
I smiled. Was it really that simple? Could we really just… go home? Givanni brought my hand to his face, pressing the back to his lips before holding it to his chest. His eyes were calm and focused, watching me. Something in his face had me wondering how long he had been watching. What had my expression been? I couldn’t remember.
“Well,” Max was eyeing us with apprehension before he cleared his throat. “I think I’ll get out right here if you wouldn’t mind.”
I laughed. “Max, what are you doing? You don’t need to go.” Max lifted one side of his mouth at me gratefully but shook his head. “No Miss Lane,” He said my name with a lift of his chin. “I live everywhere, and really that’s the way I prefer it. Don’t worry. You’re in good hands.” He nodded at Givanni and my eyes settled on him as well. He looked at me like he never had before, and let me read his thoughts with each lift of his smile. I couldn’t bring myself to look away, not even when the door closed behind Max. I was trapped in the complete tranquility he was sending out.
My face grew warm. “You...” I swallowed my weak voice, starting again. “You’re looking at me different.” As un-brilliant as my statement was, he smiled anyway.
“I know Loriel,” he brushed one hand along my warm cheek, and it burned hotter. “No more hiding this. You will always know how I feel. I thought I would….” He paused, and with a rough voice continued more slowly, “ Never see you again. And from that moment on I vowed to let you in. I have put you through the worst of everything, and somehow you were able to see something in me that didn’t drive you away. What it was I’ll never know, but you will never know from this minute on what it’s like to live without my love. Without my complete adoration.” His eyes lifted, the saturated color glistening. “Because I do love you Loriel.”
The burning in my cheeks had become nothing compared to the burning in my heart. I rested my hand on his face as he kissed me. And I didn’t care that my head spun, or that my thoughts scattered.
“Er…” I pulled away, coming back to the present as an embarrassed looking police officer fumbled through his question. “I’m sorry, where did you say you lived?”
Givanni chuckled, keeping me wrapped in his arms. “Not far from here, just head to the coast—I’ll direct you.”
* * *
By the time we rolled onto the sandy drive, I was trying desperately not to fall asleep. Givanni still held his arms around me, and the comfort allowed me to relax like I wouldn’t have thought possible anymore.
“Thank you,” Givanni held out some bills, but the officer scoffed.
“This isn’t a cab service son. Besides, it was my pleasure. You two take care of each other.” He paused, glancing from Givanni’s face to mine. “I’ll admit, there are a dozen questions I would have liked to ask. But let me just say your story is inspiring… to a lot of people.”
I smiled, touched. Were we really causing so much commotion? The crowd at the TV station was one thing, but for this policeman to act star struck as well—that was another.
“Thank you, Sir.” Givanni said, shaking his hand.
“Of course.” The officer tipped his head. “You’re lucky this place of yours is so elusive. Let me know if you ever have trouble with crowds.”
As he drove away I realized how bright the beam of light from his car had been. Because while fog in the city was a light mist, along the coastline it became thick and invasive. The usually welcoming sight of Givanni’s house was closer to a horror film, with the way it only showed patchy pieces of itself within the grey toned haze. We walked hand in hand, quietly, with only the grinding of our feet to keep us company.
I hadn’t realized my tension until Givanni squeezed my hand. “Relax Ella, we’re safe here.” His voice was confident and strong, and I loosened my vice-like grip. Still, I couldn’t talk. There was so much pressure in my chest it was hard to ignore the urge to glance behind me. I didn’t know what it was until Givanni pressed his thumb onto a small security pad and swung the door open. After two steps into his house, I froze.
“Cal,” I whispered, almost choking on the memory flashing through my mind. Givanni stopped in front of me. I continued without looking at him, mostly speaking to myself. “He was here waiting for me, threatening that if I didn’t help—”
“Loriel stop,” I looked up, some of the fear dissolving in his eyes, but not all. “He’s gone El, you will never see him again.” He meant to comfort me, I knew that, but instead my fear only reverted into guilt.
He was gone.
“He chose that path.” Givanni continued, “And once he did, there was nothing you could have done to help him.” He looked into my eyes steadily, until his words sunk deep enough to calm my shaking hands.
“But what about you?” I breathed, “They took you—right from this house.” I hadn’t wanted to say it. I wanted to forget that it ever happened, and I could see it was difficult for him to recall that moment as well.
“Yes, they did,” he agreed quietly, brushing my hair back. “But it’s different this time. I have a feeling whatever deal the IM made with the judge to get me in their grip is off now. We’re very public heroes, and sadly that’s what counts.” He winked. “Come on, we both need a break.” With his arm draped around me, we entered a room I hadn’t spent time in before. A large living area with a fireplace to match. There was wood stacked in the grate, and Givanni lit it with a small torch, sitting on his heels and adding a few more sticks. “I’ll get us something to drink… here,” He piled a faux fur blanket on my lap before heading to the kitchen.
I watched as he heated water and removed two mugs from the cupboard. But when I wrapped the luxurious blanket around me, my gaze settled on the fire. Its heat brought as much relief as the light flickering against the stone hearth. It reminded me of home.
“Careful, it’s hot.” Givanni warned.
I smiled a drowsy smile and took the mug by the handle, catching a scent of honey from the steam trailing up. Taking a sip, the hot liquid soothed every surface it touched on its journey down my throat.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you about faxing those papers... and the fake story,” Givanni spoke quietly, gazing into the flames. “It was a last chance effort, and honestly I never thought it would turn into such a…”
“Firestorm,” I said soberly, repeating the word Manwell had used. Another sip of tea warmed my throat as we looked back at each other. The fear and memories that had attacked me at the doorway seemed to wash away with each swallow. “It’s okay Givanni. That idea rescued us.” I set the cup on a rustic oak coffee table. “And things will calm down, I’m sure. It’s me who should apologize.” I checked his reaction briefly. “I lost control a little at the interview, it was just so shocking to hear about… those two. And to see Conner—I don’t think I will ever be okay when he’s around.” I shivered, wrapping the blanket tighter.
“Conner?” Givanni’s voice had lost its laziness.
“Yeah,” I fidgeted. “He was behind the stage. I only saw him briefly.” Givanni nodded, seemingly unimpressed with this news, but his eyes jumped around his house agitatedly. He lifted his phone, pushing buttons
and symbols until finally satisfied.
“And he was there after your…” Givanni paused, glancing at me with a smirk. “Your little speech?”
I smiled, even though I felt uncomfortable with my answer. “No actually, he was gone.” I watched Givanni carefully, and the way fidgeted. “Tell me what’s in your head,” I said, my bluntness making him stop his agitation.
With a sigh he left his seat and settled next to me, sandwiching us into the wide chair. “I never saw Conner.” He glanced at me cautiously. “But, he’s the eyes and ears of the IM on this side of the ocean, so we should definitely be careful.”
“But he wouldn’t chance anything, right? Because we are too much in the public eye—it’s too risky.” Although I spoke with energy, I had a hard time believing myself.
“I don’t know—we have no way of knowing if he was there to intimidate us, or possibly even Manwell. But at least it’s something. The public attention will give us a week at most.” Givanni lifted his phone up. “But tonight we’re secure. No one is joining us without me knowing.” He stashed his phone on the ottoman. “I just set the alarm to charred flesh.” He laughed—so did I. “Would you mind staying here tonight?” His question caught me off guard, and the way his head rested against mine. “You can have the same room as before. I would really feel better having you close by.”
His question echoed a little in my head. Lying unconscious in his spare room hadn’t been my idea of staying the night, but apparently it had qualified. What I didn’t say was the fact that I’d already planned to stay. The fear of never seeing him again was a hard thing to shrug off, and I still felt desperation pulling at my heart. I wasn’t going anywhere.
His arms had relaxed, a signal that neither of us would stay conscious much longer, so I settled with a quiet “Uh-huh.” We seemed to melt together, with my legs curling onto his lap as he gathered my hair and wrapped it to one side. With my head against his chest, I listened to the steady beating underneath. He let out a whoosh of breath, and the sound was amplified in my ear. I was sure the bed he offered would have been nice to stretch out in—to tangle up in the blankets and drift off to sleep. But his hand smoothing over my back was like a drug, and I doubted anyplace in the world could be more comfortable.
* * *
The tingling numbness that woke me was torture. I climbed carefully off the chair and a sleeping Givanni, shaking my left arm until it exploded into intermittent stabs. With a groan I paced the room, waiting for the pain to subside. It wasn’t until it had crossed directly in front of me that I noticed a light coming from outside.
Through the sheer curtains of the front room, a beam of light wandered across the floor. I stepped back, terrified, and waved my hand behind me until it made contact with the chair. Afraid to look away, I watched the beam jump across the floorboards in odd directions.
“El.” Givanni stood next to me, swaying a bit. “Reporter, probably. Anyone else wouldn’t bring a flashlight.” His words were heavy, and I finally turned away from the intruder to see sleep still pulling at his face. But when his phone buzzed he perked up, glancing to the person outside with a perplexed face before swiping his phone. I read the message with him.
MARCO: Outside - we need to talk. Turn off that alarm of yours.
I glared at the screen, looking at Givanni’s face and wishing his expression would match mine. But it didn’t. I stayed and watched as Givanni opened the door. But instead of letting him in, he stood boldly blocking the entrance.
“Can I come in nephew?” Marco’s voice was different when I couldn’t see his face. He sounded almost regal. I wrinkled my nose, not happy with that thought.
Givanni remained wedged in place. “What is it you came for uncle?” He finally asked, with little emotion in his words. He sounded on the verge of abandoning his uncle altogether.
“Merely to warn you Givanni. This peace you have will only last a few days. They will not allow such a blatant attack on their way of life as Miss Lane has caused.” I felt my heart twist—had it really been an attack?
“Sending you as messenger are they? That’s quite a cozy relationship you have there. I wonder why I didn’t see it before—why you were always the hero in my mind.” Givanni sounded completely betrayed, and his voice showed it, ringing with hurt.
“No Givanni, of course not.” Marco stuttered. “They know nothing of my being here…” He stopped, caught in his own words. “It’s not like that.” It was silent for a moment, and I wanted to stand beside Givanni. To see what he was seeing and know the look on his face. Because in that silence I could tell a lot was spoken.
“Goodbye, uncle.” Givanni’s words were soft, and although he closed the door slowly Marco didn’t try to stop him. Givanni stood looking straight ahead. The fact that I hadn’t trusted Marco for a long time didn’t lessen the cramping in my heart. I knew what it was to miss your family. I didn’t bother asking if he was okay—I could tell he wasn’t. It was easy to see in the way he kept his face from me, and how his shoulders were slack. There was nothing coming to my mind—no words of advice or consolation. All I could feel was his pain, and I stood on my toes to wrap my arms around him and his sadness. As much as I thought I knew what he was feeling, his life had always been a struggle—events I couldn’t imagine.
“He’s right, Loriel. We’re safe but not forever.” His words were quiet, spoken without breaking the stillness.
“Yes, but Givanni you already knew that. Now you know…” I finished the thought in my mind but couldn’t say it. Now you know Marco’s with them?
He didn’t seem to need an explanation. His head nodded with me. “Ugh, I don’t know!” He threw his hands up. “I don’t know anymore. What does it matter?” He held me again. “I’m alive, and I thought I was dead. You’re alive…” He leaned back, “and I thought I would never see you again.” His thoughts seemed to stop there, leaving as abruptly as they came. For a moment he only looked back at me, studying my face and looking into my eyes. Whatever he was waiting for, I decided to share my thoughts first.
I closed the gap between us, touching his face. We were both living life on a pendulum, swaying from fear, to doubt, to excitement. And it had changed us equally. But instead of kissing a surprised face, I ended up meeting the same energy I was sending out. Givanni kissed me like I was the answer to all his pain, and from somewhere in my subconscious I hoped that was true, but mostly I was lost—not caring what happened after this moment.
“I…” Givanni stepped back, holding my shoulders and stopping for breath. “I shouldn’t kiss you like that.”
My eyebrows twisted as I repeated his words in my head. “Why not?” I asked in a breath, still trying to calm my heart.
“Because we’re both too vulnerable right now—we’re still in shock.
I nodded, realizing our thoughts were very similar. But our reactions were not. With a smirk on my lips, I shook my head, enough that my hair fell forward. “Well, I don’t agree with that.” I breathed, taking a step forward and smiling as he leaned back. I laced my hands around his neck. “It’s not so bad to lose control every now and then.” A smirk appeared on his mouth as well, except he brought his hands to my wrists. I clasped my hands tighter. “Especially you Givanni, you are too used to controlling everything. You are always so infuriatingly in control! It’s not good for you.” I felt pressure on my wrists, but he didn’t pull my hands away, and I took another step.
He stepped back, shaking his head at me. “Hold on Loriel, I didn’t mean that I don’t want to… you know, lose control…”
“Well, then do it.” I inched so close to his face it was hard to look him in the eyes. “Kiss me again.” I caught a glimpse of his perfect grin before I closed my eyes. The energy and passion of our first kiss was dissolved into the smooth perfection of this one.
“I do love you Loriel,” He whispered, his lips settling against my cheek. “I love you too much to risk making a mistake.” With that he lifted me off the floor, holding me
in his arms. I wrapped mine around his neck.
“I love you too.” The billows of blankets I recognized, and placing me atop it all he kissed my forehead and turned to leave. I smiled as he practically sprinted to the door.
Sleep was irritating; the way it pulled at my eyes and scattered my thoughts. It would have been nicer to relive the last hour in my mind—over and over again. But with the way I sunk into the downy blankets, it wasn’t long before I gave in.
Chapter 25
The light tapping on my door wouldn’t usually wake me, but my body knew it was somewhere unfamiliar. My toes told me as I slid my feet up the satiny sheets, and the hue of light entering the room was tinted green from the trees outside my window. I turned to the door with a stretch.
“yeah?” I croaked, clearing my throat.
“Could I come in?”
I started at the sound of Givanni’s voice. Jumping up from the bed, I caught sight of my wild hair in the mirror across the room. “Wait..” I cleared my throat again, trying to encourage a more luxurious sound than the dried paper it currently was. “Hold on a minute.” Rushing to the mirror I tried not to panic at the chaos staring back at me. I rubbed my hands across my eyes and cheeks – hoping a little color would do something good. It didn’t.
“Loriel?” I heard Givanni chuckle, and a smile broke out on my face—a slight improvement. “What are you doing? You’re making me nervous. Like that maybe I should have put on a shirt.”
