LARA:
When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by a soft, glowing white light. Maybe, after all this time, God finally decided I'd be too much for hell and brought me to heaven instead. I shifted slightly and was immediately hit with a sharp, searing pain in my shoulder.
"Ouch..." I muttered. "Wait—if I'm supposed to be dead, why am I feeling pain?"
"Because, genius, you're still alive!" a voice snapped, yanking me out of my haze. I blinked once. Twice. Thrice. And there he was—Mark, looking at me with a face full of worry.
"You do not take a knife for me next time. You understand?" he scolded, his voice hovering between anger and relief.
I just stared at him, dumbfounded. "You..."
"Yes, me!" he cut in, exasperated. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? I thought... I thought I lost you..."
I managed a weak smile. "But you didn't... You said I'm still alive."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Yes, and for that, I'm grateful to every holy thing on this earth. But next time—"
I cut him off, frowning. "You know, you could just say 'thank you' instead of shouting at me."
He rolled his eyes. "How are you feeling right now?" he asked, his face now serious, though the worry hadn't left his eyes.
"Uh... I guess there's just some pain in my shoulder. Other than that..." I looked down at myself, lying snug in bed. "I think I'm perfectly fine."
He narrowed his eyes. "Even now, you're making jokes?"
I chuckled. "How else am I supposed to get on your last nerve?"
He sighed, exasperated. "You're impossible!"
"And you're..." Then it all hit me at once—the memories of that terrifying night. "You... you lied!"
"What?" He blinked, caught off guard.
"You lied!" I repeated, my voice stronger, defiant. "It was you... you're the Devil!"
I saw him wince at the accusation, and something snapped inside me. So he's been playing with me all this time? And with Ana—my best friend? The betrayal stung like salt on a wound. Grabbing a pillow, I hurled it right at his face. "You cheat!"
"Wait!" he said, trying to dodge and calm me down. "What did I do?"
"Oh, what did you do?" I fumed, grabbing another pillow for good measure. "You were stringing me along, playing with me while you were sneaking around with my best friend! I know about... all those things you two did!" The thought of them together burned me with jealousy and fury.
"What? No... I didn't—"
I didn't let him finish. I whacked him again. Once, twice, three times—until he grabbed my wrist, pulling me close, his face inches from mine. I could feel his breath, warm and tinged with that familiar, intoxicating woody scent.
"Listen to me... and listen carefully." His voice dropped to a low, gravelly tone. "Do you really think I'd have time for anyone else? When every second of my life, every thought, every breath, is wrapped up in you? When just the thought of not seeing you makes it hard to breathe? When I would set this world ablaze if anyone dared to hurt you... or destroy myself in a world where I can't see your smile?"
He held my gaze, his words sharp and smoldering. "I don't think you realize the madness you've put me through. It's chaos, utter madness. My whole world dims at the thought of you gone, and without you, everything feels empty. Carnage, thinking of your scent fading from my skin."
I stared at him, stunned. Was... was this his version of a confession? It was raw, dark, terrifying—and somehow, it held more power than any pretty words could.
"But... I saw you on the ship," I stammered, my voice barely a whisper. "The mask, the fighting. How could I be wrong? And if you're the Devil... then Ana..."
He smirked, pulling back and settling into the chair with a grin. "I wouldn't say I'm the Devil... But..."
A voice thundered through the room. "I am."
We both turned, my heart stopping as I locked eyes with the newcomer. My mouth fell open.
"Enzo?"
He walked in casually, a smile on his face, holding a bouquet of lilies. With a flourish, he extended the flowers toward me. "Nice to see you again, Lara."
I blinked, trying to wrap my head around this surreal encounter. "You're... you're Benny? The Devil?" My voice trembled, unsure if this was a dream, a hallucination, or a twisted reality. "Then... who's Lorenzo?"
He chuckled at my stunned expression as he took a seat beside Mark. "Well, you could say that... but I'm also Lorenzo."
I groaned, exasperated. "Okay, someone please explain what's going on, or I'm going to lose my mind!"
"Fine, calm down," Mark said, passing me a glass of water, which I ignored, my eyes darting between the two of them, waiting for an answer to whatever madness this was.
Lorenzo—or whoever he was—sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'm Lorenzo Romano... aka Benny, aka The Devil. And he"—he gestured toward Mark—"is the Shadowsinger. Basically, he's the strategist, the mind behind it all, and I'm the one who does the dirty work."
"Wait... did you just say 'Romano'?" I asked, catching onto the name that sent chills down my spine.
He nodded, clearly enjoying the chaos my mind was spiraling into. "I know, I know... you've got a thousand questions. But for now, all you need to know is... we're not the enemy."
I frowned, confusion mixing with a reluctant acceptance. "I remember... it was Leo Hudson, the business tycoon. He was taking me, Amara... and the other girls..." My voice faltered, and my heart clenched. "Wait—where's Amara?"
Mark's hand covered mine, his grip steady and reassuring. "She's safe. She's okay."
"And the other children?"
"They're safe too," he confirmed, his gaze steady.
I nodded, feeling a wave of relief, but anger quickly took over. "I feel sick knowing her own father... I can't even say it. It's disgusting."
Enzo's face darkened as he walked to the window, his gaze distant. "Leo Hudson is just one of them. There's a whole organization behind him."
"The Falcons,"
He looked back at me, his expression grim as he nodded. "Yes. The Falcons. When we took down Ben, we discovered it wasn't just Boston, or Ben, or Jules involved in this hideous game. There's someone else—a mystery figure, Mr. X, who's likely the one heading this organization."
"And that's when we started digging deeper. Thankfully, Oliver turned out to be useful, showing us enough clues to realize that Leo was one of the heads in the organization." He paused, his gaze softening as he looked at me. "I'm sorry you had to go through this, but I promise—"
"It won't happen again," Mark said firmly, his determination unwavering.
"So where is he now? And Sheriff Hampton?" I asked.
"Leo is being taken care of as we speak, and as for Sheriff Hampton... he's hiding, but he won't be for long."
I nodded slowly, trying to process it all. It was a lot to take in, but I was determined to keep up. Enzo sighed, coming to stand near my bed. "Let's leave it here for now. We'll talk more once you're better."
"Wait, does Ana know you're... the...?"
"No," Enzo replied, his tone dark. "It's not time yet."
I simply nodded. He gave me a final, small smile before turning away. "See you at home." And then he was gone, leaving the room in silence. It was just me and Mark now.
Mark pulled his chair closer, leaning in. "So...?"
I raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly where this was going. "So... you're not with my best friend and secretly cheating on me?"
He chuckled. "Mhmm. And...?"
"And... I'm sorry..."
He took my small hands in his. "Don't be. You have every right to ask me questions. Just know, I was bound by certain... promises, and that's why I had to keep this from you. Otherwise..."
I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through me. "Otherwise...?"
He grinned back, his gaze melting into mine. "Otherwise, I wouldn't get the chance to make it up to you like this..." He leaned in, capturing my lips in a slow, tender kiss. His mouth brushed over mine, savoring every inch, every taste, as if he'd been starved for a long time. His tongue teased the corner of my lips before gently asking for entrance, and I welcomed him in.
We kissed until we were breathless, our foreheads resting together as we caught our breath, soaking in each other's presence. Finally, he murmured, "Let's go home."
Just then, the door swung open, pulling our attention to a panicked Ana standing in the doorway. "Lara... I think... I think I just saw Enzo!"