Bleeding Through the Veil of Scars

𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙽𝚘𝚠 𝚆𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙽𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢

THE PLAN WAS SIMPLE ENOUGH: PLAY NORMALLY, KEEP UP THE CHARADE, AND THEN, WHEN THE TIME COMES, SLIP OUT OF HERE.

Nothing could help me feel the heavy weight of what we were about to do.

If Grandma Bianca's men were to get wind of our scheme, it might turn out to be a nightmare disguised as a vacation.

Still, the thought of being imprisoned on Teodoro island under constant surveillance was claustrophobic.

In removing myself from the drama and play-acting, Lucien appeared to understand it far better than anyone else did.

I gazed at him as we walked down a path toward the water. He looked almost tranquil, but I knew better.

In all that cool mask, he was as tightly coiled as I was. We'd danced all day, straining our perceptions of perfect, loving couple to show Nonna's boys what they so desperately wanted to see - us in love, connected to the very soul, ready to provide her with those great-grandchildren she nagged us about constantly.

The beach lay out before us, the sun beginning to set toward the horizon.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a few locals in the distance lounging around. There was even laughter that came with the carry of waves.

Lucien and I looked at each other.

This is it.

We hit the shoreline, kicked off our sandals, and my toes sank into cool sand. "Ready?" I whispered, barely above a whisper.

He nodded. "Follow my lead," he said.

We waded into shallow water so I could see Bianca's men lying nearby, not paying too much attention.

That was good; we'd spent the whole day putting on the show they wanted and now were relaxing because they'd assumed we were simply enjoying the beauty of the island.

Lucien turned to me, reaching for my waist as we splashed around in the water. "Have to make this look real," he muttered under his breath.

I nodded, my heart pounding. We were pretty much surrounded by Grandma's eyes, and even if they seemed lazy, one wrong move could give us away.

I wrapped my arms around Lucien's neck, laughing lightly, genuinely, as he twirled me around. So far, none of the guards seemed suspicious; our act was working.

I leaned in closer to his ear, my lips nearly touching. "When do we move?" I asked quietly.

"Soon," he said, speaking in a low, steady voice. "Just a few more minutes. Let them think we are just two lovebirds enjoying the water."

We played in the water a little while longer, keeping up the charade, but that adrenaline was flowing through my veins like crazy.

I scanned around the beach, keeping my focus at the corner of my eye for a flicker in the behavior of the guards.

They didn't appear to have stirred; they were just lounging there, chatting amongst themselves. One of them had even dozed off. How fabulous.

Lucien pinched my hand: time. I turned and followed his gaze to the waterjets queued up beside the dock.

We just had to get to them without drawing any attention.

I pushed myself closer to him, another laugh falling from my lips, sounding more carefree than I felt inside.

"Let's take one of those out for a spin,"

I proposed loudly enough for those people around us to hear, making it sound like just now the idea had come into my mind.

Lucien smirked, playing along. "Good idea."

My heart was pounding against my chest, as we approached the waterjets, walking as if interested in one another, headed for our supposed destination.

Now or never. I glanced around to get a final look back at the guards, barely believing what my eyes were seeing.

They were totally engrossed in their own conversation and looked away from both of us.

Lucien hoisted himself up onto one of the jets and motioned for me to swing on behind him.

By the time I straddled the seat and wrapped my arms around his waist, I would barely hesitate to remind myself that this was probably a terrible idea. My heart quickened with the excitement of the adventure we were on.

"Are you ready?" he asked with a half-excited, half-nervous tone.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied in a whisper, tightening my grip on him.

Then he flicked his wrist to life, the engine roaring on and shooting forward through the water-slicing through it, the wind ruffled through my hair as salty spray from the ocean misted my skin.

We were moving fast-fast-faster than I had anticipated and couldn't help grinning at the sheer force that was propelling us along.

But as we sailed further and further into the sea, the island dwindling behind us, the thrill of freedom set in.

"How far do you think we'll get before they notice?" I screamed above the hum of the motor.

Lucien glanced back at me with a gleam of mischief in his eyes. "Let's hope they keep their minds on the conversation for awhile. We're doing well."