Page 54 of Loathe Me (Touch of Death 1)
“Should be the family.” He raps his knuckles over the table in agitation. “You know Adelina was just an excuse for them to come after us. The two things must be…seperated.”
“So you would see her cast out and left for Bianchi?”
“No. Her father was a good man, and the Bianchi’s…well, they’ve always been pricks. I’d love to see you kill the boy.”
“But…”
“But now is not the time. You’re trying to fight a war on two fronts.”
“No, Una wants to start another war, and she wants me to stand beside her at any cost.”
His lips press together, and the charming businessman becomes the ruthless mafia boss in an instant. “Careful, Sasha. Is Adelina Ricci worth losing everything for?”
“Maybe.”
His serious mask cracks, and I frown when a devious smile appears on his lips. “Oh, you are in a world of trouble, my friend.”
“I don’t understand.”
He laughs. “I never thought I would see the day. You of all people.” He claps a hand on my shoulder. “Happens to the best of us.”
“What?”
He walks out of the room, chuckling under his breath. “Gio! You have to hear this!”
“Nero!”
He ignores me and walks away.
Everyone in this house is going mad.
I stand in the middle of a clearing. I recognize it; the woods just outside the base. Pine trees surround us, their branches drooping under the weight off the snow. It’s utterly silent. No bird call, no animals. Just the perfect silence of fresh snowfall. I miss it, the peace, the absence of anything but the beat of my own heart, the inhale and exhale of my own breath. I close my eyes, tilting my face to the sky. A few flakes scatter over my skin, catching in my lashes.
When I open my eyes, five figures stand in front of me. Their forms are distorted, like looking through frosted glass. Slowly, they come into focus, and the first person I see is Adelina. She’s like sunshine in the depths of winter, with her tanned skin and eyes that remind me of the Mediterranean. A sad smile touches her lips, and I step forward. That’s when the other figures come into focus. All in black. All with weapons. A man moves behind Adelina, placing a blade to her throat. His face is shadowed by a hood, but the voice…I know that voice.
“Is she worth it?” he asks.
Her gaze meets mine, so pure, so innocent, so trusting.
“Is she worth it?” he repeats.
I don’t know. I can’t answer him. A twisted grin appears on his face, and then he slowly drags the blade over her throat.
“Adelina!”
In slow motion, her blood spills over the pristine snow. Her expression never changes. Everything in me breaks because she’s looking at me like I’ll save her, and I can’t. It’s too late.
I sit bolt upright, dragging ragged breaths into my lungs. Adelina. She’s all I can think about. She’s infecting my mind like a virus. I’ve had the same dream for the last few nights. I can’t change it, and I can never save her. I lay here, my heart pounding in my chest, attempting to steady my breaths. I don’t know how long I stare at the ceiling, but sleep evades me, the same way it has every night since we got here. Adelina, Adelina, Adelina. She’s like an alarm in my mind.
Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I leave my room and head for hers. Without knocking, I push the handle down and nudge open the door. It’s dark inside, but her window is wide open. She never listens.
Moonlight spills across her bed, painting her sleeping form in silvery light. As soon as I lay eyes on her, the tension in my muscles eases.
Her chest rises and falls rhythmically, and her lips are slightly parted. My mind conjures the memory of her mouth against mine. Part of me would do anything to keep her safe, while the other part hates her. My life was straight forward until I was ordered to protect her. Ever since then, nothing has been simple. I want to go back, but I can’t. She’s rendered me powerless.
She stirs, her body tensing as a low murmur slips past her lips. I take a step back, and reluctantly leave the room before she wakes.
I just needed to see her, that’s all. Going back to my room, I lay down and close my eyes.
Adelina is safe. That’s my last thought before I finally drift to sleep.
17
Adelina
I wake with a start and the sensation of falling. I blink against the darkness and freeze when I realize there’s someone in my room. My pulse ticks up, and adrenaline floods my veins as I prepare to leap out of bed and run. My eyes adjust, and I can just about make out the outline of the shadowy figure.
“Sasha?” I breathe in relief.
