The guard led him into the laundry room and nodded at the Red sitting at a table, sorting papers. “Hi, Tiberio.” With his head tilted toward Raphael, he said, “He’s Raphael, the one on duty today.”
Tiberio anchored the papers down with a glass weight, then gave Raphael a look, his eyes lingering on the cast. “You’re late.”
From a swinging door, two girls entered the laundry room carrying between them a heavy wicker basket. Without thinking, Raphael walked to them and one-armed relieved them of the weight. Giggles and whispers followed his act.
With a disapproving look, Tiberio sent the girls scurrying to the other section of the room where they went to work on the ironing boards, then directed his focus on Raphael. “No funny business here, pup.”
“Be careful with this one.” The guard left with a last laugh.
“Where do I start?” Looking around, Raphael noticed that one of the two girls was staring at him. When she moved, her long blond hair fanned all around her shoulders, reminding him of the previous night’s events.
“Go downstairs and collect the recruits’ laundry. There—” Tiberio pointed at a basket full of fabric bags. “Sort the dirty clothes by colors first.”
“Okay.” Without diverting his eyes from the blonde, Raphael walked to the basket and grabbed a handful of bags.
Feminine voices came from beyond the swiveling door, and, from the oval window, Raphael had a glimpse of a large room where several girls were folding clothes over high tables. Hoping for a clearer view, he set out in that direction but Tiberio called him back.
“Scoot.” Annoyed, the Red waved him away, and Raphael complied before giving the man reasons to reallocate him somewhere else.
The whole morning passed, and Raphael made several trips to the fourth floor to deposit loads of laundry, but he never had a chance to get close to the inner room. Nor he had a glimpse of Luisa. After a short pause to the cafeteria where he ate a light lunch, he went back to work, hoping for better luck.
After a fruitless morning, the afternoon didn’t bring anything but disappointment to Raphael. Tiberio never left his place behind that table, and the two girls who had been ironing weren’t there anymore when Raphael came back from his break.
Feeling cranky after yet another call from the first floor, he threw a laundry bag full of socks and underwear on the counter by Tiberio’s table, and gave the man a dirty look. “What about investing in an elevator? Is it too much to ask in a four-story building? Plus two underground?”
“We got one at the end of the hallway, but it’s only for the big brothers.” Tiberio’s sleek smile was too much to bear, and Raphael stomped out of the laundry before he would say something highly inappropriate.
Four more tedious hours of climbing and descending stairs passed, and the muscles in Raphael’s legs burned, while his cast arm felt like lead, dragging him down. Close to dinner time, his stomach started aching too, adding to his general suffering. When he entered the laundry room with the intention to tell Tiberio where he could put the next load of dirty clothes, the blonde from the morning was talking to the Red.
“Here you are.” Tiberio seemed relieved to see him, and that set Raphael on edge.
“I’m done—” he started, but the girl’s eyes locked on his and she subtly tilted her head toward the swinging door. “What do you want now?”
“They need help out on the terrace.” Absentmindedly, Tiberio caressed his stomach betraying his motives for giving Raphael one more task.
“It’s late. I’m sure whatever it is they need help with can wait.” Raphael saw the girl’s worried expression, but Tiberio faced him and he couldn’t do anything to reassure her.
Tiberio’s eyes went to the clock on the wall, then back to Raphael with a sneer. “You go help them or I’ll make your laundry duty a living hell, starting now.”
Raphael shrugged and stepped around Tiberio’s table, walking toward the girl. “No need to be nasty about it.”
“That’s a good pup.” Tiberio exited the laundry, but a moment later came back to add, “And don’t forget to keep the door ajar or you’ll close yourself out.”
Once Tiberio was gone for good, the girl pushed the swiveling door open. “Come. Hurry.”
“What’s happening?” Raphael followed her into the empty backroom.
“Hurry. Someone could see me—” the girl threw over her shoulder, heading toward a metal door. Without waiting for him, she lowered the handles and sprinted outside to the terrace.
“See you doing what?” One hand on the door frame, he looked around.
“Stop the door with the brick,” the girl ordered.
Looking down, Raphael found the brick and pushed it against the door so that it wouldn’t close all the way through. Then he gave the terrace a good look.
Had he not been tired, hungry, and confused, Raphael would have appreciated the sight. Half of the terrace resembled a garden with plants, trees, and corners furnished with patio sets and striped umbrellas. The other half of the terrace was occupied by a big greenhouse. Modern and sleek, the glass and metal structure stood three stories high.
Running, the blonde reached the entry to the greenhouse, and only then looked back for him, waving for him to reach her. “Come!”
The command was laced with worry, and Raphael obeyed, jogging toward her, even though his legs didn’t want to cooperate and he would have crawled instead.
“Stay no longer than ten minutes. I’ll be hanging sheets on the drying rack.” She opened the greenhouse and pushed him inside.
The sound of the glass door sliding back was dimmed by the greenery, filling the place in rows of terracotta pots. With the corner of his eye, Raphael saw something moving, nothing more than a flash of pink.
“I’m here.”
Luisa’s scent hit his nostrils, and he found himself running to the other end of the greenery where she stood, semi hidden by the large branches of a ficus tree, her arms outstretched to welcome him.
“Baby—” As soon as they embraced, he sought her lips for a frantic kiss. Pushing her toward the braided trunk, and mindful of his cast, he circled her back and pressed her closer to him. “Are you okay?” As it always happened when he was in her presence, his heart beat violently against his ribcage and his breath became erratic, making him dizzy. When she didn’t answer him, he leaned away to look into her eyes and placed a finger under her chin. “Has he hurt you?”
A shake of her head and a small smile were her answer, as tears stained her face.
“If he’s touched you again, I swear on the Great Wolf I’ll kill him. I’ll rip him apart.” Sighing, he took her small hands in his and brought them to his lips. “Please, tell me you’re okay.”
“I’m okay. Rico hasn’t looked at me at all.” Luisa burrowed closer into his embrace. “I missed you so much.”
“I swear I was about to start drilling holes into my bedroom ceiling to reach the fourth floor and kidnap you.” He said it as a joke, but he had thought about doing that and so much more.
His hand went to her waist, then tugged at the hem of her top, raising the fabric to feel her skin. Goosebumps appeared everywhere he touched her, and when he skimmed the side of her breast over the sport bra their breaths hitched at the same time.
“Raphael—” Her lips brushed the spot behind his ear, sending shivers all over him until he shook and lowered his head to the hollow of her throat, and his arms circled her in a crushing hug.
“I can’t breathe without you.”
“It feels like I’m drowning all the time.” Luisa’s hands went under his shirt and to his back to caress him in slow hesitant circles, her fingers tracing the web of scars with feather-light touches.
After spending a lifetime hiding the signs of his father’s cruelty from the rest of the world, with Luisa he didn’t feel the need. The shame that would have accompanied such discovery by anyone else wasn’t there. In its stead, relief. Luisa was his safe haven. The place where he could be hims
elf.
“I want to hurt the one who did this to you.” Her hand pressed over the ridges of flesh where the belt had struck almost every night for years.
His father knew hitting a werewolf before his first change would mark him for life. Yet, not even fear of being discovered had stopped him.
“Took care of him, but thank you.” He raised his mouth to hers for a long kiss. Dazed by her scent all around him and her hands still brushing every scar on his back, he lost himself in the moment, his own hands memorizing the texture of her soft skin.
Without thinking, only feeling, he pushed her further into the shadow provided by the tree and raised her top over her head, trailing kisses all over her as he bared her skin. “I need you so much—”
“What the heck are you doing?” Rock’s voice boomed into the greenhouse and made them jump away from each other.
His heart throbbing in his throat and his chest heaving, Raphael spun around and placed himself in front of Luisa. Facing Rock with his chin high, he straightened his posture. “What do you want?”
Rock shook his head. “Pup, you’re so out of your depth, you don’t even know.” He pressed his fingers over his temples and let out a long, suffered sigh. “Leave before someone finds her with you.”
Rock spun on his boots before Raphael could say anything else. At the door, the werewolf met the blond girl running in, and asked in a hushed tone, “What were you thinking?”
Before the girl could say something, Rock raised one hand and exited the greenhouse with a parting, “Make sure she follows you inside.”
The blonde whispered something to Rock, then hurried toward Raphael and Luisa, who had stepped by his side, her tank top back in place.
Bypassing Raphael, the girl grabbed Luisa’s arm. “Let’s go before we get in more trouble than we already are.”
Raphael turned toward Luisa and took both her hands in his, dislodging the blonde’s hold on Luisa. “I’ll find a way to see you again soon.”
“I know you will.” Luisa stood on her tiptoes and brushed his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you.” Raphael released her with a last kiss and watched as the blonde dragged Luisa away from him.
Chapter Twelve
As soon as he hurried back inside the building, Raphael went looking for Rock, but didn’t find the man anywhere and worried Rock had gone straight to Rico. That night, he waited for his big brother to knock down his door and reduce him to a pulp for having sought out Luisa without his permission. He only hoped Rico wouldn’t do anything to her.
The evening sky darkened and the first lights of dawn illuminated his bedroom, but Rico never came. The next morning, Raphael ran to Rock’s office, only to find him and Rico deeply in conversation.
“Here you are, little brother.” Rico gave Raphael a pat on his back and Raphael recoiled at his touch, as usual. “Rock just told me you’ve been useful in my absence.”
Raphael’s eyes went to Rock, but the man didn’t turn his way, seemingly busy with a stack of papers on his desk.
“I came to change your schedule. If you can haul loads of laundry for a whole day, you’re fit enough to train again. Your cast will be removed in a few weeks, and you’ll be cleared for fighting. I must ready you for it.”
Before Rico could push him outside of the office, Raphael tried to make eye contact with Rock and as soon as the man looked at him, he whispered his thanks.
With Rico’s back to him, Rock tapped his temple with his index finger. “Think, pup. Every action has a consequence.”
At the door, Rico scoffed and without turning he said, “Are we in a philosophical mood, Rock?”
“Something like that.” Rock waved Raphael away. “Being dead doesn’t help anyone.”
At the door, Raphael heard Rock’s last whisper loud and clear, but sped to join Rico at the end of the corridor.
The whole day, the big brother drilled Raphael on how to use his much smaller and slimmer body to his advantage. Rico even taught Raphael how to use his cast against an opponent, without procuring further injury to his arm. The training was merciless but gave Raphael the excuse to hit Rico back, and that alone was worth the bruises all over his body.
Once released from the gym later in the afternoon, without a plan and without thinking, he ran upstairs to the fourth floor. He must have looked entitled enough though, because the guards let him pass when he said, “Laundry duty.”
Upon his entering, Tiberio lowered a pair of reading glasses down his long nose. “What are you doing here?”
Starting to realize his error, Raphael assumed his best I’ve-nothing-to hide look by slouching against the desk, and gave the man a lazy smile and a shrug. “There are still a few hours left before dinner and I thought I could help here with—” He looked around and made a vague gesture with his hand. “Something.”
“You think you can fool me?” Tiberius pointed at the swinging door behind him, from where feminine voices could be heard talking in hushed tones.
Cold sweat fell between Raphael’s shoulder blades. With a roll of his eyes, he threw both hands in the air in mock defeat. “You got me. They still don’t let me anywhere close to the harem. This is the closest I can get to see the girls. I’m not a monk, you know?” He made to turn and leave, but Tiberius’s laugh caught him mid-step.
“And I’m not blind. I saw the way you looked at blondie, yesterday.” Tiberius set back on his chair and folded his arms on his chest. “You’re in luck. I can use your help to speed things up out there. But remember, you can look, but you can’t touch. They’re all spoken for, and none of the older brothers would like it if you overstepped your boundaries. Understood?”
“I’ll keep my paws to myself.”
“Atta boy.” Tiberius pointed his thumb toward several wicker baskets containing blankets and comforters. “Hang them on the drying racks outside.” Then he added, “FYI, blondie is Rock’s.”
“Got it, thanks.” With his muscles screaming from the extra exercise, Raphael bent to raise the first basket and realized why Tiberius had been eager to let him stay. The cargo was heavier than it looked. The pile of wet quilts and coverlets dripped cold water all over him, and made the basket handles slippery as well. Carefully trying to avoid toppling the beddings to the floor, he hefted the basket to his chest and pushed the sliding door open with his back.
When he turned to face the folding room, he was assaulted by sudden silence and several sets of eyes staring back at him. Among those eyes, Luisa’s green pools of light. At her sight and sweet scent, his heart summersaulted in his chest and a smile tugged at his lips.
“Thank the Goddess, Tiberius sent us someone.” The blond girl waved her hand to redirect Raphael’s attention to her.
Luisa blushed and averted her eyes, looking down at the garment in her hands.
Worried he had done already enough damage by singling her out, Raphael asked the blonde, “Where to?”
“Follow me.” The girl rounded the folding table, then headed toward the door leading to the terrace.
As they were out, the blonde hissed, “If Rico gets wind of you two, he’ll make her suffer.” She gave Raphael a hard stare. “She’s had enough already, and I shouldn’t have accepted to deliver the message for her or be a part of yesterday’s meet up.”
The girl’s words hit him as firm as Rico’s blows had. “I mean her no harm.”
“It doesn’t matter. She’ll be the one paying in any case.”
As he was about to answer, hurried steps interrupted him. He didn’t have to turn to know it was Luisa. Her scent and the speeding up of his heart whenever she was around were clues enough.
Luisa stopped before the blonde and tilted her head. “Give us a moment, Chloe.”
“No. It’s too dangerous for you. If Tiberius decides to check on us or any of the brothers stop by… you were lucky it was Rock yesterday—”
“Rock didn’t talk,” Raphael said for Luisa’s sake.
“Of course he didn
’t—” Chloe said.
“Please.” Luisa took the girl’s hands in hers. “We’ll be careful.”
“If we’re caught, I’ll get the fall. I’ll say I tricked you or something like that.” The basket had become unbearably heavy in Raphael’s arms. “Give us five minutes, please. It won’t come back to you. I promise.”
“I’m not worried about me.” Chloe grabbed Luisa by her elbow and made her face her. “Listen to me, think of what would happen to you if Rico is informed of—”
Luisa smiled at the girl and hugged her. “I don’t care.”
Chloe let her go then, but scowled at Raphael. “Five minutes and it’s the last time I cover for you.”
“Thank you,” both Raphael and Luisa said at the same time.
“Come.” Luisa steered him toward the opposite corner, where, under a transparent roof supported by four concrete pillars, stood rows of drying racks.
Sheets and cotton blankets hung everywhere, creating privacy screens that formed open air rooms. By applying the lightest pressure to his arm, Luisa directed him to the center of one of those white havens. There, he dropped the basket to take her in his embrace. Then he kissed her, whispering, “I missed you today.”
A sense of urgency commanded his hands and his lips, but he paused long enough to say, “We can leave messages for each other inside the greenhouse, under the ficus tree pot.” At her frown, he added, “There’s another entry to the terrace besides the one from the laundry. I can always say I need a smoke.”
She nodded and sought his lips again.
Raphael closed his eyes and kissed her with the abandon of the desperate.
****
A few months passed. Cold and dreary winter days lengthened into sunny and windy Spring ones.
Although Raphael and Luisa wrote messages to each other every so often, they were never alone again. They exchanged glances and whispered words when there was enough distraction around, but they couldn’t hold hands or kiss any longer.
Raphael’s weariness at the situation grew month by month. To make things worse, the moment Guts removed Raphael’s cast and declared him fit for duty, Rico gifted Raphael with a cell phone and a gruesome delivering schedule. There were days when Raphael had barely time to eat breakfast or lunch, having to drive from one corner of Rome to the other, often passing through rival gang territories while carrying V.
Raphael (The Immortal Youth Book 1) Page 13
