𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 | 𝟏𝟖+

LILY

016. BLACKOUT

When I awoke, I was in a warm bed with a massive headache. I wince at the pulsing pain striking my chest, feeling like someone stripped the skin from my scalp.

"Take it easy, Lily," someone says.

I glance tiredly at Royce, who stood a few feet away from the bed in front of a balcony window. I gasp and fall out of bed, staggering across the room and away from him. I spot a letter opener and grab it, aiming it in his direction. "Don't come any closer, or I swear to fucking god, Royce." My chest contracted painfully, and huffs of breath came from my dry lips as my voice wavered with fear.

Royce squared his shoulders, a flash of worry in his eyes. "Amore, I need you to relax. You digested too much cocaine, and your body's in shock." He muttered a curse in Italian. "Just put the weapon down," he insisted.

I grip it harshly, the cool metal digging into the skin of my palm. "Stay the fuck away from me!" I shout, wincing at the bursts of pain spreading across my chest leaving me in a coughing fit.

His right eye started to switch. "Lily, I need you to drop it. Let me help you."

I shake my head in disagreement. "You killed him, Royce. You killed him in cold blood," I whimper, tears fogging my vision.

Royce softens slightly. "I did what I had to do to protect you, Amore. He was going to hurt you."

"Well, if you knew he would hurt me, why did you want me to do this stupid mission anyways, huh!?" I shriek, my voice was borderline hysterical. He didn't answer and just stood there with pursed lips. I laughed at him. "I swear to god all you men are the same," I wince, "I mean, if you wanted me dead, I could've just done it myself-"

His gaze turned cold as he speed-walked to me, disarming me without struggle. He caged my arms behind my back and smashed me against his body. I cry out and shake my head frantically. "Let me go, Royce!"

He shakes his head with a grim expression. "Not a chance, Lily."

"Royce, let me the fuck go, now!" I jerked against his hold, but he only gripped me tighter. He then let my wrist go and wrapped his arms around my waist and shoulders. Royce was ten times stronger then me and the muscle mass difference was obvious.

"Not a chance in hell," he grits.

I let out a quiet sob. "Please," I whisper brokenly, weakly beating my fist on his chest. He took all my hits without a flinch and held me tightly in his warm embrace.

"Why me? Why couldn't you have stumbled into someone else's house? Find someone else's fiancé to strangle." I jab at him and notice how he grunted angrily at the word fiancé. His grip on me softened, and I took the chance to push him away from me, picking up the letter opener again.

"Who the fuck even are you, Royce? Who are you?!" I swing the letter opener blindly at him in anger and frustration. Rage flowed through me, the adrenaline disguising my pain.

"Take it easy!" he demands in a husky tone.

"NO! Tell me what the fuck is going on, Royce. One minute I'm living a decent life, and the next I know, I'm getting caught up in money thefts and sex trafficking. What the hell is going on around here, Royce? What is this!" I practically scream at him in utter frustration. The waves of anger tumbled out of my trembling body.

He pinched his nose. "I'll tell you if you could please put the weapon down. You're going to hurt yourself," Royce bellows.

"Remember what you told me? You said I couldn't trust you, no matter what. So why should I trust you now?" I pin him with a harsh stare, hoping to melt him from the inside out. To my surprise, he gives me a hearty laugh, his eyes squinting with laughter and eyes brighter than just a second ago. I scoff. "What so fucking funny?"