Filed to story: Bring It On My Mafia Life Novel (Rhea & Lukas)
Lukas looked at her closely, thinking hard. He was curious about something, so he asked, “The doctor said you fainted as a result of distress and I know we have not been the best couple lately and that might have stressed you….” He paused, looking at her unsure if he should ask that in her condition, “Did Aziz say something to you to have caused such a reaction, Rhea?”
Proportion
Rhea gulped, did Aziz say anything to make her faint?
Of course, he did!
A lot actually and shocking content as well. But one thing was for sure, Lukas can’t know about them.
What was she going to tell him, huh? That her mother dated his father? Do you actually know how ridiculous that sounded? She wasn’t even sure that Elijah was telling the truth.
He was manipulating Adele, what were the chances he wasn’t trying to mess with her too? All just to cause a rift between her and Lukas, so she could go to him and they both can run away from here or he takes her to her mother as he claims.
No, it was all bullshit… because if it was true, Rhea had a feeling that all of this, whatever she had with Lukas could all go to flames in mere seconds. Even thinking that her mother dated Daniel made her want to throw up. It was shocking, disgusting…distressing.
But not as distressing as that split seconds she thought Lukas was her brother. To think that she was dating her blood, was the worst nightmare one would ask to be featured. It scared the shit out of her.
“Rhea…”
She looked into his eyes, and Lukas was pleading. He wanted answers – one that she couldn’t give.
…..
“Aziz doesn’t love Adele,” Rhea lied. More like a purposeful omission. And Lukas didn’t even seem surprised by the news.
“You knew?”
“Suspected much.”
She nodded.
Of course, Lukas was observant. That was how he knew she was hiding Elijah. It was just surprising how he doesn’t know about Aziz yet and the fact he wasn’t just a mole, but Elijah that he has been searching for.
Then, Elijah wasn’t easy either. He was a master of manipulation and wore so many masks even more than Lukas. Rhea had been ready to expose him, tell the truth to Lukas, and get rid of the suffocating guilt in her chest. But he found a way to tie her hands with an offer she couldn’t refuse.
All her life, Rhea claimed she wanted nothing to do with her mother, but she had been lying to herself, especially now Elijah dropped the bomb on her. Elijah had called it history repeating itself and she was eager to know more. Rhea was sorry, she would have to hide more secrets from Lukas.
“Aren’t you going to do something about it? Chase Aziz away from the gang or something just to keep him away from Adele?” Rhea was hopeful.
She met Adele for just a few minutes and liked the woman already. Aside from that, nobody deserves to be used like that. So she was trying to minimize the amount of damage Elijah did to this family because Rhea was beginning to fear Lukas would never spare Elijah once he found out the truth.
Nor would Lukas forgive her either.
How was she going to solve this mess, it was all so complicated. Rhea was trying to help Elijah here, but the asshole wasn’t making things easy for her either. If anything, he only made her keep things from Lukas.
And did she forget about Daniel?
Rhea’s blood ran cold when she remembered what Elijah had told her. Daniel nearly killed her mother? But why? If they had something in the past – she tried not to gag – why would he want to kill her?
Would Lukas also kill her when he finds out all of the truth she has been hiding from him?
Rhea was roused from her thoughts when Lukas climbed into her bed and she made space for her. They faced each other and her once spacious bed felt like it was swallowed up by Lukas’s frame.
“Adele is a grown, independent woman and wouldn’t appreciate me handling her affairs for her. Neither can I keep Aziz from the gang, he’s pretty useful.” He said.
“However,” Lukas went on to say, “I think Aziz feels something for her.”
“You think?” Rhea lifted a brow, interested in what he had to say. Elijah liked Adele? It was ridiculous. He was simply using her, period.
“I observed them earlier and it’s not a matter of if Aziz likes her or not, I think it’s a matter of proportion.”
“Proportion?” Her interest was piqued and she scooted closer to him to hear him better – and feel him better. The bonus was sweeter.
“Love is give and take, but in a relationship, no matter how perfect it is, there is always one taking more than the other.”
Her eyes widened, understanding dawned on her, “You think Adele has more feelings for Aziz than he has for her?”
“Clearly,” He answered.
His brows contracting, Lukas reached out to caress her face, murmuring under his breath, “Just as we know between the both of us, I would always be the one who gives the most.”
Rhea’s throat constricted and she swallowed hard. She tried to laugh, shake her head and deny his claims, but she couldn’t, not while his eyes held her gaze and saw the truth in hers.
Rhea couldn’t claim she loved him more when she was keeping the truth about Elijah from him. Because no matter how much she denied it, Lukas loved her first and would always love her the most.
“But you don’t have to worry, I’ll gladly be the fool for you as long as you stay by my side,” Lukas muttered, his beautiful gray eyes holding her spellbound.
However, there was a vulnerability in that look that made her chest tighten with emotion. Lukas was like a drowning man asking to be saved, reaching out his hand for whoever to hold on and pull him out, and Rhea was afraid. She didn’t know whether she would take that hand and pull him out, or if she would take that hand and drown with him.
The unknown was scary.
He continued to caress her face delicately as if she was an illusion that would vanish any time soon.
“When I saw you unconscious earlier, I thought you were leaving me just like my mother did. It was so cold and scary and I thought I was going to be alone again.”
[Bonus Chapter] Breathe Of Fresh Air
Rhea didn’t feel pity for Lukas, but rather a knot of anxiety at the thought of the amount of destruction she was capable of wreaking in his life. And the feeling that she might just end up hurting him in the quest for answers made her sick to the stomach.
She covered his palm on her cheek with her smaller one and reminded him, “Well, I’m here, aren’t I?
“Yeah, you are.” He said.
“And I’m not going anywhere,” She promised.
“Yeah, you are not going anywhere,” He would make sure of it.
Lukas smiled at her and she smiled back, his gaze flickering down to her luscious lips and the space became heated.