Lady Reaper Reianne Rewritten [COMPLETED]

Chapter XLIII: The Calm

I stirred awake encased in Gio's arms. Night had fallen, casting the room in a darkness assuaged only by the faint moonbeam shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows. A moment after, there was a muffled thump on the bed, and a feline silhouette laze around my vision. Korn snuggled somewhere my torso and purred. I laid my hand on his velvet fur and ruffled it as he arched his soft body and glided into my touch.

"Hey there, buddy. You loving it here?" I whispered, not wanting to disturb Gio's sleep. Korn just purred in response.

Careful not to wake Gio up,  I carefully wriggled out of his grasp but he stirred and tightened his hold of me some more.  He then mumbled something that I didn't quite understand.  

I guess I'm trapped here then. 

I snuggled closer, hugging Korn into me more, and my head partially resting on Gio's shoulders. The stillness of the room was broken only by the steady rise and fall of his chest accompanied by his rhythmic heartbeat and Korn's purr.

At least, tonight, I would allow myself to enjoy this peace, ignore that nervous dread that seemed to accompany my every heartbeat. Dwelling on it too long felt like being submerged in water. Suffocating.

I snuggled closer and breathed Gio's scent, where I was safe. A calm before the storm.  

I shifted, and couldn't help but stare at Gio's boyish face as he slept. His face had not changed much. His bone structure was more prominent, but over all, he still bore striking resemblance to the thirteen year-old boy I played with all those years ago.  I smiled when I realized his hairstyle did not even change.

Now that I got my memories back,  it baffled me that Ran would end up as Gio's bitter enemy. As a child he was aloof but he was not cruel or evil. He played with us. He and Quin seemed to bond over the more nerdy stuff.  Was his change related to the family feud within the Lee family? I made a mental note to research more about the Lee family after this was over.  

Speaking of the Lee family, I had not met any of them during my entire stay here. There was never a visit from a family member. Or a phone call. Gio never talked about them either. Damn.  Just how deep does this family feud go? 

I glanced at the wall clock at the wall. It was already past midnight. Almost twenty-four hours from the bombing of Ran's building. If he was as smart as he claimed, he should have ordered a sweep of his other buildings by now and found the other devices I planted.

Mixed feelings of anticipation and sheer nervousness took residence inside my chest again.  I snuggled closer to Gio for comfort.  

So close now.  I'm so close to finding him. 

"What's the matter, Nyan?" Gio sleepy drawled. I looked up at his hooded eyes.  

"Nothing." 

Gio held me closer and shut his eyes again, the crook of his neck cradling my head. "It's not nothing. You're fidgeting."

He knows me so well, it's unnerving. 

I gulped. "Gio, can I ask a question?" 

"Mhmm." 

"What happened to you and Ran?" 

Gio's breathing hitched. The arms encasing me tensed a little as silence stretched between us. I thought he went back to sleep, but a deep sigh escaped his throat.  

"It's a very long story, Nyan. But to cut the story short, Ran blames me for what happened to his mom."

"I remember her being sickly."