Devoted (Beneath the Mask, #3)

by Luna Mason

“You can kick and scream at me all you like. I’m not stopping. I will help you, whether you like it or not.” His eyes bore into mine, and I slink away from him. “This–” He points at the shattered glass. “–is not your answer, Rosa. You have the strength up here.” He points to his temple with his index finger and walks towards me.

“I want to help you, Rosa. I really do. But that has to stop. I won’t let you do this to yourself under my watch. You’ve handled the absolute worst of it and you got through it like a boss. Now you have to fight it every damn day, but I will be with you every step of the way. I promise you.”

“Why?” I blurt out, without even thinking. He frowns and lowers his head so our faces are level. It feels like he’s staring right into my soul. “Because I like you. Because I can feel your pain every time we’re in the same room. Although you may not, I see your potential. I want to help you stop hurting. I want you to be able to walk out of here when this is over and live your life. I had my life taken away from me, and I know how it feels to not be certain of who you truly are and where you belong.”

“Come here, little one,” he whispers.

I wrap my arms around his waist, and he pulls me so tightly into him I can barely breathe. His heart pounds against my ear, nearly meeting the same erratic rhythm as my own.

“I want to help you fight this, Rosa. If you’ll let me?” he whispers and my chest constricts. “You have no idea what you’re letting yourself in for, Luca.”

Rosa wasn’t lying when she said she needed a drink to help her sleep. Every scream is like a punch to the gut. I am hurting for her. Last night, I held her until she calmed down and then I fell asleep cradling her in my arms.

A smile creeps up on my face as I hear her light footsteps coming down the stairs.

Those big dark eyes gaze into mine, stealing my breath away.

“Give me the name, Rosa. I need his name. I can make him go away.”

When he touched my face, it was like everything melted away for a second. It’s more than that. It’s his comforting strength and the way he holds me through my nightmares. It’s like he sees me. He just knows what I need and doesn’t falter.

I’m so broken and I don’t know how to fix myself.

i’m hurting for her.

“I-I can’t get it out of my head,” she sobs, pulling at my collar. “Over and over. He’s all I can see. All I can feel. I can’t take it anymore. I just want this nightmare to end.”

“Shh little one, everything will be okay. He can’t hurt you anymore. I won’t let him.”

“He can and he is. He’s inside my head. If I can’t drink, I can’t get rid of him.”

I wrap my hands around her waist and stand, lifting her with me. Like it’s the most natural thing in the world, her being in my arms.

“This is your safe space. Your sanctuary. And I want to listen. Give me your demons, Rosa. Let them out of your brain and into mine. Let me take some of this pain from you.”

And one thing I’ve learned through the years of battling with my own mind is you have to talk about it. I can be her person–someone that will just listen.

“I’m so proud of you. You are the bravest woman to walk this earth. I promise I will make sure he never comes back. I swear on my life.”

I’ve wanted to take Marco out of power for years. But now, I won’t stop until I kill that asshole. His one job in life is to protect his daughters, and he failed.

“You’re a survivor, Rosa. You did what you needed to fight. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Not with me, not with anyone. No one can tell you how to deal with your own trauma.”

“I want to be better. Maybe go back to college and do a photography course. Make some new friends. I don’t know, maybe even get a boyfriend. I just want to be normal, without him holding me back, without living in fear.” I stiffen at her words. Or one word: boyfriend.

“You can do whatever you want to do, little one. I’ll help you in any way I can, I swear.” I place my hand on my heart, and she covers it with her own.

“You are so strong, Rosa. I don’t think you realize your own strength yet. I will always listen. I might not know exactly what you’re dealing with. But I do know what it’s like to be left alone. To fight with yourself every damn day. To feel like you’re suffocating in your own thoughts, that you will never quite be good enough. Watching everyone else around you move on and have these perfect fucking lives and you’re just stuck.”

I let out a breath, and her hand strokes my cheek, making me smile.

“Well, who needs a therapist when we have each other, hey?” she hiccups. It’s the cute...

I rest my forehead against hers. And, for some reason, it feels like home. Something I’ve never truly had.

She is perfect.

She’s shoveling in popcorn, giggling to herself. At this moment, this is a carefree version of Rosa. My cheeks start to hurt from smiling at her. That weird warm fuzzy feeling stirs up in my chest, making me rub it.

I spend most of the film watching her. The way her face lights up, the way her neck bobs when she drinks. The way she snorts when she laughs too hard.

I just like you cuddling me to sleep. You keep my nightmares away.” She shrugs, making a pout with those lips I am so desperate to kiss.

I’m starting to realize there’s not a damn thing I’d say no to this woman for.

I pull Rosa tighter into me and nuzzle my face into the crook of her neck, taking a deep inhale. A perfect way to wake up.

Once I take down your father, the city is mine.”

“It’s me, Luca. I’m here. You’re okay, little one. No one will hurt you.” Then rocked me back to sleep.

“Morning, little one.” His voice is husky as his breath tickles over my head. I roll my eyes. “I’m really not that small.”

A fire heats up in my core, a completely alien feeling that has me clenching my thighs together. I want this man, I just don’t know what to do about it. He would never want a broken woman like me.

“You may or may not have grabbed my dick in your sleep.” “No! I did not!” I gasp. Embarrassment washes over me. My cheeks are now on fire.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry.” I cover my face with my hands. He pulls them away and his lips turn up in a smile.

“Hey, it’s fine. Don’t worry. I can think of worse things than to be groped in my sleep by the little Italian beauty I have in my bed.” He

He thinks I’m beautiful?

As my foot hits the final stair, I stop in my tracks as I find him beaming like an idiot, pointing a massive camera at me. “Umm, Luca, what are you doing?” I tighten my robe reflexively. Laughing, he walks towards me and hands me the camera, a high-end Canon. “This is for you.” “You told me the other day you’d love to be a photographer. So, I’ve enrolled you in an online course,” he says, shoving a new laptop in my other hand.

“You deserve everything, Rosa,” he whispers, sending goosebumps across my skin. “So do you, Luca.” Unshed tears sting my eyes.

“You are going to be just fine, little one. I promise you.” His soft words fill me with confidence.

“I was going to make some hot chocolates. Want to watch a movie?” He shifts his feet and watches me. I bite back my smile. “I’d like that.”

I take a moment to admire him, even when his hair is tousled and the first few buttons of his shirt are undone. Any woman would drool over him, me included, apparently. Who needs Superman when I have my very own right next to me?

“You took the wrong daughter. Eva is much more of an asset to me. I can marry her off because she’s pure. A true princess.” I tighten my grip on the phone, gritting my teeth so hard I’m surprised they don’t crack.

“Wrong answer, Marco. You’ve just agreed to your own death. That was your last chance to stand down, and you’ve fucked it up. You piece of shit.” I cut the call, slamming it down on the dining table. Who talks about their daughter like that?

She means more to me than she does to h...

She deserves better.