Twenty - Nine

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We walked back to the mansion with casual conversation, Luca changing the subject as soon as he sensed I didn't want to talk about it anymore. I must say, he is very observant, and has the capability to feel everything despite the way he was raised.

He had said goodnight to me at the bottom of the stairs, saying he had more dealings to attend to, then left, stepping into an office and locking the door behind him. I turned my back to him, then carried my tired body upstairs.

The room was frigid, but within minutes of my body touching the bed, darkness knocked me out cold.

***

A hushed creak sounds, the door pushing open lightly. I feel so disoriented, that I can't tell if it was real or if it was a dream. I keep my eyes closed, finding no motivation to open them.

At that, I feel a dip in the bed at my waist, "Beatrice," I feel a hand come to rest on my side, shaking back and forth gently. "Beatrice," it calls again, this time his voice coming more clearly through my eardrums.

I open my eyes slowly, bringing a hand up to my eyes to rub them awake. I peer up at Luca, his eyes mystical and full of adventure as he stares down at me with a wide grin.

"Wake up, I want to show you something," he exclaims, his voice giddy and full of untamed excitement. I sit up in bed, still too tired to understand what is going on.

"Where are we going?" I ask groggily.

"It's a surprise, come on get up and get dressed, I'll be waiting for you in the foyer," he stands and rushes to the door, stepping back out.

I pinch myself once, still unsure if this is reality, but I soon learn that it is. I pull back the heavy comforter, shivers zapping me like a lightning strike. I quickly make my way to the wardrobe, pulling out a random shirt and jeans, donning them with impeccable speed.

I rush out the door just as he did a moment before, quick to walk down the hall and into the foyer where Luca stands, twirling a set of keys on his finger. He leans against the door frame, his leg in front of the other. I admire his figure, taking in every inch of his perfect being. After a moment I rushed down the steps.

"You ready?" Luca asks.

"Yep," I say, "Are you gonna tell me where we're going?"

"Nope," he answers, popping the 'p' obnoxiously, and I can't help but roll my eyes in his direction. "You're wasting your breath asking 'cause I'm not gonna tell you," he asserts as he opens the front door, stepping out into the fresh air.

He jumps off the step with a certain elation. I follow closely behind him as he strides to a garage at the edge of the cobble driveway all the way to the right of the house. With the press of a button, the garage door opens, revealing six different luxury vehicles. Including Ferraris, Jaguars, Lamborghinis, and Porsches.

Luca ignores all these other cars, striding right to a Harley, the exterior a matte black. I stare at the motorcycle with wide eyes.

"I'm not riding on that," I state firmly.

"Yes you are," he demands, "You'll be wearing a helmet, you'll be fine, trust me."

He swings his long leg over the side of the bike effortlessly, adjusting himself on the leather padded seat, starting the motorcycle. The engine shakes the walls, the headlight flickering on to illuminate the whole driveway.

He pats the space behind him, "Come on," he insists.

I stand there for a moment, my heart wanting to go but my brain tells me to stay behind. I have seen far too many accidents in Venice involving these things.

"Come on, Beatrice, live a little. If you lead a life of fear then you aint living," he throws me a racing helmet, and I place it over my head. He chuckles, stepping off the bike to help me clip it in place. He pulls the visor down, making my surroundings a tinted image.

He gets back on the bike and revs the engine with his foot. I kick my leg over the bike, taking a seat behind him, my torso flush against his. I can't help but notice his scent again, the aroma so strong it leaks through this helmet.

Luca reaches behind him and grabs both of my hands gently, placing them securely around his torso, "Hold on tight, alright?"

"Okay," I say nervously, though my voice is muffled.

At that, he kicks the stand up and leans forward, pressing his foot down and lurching the bike forward. We went from zero to forty in a split second, and I squeezed his torso tightly.

He takes a turn on the main road, never pressing the brakes. He accelerates, ignoring the speed limit signs posted every so often on the side of the road. Within moments, the metropolis of Florence comes to view. We race through the streets, other bikers every so often cheering us on as we zoom past them.

"Slow down!" I shout over the wind.

"You scared?" Luca loudly laughs, ignoring my pleas to put even more speed forward.

He takes sharp turns with ease, the bike leaning so close to the ground with every bend that I could touch the stones. I close my eyes tight, my grip around his body even tighter. My heart beats quickly in my chest, so close to a heart attack.

He drives down rural streets, making his way out of the city and into darkness. The sun begins to rise, the sky shifting to a light grey. I take my attention off of the bike and focus on the world. The stars disappear one by one as the sun reaches to the sky with strong hands.

"We're almost there!" Luca shouts, his hair whipping in the wind. Mine does the same, slapping my back with every new gust of air.

Houses soon turn to grass, grass turning into thick trees. I begin to question more and more where he's taking me, but I know he won't say.

My curiosity grows with every meter driven, and it peaks when he takes a turn down a dirt road.

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