*Bianca*
I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked over my paper. I was determined to get a passing grade. Heck, I was shooting for an A but I told myself that I wasn’t going to be overly disappointed with myself if I got at least a C. That was apparently the best I could hope for in this class.
This ti, I was determined to take my ti and make sure my professor had no reason to mark down. I spent countless hours on this one paper, the longest I had ever spent on an assignnt.
I combed through each sentence, chipping away at each one until they were flawless and free of any kind of grammatical error. I sent it to Amara, Isabella and Taylor, having each of them edit it. It has gone through multiple passes now and I was positive it was as perfect as could be.
I shut my laptop tiredly, leaning back against the couch cushions and letting my eyelids fall shut. My eyes were burning. Probably didn’t even blink as I worked on that last round of edits. It still had one more test to pass though before I submitted it.
Leo was the best writer I knew. He was so articulate and knew how to get a point across. He wasn’t just succinct, he was persuasive and was extrely gifted when it ca to forming and backing up an argunt.
If he looked over my paper and signed off on it, I would be more than confident that I could get a decent passing grade, even with this hardass professor.
There was no telling how late Leo would be ho tonight but I was prepared to wait for him. I really wanted him to look at this paper before I turned it in the next day.
I was trying to be optimistic. I didn’t want to wallow in self pity anymore. My friends were all telling not to obsess over this, that if I didn’t pass the class, I could just take it with another professor.
I didn’t expect them to understand why I wanted to do well in this class. Maybe it was because going for this degree was proving to myself that even if everything around changed, I wasn’t going to change.
Being a mother was going to make different. I knew that but my core self would still be there. The woman who wanted to make sothing of herself and help people would still be there. I didn’t want to forget about her. She wanted to shine.
I think I was too stubborn to just take the easy way out and just take this class with another professor. I didn’t want to let this cruel man win. He chose the wrong person to ss with and I was going to make sure he felt that.
I had been starting to doze off when the front door of the compound burst open. I scread when n ca barreling in. I jumped up, preparing to run to the safe room when I caught sight of the red staining their clothes but cald imdiately when I recognized them as our n.
I couldn’t be relieved though. It only took another half-second for to recognize that sothing was very wrong with them. They were clearly injured but there was sothing strange with the way they were walking. They looked dead inside as they stared straight ahead, each one supported by one of their fellow Valentino mbers.
My chest clenched with worry as I started to lead people to the infirmary we had built into the compound. Once they were situated and were getting their wounds tended to, I rushed back out to the front room, waiting anxiously for Leo, hoping and praying that he wasn’t hurt.
I almost cried with relief when my fiance ca stumbling through the door, Darion’s arm draped over his shoulder.
My eyes rounded in horror when I saw the state that he was in. He had that sa dead stare as the others. He has angry, bloody scratches all over his face. His fingertips were stained blood red as well.
What the hell happened?
“Leo!” I cried out, rushing up to them. “Darion, are you alright? What happened?” I went to Darion’s other side, preparing to put his other arm around my shoulder to help Leo support him but my fiance jerked the other man away from , stepping out of reach.
“Stay back, Bianca,” he told sternly, already pulling Darion down the hall to the infirmary. “It isn’t safe. Darion isn’t himself.”
My eyebrows flew upward and I stared in shock. It was easy to see that Leo was telling the truth. Darion didn’t even seem to realize where he was. He was staring straight ahead and muttering incomprehensibly to himself.
Sothing was wrong with his mind.
“What can I do?” I asked, feeling helpless. I looked to Leo, my concern doubling. “Are you alright?”
Leo nodded, but his expression was as hard as stone. “I’m completely fine,” he assured .
He turned to head down the hall with Darion and put up a hand when I moved to follow him. "Let deal with so stuff after I make sure this one gets his wounds tended to. Please do a huge favor and go up to our room and wait for . I’ll be up in a little while."
Anger flashed through . "You can’t treat like a child, Leo," I snapped. "Let help. I’ve nded people before."
Impatience glinted in Leo’s eyes. "This is different Bianca," he told . "Please just do as I say. Just this once."
I hesitated, not wanting to be sent to my room like a little kid but one more look at Darion made realize that Leo had a point. Sothing was clearly wrong with Darion, sothing that went deeper than physical injuries.
Reluctantly, I did as my fiance asked, telling myself that this wasn’t about and that he really was just looking out for and for his mbers.
I nodded and turned to go up the stairs, taking them two at a ti. I flung myself onto our bed, feeling more than a little anxious now. Here I had been working innocently on my paper and all that I could think about was making it as polished as possible so that I could get a passing grade. anwhile, the guys who were like family to my fiance were in yet another stage of crisis.
I had been obsessing over my own issues, which seed pretty major at the ti but now they felt miniscule when compared to what the n were going through downstairs.
About a half hour later, Leo gently pushed the door open, as if I was so wild animal that would be frightened if he ca in too quickly.
“Are you alright?” he asked, approaching the bed.
I sat up so I could face him fully. “I should be asking you that,” I said, just as I had downstairs. “What’s going on?”
Leo sat down on the bed beside and grabbed my wrist, tugging up so that I could sit on his lap. I didn’t resist, partially because I could tell he had a hard day and because I needed the close proximity as well. He went through hell but I was the one who needed comfort.
“The Angels happened,” Leo finally said after just holding for a couple of long monts. He tightened his arms around . “They are under a new leader who is going by Jack Frost.”
I would have scoffed at the silly alias if this wasn’t so serious. “What did he do to them?” I asked through unmoving lips. “They looked completely out of it.”
“They used a new drug that sses with the mind,” Leo answered. I felt him stiffen with tension. “I think the blast that got Darion was ant for . I should have been the one who got hit but the kid jumped forward without a second thought.”
“Don’t you dare say that it should have been you!” I scolded him, horrified at the very thought of it being Leo with that listless look and bloody face just half an hour earlier.
“Shh, I know,” he murmured, stroking my back. “I’m sorry. That’s not at all what I ant. I’m alright, love. You need to calm down.”
I took a steadying breath and nodded. “I’m sorry, Leo,” I said, my tone dropping miserably. “I know that this is so much bigger than . I just want to be strong for you.”
“Bianca,” Leo said and my na ca out as a laugh. “You are the strongest person I know. You’re the only reason I’m able to get up in the morning and keep doing what I’m doing. You give the strength I need to keep going.”
My eyes watered and I leaned in to kiss him gently. I didn’t particularly feel strong, especially not lately but it was hard not to believe Leo at that mont. He sounded so earnest, so genuine.
I loved him so much.
“I’m going to keep being as strong as I can for you,” I told him, and I ant it. He had been working so hard for and for our baby. It was the least I could do.
Leo smiled warmly at and cupped my cheek in his hand, stroking my skin gently. His eyes grew serious then. “I’m glad to hear you say that and I couldn’t be more grateful,” he said. He took a long breath, as if he was preparing himself. “After watching Darion today, I’ve realized that he isn’t ready to take on the role of don yet. He’s still reckless, and immature.”
This wasn’t the most shocking news to . I might have been a bit disappointed because I did want Leo out of that role as soon as possible but it wasn’t a secret that while Darion has matured and improve imnsely, he still wasn’t mature enough to take over.
I knew what was coming next and I could tell by Leo’s expression that he was nervous to tell . “It’s alright, Leo,” I said. I took a steadying breath. “I know that you staying on longer as don is the right thing to do. I’ll support you no matter what.”
Leo had his arms around so fast that I nearly shrieked in surprise. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, then to my mouth. “I don’t deserve you,” he said against my heated skin. “Thank you. So much.”
“You don’t have to thank ,” I said, my heart fluttering at the contact. “We’re a team. I’m always going to be on your side. Just tell what you need to do and I’ll do it.”
Leo dropped his arms to my shoulders so he could look in the eye and I was surprised to find that his expression was stern. “In that case, I’d like to request that you do everything in your power to lay low for a while and stay safe,” he said and it sounded more like a demand. His gaze softened. “I’m terrified that this new leader could go after you as well.”
I felt my lips thin as I considered his words, unsure of how to respond. Then, I rembered how easy it had been for them to capture Andre. It was almost like he wanted to be caught.
That sparked an idea.
“You should try to get answers out of Andre,” I told Leo. “He probably knows a lot about this Jack Frost guy.”
Leo looked down, considering this. I could tell he knew I was right.
“And if anyone can get answers out of this guy,” I continued, setting a firm hand on his shoulder. “It’s going to be you.”
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