by CR Robertson
During breakfast, I sat with my head down as I normally did and pretended that I hadn’t just spent the night with Ash in my bed. Nothing could take that away from me, and I planned to keep destroying his resistance every time I saw him. Now that we were business partners, he wouldn’t be able to avoid me.
I refused to stand in the hall and wave them off with Papa, so instead I crept up to my room and said my own personal goodbye. For a brief moment, before he snapped his visor down, Ash’s eyes had met mine and my heart formed a lump in my throat. I lifted my hand in a silent farewell and he nodded once.
The rest of the day was spent assessing and arranging the stones into the different collections they would be in. My sketchbook sat beside me as the jewels themselves gave me inspiration.
Madison brought me something to eat, glancing at the designs for a moment before her eagle sharp gaze moved to me. “Are you okay?”
“He confuses me,” I admitted. “The man who visits and sits at our dining table is not the man I see.”
“We all wear masks to hide our insecurities. I remember the first summer Ash arrived here.” She sat on the end of my bed. “He was sixteen or seventeen and arrived with Xavier with the weight of the world on his shoulders and his body covered in bruises. His father is a monster, and he tried to mould Ash into his image. The problem was that there was too much of his mother in him for Matteus to achieve that.”
I sat beside her and crossed my legs the way I always sat when we chatted in my room. “He listens to me. The new sketches are based on what he was telling me he saw in New York. He gave me ideas about the displays I need to create for my collection, and he has people sorting out the advertising in the background.” I stared down at my hands for a few moments. “But there’s nothing I can do for him in return.”
Madison nudged me with her shoulder. “A man like Ash doesn’t need money or power. He has both in abundance. What he needs is someone to save his soul from the darkness.”
“What?” She had my full attention.
“My Colin had darkness in his soul. He always said that my light kept his demons away. If anyone is filled with light, it is you, Lucrezia. You don’t need to give him material possessions, you need to give him a reason to exist.”
Her words stayed with me as night cloaked the estate. Sofia chatted on about her course at university when I phoned her to try and keep my mind occupied. She was in love with her security detail Mario and was planning to seduce him. Part of me wanted to share what had happened with Ash because we told each other everything, but the other part of me hugged my experience close to my chest to keep it safe.
Three days passed, and when Papa flew out for a meeting, I began to work with the base metals for the designs. It created a horrendous smell in the kitchen, but Madison and Francis ensured I was left alone. My phone stared at me in accusation because Ash’s number had been in it for days, tempting me.
Impulsively, I snapped a picture of the weave I was working on. Delicate oak leaves formed the base in platinum with golden acorns interspersed along the way. It was more daring that anything I’d tried before. Emeralds hung from delicate branches to form one of the earth element pieces.
Me: What do you think?
I started to feel stupid as the minutes passed with no response. Maybe he didn’t like it… My phone pinged and my heart lunged.
Ash: Looks great, but that emerald would look fabulous in a spider’s web.
I laid the necklace out in front of me and stared at it. He was right. Why hadn’t I seen it before? I pinned the piece in place on a piece of paper and sketched the outline of a web at the front of the design. I could put shards of diamonds like the morning dew on the web to give it dimension.
The noise of my phone startled me and I stared at it for a moment in confusion.
Ash: Or not… You’re the designer.
A smile tugged the corner of my mouth. He thought he’d upset me.
I snapped another photograph of what I’d been working on.
Me: Sorry – head in the zone. What do you think?
Ash: You need to complete it and model it for me. I’d have a better visual.
Was he flirting with me? I had no point of reference to work from.
Me: Is it weird that I miss you?
Seconds stretched to minutes and I wandered out into the garden to get some fresh air because the room felt like it was closing in. Maybe I’d read more into this than Ash did. When my phone pinged, my hand tightened around it and my stomach clenched in fear at his reaction.
Ash: The world wouldn’t notice if I went missing.
Everything inside me stilled as I stared at that message. Without thinking, I hit the call button.
He answered after six rings. “Yeah?”
“You’re not thinking of doing anything silly, are you?” I demanded.
His sigh echoed the entire way across the world and into my ear. “Is this a business call?”
“If you want it to be,” I replied. “As your business partner, I need to know you’re not thinking of doing something silly.”
“Lucrezia…” He sounded exasperated… and drunk.
“Have you been drinking?”
His laugh sounded bitter. “Just a bit.”
I sat on the wooden bench that Papa made when we were little. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really, even my therapist doesn’t let me talk about certain things.”
My hand gripped my phone tighter. “I’m not a therapist.”
“I noticed.”
If I wanted to be in the life of this complicated man, I needed to understand him. “The daylight is starting to fade here, and the stars are starting to come out.” Silence greeted me on the other end of the phone. “The moon is just under half fullness in the far corner of the sky and all the trees are starting to disappear in the distance.”
“Everything here is just city lights.”
I relaxed at the sound of his voice. “Sometimes you need to find nature and reconnect for a while.”
He sighed and I wished I could see his face. “Life isn’t that easy.”
“Why?”
“I…” he paused. “I don’t know.”
“Can you see the moon?” I asked.
“Not from where I’m standing.”
“Then move until you can see it,” I instructed.
“Lucrezia…” He gave me one of those dramatic elongating my name things that Papa often did.
“Just do it.”
There was just silence from the other side of the call and the odd mumbled curse. “Fine. I’m standing on the roof and can see the moon. Happy?”
“Ecstatic. What colour is it?”
“Now you’re taking the piss. I don’t have time for this.”
“Ash. Seriously look at the moon and tell me what colour it is.”
I could feel his eye roll over here in Tuscany. “It’s the fucking moon. It’s…” I counted the seconds of silence until it reached twelve. “It’s silver with darker patches on it.”
“When I feel lost in my designs, I sit watching the moon for hours. It is my greatest inspiration that guides me. At different phases, you can see shadowing that allows you to depict the features. Right now, we’re both looking at the same moon. We’re connected by one simple gesture.”
“I saw my mom today,” he finally replied. “I had to look her in the eye and know that my father has sanctioned an unspeakable act against our family without telling her.”
Papa had always tried to hide his world from us, but the girls at boarding school were more than happy to spread their bitchy gossip. I should be shocked, but the world of the mafioso was a dark and dangerous place.
“I assume someone broke the rules.”
“More than you know. What are we doing, Lucrezia?”
“Talking.”
“I’m still not good enough for you,” he said, but he sounded weary.
“Technically, that’s my decision to mak
e. What did you think about my spider’s web?”
“You need to think outside your conservative box,” he replied. “All your designs are understated, which is great, but you need a bold exclamation to the world to announce yourself.”
“I’m scared, Ash.”
“You don’t need to be. I’ll be there to intimidate people into buying them.”
I laughed and it felt odd, as I rarely had anything to laugh at. “Nothing says ‘buy me’ like a gun in the face.”
“Don’t be crude. I’m an accountant, we don’t use guns.”
We fell into an easy conversation as we chatted about his trip to Krakow and my designs. His deep laugh washed over me and made me yearn for him to be here with me.
“Thanks for this,” he said in a low tone when he heard Madison calling me in the background. “I was having a bad day.”
“You have my number to call me any time you want,” I replied. “I’m like the moon, always there to connect with.”
“You need to stop or I’ll want to steal you and hide you away.”
My heart fluttered in my chest. “I might take you up on that offer. Stay safe, Ash.”
“Night, Angel.”
I held the phone to my chest even after we hung up. I didn’t care about families and bloodlines and good marriages. All I knew was that I belonged with Ash and I would do everything in my power to ensure I got what I wanted.
The next few weeks passed in a blur of designing different aspects for the show. My display was in production for the event, and I’d gotten used to daily texts from Ash and phone calls late at night. His defences seemed to crumble when he was tired or had a drink; I didn’t care because those were the moments he was mine. He’d stayed at our home countless times, but I was only starting to get to know him now.
Ash came across as being cold and brooding, but in reality he was witty, intelligent, and possessed an artist’s eye. His suggestions complemented mine, and with every day, I grew more excited about this collection. He sent me a few parcels of different stones to complement my designs and add some of the harmonies of nature. The precious gemstones were the main feature, but the crystals gave the pieces depth and personality.
Music blared around me as I worked on the set of cufflinks I designed for Ash. I selected sapphires to match his eyes with a T-Bar fastener containing slivers of lapis lazuli to depict the hints of gold at the centre of his iris.
My phone vibrated on the counter and finally got my attention after the third phone call.
“Hello?”
“Do you ever answer your phone?” Ash growled from the other side.
“I just did. Some of us have work to do.”
“They need you over here to sort some stuff out for the show.”
I chewed the side of my mouth. “Papa is away on business and has taken Catarina with him. I’m not supposed to leave.”
His sigh made my stomach clench. “This is business, Angel. I’ve done what I can my end, but they need you here with whatever designs you have ready. If you bring what you need to complete the rest, I’ll have a workspace set up for you.”
What the hell was I supposed to do? There was nothing more that I wanted than to get on a plane and fly to wherever he was, but Papa’s word was law.
“Need me to get Xavier to make a phone call?” he asked.
“I feel ridiculous,” I finally admitted.
His laugh washed over me. “You keep saying you need your independence and that you’re old enough to make your own decisions.”
He was right. I was hiding in this house like a ten-year-old who’d been chastised by her papa. “You do realise I have nowhere to stay.”
“I have a townhouse you can crash at that has excellent security.”
“And where will you be staying?” I enquired, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice.
“I’m the excellent security,” he replied in that deep, husky tone that set my panties on fire.
“I’ll need to organise my travel arrangements and pack my stuff.” I was excited and terrified in equal measure.
“No need. My jet is already on its way to Tuscany. Pack your bags and grab your passport, I’ll send the details to Francis’ phone.”
“How did you know I’d say yes?” I asked, turning my back to the empty room because right now I needed privacy.
“Because that’s what we do, Angel. We’re there for each other when life gets too much.” I had no idea what was going on, but Ash needed me.
“I’ll go pack my bags.”
“See you soon.”
Madison helped me pack to cut the time while Francis sorted out the logistics, then we put all my work, including the export certificates for them, into my carry-on luggage.
“Your papa will go mad,” Madison said as she fussed in the hallway and hour later.
“He fusses even when I’m at home and locked in my room every night.”
Madison flashed me that don’t be a smartass look. “He worries because he loves you.”
“He worries because he can’t control everything when I’m not here.”
“The world is not a peaceful place,” Madison continued. “He’s seen what is out there.”
That was true, but we all had to make our own mistakes along the way. “Maybe I should tell him about my business, especially if it means I have to travel.”
She gave me one last hug. “That might be for the best. At least that way he can organise for you to stay in his home in London.”
My heart beat double-time when Francis and I got into the car and headed to the airport close to our home. That tone earlier said Ash needed someone right now, that our phone calls weren’t enough to scare his demons away. He’d done so much for me, I would sacrifice whatever he asked to help him.
***
Chapter Fourteen
Ash
I shouldn’t have sent for Lucrezia. It was stupid and selfish, but right now I was unravelling fast and needed an anchor to stabilise me. Her phone calls were the only thing keeping me sane right now.
The corruption in the Council went deeper every day, with Jordan wading through the shit in an attempt to find its source. Xavier had fallen head-over-heels with a woman he met in the Midnight Rooms, who was also a solicitor at the law firm dealing with our property transactions. I would normally have spoken to him about Dad, but he seemed unapproachable since he found Cassandra.
The only person who spoke to the real me was Lucrezia. Her voice soothed my nerves and her quirky text messages made me smile. I needed her right now because I was suffocating and she was the oxygen I needed to breathe.
My phone pinged with a message to tell me my jet was in the air and returning to England. The beast inside me clawed at my chest and demanded an escape. To stop myself from driving and waiting at the airport, I went to my gym and used the punching bag to burn off my excess energy.
Michael was marked for death and there was nothing I could do to save him. Every day the Grim Reaper stalked closer, ready to launch an attack and steal him from our family. He was a horrible human being with a streak of evil that he inherited directly from Dad, but he was my brother.
I wasn’t sure if I was punching Dad, Michael, or myself in the end. Pain burned from my chest in waves until my knees gave way and I collapsed on the floor. Today had been the last straw when I saw Mum’s face. He’d lost control and went further than he had before. Dad revelled in psychological torment. He knew exactly which buttons to press to hurt or destroy someone, but today he’d reverted to using his hands against a woman who’d stood by his side no matter what shit he pulled.
He’d gone too far, which resulted in me paying him a visit. It wouldn’t surprise me if I was the next one to appear on the Council’s official hit list. It was worth it just to remember the look on the sanctimonious asshole’s face when he was lying on his ass on the floor.
Fuck it, I should never have dragged Lucrezia into this. It was true that she was needed to organise some
of the details for the show, but in a pinch I probably could have stepped in. I just didn’t want to anymore. Watching Xavier with Cassandra, I needed someone in my life right now. Selfishly, I wanted that person to be the woman who haunted my dreams.
We went to Krakow after we’d visited Lucas and took care of his problem. I tried to forget Lucrezia, but every time I’d tried to have sex with someone on that trip, my dick had gone on strike and refused to work. He had no interest in the Midnight Rooms, and even less in the Twilight Rooms.
I dragged myself off the floor and into the shower. The water scorched my skin until it felt like it would flay it from me and I finally turned the temperature down. The thought of Lucrezia on her way to me made my dick, who’d been withholding services, spring into action. The fucker happily stood erect as if waiting to salute her. I leaned one arm onto the shower wall and used the other to stroke his length while visualising her.
I was in over my head and about to earn my ticket to Hell for even considering touching someone as pure as her. My grip tightened and my balls throbbed before I climaxed all over the side of the shower.
Lucrezia was going to have to use all the bolts on her room door to keep her safe from me. The unfortunate thing was that she never saw the danger, holding onto me as if I would save her instead of destroying her. No matter how I tried to atone for my father’s sins, he was fifty percent of me. Michael revelled in those psychotic genes while I fought them every single day.
It felt foolish now, but I’d had local jewellery makers convert one of the rooms in my townhouse into a studio for Lucrezia to work in. I knew a lot of the artists liked to make last minute adjustments to their pieces, and I wanted her to have somewhere. Standing in it, I wanted to kick myself because it looked needy and pathetic.
No one used this place but me when I descended into darkness. I owned apartments in other parts of the city close to Xavier and Jordan, but this was my inner sanctum where the beast sat and contemplated his problems.
To ensure no one followed Lucrezia, I’d hired a private car and driver to collect her from the airport. Nothing would ever track her back to me. From a third-party location, she would be brought to one of our fake businesses in another car. Francis would probably freak, but this was my world and I knew how to navigate in it. I would be waiting at the business for her. Checking my watch, I made my way to my car to go and wait for her. My emotions had been numb for so long that it took me a while to identify the strange sensation in my stomach as excitement.
