“Here’s one final lesson for you, you never show your enemy your full strength until you have a need for it.” Murder in his every action, Rico advanced until he towered over Raphael. “Consider yourself graduated, pup.” He raised his leg only to lower his heel toward Raphael’s groin.
The most primordial survival instinct overtook Raphael and he moved away at the last moment, forcing Rico to hit the floor hard instead. Enraged, Rico shouted a crude profanity. Raphael shot back up and punched the Red in the guts twice. Raphael’s third attempt was deflected by Rico, who swatted Raphael’s fists away with his arm and head-butted him. Again on the floor and disoriented from the hit, Raphael tried to squirm away, but Rico placed his foot on his stomach and pressed until Raphael stilled.
Removing his foot, Rico leaned down and seized Raphael by the shoulders, then lifted him up like a ragdoll. “I’ve had enough of playing with you.” With the most impassionate expression, he started punching Raphael’s face with methodical blows. “You little scum. Thinking you were good enough to see one of my girls behind my back.”
Dizziness and pain mixed, and Raphael couldn’t be sure how long Rico’s punishment lasted, but he managed to throw a few punches around, and even a kick that connected with empty air.
“Say you’ve had enough.” Rico’s order was followed by an uppercut that hit Raphael to the temple.
A deep-rooted emotion resurfaced, and when Raphael should have considered saving himself, he said instead, “Never.”
“I’ve joked until now.”
“Me too.” Raphael couldn’t see anything anymore. A black wall had lowered before his eyes, but he could feel the Red breathing close to him and he swung a punch.
“You’re pathetic.”
Several blows hit Raphael all over his body, but he still refused to surrender. After losing his sight, also his hearing defeated him. Swimming in a sea of hurt, blind and deaf, he commanded his arms to move in what he hoped were upper jabs. Vibrations from the floor echoed through him. Was the crowd cheering his sudden demise? Wolf snarled, but Raphael couldn’t control him anymore, so he begged, “Please, don’t embarrass me.”
A heavy blanket enveloped Raphael and after swinging his heavy arm one last time, he fell and finally let go.
Chapter Thirteen
Waking up after fainting because of a beating wasn’t new to Raphael. Coming back to the land of the living with a crowd cheering him was a first though.
“You done it again, pup.” Rock’s face hovered over Raphael’s, but was replaced a moment later by Guts’s.
“Follow my finger,” the tattooist and doctor said as he turned on a small flashlight.
It took a moment for Raphael to get his bearings together, but he blinked then focused his eyes on the moving finger as Guts had asked.
“Good.” Guts lowered the flashlight and helped Raphael to a sitting position.
“Raphael! Raphael! Raphael!” Stomping boots accompanied his name.
The fracas was hard on his ears and made his heart throb. “What’s happening?”
“You resisted inside the cage far longer than anyone expected you would, and you didn’t lose control.” Rock appeared again pushing away Guts, in his hand a wad of euros he fanned before Raphael.
“Big deal. I lost.” Blood coated Raphael’s tongue and his stomach heaved. “I’m alive though.” The realization shocked him. He had survived Rico’s ire.
“Not only that.” Rock smiled and pointed at his back. “You stood up to Rico and only went down after he summoned his wolf. He got disqualified.”
Rock’s last words were drowned by another bout of chanting and stomping from the crowd. At Raphael’s frown, Rock said, “You won.”
Collecting his last memory of the fight, Raphael shook his head. “My wolf—”
“Rico’s wolf came out first.” Rock tilted his chin to point at the other corner of the cage, where several figures huddled close. “Tancredi’s delivering his judgment to Rico.”
“No, no, no!” Raphael swore as he tentatively bent his knees to push himself up.
“What are you doing?” Rock placed a hand over Raphael’s chest and pressed down. “Why are you upset?”
“He’s going to take it out on Luisa. I must do something.” Raphael’s eyes went to the walkway, but no one was there. “Where’s she?”
“Lower your voice.” With a finger over his mouth, Rock hunched to get closer to Raphael and whispered, “She’s fine. Rico won’t be able to do anything to her for a while.”
“Why?”
“I’m sure our alpha’s come up with an exemplary punishment—” A commotion disturbed Rock and he turned.
The circle of people standing by the other corner opened and let Tancredi pass through. As the alpha crossed the cage, the cheering crowd became louder and more raucous, and only when Tancredi stopped before Raphael silence ensued. The sudden change startled Raphael whose temples had been pounding at a rhythm with the stomping and the chanting.
“You’ve earned your second tattoo, my son.” Tancredi looked down at him and offered his hand.
After Rock subtly nudged Raphael’s thigh with his boot, he accepted the alpha’s hand. When he tried to stand, Tancredi waved for him not to bother. A second, stronger nudge from Rock prompted Raphael to bow his head. “Thank you, sir.”
The alpha leaned and patted Raphael’s shoulder. “Guts will take care of you.”
The place remained silent for a moment longer, then Tancredi exited the cage and the crowd went wild once again. As promised, Guts was at Raphael’s side and with Rock’s help they half carried, half dragged Raphael out of the gym and into the elevator.
While riding to the fourth floor, Guts hastily assessed Raphael’s conditions. “I would suggest we do your new ink tonight. I’ll drug you up good and you won’t feel a thing.”
At Raphael’s immediate, “No drugs,” Guts raised one hand and said, “You need a strong painkiller.”
When the elevator reached the last floor, the cabin lurched and Raphael didn’t fall on his knees only because Rock’s arms tightened around him.
“I think he should recover from the fight. A few days of rest and good food should be enough,” Rock said.
Guts looked at Raphael, then shrugged. “It’s better for him to get it over with. He’ll probably faint right away and won’t feel a thing.”
“But—”
Raphael stopped Rock. “Guts is right. I’d rather do it now.”
“Are you sure? Tancredi would understand if you asked to postpone it,” Rock said.
The ceiling and the floor exchanged positions as a bout of vertigo overtook Raphael, but he closed his eyes as Rock gently guided him out of the elevator. “I’ve made up my mind.”
Guts bounced ahead in the hallway. “Okay. Have you thought of the design and where do you want it?”
After Guts entered the tattoo chamber, Rock paused at the door and barred it with his outstretched arm to stop Raphael from entering. “Take your time to decide. The second ink is as much a big of a deal as the first.”
“Said the man covered in tattoos.” Guts’s voice came from the chamber.
Rock shook his head. “Don’t listen to him. He’s a sadist.”
“I heard you.” Guts laughed. “But, pup, if you need a moment or two to decide—”
Before the two men would waste any more time, Raphael said, “I don’t need to think about it. I already know what I want.”
With a raised eyebrow, Rock lowered his arm and let Raphael pass. “And what is it that you want?”
Staggering toward the barber chair, Raphael smiled in the dim light. “Two majestic wings on my back.”
****
The next morning, Raphael was in so much pain he could barely stand. Forced to the infirmary by Guts, who administered him all the painkillers Raphael had refused the night before, he mostly dozed for the rest of the day. When he was finally able to remain awake for more than ten minutes at a time, he asked after
Rock.
The werewolf entered the room a few minutes later, his big chest heaving as he strode toward Raphael’s corner. “How’re you?”
“Better than new.” As soon as Rock leaned over his bed, Raphael whispered, “Luisa?”
The Red looked over his shoulder to check where Guts was. The man was working on a table at the opposite corner, minding his own business.
Rock whispered back, “Still fine.”
“For how long?”
“Tancredi sent Rico to solitary. He’ll stay there until tomorrow night.” Rock lowered himself to the small chair by the bed and crossed his arms before him. “What are you planning to do?”
“Nothing.” Lying came natural to Raphael, yet Rock looked at him and sighed, as he usually seemed to do when Raphael was involved.
“I know I’m wasting my time telling you this, but please don’t do anything stupid—”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The words were out of his mouth, but even Raphael had to admit he hadn’t sounded convincing.
Rock leaned forward. “At least tell me what you intend to do, so I can help you.”
The temptation to trust Rock made Raphael open his mouth, but he thought better of it and shook his head instead. “I have no plan.” The truth.
Rock tilted his head. “Yet.” Also the truth.
A crashing noise made both Raphael and Rock turn.
Guts waved a hand at them. “I swear, the tray slipped through my fingers.”
As the tattooist bent to retrieve broken pieces of glass from the floor, Rock stood. “Think about what I said.”
Raphael watched him leave, and couldn’t help but wonder if he could talk to Rock, truly talk to him. But he couldn’t trust anyone to save Luisa, let alone a Red. He also needed to hatch a plan, and put it in practice before Rico would be released from solitary.
Raising one hand over his head, Raphael waved at Guts. “I need some air.” What he needed was to receive news from Luisa, and he hoped she had left a message for him under the ficus tree.
With his hands full, Guts wiped his forehead with his sleeve. “I’m kind of busy to cart you around.”
“I can manage by myself.” Swinging his legs to the side of the bed with more conviction than his aching muscles allowed him, Raphael placed his naked feet on the floor and pushed himself up. “See?” He swayed but was able to control his body right away.
“Hmm. Can’t you wait until I finish cleaning up?” Guts’s eyes went to the window, and Raphael followed his gaze. The evening sky was clouded.
“Isn’t it dinnertime already?”
“Come and gone.” Guts raised one shoulder and sighed. “I couldn’t leave you unattended.”
“I bet you’re hungry. You don’t need to babysit me any longer. I’m fine. I’ll take the wheelchair if it makes you feel better.”
Scratching his nose with the back of his hand, Guts nodded. “Okay, go.”
Two wheelchairs were parked to the side of the door, and Raphael grabbed one by the handles on his way out of the infirmary. Although he had only meant to pacify Guts, Raphael realized he had overestimated his strength and was glad he could lean on something on his way to the terrace. He could have sat in the wheelchair, but preferred using it as a walker. Fortunately, the infirmary was on the same floor.
“Out and about, champion?” The usual guy guarding the fourth floor landing waved at him.
“I can’t stand the smell of disinfectant in the evening.” Raphael didn’t pause his already slow ambling, but steered toward the man. “And I need a smoke.” Thrusting his chin at the guard, he asked, “Do you have a cigarette?”
“Sure.” The man reached inside the breast pocket of his jacket, procured a thin, hand-rolled cigarette, and offered it to him. “My best tobacco.”
“Thank you, brother.”
When Raphael secured it between his fingers and brought it to his mouth, the man reached into another pocket for the lighter. Instead of lighting the cigarette for Raphael, he pointed at the end of the corridor. “You know the drill, go outside or the smoke detector will go off.”
“No problem, I was on my way to the terrace anyway.” He took the proffered lighter and resumed his strolling, raising the fingers holding the cigarette in salute. “Thanks again.” With his back to the guard, he pocketed the cigarette and the lighter inside the pouch on the scrubs.
His father had smoked, and Raphael hated everything associated with it. Having to handle cigarettes disgusted him, but no Red would go to the terrace unless for a smoke and Raphael had to look the part. Outside, the evening air engulfed him, making him shiver. Automatically, he hugged himself and his hand didn’t accompany the door all the way through to keep it ajar. “Sh—” He had closed himself out.
To add injury to the insult, he didn’t see the brick by the side of the door—the one he should have used to keep it open—and kicked it with his flip-flop clad foot. The wind raised the hem of his flimsy clothing, and it reminded him it could get worse still. Eager to leave the infirmary, he hadn’t thought of wearing something over the loose scrubs. Not that he could have covered his back in any case. The prickling of the stigma was etched all over his skin, but both Guts and Rock had told him the new design looked fantastic. Apparently, his winged tattoo had been worth fainting over it, several times.
Struggling with every step, but very much awake thanks to the frigid gust lashing at him, Raphael reached the safety of the greenhouse. There, he pushed the wheelchair to the ficus tree and lowered himself to the ground to check the terracotta pot, but there wasn’t any message tucked underneath the big plate. Disappointment hit him and he sat heavily on the wheelchair, unable to muster the strength to do much more than breathe.
Not quite full, the moon played peekaboo from among the clouds, intermittingly illuminating the greenhouse with a soft glow. With his eyes on the glass ceiling, he looked for the stars, but even when the sky was dark they were hidden by the orange haze emanated by the never-sleeping Rome. Wolf whined a full second before Raphael heard the door open.
“Luisa?” Her scent filled his nostrils.
She ran toward him and he tried to stand, but she was faster and knocked him down to the wheelchair. He couldn’t help to yelp in pain when his bare back hit the hard leather.
“I’m sorry—” Her green eyes filled with worry as she helped him out of the chair. “I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay.” Once on his feet, he leaned to brush her lips. “You shouldn’t have come, but I’m glad you’re here. I was worried about you.”
“I’m fine. I had to leave a message for you before the run,” she said between kisses. “We’ll be leaving tomorrow for Enclosure, and—”
Raphael put a finger on her mouth. “What do you mean you’re leaving and what’s Enclosure?”
“Every full moon—”
“Crap, full moon it’s tomorrow night.” Not that Wolf had been quiet about it.
“Yes, and the whole harem moves to this place, it’s like a big corral for us to run around.”
Raphael had overheard brothers talking about the girls’ separate run. When he had asked for details, no one had told him anything though, because he was a little brother. “Where is it?”
“I don’t know. We’re driven there in closed vans.”
“Who drives?”
“I don’t know the drivers for the other vans, but Rico always drives mine and stays with our group the whole time. He runs with us to make sure we don’t try to escape.”
“There’s no time then—” Raphael hugged her tight and rested his chin on her head.
“Time for what?”
“Rico’ll be out just in time for the run and I can’t let him near you.”
“I don’t know who told him about us.”
“It doesn’t matter. He knows and he’ll hurt you because he can’t hurt me.”
“I’m not afraid of him anymore.” She looked up and smiled at him. “You’re worth ever
ything.”
With a shaky hand, he caressed her cheek. “Don’t say it. It would drive me insane if something happened to you.” Born from despair, the rough sketch of an idea took form in his tired mind. “Who knows you came out here?”
“Just Chloe. She has the keys to the door opening into the laundry room directly from the harem.”
“Do you trust Chloe?”
“I do. Why?”
“Will she say anything if she doesn’t see you coming back right away?”
“If I don’t go back in ten minutes and knock on the door as planned, she’ll come out to check, but she wouldn’t raise any alarm on me. Why?”
The plan was nothing more than wishful thinking on his part, but Raphael knew there wouldn’t be another moment like that, at night, with the two of them alone with immediate access to the external stairwell. “You’re leaving tonight.”
Brought by the high winds, a thicker blanket of clouds hid the moon plunging the greenhouse into darkness.
Straightening his arms, he leaned back to better look at Luisa. “You must be brave.”
She shivered. “I won’t leave you.”
Caressing her back, he shushed her with a kiss. “You’ll climb down those stairs—” He made up the plan as he told her, his mind crammed with thoughts. “I’ll climb with you and I’ll shield you from the camera.” He pointed at the wrought iron spiral staircase. Its landing was placed just outside of the greenhouse, by the gazebo where they had hung clothes so long ago. “Three blocks from here, near the amusement park, between Magenta Street and Vivaldi Court there is an enforcer center. You can’t miss it. It’s a three-story building all covered in white marble. Ask to be taken to RYS. I’ll look for you there.”
Pushing her away from him was more painful than any beating he had ever received. More painful than the tattoo still bleeding on his back. “Never look back. Just run.”
Raphael (The Immortal Youth Book 1) Page 15