Raphael (The Immortal Youth Book 1) (19 page)

“How long were you out? That’s what you want to know?” Paride left the chair and walked closer to the bed. When Raphael slightly nodded, he answered, “A full day.” Then he carefully sat on the edge, his knees touching Angel’s. “What we want to know is who did this to you.” His hand trailed over Raphael without touching him.

“No one,” was Raphael’s immediate response.

“Isn’t he cute, trying to protect us?” Paride shook his head, his hand grabbing a handful of bedding in a tight twist.

“I’ll be out of here as soon as I can stand on my two feet.” Raphael followed his rehearsed speech, the one he had painstakingly put together while dragging his maimed body throughout the Promenade. “Thank you for your hospitality, but I won’t put you in danger by staying longer than necessary.”

Patrizia entered the room with a tray filled with bread, fruits, and beverages. “Thank the Goddess, you’re finally up. I’ve brought food for them, but there’s more than enough if you’d like to eat something.”

“Hi, Patrizia.” Raphael watched as the girl lowered the heavy tray on the nightstand, then walked behind Angel.

Patrizia had a somber expression and Raphael couldn’t remember a time when he had seen her not joyous. The interaction between the three was off too.

“Long time no see you, guys. How are you?” Raphael asked after a moment of silence stretched too long.

“We’re fine, but don’t try to change topic. Who did this to you?” Angel gave him a pointed look. “We’ll make him pay.”

Patrizia watched seemingly detached, her hand caressing her stomach. Only when she turned to the side, Raphael realized her belly wasn’t flat, but slightly rounded. She saw him looking at her, and the anguished expression on her face made him lower his eyes.

“And that’s why I won’t tell you,” Raphael said to Angel.

Paride placed his hand over his heart. “We take care of ours.”

“And you don’t know how much that means to me, but I won’t tell you.” Already exhausted by the conversation, Raphael massaged his temples. “Can you pass me something to drink?” He tried again to push himself up right, and managed to shore his upper body on his elbows.

“Sure.” Paride grabbed a water bottle, twisted its lid open, and brought it to Raphael’s lips. Then he broke a few pieces from a round loaf of bread and helped Raphael eat as well.

The three didn’t try to make him talk again and soon left to let him rest. Instead of trying to sleep, the first thing Raphael did was to grab his cell phone from his jeans. Hands trembling as pain shot through him, he cursed when he saw the cell battery had died. Luisa hadn’t heard from him in two days and she must have been frantic with worry. When he tried to leave the bed looking for Angel or Paride, he fell and barely made it back to the bed.

After a fitful night during which he eventually managed some much needed rest, Raphael saw the trio again the next morning. Following a soft knock on the door, the twins and Angel entered the room as he was about to leave, folded jacket on his bent arm.

“Sneaking out?” Angel asked, blocking the doorway. The shifter’s eyes went to Raphael’s jacket.

“I’ve got to get back to—” Raphael stopped in midsentence. He knew that they knew. Even if he had childishly tried to hide the Red patch from them, he had been out cold long enough for them to check, and Patrizia and Carla had talked for sure. Yet, what his friends didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

“Where?” Paride stepped beside Angel, creating a human wall.

“Nowhere.” With a long sigh, Raphael pointed at the hallway behind the couple. “Listen, I shouldn’t have come here in the first place, but I didn’t know where else to go and I needed sanctuary—”

“And you did the right thing coming to us. I only wish you would trust us with the truth.” Angel opened his arms to the side. “Whatever it is you’re involved with, we can help.”

“You’ve done more than enough already, but it’s time for me to go.” Raphael motioned for Angel and Paride to let him pass.

Patrizia’s head popped in between the couple. “At least have breakfast with us before you leave. Carla wanted to say hi to you.”

At seeing the girl’s small smile, Raphael couldn’t help but consent to her request. Carla arrived a few minutes later and from the knowing look she gave him his suspicions were confirmed.

“I must protect them,” he whispered to Carla when the others were busy preparing food. “If you’ve said something already, please don’t add to it. It will only bring the den grief and you know it.”

Carla seemed to think about it a moment, but then nodded and Raphael let out a relieved sigh.

While eating at the round table in the kitchen that doubled as living room, the four of them alternated asking him about Luisa. He told them what he could while avoiding all the details pertaining to his affiliation to the Reds.

“So, you’re planning to leave Rome once and for all, ah?” Patrizia asked when Raphael reached the end of his redacted tale.

Plopping a slice of apple into his mouth, Raphael said, “We can’t stay here any longer.”

“When are you leaving?” Angel stirred his cappuccino.

“As soon as possible, but I need to take care of a few things first, collecting my bike, the money I saved—” While talking, he realized in less than two weeks would be Valentine’s Day, Luisa’s eighteenth birthday. “And while I’m at it, I must think of something special to surprise Luisa…” He spent the rest of the breakfast asking about them, but the four proved as reluctant to divulge their stories as he was.

An hour later, Raphael left the Den of Rejects with the bitter-sweet feeling he wouldn’t see them again soon.

As he reached the Reds, after two rather long subway and bus rides, Rock greeted him downstairs in the recreation room with worry etched all over his face.

The werewolf’s scowl soon lessened, but he grabbed Raphael by the elbow and walked him over toward the couches, now deserted. “Where were you? And don’t say at the barge, because I went back yesterday to check on you.”

“I stayed at friends’.”

Rock made an exasperated sound, pinched the bridge of his nose, and swore under his breath. “When Rico came looking for you, I told him I had you in my room and had to send Guts away saying you didn’t want to see anyone—”

The metal door to the stairway opened, and Rico strode into the room looking straight at them. News traveled fast at the compound.

Waving the ledger in front of him, Rico gave Rock a glare then looked back at Raphael. “Look who’s up and very late to work.”

Rock stepped forward, putting himself before Rico. “He should be resting at least another day.”

“He’s already wasted an entire day hiding in your quarters.” Rico slapped Rock’s arm with the ledger and sidestepped him to stand before Raphael. “This is your delivery schedule for the day. I added a few stops so you can make up for yesterday.”

Rock bristled and walked back into Rico’s path. “You can’t—”

Smiling his cruel smile, Rico pointed a finger toward the ceiling. “Alpha’s orders. The cub must earn his stay from now on.” He tilted his head to the side and caressed his chin with his free hand. “Playtime’s over.”

“Fine.” Raphael snatched the ledger from Rico and gave the list a brief look. “See you tomorrow morning.” Without bothering with a shower—he wasn’t ready to face the sting from the water on his wounded skin—or a change, he checked his Monster keys were still inside his jacket and headed downstairs to the garage.

Mounting his bike wasn’t easy, especially when every movement he made caused him to gasp in pain, but as he eased the Monster out and into the street, he thought of Luisa and the conversation they would have later that night.

While delivering drugs for the Reds, he let his mind wander and little by little his plans for Luisa’s birthday took form. In between stops, he bought several canvases he carried in a big satchel over his shoulder. The hard material slapped his back every time the Monster hit a hole or a bump in the road and hurt him, but he readjusted the cargo and revved the engine, letting the wind soothe his pain.

Later that night, after a meal of cold leftovers and a painful but short shower, Raphael sat on his bed. Cell phone charging and pencil in hand, he traced the first white canvas with Luisa’s portrait. When he was done with the first drawing and felt calm enough to text her, he sent the first message.

R: Hey, baby.

Luisa’s answer came a heartbeat later.

L: Raphael, my Goddess! RU okay?

R: I am now.

L: What happened to you?

R: Nothing important. In a few days I’ll come to pick you up. Be ready.

L: What?

R: We leave.

Day after day, Raphael endured Rico’s antics and the punishing workload the Red forced upon him without complaining. His big brother was most likely trying to kill him by exhaustion—he had Raphael drive for more than twelve sometimes thirteen hours straight, and accidents happened all the time in the heavily trafficked streets of Rome.

But more deliveries in his docket also meant he wasn’t expected back until late, and Rico only checked he was punctual for their meetings in the morning. What Raphael did in between deliveries went unnoticed, and he took full advantage of it. Instead of visiting Luisa, he used his breaks to drive to Milvio Bridge and clean up the barge as best as he could.

His longing to mark her and make her officially his mate couldn’t be ignored anymore, and his waking hours were filled with thoughts of their first time together. He didn’t want for that to happen while they were on the run, and her birthday coming on Valentine’s seemed the perfect day for them to celebrate their union. The barge had been his first sanctuary after escaping from his father’s house. He associated that run-down boat with the idea of freedom, which made it perfect for their love nest. He only needed a few touches here and there to create the right atmosphere, and achieved so by buying a few items, scavenging for others, and crafting with his own hands everything else.

At night, while texting to Luisa, he kept drawing her portraits and had to buy more canvases because he didn’t think any of his attempts was good enough. Soon, he had too many of them lying around his room and moved the canvases to the barge where no one would see them by mistake. Finally, he had her portrait done to his liking and started working on the perfect wooden frame.

Two days before Valentine’s, Rico saw fit to add a pick-up to Raphael’s already packed schedule. The municipal code wasn’t in Rome, and when Raphael checked the address on his phone he grunted.

Although he had promised himself not to confront Rico in any way, he couldn’t help but comment, “It’s in Fiumicino. Are you kidding me?”

Rico raised an eyebrow, but none of the usual insults came out of his mouth. Instead, he said, “Toughen up, pup. It’s a fast job anyway. The package’s outside, waiting for you.”

The hair on Raphael’s neck raised. Something was wrong.

“What are you waiting for? The day’s short. Get going.” Rico pointed at the door.

Acting on pure instinct, Raphael walked to the landing, then ran upstairs to his room to stuff his messenger bag with a few of his belongings and all the money he had saved. Exiting his room, he found Rico waiting for him in the hallway.

“What are you doing?” the werewolf asked, menace in his voice despite his calm tone.

“Forgot something.” Raphael closed the door and walked away. “Gotta run. Tight schedule.” He felt Rico’s eyes on his back. The feeling unsettled him, and he didn’t see Rock until he bumped into him on his way to the landing.

“Busy day already?” Rock asked.

“As usual.” Raphael made to sidestep him, but Rock placed a hand over his arm and stopped him.

“Is everything okay?”

Raphael raised his eyes to look at Rock. “Everything’s fine. Just late.” The lie weighed on his tongue more than it should have.

“See you later tonight?”

“Sure.” And like that Raphael said his goodbye to the only decent person among the Reds.

Once on his Monster, he drove straight to the barge where he finished his beautification project a full day in advance. Despite being tight on money, he splurged on the purchase of chocolates, a plush teddy bear, balloons, and even a bouquet of roses. He could go without food for a day or two if that bought Luisa her perfect night. It was late in the evening when he finally wrapped her framed portrait in recycled newspaper he stenciled all over with red hearts. Satisfied by his work he closed the barge, counting the minutes before he could take Luisa in his arms.

As he walked back to one of the narrow streets surrounding Milvio Bridge where he had parked his bike, he heard a woman sing. The melody was unknown to Raphael, but reminded him of a lullaby his neighbor used to sing to her daughter. Whenever he could escape his father’s oppressive presence, he would run to the apartment next to theirs. There, he would spend time with the single mother who looked only slightly older than him and her toddler, a baby girl with the darkest skin he had ever seen. He had known contentment with that family of two, and theirs was a sweet memory.

Raphael thought it was a good omen and started the engine with a lightness he hadn’t felt in a long time. By the time he reached Wolf’s Haven, he could have sung his happiness for everyone to hear, but wisely kept his mouth shut and silently skulked along the perimeter of the rehab center to stop at Luisa’s building.

Too busy texting with her until the wee hours of the morning, he had forgotten to charge his cellphone the night before. And in all the excitement of the day, he hadn’t thought of doing it later, so he couldn’t send a text to inform her he was downstairs. Experiencing a bit of frustration, he kicked the gravel covering the ground and found the solution to his problem. He then took a moment to center himself and not muck up things when he was so close to start a new life with Luisa.

A few minutes later, Raphael looked up at her bedroom window, then extended his hand above his shoulder and threw a small pebble. He had chosen it with great care, because anything bigger or with sharp edges would break the glass. The round stone sailed through the air more or less in the arch Raphael had intended and hit the windowpane. The tinkling noise it made wasn’t too loud, but loud enough to alert Luisa of his presence.

One hundred and one. One hundred and two. One hundred and three.

Expectantly, he kept his nose up, waiting for the moment she would open the window and see him. “
Luisa, baby
—”

One hundred and four. One hundred and five.

He sighed and looked on the ground for another pebble with the same characteristic of the first. He was hiding in the darkness, the only light coming from that window one story up, but his wolf eyes helped him with the task. Once he found a second round stone, he gave it a kiss, then threw it. This time, he applied more thrust, and the resulting noise was louder. He thought he heard the glass crack the tiniest bit.

One hundred and one. One hundred and two—

The window opened and a girl’s head appeared, her long blond hair ruffled by the cold wind of a cold December night. “Who’s there?” Not Luisa, but her roommate.

Raphael flattened himself against the wall of the
casolare
. The ancient building hosting the girls’ dormitories at the Wolf’s Haven rehab center had been kept in its pristine conditions. Which for Raphael meant that the tuff bricks composing the wall weren’t exactly pleasant to hug. Their hard and uneven surfaces were digging into his skin despite his leather jacket.

Luisa’s roommate closed the window, and Raphael pushed away from the rough surface and rubbed his hands over his arms to warm himself. Before he could put in action plan B, which entailed entering the building from the main entrance, then stride through the dormitory, haul Luisa on his shoulder, and get out of there—despite his intention not to make a mess of things, he hadn’t put much thought into plan B—small steps echoed in the night.

His nostrils were filled with Luisa’s scent and his wolf cried out in joy. Raphael didn’t need any light to find her. In the pitch black darkness, he walked toward Luisa and opened his arms. A moment later, they were kissing, frantically caressing each other, and he was once again flattened to the wall uncaring of the pain on his back.

“I’ve missed you too much.” He took her face between his hands and lowered his forehead to hers. “I can’t be separated from you any longer.” His breathing ragged, he took her mouth for a long kiss.

Luisa pressed her small body against his, her hands searching under his jacket. “And I don’t want to wait any longer to be with you.”

He lowered his hands to hers and stilled them over his heart. “We’ll leave tonight.”

She stopped breathing, and his heart plummeted to his stomach. Then her eyes swelled with tears.

“No, baby, please don’t cry—” He hugged her close and brushed her lips.

She angled away from him, her dark green eyes searching for his. “Raphael…”

He gently washed her tears away with his hand, and she tilted her head and leaned on his caress. Then her lips turned up in one of her small smiles he liked so much, and she said, “I’m ready.”

At her words, Raphael felt his eyes swelling up, but he didn’t will the tears away. He never had to be anything but himself with Luisa. “I love you.” He kissed her softly.

She burrowed in his embrace. “I want to be with you tonight.” She wound her hands around his neck and pressed him down to her for a long, thorough kiss as their tears mixed.

His hands to her waist, he raised her from the ground and spun her around. “My soul mate.”

“I love you, my wolf.” she whispered in his mouth.

Upstairs, her bedroom’s window opened and the blonde’s head peeked out. “Luisa? Is that you? What are you doing down there? Come back, it’s too cold to be outside and it’s curfew already.”

Luisa laughed against his lips. “I need to go upstairs and wait for Carina to fall asleep or we’ll have the whole center after us in less than five minutes.”

He wasn’t ready to let her go, but any moment her nosey roommate would come down. “Let’s hope Carina falls asleep right away.” He pressed his hands on the small of her back because he needed to feel her warmth, his mouth seeking hers for a kiss that had to last him until she was back in his arms. “I can’t wait to be with you—”

Luisa let out a sigh as his hands slipped inside her jacket and under her sweater and finally found her skin.

“Luisa?” Carina’s voice cut through the silence like a knife and made Raphael jump.

Lost in the bliss of the moment, he hadn’t heard the window opening again. He swore under his breath, his heart galloping in his chest. “Go or I’ll do something stupid.” But despite his words, he crossed his arms over her back to press her closer to him. A moment later and with great difficulty, he loosened his hold on her and removed his hands from under her jacket, straightening her clothes as he went. But her hair was in disarray, her mouth was swollen from their kisses, and her eyes were still shiny. “It looks like I mauled you.” He brushed the tip of her nose and shook his head. “I should’ve been more careful.”

“Soon, we won’t need to be careful any longer.” She raised on her tiptoes and pecked his lips, before moving away.

“I’ll wait in the alcove.” Raphael let Luisa go and watched as she disappeared around the corner. Then he retreated into a small cellar opening on the side of the building, one of those hiding places he had discovered during his visits to the rehab center. The alcove—he had named it such because it sounded better than cellar—wasn’t big enough to stand inside, but was large enough to sit in it and be sheltered from the cold wind.

To make things worse, it had started raining. The cold intensified, and the wind brought the rain into the alcove, soaking Raphael in frigid water, but he had the memories of Luisa’s kisses to keep his mood uplifted despite the adversity he suffered.

Soft steps startled Raphael from his stupor a few hours later. When she leaned into the alcove and smiled, it was as if the sun shone on him. Hand in hand, they silently walked in the shadow of the building and reached his bike. He gave her a second helmet and his spare jacket, mounted the bike and waited for her to take her place behind him. Her slim arms encircled his waist and she leaned against his back.
“Ready?” he asked, and she softly squeezed her hold in response.

The ride back to Rome went fast and they reached the barge at the first lights of dawn. Walking down the marble staircase that led from the bridge to the riverbank, Raphael’s heart sped up at each step. At the jetty, he swept her in his arms and cradled her small body to his.

Her big eyes widened and she blushed.

He felt her heartbeat synching with his and lowered his lips to her forehead to whisper, “Welcome home.” Then he passed the threshold and entered the barge, shaking with pent-up emotions he could no longer keep at bay. Carrying her, he walked slowly, grateful her small weight anchored him to the moment, because otherwise he would have floated away.

“I meant for this to happen on Valentine’s Day, on your birthday…” He couldn’t finish his thought because Luisa pulled his head down to her and kissed him.

Shaking, as he was, tears falling from her lashes, she whispered, “I can’t wait.”

He nodded and silently walked the last few meters toward the small room at the other end of the barge, and to the bed he had made earlier. There, he deposited her on the worn quilt he had sprinkled with rose petals. Before lowering himself to the bed, he took a breath and looked at her, taking in her beauty.

“I love you, forever,” he said, taking her hand in his.

“And ever,” she finished, tugging at his arm so he would move closer to her.

The exhaustion, the hurt, the bad memories, all disappeared as Raphael lay beside her and she smiled at him. “I need you.” His body humming with longing, he helped her shrug off his jacket, then removed his. Then her sweater fell to the floor, followed by his shirt, her jeans and his. Clad only in their underwear, they looked at each other, their hands exploring, their eyes widening, their breaths halting at the same time.

Passing his fingers under the clasps of her bra, he opened it, then lowered the straps and left a trail of kisses from her shoulder to the hollow of her breasts. There, he rested his mouth feeling her heart exploding. His hands moved along her ribcage, skimming over the goosebumps on her skin and making her gasp. When he reached the waistband of her boxers, he smiled against her chest remembering that time in Coin’s dressing room. Hesitantly, he hooked a finger in the band and slowly pulled it down past her hips. Luisa shifted and bent her knees to help him, kicked the boxers out of the way, then removed his with hurried gestures and sought his mouth for a frantic kiss.