Chapter Thirty-Four

Danica

A tense silence sits between us as Theo pulls away from my building. I glance surreptitiously in his direction and can tell with that single look that he is mad. Face tense, the muscles in his jaw twitching, knuckles turning white as he clenches the steering wheel. His profile is cast in shadows, illuminated by the partial moonlight peeking through the clouds and the occasional streetlamp overhead as we pass by. I haven’t said anything since we left my apartment. I know I should, but the words are stuck in my throat. What happened earlier, in the club. . . and now this? It’s all just too much. I am overwhelmed by his nearness after so much time spent apart.

“I-” My voice cuts out, and I clear my throat, trying once more. “You can just drop me off at a hotel. I’ll be okay for tonight.”

Theo glances over at me then, an incredulous look on his face, before turning his attention back to the road.

“If you think for one minute that I’m leaving you alone after that then you are out of your goddamn mind, diavoletta. For fucks’ sake. They were in your apartment!”

I cringe at his raised voice. Theo has never been one to yell, but he is pretty damn close if this outburst was any indication. I raise my chin, determined not to back down. I have come a long way since he last knew me, and I am not a damsel in distress anymore. “I don’t need you to save me, Theo. I’m a big girl now, not the tortured princess that you need to rescue from her ivory tower.” Mentally, I cringe at my own use of the word ‘princess’ and the memories it invokes.

Still, I need to get my point across. “I told Caleb already, and I will tell you the same. There is nothing different that you can do that Finn and Jonathan haven’t already tried to keep me safe. Everywhere I go, this stalker seems to follow. If they haven’t been able to figure it out with all the resources at their disposal, then there is nothing that you will be able to do differently.”

He just scoffs, throwing another quick glance in my direction. “You were never some goddamn princess in a storybook fairytale diavoletta. But you have always been mine to save. You may have changed over the years but so the fuck have I. And make no mistake, la mia diavoletta, I have resources that Finn and Jonathan can’t touch. I will do whatever needs to be done to keep you safe. I have done what needs to be done to keep you safe, and I am sure as hell willing to bet that you can’t say the same for anyone else. They may love you, but you are mine . And I always protect what’s mine.”

“I’m not yours Theo. I don’t belong to any man.” My words are soft, but firm. And I know he heard me, though he says nothing in response.

We drive in silence for several more minutes and I glance out at the world passing by in a blur. Downtown skyscrapers give way to quiet suburbs, and still, we press on. At this time of night, there is no traffic so we are making our way quickly as we continue. I frown, eyes narrowing in suspicion. From what I have heard in passing from the guys, Theo has a penthouse close to the arena, and that is the opposite direction from where we are headed.

He takes another left, putting us on a quiet back road, and continues to head further out of the city. The houses are coming further and further apart from each other now, and soon, we reach an area where there are no houses at all. In fact, if it weren’t for the watery moonlight peeking through the clouds, and the narrow beams of the truck’s headlights, it would be pitch black outside. With a sharp right, Theo turns onto a narrow gravel road that I would have completely missed. I don’t know how Theo could even see it out here with how dark it is.

“Where are we going?” I’m sure he can hear the hesitation in my voice.

“We’re going somewhere safe.” His reply is gruff, and he doesn’t give me any more details. I roll my eyes at him, not that he can see it in the darkness.

“I saw that, diavoletta. ”

My jaw drops. “What- how-?” I bluster, cheeks burning, and I am sure he can see that too, since he clearly has night vision that I was unaware of. He just shoots me a cocky grin, choosing not to respond.

We continue to drive down the long gravel road, I am lulled by the swaying caused by bumps in the gravel. Without even realizing it, my eyes drift closed and I feel myself begin to nod off, the exhaustion from the events of this evening finally hitting me. In a sleepy daze, I am unsure of how much time passes when I feel the truck drift to a stop. The door opens, and through the haze a part of me expects to be hit with a burst of chill from the wintry air, but instead I am met with a cool stillness, a comfortable temperature that belies the wintery weather we have been having.

Too tired to bother opening my eyes, I just sit there. Maybe I can get in a few more minutes of rest before I am forced to come back to the present. Instead, I feel a comforting warmth and weightlessness as I am lifted out of the truck. I feel myself rocking to the gentle sway as Theo carries me, and in my state of drowsiness I find myself snuggling into his warmth. Turning my head into his chest and breathing him in, soaking in his comforting strength and the feel of his heart beating against my cheek. And for a moment, I let myself pretend that this is my reality, that Theo is my home and he won’t ever let me go.