His dark eyes narrowed slightly. “The city?”
“Yes, the city. I can’t breathe here, Raffaele. I just… I need a break from all of this.” I hated showing weakness in front of him, but it was the truth. Ever since our first visit to his penthouse, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
He studied me, as though trying to read the thoughts I wasn’t willing to voice. I braced myself for a fight, for him to dismiss me, to remind me of the rules of our fucked-up arrangement.
Instead, he let out a slow exhale and leaned back in his chair. “Pack a bag. We leave in an hour.”
“Just like that?”
His lips quirked into the faintest semblance of a smile. “Yes, Vivian. Just like that. You want to see the human world again. I’m giving you that.”
Suspicion clawed at me, even as relief washed over me. “It doesn’t seem like your style. Giving in to what I want.”
“Let’s not confuse this with generosity,” he said, his tone cool but not unkind. “Call it efficient multitasking. I need to be in the city anyway.”
I didn’t believe him for a second, but I didn’t press. “Thank you,” I muttered as quietly as I could manage.
His expression shifted slightly, the sharp edges softening and the tension in his jaw loosening. The bond thrummed, but it was softer than the usual storm of anger and lust that tethered us together.
The drivefrom the Veil tear to Raffaele’s penthouse was surprisingly quiet. Raffaele focused entirely on the road, hisprofile sharp against the glow of the dashboard lights. I watched him out of the corner of my eye.
Raffaele had so much control over my life, over everything I did. It infuriated me, and yet, I couldn’t deny the way my body responded to him, the way my emotions twisted in his presence. I hated it. I hated him. And yet, some part of me felt safe when he was near. It didn’t make sense, and it was driving me insane.
By the time we parked the car, I was practically vibrating with nerves. I wanted the comfort of the human world, but it was bittersweet at the same time because it made me miss what I’d lost: freedom, normalcy, Will.
Raffaele turned to me when he’d killed the engine. “Come on. We’re taking a walk.”
I frowned. “A walk? I thought we were going to your apartment.”
“We are. Eventually.” He got out of the car.
With a huff, I followed him, the heels of my boots clicking against the concrete as I struggled to keep up with his long strides. The city air hit me as soon as we exited the garage, crisp and alive with the sounds of honking horns, distant laughter, and the hum of humanity. I breathed it in deeply, my tightness in my chest loosening for the first time in what felt like days.
Raffaele slowed his pace, glancing over at me. “Better?”
“Yeah,” I admitted reluctantly.
The corners of his mouth twitched as he led me down a quiet street lined with twinkling lights strung between lampposts. It felt surreal, almost dreamlike, and for a moment, I forgot about the darkness that always hovered between us.
“Why did you really bring me here? You could have left me at the estate while you did whatever you needed to do in the city.”
He glanced at me. “Because you asked.”
I stopped walking and stared at him. “You don’t strike me as the type to just do what someone asks. Not without an ulterior motive.”
He turned to face me fully, a guarded look in his eyes. “Maybe I’m not as predictable as you think.”
“That’s not an answer.”
He took a step closer, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “You needed this,” he said simply. “And I needed to be here. It’s as simple as that. Stop making things more complicated than they need to be.”
The bond pulsed between us. He was calm, steady, and maybe just a little protective. It caught me off guard, but I let it go. Nodding, I fell in step beside him once more.
The city pulsed with life around us, an electric current I hadn’t realized I’d missed until I was immersed in it again. New York was undeniably different than New Jersey, but it was a hell of a lot closer to home than The Below. People swarmed the sidewalks, some moving with hurried purpose, others strolling lazily as if they had all the time in the world. Conversations overlapped, a constant hum against the backdrop of honking cabs and distant sirens. Neon signs flickered above bodegas and corner stores, their garish colors casting fractured reflections onto rain-slicked pavement. The air smelled of damp concrete, exhaust, and the greasy allure of food carts.
I pulled my coat tighter around me to stave off the cool air nipping at my skin. Raffaele’s mood wasn’t full of the stormy dominance he usually carried. It was more reflective and quiet.
“Miss it?” he asked softly, almost tentatively. I wasn’t used to this tone from him. I was used to his clipped commands, his barbed words meant to intimidate.
