Page 18 of High Stakes and Soulmates (Fanged Mistakes #3)

When the day stretches on into night, Lorenzo leaves me to meet up with some of the others heading to the tavern.

It becomes impossible to read without relying on a flame, so I sit for a minute longer before deciding that I’ll call it a night.

I get up and grab my bag an instant before I get an uneasy feeling.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand as I suddenly look behind me.

It’s so dark, I can’t even see anything, but something tells me it’s there.

I reach into my bag, but all I have with me is a knife.

I draw it out and begin to back up toward the more populated part of the city.

“You must be Ezio,” a voice says a moment before a man steps out of the darkness. “I’m impressed.”

“By what?” I ask, confused who this man is and what he even has to be impressed about.

The way he dresses immediately tells me he’s of a higher class and not some thief come to pick a fight with me. The people in the town still mistakenly believe we’re here for a rest on our travels. A few of the guys sell shit in the market to keep up the ruse.

“I’m Louis,” he says, not looking at all like I expected him to. I guess I assumed he was Italian, having set up such a large empire here, but he’s clearly not, though I can’t quite place his accent, having never ventured far enough to do so.

And I realize that I’m looking at the very man who is holding the love of my life captive.

I know Arturo told me that Louis is aware of me, but I don’t know to what extent. I’m uncertain if I should ask him about Arturo because I’m afraid of getting him in trouble. Or should I simply execute him where he stands and collect Arturo and flee the country?

“I assume you’re waiting here for Arturo? My poor boy was mugged earlier in the week while making a run to a nearby city. I think he got kind of lax, seeing as you often did runs with him and he wasn’t keeping his eyes out for what might be lurking in the dark.”

“What happened to him?” I ask, anxious.

“Nothing to fret about. Do you want to see him?”

There’s something about this man that tells me that he’s not safe. There’s something about him telling me that I should turn away and go back to my brother, but I can’t keep myself from nodding. “Yes, please.”

“Come along then,” he says.

“Should I grab my horse?”

“No, I have a carriage.”

Everything in my body is telling me that I should not follow this man, but I can’t stop worrying about Arturo. So I find myself walking away from the safety of the city and into the dark. He very well could be taking me out to kill me, but I care more about Arturo than I do about my own life.

He leads me to a carriage hooked to two dark bay horses and driven by a man who never even looks my way. Louis waves me in and follows after me. I sit, but my hand is still on my bag, ready to grab my knife the very second he tries anything.

“Arturo’s been such a different person since he met you,” Louis says.

“He rushes to get his work done and runs out the door with a smile on his face. It’s nice seeing so much delight coming from him.

He doesn’t have many people around here who he’s close to.

I kept asking him how fantastic you must be that he thought he could skip work to spend time with you.

When he told me the two of you sit under a tree and read, I had to chuckle.

Of all the things he could choose to do, he picks reading.

” He laughs as he leans back and pulls the curtain aside to look out the window.

The moon is only a sliver, resulting in darkness that spreads out for miles, so I’m not quite sure what he could even be seeing out there.

“You’re not much of a talker, Ezio.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“Tell me about yourself. A traveling trader, I hear?”

“Yes. My brother and I often deal in trading. We take a pause through the winter, focusing on smaller trades. But with the port nearby, we’ve been taking odd jobs moving things from the port to other nearby cities where we’re paid by merchants who don’t have the means to transport.”

“You often take such long breaks? You’ve been here what? Six months?”

“No, admittedly, this is the first time. I think my brother and his crew have fallen in love with the local life and he’s even talking about buying a home here.

We haven’t had a lack of business, either, with the main trading port just a short jog from here.

Honestly, the pay has been better than what we saw traveling. And the life is significantly easier.”

“And what would you do if he does? Would you stay as well?”

“I would love to,” I admit.

“Because of the city or because of my Arturo?”

I hate that word. “My” like he owns him. Only Arturo can claim ownership over himself. “It’s a beautiful city and fun company.”

“I see,” he says as he watches me closely.

The sound of the horses’ hooves changes, telling me we’re nearing the estate as the dirt road turns to cobblestone.

The driver pulls right up to the front of the large building before someone opens the carriage door.

Louis gets out first and I follow him, feeling very much like an animal walking into a trap.

He leads me up to the estate where the door is opened for him.

“Should I get something for your guest?” a woman asks.

“He’s here to see Arturo,” Louis says simply and leads me down a long hallway. He doesn’t knock; instead, he pushes the door open and waves me inside. “Here you are.”

Arturo is sitting at a desk, but when he hears the door open, he looks over at me.

Shock lines his face and none of it seems to be good.

After not seeing him for nearly three weeks, my dreams of rushing forward and gathering him up in my arms are shattered by this man behind me.

I can tell Arturo doesn’t want me here. I can tell I’ve fucked up by letting Louis bring me here.

I’d promised Arturo that I would never come to the estate, but when I didn’t know how he was, how could I just walk away from an opportunity to see him?

“W-What is he doing here?” Arturo asks as he stands up, and I see the right side of his face which had been hidden by shadows.

Bruises mar his beautiful face and his eye is swollen.

His arm is wrapped and held against his torso, and I want to destroy the monster who hurt him.

I know Louis said that he’d been mugged, but I fear the man standing in the room with us is the one who did it.

“He was waiting for you. Are you not excited to see him?” Louis asks.

The carefree man I’m used to interacting with seems reserved and distant. “I… am. He was gone a while. But I just… I… sir… he’s with the army. Isn’t that interesting? A secret, though.”

Louis chuckles as I stare at Arturo, confused why he’d tell this man that. He swore to secrecy and now he just gives that information up without questioning? It could fuck everything up if that gets out.

“That… That can’t get out. That was… not supposed to get out,” I say anxiously.

“I see,” Louis muses. “I suppose he doesn’t really look much like a trader, now does he?”

“Please, sir, that can’t get out,” I reiterate.

“Do you think Arturo would have told me if he was afraid it’d get out? Of course not. Do you not trust him?” he asks as he reaches up and gives my back a smack. “Go on now. Read your books together or whatever it is you claim you do together.”

And with that, he shuts the door.

Arturo holds up a finger, shushing me, his eyes fixated on the door like there’s a monster outside of it. After a long moment, he finally takes a deep breath. “You need to go.”

“I wanted to see you.”

“I know. I want to see you too, but you can’t be here.”

“Why?” I ask. “What’s going on here?”

He gives me a smile, like he thinks his forced smile can trick me. “Nothing. Nothing to be concerned about, but you need to go. Please go. Please.”

I can hear the pain in his voice, and it stirs something inside of me. Something I’ve never felt before. Slowly, I walk up to him, and I lower my lips until they’re close to his ear. “I can kill him.”

Arturo grabs my head in his hand and the look on his face shows absolute devastation.

“No… you can’t. He is a monster beyond your wildest imagination.

Beyond your fears. It doesn’t matter how good of a fighter you are; you would not be good enough.

He’s something beyond whatever hell you can think up.

Please believe me. Knowing you’re in the army, he’ll stay his hand.

He won’t be so reckless. So please, be careful. ”

“Did he hurt you?” I ask. “Was he the one who did this?”

“I caused this.” His fingers tighten on my cheek. “Have I ever asked anything from you?”

“No.”

“So I beg you. Please, protect yourself from him. Do not fuck up or he’ll tear us apart. Maybe I can see you tomorrow, but you’re not safe here.”

“Neither are you.”

“I’ve lived over twenty years here. I’m safe enough,” he says as he kisses me. “I love you, and if you love me, you’ll leave.” He picks up a book and hands it to me. “Here is the book you wanted.”

“I didn’t ? —”

“Did you already forget? I suppose it has been weeks already,” he says, and his tone tells me to take the book and leave as he asked. “It was good seeing you. Have a wonderful night.”

Arturo kisses me again and I feel like it’s not enough. It’s not enough to just turn from him when he’s hurt, when he plainly needs help. But I’m pushed out the door that shuts behind me.

I hold the book to my chest and my bag in my hand. Just because he fears the man doesn’t mean I have to. Arturo knows I’m in the army, but does he know the lengths I’ve gone? Can this aristocratic asshole really be something to fear that someone like me couldn’t kill?

I slide my hand into my bag, feeling the smooth handle of my knife as I reach the large foyer where I find that Louis is still standing.

And despite knowing that all I need to do is simply stab him between the ribs when I walk by him, I remember that chill I’d felt as he’d come out of the darkness and over to our tree.

I drop my hold on the knife and sling the bag onto my shoulder.

“Well, that didn’t take long,” he comments.

“I didn’t want to bother him in the state he’s in, but I got the book he promised to let me borrow. I really appreciate you letting me see him.”

“Of course,” he says with a smile. “I hope you enjoy your book. Feel free to come back when you’ve finished that one. The door is always open.”

“Thank you,” I respond, knowing there’s a reason why it’s “open” to me and that very reason terrifies Arturo.

“My driver will take you home.”

Louis waves me to the carriage that awaits and I get in, alone this time. It’s dark, so I wait until I’m back in my room to open the book to see that there are multiple letters tucked into it.

To my treasure,

You’ve only been gone a day, but I feel like it’s been weeks.

How have you made me so sappy? I’m confident that I am a strong man who can make it more than a day without seeing you.

I guess I just didn’t realize how repetitive my life had become.

You offer me a life I never expected I’d have.

And even though I know this is just temporary, I can’t help but let myself get swept up into this.

You’re going to read this and think, “Does he realize I haven’t even been gone a day at this point?

” Don’t laugh at me. I’m already laughing at myself.

I hope that even after you move from this place, we can write each other every day.

And then someday, you’ll come back here.

I want to make a home for you. A life together.

I’ve always been a realist. I’m well aware a life together isn’t as easy as it sounds, but a man can dream.

And right now, you’re my dream. I just hope I don’t have to wake up.

All of my love,

Arturo

He must have written me a letter every single day, and I cherish every single one of them.

And I make myself a vow that I’ll get him out of that hell if it’s the last thing I do.