Chapter 30: every

RAVEN

The wedding is in a week.

That thought has been replaying in my mind—over and over and over—like it’s the only words my brain are able to formulate.

It’s a strange type of terror to know how my life will be changing with the flip of a coin. One moment I’ll be Raven Brooks—I’ll still live in this house, be able to see Dove each day, and have opportunities to sneak away and meet with Luca. The next moment, I’ll be Raven Cardoso and her life is completely unknown.

I happen to think there are times within one’s life that feel like earthquakes—where the ground caves open and nothing will ever be the same again. In a flash, that valley will form and uproot everything in my life.

The worst part is that I have this uncanny feeling that my moment is approaching.

I think that’s why I’m here—in the gym at the house—with Luca. He wants to teach me some self-defense and considering the timing, I believe he’s trying to prepare me for the worst.

I’m sitting on a bench as I wait for Luca to arrive. He told me to be here for nine in the evening, but as I glance at the clock, it appears as though he’s a tiny bit late.

As I glance around, I’m reminded that there’s a part of my uncle’s gym that is almost entirely covered in mirrors. I’m not sure why, but he’s had mirrors secured to the walls and the ceiling. It’s only a small area, but I think he initially did it for when Dove used to dance. However, in the time she’s grown, he’s moved a padded mat into the area, but hasn’t removed the reflective surfaces.

It seems outdated, but it’s the only part of the room that looks off when you inspect it. The rest of the space is filled with various equipment.

In all honesty, we don’t use the gym that often. We’re not the ones who need to be fit, it’s our bodyguards who need to be. At least, I believe that’s how my uncle sees it.

However, I’m not sure I agree. I appreciate that Luca wants to teach me this. I’d rather he raise me up and make me stronger as the woman I am, rather than assuming I need him to physically protect me at all times and treating me like I’m a fragile trophy.

Women are already far too frequently put into uncomfortable situations. It’s a smart thing to know how to defend myself. It’s better to have the knowledge and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

I hear the door opening and my breath hitches, knowing it’s him. I lift my head to watch Luca step into the room, wearing shorts and a sweater.

When he sees me and takes in what I’m wearing—tight shorts and a sports bra—he literally stops in place for a second or two, his gaze darkening a shade before he continues in my direction. The way he looks at me has my nipples hardening instantly. I know exactly what that look means.

I take a sip of my water, attempting to lower my internal temperature.

It doesn’t work, of course.

I set down the bottle and close some of the distance between us.

“Do you know any self-defense?” He inquires and I watch as his gaze wanders to my breasts, but he quickly catches himself and meets my eyes again.

I fight the urge to smile, licking my lips. “Not really, no.” Any time I’ve had to defend myself, I go off instinct.

“Your uncle never hired someone to teach you?”

I shake my head.

“Seems a bit moronic, yeah? The odds of someone trying to come and hurt you or take you are a lot higher than someone who isn’t related to the Don.”

I shrug, “I guess he always figured the bodyguard would keep me safe.”

He glances around to the corners of the room, squinting in curiosity.

“Are there cameras in here?” He questions, but I think he already knows the answer to that.

“No,” I confirm. “Where is my uncle?” All he told Dove and I is that he was headed off for business. Nothing about where he was going, what he’s doing, or when he’ll be back. We’re not privy to that sort of information typically.

“New York.” Luca unzips and removes his sweater as he speaks, revealing that he’s wearing a tank top underneath it. The lack of sleeves expose the tattoos that litter his body, along with the muscles that bulge on his arms. “He’s meeting with someone about drug distribution over there.”

It’s late in the evening, so I know that most guards and lackeys have been sent home for the day. The few guards that remain are known to not wander around the house. They typically stand outside the mansion—at their posts—as they continually scan along the exterior fence for anyone attempting to break in.

It was a change my uncle made after the attack on the house. Seeing as how the intruders easily made their way into the house, he made the necessary alterations with his security.

Luca and I stand facing one another—roughly six feet apart—and his eyes rake up and down my body as he inquires, “If I was an intruder, where would you attack me?”

I hesitate to immediately answer, my eyes trailing over him as I pinpoint places that I might strike to get him to back off. When I glance at the place between his legs, I fight the urge to smile as I answer, “I’d knee you in the nuts.”

He smiles, “Alright, yeah, that’s one area that’s rather vulnerable. Where else, Raven?”

“Chest?” I question, thinking if I strike him hard enough, it could knock the air from his lungs.

He shakes his head, “Not usually a good idea. There are better places that’ll be more effective with less force needed.” He steps towards me, closing the distance between us.

Lifting a hand, he softly strokes his thumb beneath one of my eyes as he explains, “Eyes.” He uses the tips of his fingers to run them along the bridge of my nose, “Nose.”

He steps even closer and my throat jogs in a hard swallow at his proximity. He gently wraps his hand around the front of my neck, explaining, “Throat.” With how close he’s standing to me, I feel his breath as it fans across my skin.

He leans his head back slightly so he’s able to make eye contact with me as he blatantly cups my pussy through my shorts, his voice low as he finishes with, “And here.”

My breath hitches, but he releases me far too quickly. Is he trying to seduce me while doing this? Because that’s what it feels like.