Chapter 150: 150 ~ Mira
The darkness pressed in from all sides. I was running barefoot down a narrow corridor, the echo of my own footsteps chasing me like a heartbeat I couldn’t control. The walls seemed to close in, swallowing the sound of my breathing. I could hear someone calling my name "Mira!" but it was distant, distorted, like it was being dragged through a storm.
When I looked back, I saw him . It was Jace reaching out to me, blood blooming across his chest.
"No!" I screamed, my throat raw. My legs felt heavy, like I was wading through wet cement. Hands grabbed me from behind, rough and cold, pulling me back into the shadows. I kicked, clawed, and screamed again. "Jace!"
He didn’t move. His body hit the ground.
And then everything went silent.
I woke up with a strangled gasp. My heart hammered so fast I thought I’d choke on it. Sweat clung to my skin, my breaths coming out ragged and short. The room was dark, but not as dark as the one in my dream . Faint moonlight slipped through the curtains, painting silver lines across the sheets.
I didn’t even realize I’d called his name until I felt his hand on my shoulder.
"Mia cara," Jace’s voice was low, husky from sleep. He sat up beside me, his arm curling protectively around my trembling frame. "It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re right here with me."
I turned and buried my face into his chest before I could stop myself. My tears soaked into his bare skin. "It felt so real," I whispered, my voice shaking. "You were shot. They took me, and, and... I couldn’t stop them, I couldn’t—"
He pulled me closer until I was practically molded against him. His scent grounded me. It was that mix of spice, smoke, and something purely Jace. His heartbeat thudded steady beneath my ear, a rhythm strong enough to drown out the remnants of my fear.
"No one’s taking you," he murmured into my hair. "Not while I’m breathing."
His words were a vow that was heavy and unyielding. I felt his hand slide up my back, slow and steady, until his palm rested at the nape of my neck. "Look at me," he whispered.
I hesitated, then tilted my head up. The moonlight caught his face showing all the hard lines and tenderness, a contradiction I’d never quite understood. His gray eyes softened when they met mine.
"You’ve been through too much," he said quietly. "It’s no wonder your mind is fighting in your sleep."
I wanted to tell him that it wasn’t just my mind, but it was the fear of losing him. The fear of watching him walk into danger again and again, knowing one day he might not come back. But the words lodged in my throat.
Instead, I reached for his face, my fingers trembling as they brushed his jaw. "Don’t let anything happen to you, Jace."
His hand caught mine, pressing it against his heart. "Then don’t let anything happen to us."
The silence that followed was thick, not awkward, but charged, full of unspoken things. His thumb traced the inside of my wrist, slow and deliberate, and I felt something shift between us. The air changed, growing heavier, warmer.
I could feel his breath against my lips when he spoke again. "You’re still shaking," he whispered.
"I can’t stop," I admitted.
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a murmur. "Then let me help you forget."
The way he said it made my pulse trip. He didn’t rush me.
He never did when I was like this but the promise in his tone was undeniable. His lips brushed my forehead first, then my cheek, slow and tender, until I tilted my head just enough for his mouth to find mine.
The kiss was deep, almost desperate. It was the kind that blurred the line between comfort and need. My fingers tangled in his hair, anchoring myself to him. His hand slid down my spine, firm but gentle, pulling me closer, until there was no space left between us.
Every breath, every touch, every sound in that room dissolved into something wordless. It was something that didn’t need to be explained.
Jace pressed his thumb to my clit as I moaned into his mouth, feeling the pressure build in the pit of my stomach.
When he slipped one finger into me, my moan escalated into a pleasure filled whimper. I kissed him harder. But then slowly, he crawled down, eyes locked on mine as he pushed my thighs further apart and held my legs up.
His lick was slow and languid like he was savoring every taste of me. I writhed under his touch but he buckled my knees with strong arms so I could barely move out of place.
When he sucked on my clit with that expertise of his I was yet to get used to, I screamed before I could stop myself. I wasn’t long before my orgasm burst through me, having me scream so loud I forgot the walls weren’t soundproof.
Jace came up and kissed me again, fervently.
My hands found their way to his cock and pulled it out of his shorts.
We groaned in unison when his hardness slipped into me.
"You’re so fucking tight," he whispered against my lips as I gripped him tightly.
When the strokes came, it wasn’t just passion. It was two people trying to silence their fears the only way they knew how by holding on tighter.
We moved in sync, sweating, panting, moaning and groaning. He took my nipples in his mouth as he rode me slowly. It was too much. I came once again.
It wasn’t long until he did the same.
And he finally whispered my name again, it didn’t sound like a question. It sounded like a prayer.
~
Morning came with sunlight spilling softly through the gauzy curtains.
For a moment I didn’t move. I simply lay there, listening to the quiet rhythm of his breathing beside me. Jace’s arm was heavy across my waist, his body heat wrapping around me like a cocoon. The air smelled faintly of soap, coffee, and him - a scent that somehow made me feel safe even after a night that had started in fear.
I turned slowly to face him. His lashes were dark against his skin, his mouth relaxed in a way I rarely saw when he was awake. All the sharp edges that came with being Don Romano had faded in sleep. Here, he looked human. Vulnerable even.
Carefully, I traced my fingertips along his jaw. He stirred a little, then caught my hand before I could pull away.
"Good morning, mia cara," he murmured without opening his eyes.
"You’re awake." It wasn’t a question.
"I have a habit of knowing when you’re watching me." He said softly with a slight tease underneath his tone.
I laughed under my breath. "Creepy habit."
He cracked one eye open, smirking. "You love it."
I did. I really did.
We stayed that way for a while, whispering nothing, touching in the small, wordless ways that meant we survived another day. Eventually, he sat up and pulled on a shirt, insisting I join him downstairs for breakfast before Donna Carmela’s caretaker came hovering.
I groaned into my pillow, not ready to get out of bed. "Do I have to?"
"Si. You’ll hurt her feelings if you don’t." He said.
"Your mother doesn’t have feelings."
He chuckled, leaning down to kiss my temple. "Careful, she might hear you."
~
The smell of eggs and espresso hit me the moment we stepped into the sunny kitchen. Donna was already seated at the head of the long table, her robe cinched neatly at the waist, her hair perfectly pinned despite still recovering. There was a spark in her eyes I hadn’t seen since before the hospital.
"Good morning, children," she greeted, voice as composed as ever.
"Morning, Mom," Jace said easily, sliding into the chair beside her. I took the one opposite, still a little shy from the way he casually reached for my hand under the table.
She lifted her teacup, studying us over the rim. "You both slept well, I hope?"
"Very well," Jace replied, unbothered.
My heart skipped. The way he said in calm and deliberate manner. It was enough to make my cheeks heat instantly. I dropped my gaze to my plate.
Donna’s mouth curved. "I thought so. The walls here are rather... thin."
The toast in my hand froze halfway to my mouth. "Oh my God," I muttered before I could stop myself.
She only sipped her tea, perfectly unfazed. "I wasn’t eavesdropping, of course. I simply heard things. Youth is a noisy blessing."
Jace coughed to disguise a laugh. "You shouldn’t be listening at all, Mom."
"I wasn’t. Sound travels, caro." She set down her cup and looked at him pointedly. "At least I know your heart still beats for something other than business."
He smiled. It was an actual, boyish smile that softened the whole room as he reached for more coffee. "Glad to know my personal life amuses you."
"It reassures me," she said. "I was beginning to fear my son had forgotten how to live."
I kept my eyes glued to my plate, praying the ground would open up. My face must have been bright red because Donna gave a small, knowing laugh.
"Relax, cara," she said kindly. "Love makes the house warmer. Even the gods don’t scorn a little passion."
"Right," I murmured, stabbing at a piece of fruit. "Very warm."
Jace squeezed my thigh under the table, smirking when I shot him a glare.
Donna turned her attention back to her breakfast, humming lightly to herself. For once, there was no tension, no talk of strategy or danger. It was just the quiet clatter of cutlery and the scent of coffee filling the air.
I exhaled, the heaviness of the previous night fading into something gentler. Maybe the nightmares would return later, maybe danger was still out there waiting, but for this moment, we were safe.
Jace leaned close enough for only me to hear. "You blush beautifully, you know."
"Don’t start," I whispered back.
He grinned. "Too late."
And for the first time in weeks, I let myself laugh, loud enough that even Donna smiled.