The Protector 2

(Névtelen)-4

“In order to have a second chance, I have to find the person who wants to kill her, and I must liquidate him.”

“Liquidate him?” she says, and makes big eyes at me.

“Mum,” I say imploringly, and, sitting back to the table, I put my hand on hers. “I have to take her out of the States at least until we manage to deactivate the attacker. She’s not safe here. But I need a little time to arrange a few things. You are the one I confide in the most. Trust me, if there was another way, a place, where…”

“Say no more. You did the right thing bringing her here. You’ve never brought any of your girlfriends home.”

“Raven is not…” I try to protest, but she waves me off.

“I know this girl is important to you now. I knew it the first minute I saw you on the threshold with her. If you’ve brought her here, you had a good reason for it,” she taps my hand, then strokes my face. “I’ve never known anybody more caring than you,” she says gently, and we both know she is referring to Will. “This girl is lucky with you.”

I pull a bitter smile and turn my head. Lucky? If only my mother knew! But I don’t intend to enlighten her about the details, and anyway… Since I’m going to leave the two women alone, Raven might even speak to her. If she tells my mum under what circumstances I took her virginity, then next time my mum will greet me with a rolling pin instead of a hug. I clear my throat and straighten myself on the chair. I make an effort to talk with a professional voice, but my mother can see through me, for sure.

“Raven cannot leave the house under any circumstances. She can only step over this threshold with me. Don’t try to call me, I will get in touch.”

“And what about me? Do I also have to stay here?”

“Do everything as before. That will be best. If you suddenly change your old habits, someone might take notice of that. But always make sure to close the door and the windows.”

“Roughly, how long will you be away for?”

“One and a half to two days, at most. I’ll hurry. I’m leaving two men who will keep an eye on the house while I’m away.”

“What do you mean by that?” she raises her eyebrows.

“Don’t worry about them. If things go well, you won’t even notice that they are here. They will be keeping guard in the street, sitting in two separate cars. This is just like a… security procedure, in case of an emergency,” I shrug my shoulders. “Nobody knows Raven is here, so if you do what we’ve agreed to, there can’t be any trouble.”

“All right,” she nods firmly. “Don’t worry about her. Everything will be okay.”

I sigh silently, honestly hoping so. My mother doesn’t know how stubborn the Bertone girl can be when she gets in the mood of I do what I want.

After a quick shower I get changed, and no matter how exhausted I feel, can’t waste any more time. I want to hit the road to obtain our papers. I have no idea how long we have to stay in Britain, but money won’t be an issue. Emilio Bertone has given us stacks of dough in cash, but if we need more, he’ll give me that too, I’m pretty sure about that. With some irony I’m thinking that obtaining the fake documents won’t be difficult either. I have some contacts in the underworld, I know exactly who to turn to. It looks like this is my destiny. No matter how hard I try to climb out of this circle, something always pulls me back into the grey zone. I’ve had crooked ways since I was a teenager, made heaps of money with illegal methods, had business with gangsters. I might be one, too. A criminal. True, I don’t kill people and don’t rob banks, but my activity strongly borders illegality. Even my escort company, with which I meant to turn over a new leaf, is not pure white, as I’m working for the mafia, even as we speak. These are all reasons, for which I should stay away from Raven, after all, she has said more than once that she doesn’t want to get involved with my type. Yet, I’m with her again, the bond between us couldn’t be sereved after eight years of separation, and I just can’t fight it. If I was strong enough and had sufficient self-control, then I would take her back to her uncle and give back the case. I would admit that I’m damn unsuitable for the job due to my deep emotional involvement, but I just can’t do that. I can’t keep myself away from her anymore. She needs me to protect her life, and I need her so that I can have a reason to live.

My mother is trying to convince me to have some sleep at least before leaving, but I’m adamant. The sooner I sort out the necessary issues, the quicker I can come back to her. It might be a bad idea to go upstairs where Raven is sleeping, but I must take one last glance at her before I beat it. I need to see that, having put this mad day behind us, she’s all right.

I carefully open the door and see at once that she’s in bed. In my bed! I break out in sweat at once. I quietly step inside and stop by the window. I’m staring at her for a while, taking in her beauty, that cascade of hair spread over my pillow – and I silently drool at the sight. I allow myself ten seconds. Okay, fifteen, which will soon become twenty. I should go, but my feet have taken roots. I feel more and more awkward in the role of a peeker, at the same time, the desire is tearing me apart to go even closer to her. I’m dying to hold her in my arms. Raven stirs and quietly moans. She must be dreaming, because she begins to move her head on the pillow, from side to side. It can’t be a nice dream, I find it more likely that she’s struggling. I should do something about it, but don’t want to scare her to death by waking her. Uncertainly, I look around the room, but its pitch dark. I don’t want to switch on the light either, because that might scare her too. Finally, I surrender to the temptation. I descend onto the edge of the bed, behind Raven’s back, and carefully reaching over, I smooth her hair, then her forehead. It’s hot. Slowly, I crawl closer to her, and try to calm her with soft whispers.

“Rae, it’s okay.”

She shivers, sighs deeply and opens her sleepy eyes.

“What happened?” she groans. “Who’s this?”

My hand glides onto her shoulder and I gently continue stroking her.

“It’s me, Bella. Everything’s fine. You were dreaming.”

“They were shooting at me,” she whispers.

My heart is torn. This is so unfair. She’s obviously still under the effect of the previous events. I gently pull a lock of hair out of her forehead, and since I know she can’t see in the dark, I lift it to my nose and deeply inhale its scent. I act like some psychopath, but can’t just leave her here like that.

“It was just a dream. You’re safe. Nobody is shooting you.”

She begins to stir again, and turning around, she locks her fingers into mine. I can hardly make out her features in the dark, but her voice is pleading.

“Stay here. Please!”

Her words send a burning sensation down my spine. With my eyes closed, I take a deep breath, and try to resist the temptation. I have things to do, I should go. I give her hand a squeeze, then move to pull myself away, but she won’t let me. She clings onto me strongly.

“I can’t, Bella. I’ve got to go,” I answer in a whisper, with very little conviction.

She becomes animated, and pushes herself onto her elbows.

“You’ve got to go? But where?”

“I must get hold of some papers so that we won’t leave a trace at the airport.”

“Okay, but… now?” she asks, and her voice is quite weak.

“The sooner, the better.”

She sits up on the bed and digs into her hair.

“I don’t want you to go.”

Oh God. This is killing me. She doesn’t want me to go. Six words have left her mouth, but I can’t even recall the last time I was so happy.

“Rae…” I groan, under a spell.

“I couldn’t take it if something happened to you,” she says quietly, with discouragement, but to me these are the most beautiful words in the world. If I had to end my life right here and now, I’d die a happy death. “I’m so scared.”

I grab her shoulders and quickly pull her to me. I press her head against my chest, and hug her like mad. I bury my face into her hair, and kiss her everywhere I can.

“You needn’t be afraid of anything. There won’t be any problems. You’re safe here,” I mumble. She pushes me away from her and looks into my face with tearful eyes.

“I’m not scared for myself, don’t you get it? I couldn’t endure it if you were harmed. I can’t lose you as well,” she sniffs, and dries her tears into my shirt.

She’s wearing my shirt, and she’s crying for me.

I take her face between my hands and turn her towards me. I find it hard to speak with the huge lump in my throat. I’m sure she has no idea what her words are doing to me.

“I promise there won’t be a problem. I must go now, Bella, but I’ll be rushing back. It will be okay.”

“Do you promise? Will you be careful?” she bites into her lip sweetly, like a little girl.

“I swear.”

She closes her eyes and inhales haltingly.

“Okay. But at least, stay until I fall asleep. Please!” she says, and gets back under the blanket. “Please, Rafe.”

She turns her back and puts her head on the pillow, but won’t let go of my hand. She is pulling me towards her. How could I say no to a request like that? I kick off my shoes, and against my common sense, I get in beside her. I squeeze one hand between her neck and the pillow, and with the other, I hold her tight against my belly. She slides her butt backwards a bit, and nestles into my front, until we are tight against one another. I quietly groan; I want to pull away from her, and I don’t. I’m in big trouble. My crotch is pulsing when I feel her bottom near my d**k. I know she’s not trying to seduce me, and there is nothing s****l about the way she cuddles to me, yet, it’s hard to control my desire. I don’t want it, but my body is not asking for a permission, it just reacts to hers of its own accord. Raven desires my closeness, my comfort, she wants me to chase away her nightmares, and I should be damned if I don’t give her what she needs. I know she is very vulnerable now, and if I kissed her, she may not turn me down, but I won’t take advantage of the situation. I purposely oppress the s****l desire in me, and concentrate on comforting her, giving her protection, and for the first time in my life, being the man that she deserves. While I hold her in my arms, I breathe in her scent, I inhale her satisfied little sighs that my stroking triggers from her. I can’t get enough of the feeling that she falls asleep in my embrace.