Page 105 of In My Heart
“You better not.”
“Enough talking now. You need to try and sleep. Do you feel tired?” he asked.
“Maybe.”
“Then close those beautiful eyes and just relax. I’m staying with you right here. You’re safe. Sleep,” he told me gently. I was going to argue, but as soon as my eyes closed they felt heavy and that was the last thought I remembered having.
CHAPTER 26
CARA
Adrenaline flooded me the second my eyes shot open the next morning. I sat up fast and froze, trying to work out what had my body in panic mode. My heart was beating way too hard and fast.
Loud banging echoed through the room from out front and I looked to Cal as his eyes opened and met mine.
“What’s that?” I asked in a panicked whisper.
“Sounds like someone at the door. Get dressed, babe, fast,” he told me, then he was out of bed and pulling on the sweats he abandoned the night before. We’d both still been naked, having crawled into bed that way after a quick shower during the early hours of the morning.
I scurried out of bed and grabbed the first thing in my suitcase – a sweater of Cal’s. I pulled it over my head, then started to rifle deeper in my packing for underwear and pants of some kind.
“Stay in here until one of us comes to get you, okay?” Cal told me. I looked up and found him paused before the door, awaiting my agreement.
“Okay. Be careful,” I whispered.
The second he left the room I tore leggings and knickers from my case and pulled them on frantically. Who would be at the doorof our hotel suite? No one even knew we were there. Anxiety was making me feel nauseous as I perched on the end of the bed and pulled on socks and myConverse. Whatever was going on, I felt like it was best to be ready to flee if the need arose.
I was just getting to my feet when the bedroom door opened and Cal walked in.
“Everything’s fine. It’s Rafe,” he told me when I looked to him with concern. “He wants to talk to you.”
“How does he know we’re here?” I asked, a little shocked by the turn around.
“He called the security who have been outside the room and found out. Are you up to facing him?”
“Of course,” I nodded, but I still found my feet carrying me across the room until I was wrapped in Cal’s arms. “Is he still angry?” I asked as I clung to him and tried to draw some strength.
“I think he’s too exhausted and out of breath from getting here to be angry. I tried to check him over, but he wasn’t having a bit of it.”
“He’s stubborn,” I sighed. I pulled back from the hug and took a deep breath. “I’ll go and talk to him. Maybe he’s ready to be a little more rational now.”
“I hope so, for your sake,” Cal agreed. I reached up to kiss him once more, then slipped from his arms completely and left the room.
Rafe was sat in an armchair when I stepped out into the living area of the hotel suite. He still looked pale and he was breathingtoo fast. He was dressed in his customary suit and shirt, but he had a heavy wool coat over them. He just looked exhausted.
Dio was sat opposite him, perched on the end of the coffee table, and they were talking quietly – too low for me to pick up what either was saying, but at least Rafe wasn’t trying to lunge at Dio again.
“Hey,” I announced, feeling unsure as I walked further into the room and looked to Rafe hesitantly.
“Tesorino, please don’t look so nervous. I’ve come to apologise. I hate the way I spoke to you yesterday,” he blurted all at once.
“It wasn’t me that you needed to apologise to, Rafe. You didn’t threaten to kill me,” I told him steadily. I stared him down hard, not willing to forget the way he treated the guys.
“Yes, you’re right. I went too far in my threats, and I was in the process of apologising to Dar for the beating I gave him. However, I had a right to be angry, Cara. Dario and Arran were sneaking around with you behind my back. They’re older than you, and whether you accept it or not, you have been in a very vulnerable place recently.”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make my own reasonable decisions. You really hurt me when you made it clear how much you doubted that,” I reminded him.
“I know,” he nodded. “I was being a complete arsehole, and I shouldn’t have said most of what I said. I just worry about you. I want to protect you.”
