Dreadnought (Nemesis #1)(51)
Looking up at him, she couldn’t believe it. “Y-You’re giving it back to me? Why?”
“Because I want you to know that I trust you just as much as you trust me, darlin’.” Leaning down, he placed a kiss over the top of her scar. “And I’m tired of pretending to be you every time Elle texts.”
Chloe giggled, trying to imagine him texting Elle as her. “I’m sure I’ll have fun reading over the texts you sent her.”
“Well, I just used a bunch of emojis, really.” He laughed with her, twirling a piece of her hair around his finger. “Be sure to use the black heart one. I used that one a lot.”
“Why the black heart?”
He tugged on her strand playfully. “Just seemed like one you’d like.”
Smiling, she finally began to fully relax.
He let go of her hair, letting it fall to her chest. “Go get ready for bed, darlin’. You can unpack your things tomorrow.”
Tensing right back up, she got off the bed and went to her bags, quickly pulling out the things she needed. She was thankful that her thickest fleece pajamas were clean. They also covered her whole body, which she was the most thankful for.
Her nerves were getting the best of her as she then went into his bathroom and started getting ready for bed. She liked her showers in the morning, so she found herself hoping that was okay with him, since she was sleeping in his bed.
Once she was ready and done with the bathroom, she found herself staring at the door, her nerves racking throughout her body, frightened to sleep beside the boogieman.
It’s going to be okay. He won’t hurt me. She kept repeating those words in her head, trying to muster up enough courage to open the door.
When she had pushed it off for long enough and an ounce of courage had been mustered, she opened the bathroom door.
When she walked out of the bathroom and into the dark room, relief washed over her, beyond grateful when she noticed Lucca was already fast asleep on his side of the bed. Then she found herself staring at the sleeping, haunting man for a few moments, seeing he wore his normal black T-shirt, the covers only coming up to his hips as he slept on his back, thinking how beautiful he looked, even in his sleep.
Lucca was a handsome man. She always thought that was what made him so deadly.
Quietly and carefully, she went to the other side of the bed and crawled in ever so slowly. She was so afraid of waking him as she gently pulled the covers over her. Then she positioned herself as far away from Lucca as she could possibly get, clinging to the edge of the bed.
It definitely felt awkward to be in his bed, with him only a foot away, and was even painful at first as she tried to get comfortable in a bed she hadn’t slept in before. However, exhaling deeply, she was finally able to relax. And when she snuggled the blankets around her more tightly, the smell of the room soothing her, she found comfort … soothing to her soul …
When he was certain Chloe had fallen asleep, he turned on his side to face her back, seeing her long, black, silky hair fanned out across her pillow. He loved everything about her hair: the color, the feel, the smell. He loved the way it looked right now. And he loved the way she looked in his bed.
Reaching out, he started to pick up a lone curl at the end of her hair, when a whimper had him pausing. Then another whimper escaped her.
The nightmares were coming.
Right when the screams started, Lucca moved closer to her shaking body. He could only hope what he was about to do would make the nightmares disappear without waking her up.
He pulled her back into his body and into his arms, holding her tightly, unable to bear her pain any longer. And miraculously, the cries returned to whimpers and her shaking lessened, until they both disappeared … along with her nightmare.
Lucca had left the Catholic faith after his mother’s passing, knowing there was no way God could exist if He could take away a human being as pure as his mother while allowing monsters like him to roam this earth. Many nights, he would even question his own existence, wondering why it hadn’t been him instead of her.
Holding Chloe to him, it was now hard for him to think God could not exist. There was no way Chloe could exist if God didn’t. She was made special … Made for him.
The question of why his mother had been taken and not him had finally been answered.
He was here on this earth for her. To save her.
Thirty-Five
Only Be Touched by Lucca
Leaning back in his chair, he felt on the brink of insanity. He had grown used to always knowing where she was for when he wanted to see his creation. But now, it had been over a month since he had last seen her. Escaping him twice.
His obsession with her had grown over the years, becoming unhealthy. Even he knew that. It was to the point where his memories of her weren’t enough, and he was ready for new ones.
He had been so close to making new memories with her, too, but he had been denied each time.
“Lucifer …” His two most competent men entered the room. “We think we may have found her.”
The desolateness he had felt was immediately replaced by hopefulness.
Standing up, he was eager to retrieve the girl he had marked years ago. “Where?”
The bravest one cleared his throat. “You’re not going to like it.”