I couldn't breathe.
My mind had one focus. And one focus only. Lucinda D'Amrbosio.
But I still couldn't breathe, couldn't think straight threw the pounding of my heart, and the rapidly increasing panic in it. Breathe, I thought willing myself to obey, She is okay and she needs you calm and collected, letting out a shaky breath I managed to calm down.
Marco pulled the car to a stop just outside the poorly guarded warehouse. I jumped outside, the asphalt pounding beneath my feet as I took in everything. The warehouse was exactly as Lucy said, old, big, and smoking. The rust on its metal surface is evidence of its age, and the poorly done paint job makes the green darker and more blended with the forest at its back.
Wait. Smoking?
My heart did a new leap, sending shockwaves to my brain and making my feet run faster. Marco and Ivy distance behind me, but I couldn't focus on that, not when my brain kept chanting, Lucy Lucy LucyLucyLucy...
The giant rusty door was so close that I could feel myself getting ready to stop any threat. My eyesight was colored red, and ready to fight whatever battle, I had one focus and one focus only, which is why I would have almost missed them, if my mother didn't jump right in front of me, shouting something. It took a while for my adrenaline-ridden gaze to focus on her, and for my ears to listen to her words instead of searching for someone else's.
'Damien! Damien sweetie,' my mother grasped my shoulders and shook me, 'We're right here, we're safe.' She pulled me into her, hugging me. And that's when I noticed the broken tilt of her voice and the harsh gulps of air. My mother was crying. My mother is crying while I'm focused on something else, someone else.
I brought my hands up to her scalp, shakily brushing my finger through hers as my mind just kept repeating her name, Lucy LucyLucyLucyLucy.
Calming my breath I managed to focus on her, on my dad and his worried eyes, and set jawline right behind her, 'Are you both alright?' I asked pulling away from my mother just enough so I could see both their faces. And see every evidence of what happened to them. Bruises marred my dad's face, cuts, and dirt as well. But my mother... she was uninjured, dirty yes, but otherwise fine.
They must have noticed me assessing them because mom turned and pulled dad close to her, making my heart squeeze with the familiarity in the gesture, 'He took most of the beatings. My hero.' My mom whispered, and the love in my father's eyes then was like a punch to the gut. LucyLucy Luc Luc Luc.
'You guys need to get somewhere safe,' I said ushering them into Ivy's awaiting arms, reflex telling me that both she and Marco are by my side. And true to the circumstance they were, 'Check on the baby as quickly as you can and get every single one of those cuts bandaged.'
All of them looked at me then, a leader giving orders, but also a human worried for his family. Because that is what they are, family.
That familiar pang of urgency took my heart, and I turned ready to sprint until a hand grasped mine. 'You don't have to do this.' I turned to my dad's set features, 'Your mother will worry, come with us. She has her people, and your mission is done.'
I straightened, feeling every last word pool in my mouth as I said to him, 'She is everything to me. I will not live until she does, I will not breathe until she does. I am her people, and she has become so much more than my mission.'
Understanding flooded my dad's features then. Understanding, but not acceptance, and the look on his face would have worried me, would have had me explaining everything to him, how much I love her and cherish her, and how she is so much more than the façade she puts on daily.
But a shot rang through the air, and my heart fell, and my breath stopped. I didn't care for my dad's approval then, so I ran. I ran as fast as I could hoping to get there on time, hoping I'll see her there standing and holding a freshly used gun.
The beat of my heart was so loud, that my steps started matching it. And it wasn't until I look that I noticed there were three more pairs of feet ushering its beat. Through everything, we stuck together, through every loss, scar, and pain, through all the smiles, joy, and happiness. It was us, Marco, Ivy, Katherine, Lucy, and I, friends, and a lot more. Because what we had couldn't be traditional friendships and bonds, but it was ours. Our imperfect family.
We passed the threshold and entered the foggy warehouse and my mind went blank. The cold rage urged its way to the place it was before, but a silent promise followed behind it, she was alive, he would know if something happened to her, if he lost her, he would know. He would have felt it in his bones, heart, and soul.
I scanned the warehouse and could barely see through the fog, but somehow my eyes knew where to land, and my feet knew where to carry me to. Their knees on the ground one hand lifted to her chest and the other on the ground supporting her was Lucinda.
She then drops and lays down completely on the ground. My feet eat out the last of the distance separating us, my mind losing all thoughts, all focus. NO, no no no no no...
I stop by her head, giving out instantly I fall to my knees. Instinctively my hand goes to cup her head, bringing her closer to me as I check her pulse, and mine jumps, going a thousand miles per hour.
It's weak, so weak.
I push strands that have fallen on her head and come closer to her, 'Luc. Luc, sweetheart, please open your eyes. Please.' My voice is hoarse by the last pleading, and as the seconds tick by and I get no response from her I clutch her closer, not wanting to let her go. 'Please, Luc. I love you.'
Then as if those words, the words that I promised belonged to her, even when she wouldn't let me say them, woke her. I saw her eyes flutter open, the chocolate brown I have slowly come to love in them making me shudder in relief.
'Hey.' her words were weak, but they were hers. She was still alive, and I need to keep it that way.
'Shhh,' I whispered, my hand cupping her face, 'Don't talk, don't waste your energy.'
My head popped out looking for help, my mind screaming that I needed to get her somewhere safe. In the back of my mind, I knew that it was probably useless, that she's lost too much blood, that she can't recover. But this was Lucinda D'Ambrosio. My Luc, my love, my heart. She was going to get out of this alive.
'Damien...' she whispered, and I brought my eyes back to her. Seeing her breath getting more labored by the second, but still, she looked at me, determination crowding her eyes, and she let out a small smile, 'I love you,' she said, 'I'm sorry for this,' she was apologizing for dying, for leaving me. My heart went above speed limits, above any possibility.
'Please, don't talk. Save your breath, your strength.' My voice is wavering, and I feel my eyes start to sting, everything becoming blurry as I try to fight off the tears, but of no use. Blinking rapidly I let the tears stream down my face, 'Don't go, Luc. Fight please.' her sad smile reappeared, and something like regret in her eyes as well. Slowly she lifted her hand, trembling with the effort, and started wiping away my tears.
'Don't cry for me.' she said, her voice barely above a whisper, but it traveled all the way to my heart, and I swear I heard an audible crack as if my heart gave up and decided that it could no longer live fully, not without hers to match its beat.
Lucy's eyes started falling slowly, and all breath left me, panic seized me as I finally came to the realization that she was dying, that I will not see her anymore. I won't wake up next to her, I won't get to make her smile, I will never have the day where I tremble with fear, but a different kind, the kind where you know change is coming but for the better, and this fear will rack my body all up until I set my knee on the ground and look into her eyes, then all of it would have left, and my heart would have settled, because it knew that having her by my side is everything it needed.
But I won't have that. We won't get to live the life we deserve, because the world is cruel, and it takes and takes until it has nothing to take anymore. It seems it has taken everything it could from my Luc and has left me without her.
My breathing grew rapid as if I didn't know how to breathe without her. She was laying in my arms, blood slowly dripping from her mouth, traveling to my hand that was cupping the side of her face, her eyes were fighting to stay open, fluttering like the little wing of a butterfly. Except this image had no beauty in it, only death and despair.
'Please keep your eyes open, Luc. Please.' I let myself look up enough to see Monte and Ivy standing above me. Pain and grief and regret shone in their faces, I couldn't bare it so I let my gaze fall. 'Marco went to get help, just hold on a bit longer, I beg you.'
And then I saw it, or felt it, in my heart and in my soul as her breath left her and her eyes fell closed and she left me.
This all-encompassing pain soured through my very being like it wanted to tear itself out like it couldn't live anymore. And I let out a scream. I screamed and screamed until my breath was ragged and my throat was yelling at me to stop.
Then I felt Ivy and Marco beside me, Ivy hugging my arm like it would keep me grounded, and Marco's reassuring hand on my shoulder. But I couldn't bare to look at them or look at her. At her lifeless face in my arms, so I squeezed my eyes as tears started to pour more rapidly and I saw them fall on her face drizzle down the side of it, and mix in the blood that was on the ground.
I stared at the blood there, at her blood on the ground, and knew what I had to do.
Slowly I stood up, nothing but the vision of her last breath, and her blood on the ground flashing in front of my eyes as I looked around, searching for the man responsible for this. No, not man. Bastard.
But Amor, or rather Roma, was nowhere to be seen.
Allowing myself one last look at Lucy, I saw everyone around her. Marco looked conflicted like he couldn't quite process what exactly just happened. Monte's face was hard, but I saw the pain etched there, Lucy was like a daughter to him, he cared for her the way her father should have. Ivy was... she was blank-faced, I didn't let myself think much about it, but I did notice what she was doing and I would have questioned it, would have asked a million questions as to why Ivy set a flower on Lucy's mouth, right under her nostril, but I noticed one person missing.
Where was Katherine?
Immediately my heart lept, then settled into a broken rhythm that will be it's normal for the rest of my life. Then I saw a slight movement towards the end of the warehouse, where it branched out to the facilities that Lucien D'Ambrosio added before his death. So more work could be done, Lucy had told me one night when I saw the blueprints. My heart lept again, for another reason now, and then went back to its shattered state.
I moved towards the end of the warehouse, taking the firearm I had on. Cautious but ready to leap, because if the person I see on the other side of the door is the bastard mercy is the last thing on my mind. Then I heard a gunshot, shouting, and feet pounding on the other side of the door.
Without hesitating I ran the last steps to the door and kicked it open, raising my gun at the figure standing in the middle. And it wasn't until the haze of red dimmed from my vision that I noticed that there in the middle of the poorly lit room was Katherine, standing over... Roma.
He was dead. I knew it with all certainty because when it came to the assassin no aim was astray. At the back of my mind I questioned the use of a gun, as it wasn't what she was known for, she was the silent kill type, either with a knife or something more lethal. But I didn't question her.
Lowering my gun I slowly moved toward her. My steps were deliberately noisy so that I wouldn't sneak up on her. Then I stood over his body, the man who killed her, killed all of them—no, not man. The bastard who took everything from me. It was then that I let myself be angry at Katherine for ending him quickly, for showing him that mercy he didn't deserve.
Her breathing is steady beside me, then she said, her voice raspy as if she isn't used to it, to using it, 'I didn't kill him.'
Slowly I turned my head towards her, making sure my voice was not loud I said, 'What do you mean you didn't kill him?'
'Exactly that. I didn't do it.' Her words were short, curt. She then turned back and went to where I came from.
My mind raced, if she didn't kill him, who did? Who had a reason to? I thought back to everyone that was here. My parents were gone, probably at the hospital by now. I saw Ivy, Marco, and Monte standing with Lucy.
'If it wasn't you Katherine,' I yelled at her across the room, turning to look at her frozen at the threshold, 'then who was it?'
Then she moved, she went through the door without a word. Frustrated, I made to go after her, to demand answers. But then my heart stopped, then started beating again, harder, faster, fiercer. I shook my head, shook it until I couldn't quite believe what I saw before me.
'Damien.' I struggled to breathe, struggled to comprehend what was standing in front of me. Who was standing in front of me. 'Damien,' she said my name again, like a plea, begging me to see her. It was her voice, that was what did me, her strong and melodic tune that made my heart leap every single time I heard it.
I started to run, towards her, toward my whole life, to the one thing that could bring me to my knees and elevate me to the skies and the same time. I stopped, not an inch of space between us, and I grasped her face, convincing myself that she was real, that she was here, and that she was alive.
'Luc.' I breathed my heart healing at the words, sewing itself back. Regenerating at the sight of her.
'It's me. I'm right here. Please don't cry.' Her words were frantic, as were her hands as they swiped at the silent tears on my face.
I let myself believe that she was in front of me, I let it wash over every part of me, that she was here alive in front of me, that I am holding her in my arms, and will only let go when she wills it. I let myself smile.
'I love you.' I whispered, just over her mouth, aching to hear the words, to feel them and the way she shaped them.
'I love you more.' She said a smile in her words. My whole world exploded, everything became alive again, and I couldn't take it anymore. I took her lips in mine, sealing our words, our worlds. Because I will never let go of her again, ever in my whole damn existence I am tied to her, and only her.
We're both laughing, elated, 'I'm so going to make you pay for what you did.'
Her face sobered, and she looked away, 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to see that.'
I grasped her chin, making her look at me, and never wanting to look anywhere else, 'You will explain everything to me, every thought and reason and decision you made, and why you made them. I will listen to you, I will tell you how dangerously dumb they were, but I will never doubt you. If you did it, you did it with purpose, and it will not make me love you any less. Only more.'
She smiled, 'Stop being perfect.'
'Stop making me so.'
Our mouths were inches apart when we heard a cough. Both of us turned our heads towards the door, where Ivy, Marco, and Katherine were all standing, grins on their face.
'Wouldn't hurt you to give a girl some credit.' Ivy said, and I bunched my eyebrows and turned my head in Lucy's direction to see if she knew what Ivy was talking about, but I only saw the soft way Lucy looked at Ivy, the way she reserved only for the people she loved.
Lucy turned to give me an explanation, 'Ivy gave me a poison that mimicked death.' I looked at Ivy, and raised my eyebrow, she got the meaning well enough and just shrugged, Blackmail, she mouthed.
'I did not blackmail you.' Lucy clipped out, I chuckled, then she smacked my shoulder.
'Ouch.' I said, even though she barely flicked me. She smiled, that wicked grin, and I smiled back. That's why.
'Don't be such a baby,' she rolled her eyes, 'Anyways as I was saying, she gave me the poison, out of her own free will, which I only asked for as a precaution, I didn't think he would actually attempt it,' she let out a breath, 'That's a lie, I did. But I just thought that I could convince him not to.' her voice got quieter at the end, and my instincts kicked in. I lowered my head and kissed her, just a quick kiss, but it stunned her enough that when she looked up I didn't see any despair in her eyes, only adoration, and love.
'What about that,' We were all startled at Katherine's voice, well all of us except Lucy.
'You talk?' Marco said.
Katherine turned to her, and I swear I saw a slight twitch to her lips, 'I also stab.'
All of us went quiet, and Marco stared wide eyes after a moment and let out a breathy laugh, 'Kinky.' He said, and we all laughed.
Lucy looked at Roma's body, and stepped out of my arms, to go inspect it. Her eyes roamed it, and I could almost see the deviously wicked brain of hers work everything out.
'It wasn't anyone in the mafia. And I can't see the signs of an assassin in any league I know.' Then I heard her make a sharp intake of breath, I was beside her in an instant.
'What is it?'
She looked up at me, her eyes full of wonder, and confusion, that I knew only I could see. 'It was my mother.' Her voice was a shaky whisper as she held up one single bullet as if it had the answers to everything, 'My mother killed Roma.' Then turned back to the body to inspect it more.
I turned towards the others, Monte now joining us, and we all shared that same exact look, that same exact thought. Isn't Coraline Dawson dead?