Chapter Ten

Raphael

She was awake. Finally. I felt my heart settle; I realized I had been more tense and scared than I dared to admit. Now I can handle all the pending issues that had taken a back seat while I tended her.

But first, I had to deal with her hysterics. I looked down at her eyes, and I saw fear, anger, plus a bit of defiance. This girl had spank, which made me want to smile because she was like 5*3 compared to my 6*2, yet she had the guts to want to fight me.

Her panic seems to have won because tears clouded her eyes. Her lips trembled, and her misery tore at me.

"Don't cry," I pleaded as I palmed her left cheek leaning to her right shoulder almost in reverence.

"I know I hurt you, but I had to lie, or he would have picked on my fear and uncertainty. And believe me, that scenario would have ended up totally different from this one. You don't have to be afraid of me, care," I whispered, my face touching her neck. I could smell her. She stilled, and I knew she felt it too- this unspoken attraction we shared.

I continued whispering to her until she relaxed, but the moment was suddenly interrupted by Bruno's cough

Bastard. I thought

"Why are you still here?" I glared at both Bruno and Romano, who still stood side by side at my door."

"Hi Piccola, how are you feeling?" Bruno asked completely ignoring me.

"How do you think she is feeling?" I asked angrily. He didn't even look at me; he just continued gazing at Sophie, waiting for a response.

Sophie blushed adorably as she regarded the guys shyly. I concluded I could be kind enough to forgive Bruno for his interference.

"I'm fine...I guess, she said hesitatingly. "No, actually, I'm not fine!" She retorted, moving her eyes and glaring at me.

Oh, there she was, Spunky. I loved it. I bent my head almost in the act of apology to hide my smile. I didn't want her to think I was laughing at her.

"Oh God, she exclaimed as if it suddenly dawned on her. Someone tried shooting at me, and you told him to go ahead and kill me!" tears began slipping her face uncontrollably.

"I didn't tell him to kill you; I told him to shoot you; there is a difference!" I injected calmly, holding her gaze. I wondered if she saw me at all or my image was blurred by the tears.

"What is the difference?" She asked, her voice sounded broken and painfully sad.

"He never had a chance of hurting you; I would never have allowed it."

That proclamation made her cry even more.

She cried her heart out; she cried until I started panicking again. Romano looked painstakingly uncomfortable, like he wanted to sneak out and stay out. If I weren't feeling so helpless myself, I would have laughed.

"I think I should say goodnight," he said as he turned.

"Don't you dare!" Bruno and I exclaimed at the same time.

"Why? This is totally out of my lane. I can't help. I will probably make it harder or worse though I don't see how this can get any worse."

"And you think it's on our lane?" Bruno asked, looking out of his element too.

"I don't know, B, is it?" Romano sarcastically retorted. They both glared at each other until Romano broke their eye contact to plead his case.

"All I'm saying is I wouldn't mind if I went down to the vault to finish up some of our pending business." He said the word business draggingly like it had a hidden meaning which in our case, I guess it did.

"I don't even mind if it takes the whole night" he paused and exhaled loudly before clapping his hands together in a congratulatory kind of way.

"How does that sound? Okay? Good." He stated quickly as he hurried to get out.

"No! We are all staying," Bruno announced with relish

Bastard. Utter bastard. Bruno must have thought because he looked like he wanted to punch him to kingdom come.

"I would rather shoot someone than be here at the moment. What the fuck was I thinking of getting caught up in your sneaking and lurking" Romano exploded out of the doorway and stalked towards the window.

"Don't be a bitch" Bruno told him, unfazed.

"She'll make herself sick if this continues" Romano sounded worried.

He walked towards the bed and sat next to her.

"Come on, Soph, you've got to stop crying, and if you must know, hysterical women make me uncomfortable."

"Don't call me hysterical, and that statement is as sexists as they come, which makes you a male chauvinistic." The unexpected fury that swept through Sophie must have surprised her because her eyes widened a bit.

Romano smiled, he looked different when he smiled, and Sophie noticed because she looked enthralled.

Damn Romano and his elusive charm. I will need to warn him against using his male brooding charm on Sophie.

Why do women find a brooding man attractive? I wondered.

"I have been called worse, but nobody has ever accused me of being sexists," I heard Romano say.

"Well, you are. And unsympathetic. How would you feel if someone just volunteered you for death by a bullet?"

"I have always thought the bullet was the best way to go; it's easier and less messy. A knife, however.."

"Don't," Raphael ordered before he continued.

Sophie stared at Romano, her eyes looking puzzled, her nose furrowed, and her head slightly tilted.

"You're serious."

"I don't joke about death, neither do I fear it."

I could tell Romano's words made her nervous; her beautiful eyes were red and swollen from crying. She turned her face towards me and announced she wanted to go home."

"You can't go home, cara," I said apologetically.

"Why not?"

"It's not safe."

"For whom?"

"For you to be unprotected right now." I was getting tired of this. I have never had to answer for my actions, and suddenly a mere slip of a girl was making me uncertain, insecure, and downright possessive.

"I assure you I have been safe for the last 22 years, and I have survived without much of a hitch except today, and it's all your fault. I can take a taxi; you don't really have to drive me. I know Gabs must be worried about me."

"Who is Gabs?" I heard Romano ask, his voice amused. I wondered what exactly amused him.

I knew convincing her to remain in my house would be hard, but I was also prepared to force her if I had to.

"Would you guys mind? I need to speak to Sophie alone" it wasn't a request though it sounded like one.

"Sorry, no can do," Romano said, smirking at me.

"Bruno said we all needed to remain. It would be ungentlemanly of me not to see this through." He almost sounded sincere.

"What the hell happened to you?" I shouted at him

"Why would you think anything is wrong?"

I turned my head slightly to look at Bruno, who was, in turn, staring at Romano in a confused manner.

"He must have smoked something; that's the only explanation," Bruno murmured.

And then I heard the most beautiful sound.

Sophie's chuckle.

It made my day and night combined. There was no way in hell I was going to hear a better sound than that.

We all turned to look at her.

"Out," I said to them as I gazed mesmerized at her—this time, they did.

Sophie.

I had no idea I made a sound, but I realized I had when I became the attention of three sets of eyes. Three masculine eyes on me. I blushed. I was sure I did; my face must look as red as my hair—the curse of my life.

"Out," I heard Raphael order. This time they did closing the door behind them. I could hear them argue, but I didn't pay much attention to know what exactly they were arguing about, but knowing those two, they were probably just goofing around.

I was too nervous to listen anyway. Raphael stood by the door with his hands in his pockets, his legs slightly apart. He had already discarded his jacket. I could see his forearms, his face inscrutable staring at me..No, gazing at me like I was a rare gem, and it made me uncomfortable.

I cleared my throat, thinking it would force him to speak, but no, I looked up, and our eyes met. Darn it! None of us spoke, but I felt I needed to break the silence and the gaze soon.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, cara?" He questioned me as he began walking towards the bed, which meant he was walking towards me.

No, no, no. He can't come near me, I anxiously thought. He made me restless. I needed to stop him.

"No! Don't!" I finally found my voice; my hand outstretched as I signaled him not to move.

"I do make you uncomfortable" his face wore a smirk; it pleased him to know he made me self-conscious.

But surprisingly enough, he obeyed me. He stopped moving, but he resumed his gaze.

How did I end up here? Which turn did I make in my life that made me end up in some stranger's bed? No, Not exactly a stranger, I thought, but still, I didn't know who this man was.

"Did you kill him?"

I could see that was the last question he expected from me. His face glowered. It frightened me. I immediately started wringing my fingers, something I always do when I'm scared. I think he noticed because he stopped glowering.

He moved, and I didn't stop him this time. He sat on my right-leaning to me until our faces were just slightly apart. I thought he would lean over until our forehead touched, which scared me, but I anxiously anticipated and was disappointed it didn't happen.

"You should never be afraid of me. Never! Do you understand me?"

It was an order, a command that demanded a response. I couldn't seem to find my voice again, but I nodded, giving him the acknowledgment he wanted.

"Yes," one word.

I looked at him frowning.

"You asked whether I killed him," he qualified, scrutinizing my face waiting for my reaction. He didn't have to wait long. I reacted immediately after registering what the yes meant.

"You killed him? You mean killed him like dead?" The surprise I felt was mingled with fear.

"I told you never to be afraid of me, and unless there is another meaning of kill, yes dead" His voice was calm but angry.

What was he angry about? I was the one who just found out that the guy I was attracted to is a killer. Oh Lord, I was sitting upon a killer's bed!

What should I do now? I started panicking; I felt like the heavens and the earth was about to crash, and with me in the middle.

What if he kills me to keep me silent? I have watched numerous movies about the mob killing their witnesses-but there is no way the mob existed in the real world, so he can't belong to such an organization. But then again...

"Stop that!"

Another order.

Immediately I looked up at him. He was angry, furious.

"I will tell you again. Never be afraid of me; I will never hurt you. And yes, I killed him. It was either him or either of us. I choose him; I wasn't going to let him kill you, and I sure as hell wasn't letting him kill me."

"But why would he want you dead? He knew you; I remember he called you by name. Did you know him?" My voice sounded scratchy, and it trembled.

"No, I did not."