Chapter 53

• FRANKIE
• Sunlight filters through gauzy curtains as I wake to cold sheets beside me. My heart lurches into my throat, memories of yesterday's chaos flooding back. The silk nightgown clings to my skin as I bolt upright, scanning Rafael’s grey- colored bedroom for any sign of him.
• "In here, little rebel," Rafael's deep voice calls from the bathroom, and relief washes over me like a wave. I pad across the plush carpet but freeze in the doorway. The morning light streaming through the frosted window illuminates every mark on his olive skin.