Chapter 36

LEIGH-ARI The flight was indeed as long as Lorr had claimed. After our little make-out, I had retreated into the ensuite and freshened up. Raquel placed a neat blue jumpsuit on the bed for me and a pair of flat sandals. I was surprised that she managed to whisk the good stuff in that amount of time.

The events of the morning caught up with me and fatigue slowly crippled me. A pang of headache had me clutching my head after I lost a footing:

“M’lady,” Raquel called out as she supported me and slowly led me to the bed where she gently placed me. I didn’t have to ask, but it’s been a long time since I had my meds, and I even missed the doctor’s appointment. No wonder why the headache was this extra.

eass “I am okay.” I smiled softly trying to reassure her that everything was well. But I really didn’t feel well. It felt like someone was banging my head against the hard metal, loud bells clung in my head violently and the more I laid there, the more the pain grew more unbearable.

Raquel left the room and after a few seconds, the twins came flying with eyes snapped wide open and both crawled on either of my sides. Lorenzo picked my head and gently placed it in his lap, then rubbed the sides of my head gently. Verzi took my hand and massaged it gently also. I was still very much awake, and I could hear everything around me, but my body was failing me.

“She needs her meds,” Lorenzo announced and there was a loud shuffling in the background. Their concerned looks soothed me to a greater extends because it showed that I wasn’t alone.

“Here. This should help with the headache and the pain.” One unfamiliar voice called out and the weight on my right shifted.

“Tesoro, can you hear me?” Verzi asked as he sought out my hand again. I gave him a small nod.

“You are going to be alright. Okay?” He leaned down and kissed the back of my hand. Another pair of hands joined and then a needle pierced me on my arm, causing me to wince at how it bit me.

“It’s okay. This will help you.” Lorenzo smoothed out brushing my hair. I so wanted to laugh a t these guys. I was angry at them to an extent that I found it funny. They stole my life from my hands, forced me to live something I never imagined, restricted me in all ways one could fathom. At the same time, if my heart skips a single beat, they reign hell on everything and everyone. I mean just how contradictory?

Just how could one take everything from you, then come back to treat you like a precious treasure?

LORENZO POV By nighttime, the jet landed in Dubai and our men were already waiting to drive us to Dubai Marina. Ari was fast asleep after the shot and I was glad she wasn’t suffering any longer. I hated it when she was in pain, and knew that I couldn’t take it from her. When I budged into that room and found her limp, breathing heavily with her eyes half-open, I felt like all the air has been ripped from my lungs. I did the first thing that came to my mind, massaged her head in an attempt to take away the pain.

But after the shot, she had succumbed to a deep slumber that she didn’t even make a sound.

“We need to get her doctor here.” Verzi broke the silence in the limo that was stretching to the base. It was just us and Ari, other guys were coming behind us with the other cars.

“The doctor is unnecessary. She needs meds. And someone she knows.” I contradicted. Flying the doctor here was going to overwhelm her, as long as she had her meds, she would be okay.

“Laura.” He suggested, “Exactly. She is her girl, and she knows her more than everything.”

“So we take her to Dark Woods?”

“Let’s surprise her.”

The ride to Dubai Marina was uneventful with Ari sleeping peacefully on the seat opposite u s, tugged neatly in my suit coat. Verzi and I were stretched relaxingly on the seats sipping on our whisky and soon, we were at the base mansion with sleeping Ari scooped in my arms as we climbed the stairs to the bedroom.

Upon arriving inside, I tugged her gently and then exited the room to find Verzi barking orders to Raquel “If anything, anything at all harms even a single hair on her head, you are going to pay with your life and the lives of everyone in your family. You hear me?” Although that was a little unnecessary, I wasn’t going to intervene with how he dealt with ‘his people. That was his authority and his alone.

“Yes, boss. I will protect her with my life.” Raquel stood poised, portraying her power. For a little lady like that, she was one of the best mercenaries of Turantello. Her underworld name was The Unseen. She lived up to her reputation, Word has it that she didn’t even make a sound when she was on a mission. She was fast and sharp as lightning, and never missed her targets. Even when you were running in circles, just one shot, and bam!

Your brains are on the floor.

“Good.” With that, Verzi turned and gestured for me to leave with him.

Tonight, there wasn’t much to be done, the shit was going to go down tomorrow in the noon, and before then, we didn’t have much to do. Our Dubai schedule would be decided after the first meeting with the other underworld Lords.

“Raquel will do a good job at protecting her,” I said trying to calm down the storm that was raging inside him. We were in a dangerous zone, where enemies were staring at us with Hawk -eyes. As the most powerful people in the underworld and business world, almost everyone wanted to see our heads hung on the sticks. And luckily, no one knew our weakness, but now, we had one! And that made us the most vulnerable. Ari may not understand why we were always dragging her with us, why we were practically glued to her. People would waste no time hurting her to get to us, in a split second, they could spill her brains out just to have us insane. And fuck me if that happened, Iwon’tld butcher this whole world and leave nothing in one piece.

“I know. But it is still not enough.” He commented walking towards a long window in the lounge and slightly opened the curtains and peeked outside, then came back to slouch himself on the couch. He was so cautious with everything. True, we were in our small turf, and no one dared to trespass the property, but he didn’t want to bet on Ari’s safety at all.

“What are you planning?”

“I arranged other undercover guards for her. 8 of them.”

“Isn’t that going to draw attention?” It sure would, if someone saw 8 men dressed in black trailing behind someone… that was too much.

“No, they wont! They will be dressed like normal people. Normal clothes and they will keep a good distance from. Raquel will be with her every second. I have 4 mercenaries also.” A small smile pulled on my lips, “That’s enough big guy. That’s more than enough.”

For her safety, I knew he always went the extra mile. Because beneath the rough surface of a badass mafia lord, Vernero was just a normal guy who was head over heels with his girl!