Cane

I drove through the countryside and approached my house as dawn broke. I spent the evening at the hospital with Pearl and Lars. Pearl was exhausted from not sleeping much over the past few days, so I told her I would stay awake and look after Crow.

Even though he was fine.

When morning arrived, I headed back to my house outside Florence. The sun was rising above the horizon and sprinkling the fields with gold and green. Vineyards were everywhere, and the purple grapes looked deeper in color at this time of day. I pulled in front of the house and walked inside, knowing Adelina would still be asleep.

She was sitting on the couch when I walked inside, wearing one of my t-shirts and sporting messy hair. It seemed like she’d slept on the couch because there was a bunched-up blanket kicked to the side. “You’re home…” She nearly jumped off the couch as she ran into my arms. She crashed into me and wrapped her arms around my waist. It was a greeting a woman gave to her man after being separated for a long period of time. It was affectionate, loving, and the way her face lit up when she saw me was priceless.

She gave me something worth coming home to.

“How’s Crow doing? Is Pearl alright?”

“My brother is good. The surgery went well, and he’s supposed to go home tomorrow. Pearl is with him.”

“I’m glad they’re reunited.” Her cheek was pressed into my chest, so she turned her face so she could look up at me. “And I’m glad you’re home too. That nightmare is finally over. We can both sleep well tonight knowing there’s no one out there trying to get us.”

“Yeah, it’ll be a nice change.” I angled my neck down and kissed her on the forehead. I didn’t know why I did those sorts of things. I never saw Crow do it to Pearl, so I wasn’t sure where the influence came from. “And I’m very sorry about Lizzie.”

Her face immediately fell in sadness again. “It’s not fair that I survived and she didn’t.”

“No, it’s not. But she would be happy if she knew you escaped.” My hands moved around her slender waist, and I felt the feminine curves I’d memorized. I loved her body, every feature, every touch. No other woman in the world stole my sexual attention the way Adelina did. She had the softest skin, the cutest freckles, the brightest eyes…everything about her was perfect. But her gorgeous features didn’t do justice to the beauty underneath. Her light continued to shine even during her darkest times. She reminded me of Pearl in many ways, but she somehow seemed even stronger.

“I need to tell her family…to give them closure.”

“Yeah, you should.” Not knowing what happened was worse than hearing the painful truth.

“How did she…?” She didn’t produce a coherent sentence, but she didn’t need to. The question was clear.

“It doesn’t matter. She’s dead. That’s it.”

“Her parents are going to want to know.”

“It’s not going to lead to justice. I already killed Tristan and every man who worked for him. Whoever it was that hurt her is long gone. They’ve been punished. Knowing exactly what happened to her and how she was killed isn’t going to lead to any new evidence. In this instance, less is more.”

Adelina lowered her eyes, tucked her hair behind her ear, and nodded.

“Don’t let this weigh you down. She’d be happy that you got away.”

“I know she would.”

“Then I hope you can find some peace…eventually.” My hands moved to her cheeks, and I cupped her face. Her skin felt cold to the touch, her bright eyes seemed dark. My thumb brushed the corner of her mouth before I leaned in and kissed her. I missed the passion we used to have, the way I dove deep between her legs in my bed, but now I just wanted to touch her. I wanted to feel the connection between us. She didn’t love me, but when my mouth was on hers, I could pretend that she did.

She kissed me back, her fingers wrapping around my wrists.

My kiss intensified even though I didn’t do it intentionally. My mouth was working on its own, drunk off the way she made me feel. My life had been a roller coaster for the last three days. I hadn’t slept. I hadn’t felt good once. Her affection was the greatest drug I’d ever consumed.

I wanted to keep going, but I hadn’t showered, and this couldn’t go anywhere. Sometimes we fooled around, but I didn’t expect her to be ready for sex. I wasn’t an asshole, and I would never pressure her. When she was ready, she would tell me. I ended the embrace and stepped back. “I’m going to shower and get to bed. I’m pretty tired.”

“Have you slept?”

I shook my head.

“You want me to make you something to eat?”

I was hungry, but I was too exhausted for food. “That’s okay, but thank you.” I dropped my hand and walked upstairs to the bedroom. The sheets were messy from the last time we’d slept together. I undressed and got into the shower, letting the warm water wash away all the grime under my fingertips. My hands smelled like the metal from my gun, and my hair was caked with dirt. I closed my eyes as I felt the refreshing sensation drip down my body. My brother was safe, Adelina was free, Pearl was happy… Everything was as it should be.

But I was still miserable.

Adelina and I hadn’t spoken more about that awkward conversation we had over dinner. I’d brushed it off at the time, and I think I’d been believable. I wasn’t going to be pathetic and let her see how much she hurt me—how much she devastated me. I wasn’t sure where that left us now. She wasn’t my prisoner anymore, and there was no one outside these four walls that wanted to hurt her.

She was free.

But what would she do with that freedom?

Would she choose to spend it with me?

The glass door opened, and Adelina walked inside with her gorgeous nakedness. Her beautiful nipples were firm because of the cold in the bathroom. She stepped under the water with me, and her hair was immediately soaked until it clung to the back of her neck. She looked at me for an invitation even though she didn’t need one.

My eyes roamed over her body, seeing the faint hints of bruises that still marked her skin. The worst of it had passed, but the more serious injuries still needed time to heal. When I looked at her skin, I didn’t think of the places where Tristan had touched her. I didn’t think she was infected, broken.

I saw the same woman I saw before.

I wanted to treasure her beautiful body like it’d never been touched at all. I wanted to erase every memory she had of Tristan. I wanted to make sex beautiful and pleasurable. I’d shown that to her once before, but I could do it again until the message sank in.

She stepped under the shower and looked up at me as the water fell down her face. Her hands moved up my chest, exploring the hard muscles underneath her fingertips. She studied me like a mountain climber looking for the perfect grip. “I know you’re tired. I just miss you.”

My hands moved to her hips, and I pressed my forehead to hers. If I could do whatever I wanted, I would lift her up and make love to her right then and there. But until I got her permission, I couldn’t do whatever I pleased. “I don’t want you to miss me. So stay until you don’t.”