Page 5

Bianca POV

I had no idea how many days I’d been here, but it felt like forever.

Dr. Reed visited frequently. So did Julian. But it also felt like he hadn’t come in a while.

I still wasn’t sure what was expected of me, but as time passed, Dr. Reed seemed happier. My neck and shoulder were healing quickly, but it was the bruises on my arm that’d cleared the most.

But just like before, I was treated differently than other patients. Nobody interacted with me except to do the most basic aspects of their job. The aids brought food, and sometimes a change of clothes. The nurses brought my medication.

I took it. Because if I didn’t, I knew they could force me to. That much had been made perfectly clear.

The hours lagged, and I was staring, once more, at a bare wall when a knock sounded through the room. My attention snapped up in time to see Julian closing the door.

His eyes briefly met mine before he glanced at the untouched tray at the foot of my bed.

“Darling,” he said, frowning. “Why didn’t you eat again?”

“I can’t,” I told him.

Tasteless prison food held no appeal, and I didn’t trust anyone not to try to kill me. Death by food would be a poetic way to die. It was becoming apparent I would have to take poisoning lessons from Bryce.

If I would be allowed to leave.

Darn it, I was even starting to miss him . Glaring at Bryce had been such a fulfilling pastime. And things would be better between us now. He had submitted. I could order him around to my heart’s content. It would be great.

I was losing my mind.

The bed dipped under Julian’s weight as he sat. He paused, slightly hesitant and watchful, before finally putting his arm over my shoulders and pulling me to him.

“I brought you something,” he said.

Titus had spoken the exact words not so long ago, and the recollection caused a pang to shoot through my chest. With everything that had happened, I had forgotten to follow up on his mother’s hairpin. Surely, it was destroyed, and I had made such a scene over it. He had to know.

But why didn’t he say anything when I saw him in the hospital?

I missed them all so much.

I wanted to ask Julian about the others. Not knowing was driving me crazy. But now that he was closer, it was clear that he was upset.

And that was more important than my worries .

“Hey,” I said, grabbing his hand. “What’s wrong?”

He blinked, stunned at my question, but a moment later, the emotion vanished. It was replaced entirely with a serenity I now knew to be a lie.

Something had happened. I was sure of it. Why was he hiding it from me?

Julian pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a white cloth and handed it to me before he said, “There’s just a lot going on right now. Titus has destroyed his mansion, and—”

“Why did Titus destroy his home?” But I was no longer watching him. I’d opened the package to find a small, yellow cake. “You brought me food? What is this?”

“It’s a honey cake,” Julian said. He broke off a piece and placed it in my mouth. “Miles made it for you. And don’t worry about Titus. He’s fine now.”

My lips tingled where Julian’s fingers touched me, and the sweet flavor of the cake spread through my mouth. I’d been ravenous, but how did Miles know my favorite food?

“Thank you.” I licked my lips. “I didn’t realize what it was. It looks different from the way Finn makes it.”

Julian’s brows furrowed. “Finn makes you cake?”

I nodded, holding my hands out in the shape of a small circle. “Every day. He always gave me one like this. It was flat. I’ve never seen one look like a muffin before.”

Julian pinched his nose. “Finn gave you cake.”

My heart jerked. I’d never thought anything of it, but what if this was bad? What if everything was part of Finn’s sinister plans? “Shouldn’t he have?”

“It’s a sign of affection.” Julian sounded put out. “It’s tradition to leave offerings to the fae. Those offerings are normally small cakes, milk, chocolate, or fruits.”

My face flushed. I wasn’t sure what Julian was saying, but it wasn’t like him to speak about Finn without death threats. “I thought you hated Finn.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I dislike him immensely.” Julian dropped his hand as his eyes met mine. “But I’ve recently become aware there are some things that need reevaluation.”

What did that mean?

He watched me as he raised his hand, almost touching my face. He seemed almost afraid.

Before I could question it, his fingers grazed my cheek.

I could barely feel him, but the connection was stronger than anything we’d shared before. And as I watched him curiously, I couldn’t stop leaning into his touch.

“Julian?”

“You really don’t mind when I touch you?” Julian asked, his gaze softening. There was a hint of disbelief in his voice.

I raised my eyebrow in response. Didn’t we already have this discussion? “I already told you… and I still have that word to use if I don’t.”

“But you don’t want anyone other than us touching you?” Julian seemed to be searching for something. I wasn’t sure what, but his question caused a shiver to shoot down my spine.

“N-no,” I answered, my breath thin. “I don’t like when other people touch me.”

Julian tilted his head, and the weight of his attention was almost suffocating. “Why?”

Why in the world was he talking about this now?

“I just don’t!” I snapped. My attention turned to the lapel of his shirt. This was a stupid conversation.

“Bianca.” His soft voice urged me to face him. “Were you afraid of us when we first met?”

I narrowed my eyes. He sure had a short memory.

“I’m not talking about you being intimidated by Titus,” Julian clarified, a smile touching his expression before it vanished. “We were quite forward. Did we ever overstep and scare you?”

My breath caught. This was the strangest line of questioning ever. It was true that their actions had stood out to me. But, even for me, my easy acceptance of the affection had felt strange.

“No,” I told him. I looked away and began to twist the plastic hospital bracelet around my wrist. “I like it, even with Titus,” I admitted in a near whisper.

Julian hooked his finger under my chin, lifting my face, and it was his turn to raise his eyebrow. “Titus scared you. You maced him, kicked him in the balls, and ran away.”

“Because he felt scary!” My voice squeaked. I couldn’t believe we were talking about this. “But it was different when he held me. I wasn’t scared. I was only worried that he might drag me into the Mafia underworld and murder me.”

“Titus isn’t in the Mafia. It’s not the same,” he replied, still watching me, and his face was pinched in concern. “Even so, he would never hurt you. Are you sure you’ve never had a problem?”

What was that supposed to mean? I wanted clarification, but Julian seemed stuck on this touching topic. I didn’t know why he was suddenly so obsessed.

So, I tried to reflect honestly. Titus had held me a lot, and there had even been a time when I had only worn a towel. But…

I shook my head. I hadn’t been afraid. I wasn’t sure how to describe how it made me feel, but it wasn’t normal. “I wasn’t scared,” I told him. “Is that weird?”

Why did he look so relieved?

“No,” Julian said, tapping my nose. “Not if you consider our past bonds. Whatever made you have this fear in this life, you’ve had lifetimes of memories with us. Even if you don’t recollect that connection, your subconscious does.”

What was he talking about? Still, the pressure against my chest seemed to lift. It made sense that there was a logical explanation for my behavior.

And now, on to more important things.

“If Titus isn’t part of the Mafia, what is he?”

“Not Mafia,” Julian responded, breaking off another piece of cake and lifting it to my lips. “It’s more like a collaborative.”

A collaborative . That explained nothing.

But I couldn’t ask. I could only watch Julian with suspicion as he kept shoving food in my mouth. He was avoiding the subject, and I held back his hand after three more pieces. “What collaborative?”

Julian sighed, clearly uncomfortable. “It’s shifter business. We stay out of each other’s work. You’ll need to ask Titus.”

Oh, I would.

Collaborative shifter business that was not Mafia, but was probably the same thing. I freaking knew it.

What in the world did Titus do all day? “Does he kill people?”

“Maybe?” Julian shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never asked.”

He totally killed people.

Even if Julian had never asked, he obviously suspected. Visions of Titus slaughtering his enemies while covered in their blood danced through my mind.

Did he wear a suit while doing his ‘shifter business’? Or maybe that’s what the plaid was for.

It didn’t matter; either scenario made my skin warm.

“Darling.” Julian touched my face. “Titus wouldn’t hurt you.”

I glanced at him in confusion. Was he bringing this up again ? “I know that.”

“Oh.” Julian’s face morphed in confusion. “Then what…”

“Never mind.” It was suddenly difficult to meet his eyes. I wasn’t even sure what had come over me. “I’m tired,” I said, leaning back into his chest .

“Go to sleep then,” Julian replied, patting down my hair. “I’ll be here.”

I couldn’t sleep despite my exhaustion, so we lay together in silence as I soaked in Julian’s presence.

Eventually, Julian was asked to leave. There was a sense of loneliness in the wake of his exit. This was a strange feeling, almost as if I was growing to depend on his presence.

Honestly? I didn’t like it.

I’d grown to depend on people before, and look at what had happened. What if I was projecting my need for acceptance onto Julian and the others?

Julian kept talking about a bond and how everything between us was normal. But I didn’t know much about this person I was supposed to be, and I had no memory of any past lives.

The boys were leaders. People looked up to them, and they seemed to know what they were talking about. They were also able to defend themselves and weren’t scared of anything.