CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

          TAKING THE LIFE OF ANOTHER PERSON SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THAT EASY, AND IT CERTAINLY SHOULDN'T MAKE HER FEEL RELIEVED. But it did and there wasn't anything she could do about it.  That man had been making the last year of her life miserable and now it was just ... over. No more letters, no more taunts and no more intimidating visits that made her feel uncomfortable.

Despite the relief she felt, there was also guilt. It wasn't about the fact that it was Richard who had died, no she was glad he was gone. Perhaps it was the fact that whatever was going to come next wasn't going to be pretty. She had to live with this secret for the rest of her life and she hated secrets, she already had enough to burden as it was.

Lucy wondered when her life had turned out to be such a wreckage.

Rio had turned up the heat in the car and Lucy had her legs curled up underneath her as she sat in the passenger seat. The woman hadn't said a word since they'd left her apartment and she had no idea where he was going to take, but she found herself not really caring as long as it was far away from where she lived.

The brunette felt his gaze on her every now and then as he drove but she wouldn't meet his eyes. Lucy was numb as she stared out the window, watching the street lights pass by in a haze. The cuts barely hurt anymore, perhaps it was the fact she was so tired and could fall asleep any second. The duffel bag he had packed for her laid in the back and he had turned off the music for either her sake or his own.

The woman absentmindedly brushed a finger over the butterfly bandage on her chin and prayed it wouldn't scar.

The drive didn't take longer than fifteen minutes, but it had felt like an eternity as she watched life go by outside the car window. Rio had driven through one of the busier streets and she had seen groups of friends laughing on the sidewalk and she wanted to disappear.

He took a right at the end of the street and drove down to an underground parking garage and she grimaced at the bright white light inside. He parked his Cadillac near the elevators and turned off the engine, taking the keys from the ignition and resting his head on the headrest with a soft sigh.

"Where are we?" Her voice croaked from the amount of crying she had done, but she still wouldn't meet his gaze.

He shrugged and turned his head to look at her. "My place."

Lucy furrowed her brows and lifted her head to meet his gaze. "I'm good with a motel or something. You don't have to do this."

He kissed his teeth, "Lucy, stop it."

The woman kept her mouth shut when she saw the stern look he gave her and she knew she should not argue with him about this. 

Rio got out of the car and reached for her duffel bag in the back seat as she pushed open the passenger door. He was already on the other side and took hold of her elbow to steady her. The soles of her feet still hurt but she was able to walk in the trainers he had put onto her feet.

He carried the bag over his shoulder as he led her towards the elevator, shoulders brushing against one another.

Once they had reached the fifth floor, the door slid open and she followed him through the dark corridor toward the door at the end of the hall. He slid his keys in the lock and opened the door, revealing a large studio apartment. 

Rio let her enter first and closed the door behind them when they were both inside, the lock clicking back in place.

Lucy openly stared at the home as the man beside her dropped the back onto a chair. The walls were all white, two of them dark brick with two large modern paintings covering most of the stone. The woodwork was dark, almost black and the floor was a deep brown, much like her own. The kitchen had green tiles covering the kitchen island which matched well with the white marble of the counters.

It was clean, well put together and quite organised. Not at all what she had expected. The lights weren't too bright and they cascaded them in a cosy warmth. 

Lucy felt him watching her as she took a few steps forward and stopped in front of some shelves attached to the walls, where a picture of him and Marcus stood. She ran her finger over the edge of the frame and took in the photo. Rio was sitting behind his son, both large smiles on their faces. Her lips quirked up in a soft smile at that and she lifted her eyes to the rest of the home.

There was a smaller room sectioned off on her other side and she took in all the toys and stuffed animals that filled the child's room. 

"Are you hungry?" His voice sounded close and when she twisted her head he was right behind her in the middle of the room. "Think I got some left over lasagna in the fridge."

Lucy shook her head once and he looked down at her thoughtfully for a second before nodding. The woman rubbed at her arm, feeling the awkwardness settle in, though he did not seem to notice. 

The scent of his cologne brought her some comfort and she peered back at Marcus' room for another second before taking in the couch, which looked quite comfortable to sleep on.

"Nah," he shook his head as he followed her gaze and took her elbow in his hand as he guided her to a set of doors on the other side of the home. He knew her feet were killing her and he let her lean on him as they walked. "you're sleeping here."

He pried the doors open and revealed a decent sized bedroom, same style as the rest of the house with dark sheets covering the mattress. This was exactly like him. It smelled like him too and she felt like she was intruding. 

"I'm not taking your room." she frowned, standing in the doorway hesitantly. "I'll sleep on the couch. It's really no problem."

"This is not up for debate, Lucy." he said, and went back into the house to fetch her duffel bag with stuff. 

The woman bit the inside of her cheek and carefully stepped foot into the room, noticing another picture frame on the bedside table. It was him and Marcus again, on the swing in the park and both looked so happy she felt like she was intruding. 

She sat down at the foot of them bed and looked up at him as he returned and placed the bag beside her. "Where's Marcus?"

"With his mother." Rio leaned down to take off her shoes and cursed when he noticed the blood seeping through her socks. He slid them off, too and looked at the bandages. "Probably shouldn't be puttin' pressure on them for a few hours."

"Probably," she said with a monotone voice.

Rio rested his hands on her knees and squeezed her flesh through her sweatpants softly. He looked up at her with a deep furrow between his brows. "Get some rest, Lucy. We'll talk in the morning."

"Are you sure about me taking your bed?" 

There was no way she was kicking him out of his own bedroom. Not after what he had done for her. He patted her knee after he leaned down to take her socks and shoes and placed them beside the door. "Sleep. I'll be in the living room if you need me, okay?"

He slid the doors closed and Lucy let out a long and slow breath, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to calm her ever quickening heartbeat. 

She wasn't going to cry again. 

Lucy rummaged through the bag after she slid the zipper open and was surprised at how well he had packed. There were a few pairs of clothes in there as well as some pyjama's she found comfortable. Everything she needed was in there and she sniffed out a smile.

The woman looked up when she heard him speak, though it was soft and urgent, she couldn't make out what he was saying. Lucy slowly got to her feet and winched at the sting to the soles of her feet. As she got closer she could make out some words as he continued.

"Cut it up in pieces, feed it to dogs, I don't care what you do with it. As long as it disappears and there's no trace left." he said to the person on the other end of the line as he held the phone to his ear. "Good. Let me know when it's done."

Fuck. 

Lucy was putting him into an impossible situation and it wasn't fair to him. But he was right, they were going to talk about this in the morning. Right now all she needed was a comfortable bed and a dreamless slumber. The brunette pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it beside her shoes before she pulled on an oversized grey shirt.

Too tired to do anything else, she slid underneath the covers and snuggled into the sheets that smelled strongly of just him.

hiiii sorry for the delay and this mid chapter. i am writing this during my nightshift delirium as i probably haven't slept in 48 hours but oh well. Love you!