What We Left in the Dark

Twenty Three

The dream washed over me with vivid clarity, as if I were back at the club, nestled into the shadowy corner with Luca by my side. His firm hand on my thigh was a source of comfort, a reminder that I was safe under his protection. I sipped my drink, enjoying the calm and control of the moment, Luca's steady presence a soothing balm to the chaos of the last few days.

He excused himself briefly, his lips brushing my ear in a quiet promise that he wouldn't be long. I smiled, watching him leave, but the peace of his absence didn't last. Within moments, the atmosphere shifted. A new presence approached the private table. I felt him before I saw him—the heat of his body, the intensity of his gaze.

Giancarlo.

He moved with his signature quiet confidence, his dark eyes locking onto mine as he sat beside me, choosing the seat Luca had left vacant. He didn't speak a word, but his intention was clear. The air between us thickened, charged with the undeniable tension that had simmered between us for years.

Before I could react, before I could decide whether to push him away or let him stay, Giancarlo leaned in. His lips found the curve of my neck, soft at first, testing. The slow, dark kiss he placed there sent a shock of electricity through my body. I knew I should resist, knew I should push him away, but I couldn't. I was frozen, every nerve ending on fire, completely at his mercy.

Giancarlo's kisses deepened, trailing down my neck with a deliberate slowness that drove me mad. His hand moved to my hair, winding through the strands until he had full control, angling my neck to give him complete access. The sensation was overwhelming, intoxicating, as he took his time tasting every inch of skin he could reach.

And then I felt it—another set of lips, another hand sliding back onto my thigh, right where Luca's had been.

My heart raced as Luca returned to the scene, his lips pressing against the other side of my neck. They both kissed me in tandem, sending waves of heat coursing through my body, making it impossible to think straight. Luca's hand gripped my thigh while Giancarlo's stayed tangled in my hair, each of them working their way up and down my neck and collarbone, claiming their territory.

Goosebumps erupted across my skin, and I found myself leaning into their touch, my head rolling back as a flood of ecstasy overtook me. It was too much—too intense, too consuming—and I was powerless to stop it. I didn't want to stop it.

"You couldn't pick one of us to torment," Giancarlo's voice was a low, dangerous murmur against my ear, "so you need us both?"

The question sliced through me, my body responding before my mind could catch up. I felt myself trembling under their touch, my senses completely overwhelmed as the room seemed to spin around me. My lips parted, a breathless sound escaping as I gave in to the blissful torment, my eyes fluttering shut in surrender.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, it was over.

I jolted awake, my body cold and trembling in the darkness of my bedroom. My chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, my skin still tingling with the ghostly sensation of their lips, their hands. But the room was empty, and I was alone.

I sat up in bed, pressing a hand to my racing heart as I tried to ground myself, the remnants of the dream still lingering like a shadow at the edge of my mind. It had felt so real—too real—and the realization of what I had just experienced left me shaken.

Against all my better judgment, I didn't know what—or who—I wanted anymore.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady myself. I had never felt this conflicted, never been pulled in two directions with such force. Luca was safety, control, and reassurance. Giancarlo was danger, chaos, and passion. Both of them stirred something deep inside me, something I couldn't ignore no matter how hard I tried.

But I wasn't with either of them. Not really.

I pressed my palms to my eyes, willing the dream to fade, willing my mind to stop spinning. How had things gotten so complicated? How had I let myself fall into this mess, caught between two brothers who each had their own claims on me?

Luca cared for me—I knew that. He had proven it time and again. But Giancarlo... he awakened something darker, something I didn't know I craved until now. Something I didn't know if I could resist.

You couldn't pick one of us to torment, so you need us both?

The words echoed in my mind, and I swallowed hard, trying to push them away. But they wouldn't leave. Because deep down, I knew there was some truth to them. I was caught between two forces, each pulling me in different directions, and I didn't know how to escape.

Or if I even wanted to.

I took a deep breath, glancing at the clock on my bedside table. It was early—too early to make sense of anything. But one thing was certain: I had to face both Luca and Giancarlo soon. And after the events of the last few days—and that dream—I wasn't sure I was ready for what that would mean.

With a shaky breath, I leaned back against the pillows, trying to calm the storm brewing inside me. But sleep wouldn't come. Not after that. Not when the lines between desire, loyalty, and fear had been so thoroughly blurred.

I stared up at the ceiling, my thoughts tangled in the impossible web of emotions that had taken hold of me. And I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning—that the real storm was yet to come.