Blame it on the shame Part 2

Chapter 33 (Lou-Lou)

I wake with a start and a large hand clamps over mine. Fear engulfs me...until I realize it's not DeLuca but Emilio next to me.

"Don't move," he says. His tone is gentle and his eyes are filled with sorrow. "And don't worry. DeLuca's not here. He went back to Italy."

He rubs his thumb over my knuckles. "You still have a few more hours until you're completely healed." He hangs his head. "You were in real bad shape, Lou-Lou." He pauses, appearing to try and gather himself. "I'm so sorry I didn't get you out of there sooner."

There are many things Emilio should be sorry for, but this isn't one of them. "You didn't know he would do this to me," I scrape out, my throat feeling like it's made out of sandpaper.

I take a deep breath and look around, not recognizing my surroundings at all.

I open my mouth to ask where I am but he cuts me off. "You're at Isabella's apartment."

"What?" I scream as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "Why the hell would you bring me here?" I blurt out, attempting to sit up in the bed. I grimace due to the discomfort I'm still in and I have no choice but to lie back down.

"Because this apartment is the last place Ricardo would ever go looking for you," he states. "You've already been gone for two days and there's a fight scheduled in three days."

"Ricardo wouldn't go looking for me," I scoff. Especially after our last encounter.

"He will, Lou-Lou," he argues. "He's already starting to wonder where you are. In another few hours, he'll go out of his damn mind."

I ignore him because he's wrong. Besides, I have more pressing matters to discuss. "The witch? She fixed me?"

"Yeah, she did."

I try to get up again but Emilio stops me. "You need to get more rest."

"No." I disregard the pain in my ribs and hobble to my feet. Dizziness and nausea barrel into me and I begin shaking.

"I need a moment with her, Emilio."

I look up as the witch enters the bedroom then.

Emilio looks at me. "Is that okay with you?" When I give him a nod he walks out.

"I'm pretty sure I bought us another few weeks," she says.

My stomach knots because although I'm grateful for her help, a few weeks isn't going to matter in the long run.

He's going to kill her when he finds out the spell didn't work. And he's going to kill me when he discovers that I'm not pregnant and I'm infertile.

The witch and I stare at one another for a few moments, an uncomfortable silence between us.

That's when I recall DeLuca's words from earlier. "He killed your family?"

"My coven." She looks down and wrings her hands. "Not everyone, but a lot of them."

"That's why you're working for him? To protect the rest of them? Even though it might kill you?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry," I whisper, remorse flowing through me because I'm the reason her family died and she's being forced to do all of this.

"Don't be," she says. "It's his doing, not yours."

She tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "Besides, something tells me you know a thing or two about protecting what you love."

I sit back down on the bed. "No. I don't."

She frowns and starts to say something but I cut her off. "I don't want to talk about that. I can't—" My voice cracks on the last word and she holds up a hand. "Okay, I understand."

I bite my nail nervously, wondering how to ask the question that's burning my lips. I decide to just get it over with. "Look, I don't know much about mythical beings or anything, but from what I can tell you're pretty powerful."

Her eyebrows furrow and I continue. "And you obviously know I can't get pregnant, so the fact that you're still trying to help me is—" I pause, trying to compose myself. "What you did for me in that bedroom that night was...thank you."

She smiles...until I say, "I just don't understand why you won't use your powers to kill him."

She cups my cheeks in her hands. "Because he's not my demon to kill."

She squeezes my hand. "Sometimes anger and hate can be a good thing, Lucia

She walks to the door but stops abruptly. "And for the record, my power is nothing compared to yours. You're a lot stronger than you think, Lou-Lou. I just hope for your sake you realize it before it's too late."

With that, she leaves.

Her words echo in my head and with shaky hands I pick up my cell phone.

He answers on the first ring. "I'm not agreeing to anything right now...but can we talk about that deal?"