Chapter 4 Lights Out

• Chapter 4
• THOMASINA
• Lightning flashed and immediately it began to rain like the sky was tired of holding all that water in its belly. It felt so cold as I watched the darkened garden fade into wind and water as I stood at the edge of the nursery with my arms crossed
• Lucia had just dozed off. She looked peaceful, curled under the blanket, her thumb in her mouth and her stuffed giraffe beside. It had been raining for hours on end and it felt so cold here.
• The lights then flickered once more on two occasions and then went out. Abrupt blackness engulfed the room. Suddenly the faint buzz of electricity stopped. It was replaced by silence which was too total and purposeful.
• The radios of the guards even gave a single crackle before dying. I was scared. I hated being in a dark place.
• My fingers automatically reached under the crib and closed around the cool metal of the flashlight that was concealed there. It was just a flashlight but more than enough for me to push the darkness away. I roamed my fingers over the length of the torch, then flicked it on and the room was partially lit up again.
• Then I heard it. Steps, heavy, and relaxed, moving in closer.
• I turned to face the door immediately and got ready to send a punch to any intruder.
• “Don’t scream,” a familiar low voice said.
• I haven't even said a word.
• Entering the room was El Fuego . My flashlight caught the edges of his face including his sharp cheekbones, wet hair stuck to his temples and powerful jaw.
• His dark rain-soaked shirt which outlined every sculpted line of his arms and chest fit him like a second skin and made him….hot.
• I quickly looked away.
• “I didn't expect to see you here,” said , maintaining a calm voice .
• He closed the door behind him silently.
• “ I was out back when the power went out
• And the security connection was lost.”
• His gaze quickly shifted to the crib. “Is she ok?”
• “ Yes,” I said my tone softened. “She is fine.”
• Although he nodded briefly his eyes remained fixed on her for a considerable amount of time. Something protective, even tender was in his face then but it was gone as soon as it appeared when he turned back to face me.
• “Thomasina, why are you really here?”
• The question was like a kick to the gut. I felt my heart rate increase. Here?
• As in, in his daughter's room or disguised as a nanny?
• I cleared my throat nervously
• “Why do you say that?”
• He took a step toward me. A slow trail of rainwater formed on the hardwood floor as it trickled from his sleeves. His voice was low and measured as he said.
• “ You moved like someone who was trained. A professional. Not someone suitable for nanny work.”
• I didn't move, I simply coughed lightly.
• “Thanks for the compliment but my father was a soldier and he thought me how to be alert.” I lied with ease. “I've worked with kids in difficult homes. Being vigilant is another quality of a good nanny.”
• His brows went up and he shrugged .
• “When I arrived in the dark you didn't flinch, he said, didn't yell, didn't even blink. The majority would have freaked out.”
• I rolled my eyes slightly. Did he expect me to jump into Lucia's crib?
• “I panicked.” I whispered. “But I had to protect Lucia.”
• He took some steps and when he was a few inches ahead of me he came to a stop.
• The scent of rain stuck to him was sharp, clean and had a darker undertone.
• “You look…you look like you are not scared of anything.” He repeated this time in a low voice .
• “ I am.” I answered barely audible above a whisper.”I simply don't show it.”
• He stared at me for a while as if he wanted to see if I would stop him. He brushed a damp lock of hair brushed from my cheeks.
• For a moment it stuck to his knuckle. He gazed at it as if it had some kind of significance.
• “Unusual,” he whispered.
• My breathing became uncontrollable and I swallowed hard.
• Now the storm outside was inside of me, filling my veins and lungs. I swallowed hard and looked away.
• He wasn't supposed to give me that look.
• God, this man was a freaking, ruthless mafia lord and I wasn't supposed to be this close to him.
• I withdrew, slightly gasping for air.
• “I think I have to look at the emergency panel down below.”
• His hand fell out. Another second went by, the windows were rattled by a thunderclap. He then nodded tightly.
• “Don't stay too long.”
• I walked past him with the beam of my flashlight reflecting off the walls, I tried not to glance over my shoulders.
• Even when I heard him sigh I didn't. Not even when I could feel him staring at me. The house downstairs was a shadowy polished wood labyrinth.
• Calm yourself Thomasina. I had not come here to feel any emotions of falling for that handsome demon.
• Justice was what I had come for.
• I was doing this for my parents.
• For Marco.
• My eyes shut momentarily as I remembered the explosion.
• The blood. The way everyone was terrified to say his name.
• When I saw El Fuego's face on the news it was frigid, unreadable and untouchable. And I was in his home now, under his own roof. And his daughter's nanny, his eyes were always on me. I clenched my jaw and pushed off the wall. I needed to focus.
• I had to remember my purpose for being here, because it was impossible to fall in love with El Fuego, it wasn't in my bucket list because I could remember Rule Number 9 says:
• ‘Poison him slowly ‘
• He had ruined my life.
• Twice .
• I would do my job of being his daughters nanny and do the other job.
• I walked over to the control panel which was concealed behind the hallway mirror and opened the cover.
• Instead of starting up automatically the backup generator did not. There was no glitch. I flinched.
• Someone had turned off the electricity and the estate had been kept in the dark. After manually rebooting the lights and rerouting the switch, I verified the emergency system override. The house came alive again one by one.
• The lights dimmed and shifted. The radios cracked. A soft murmur of distant voices came back. However the tension persisted but not on me.
• Something was off. I felt eyes on me and I suspected that El Fuego knew what had happened to the lights.
• Damn.
• Double damn.
• I turned around slowly and at that moment I actually forgot how to breathe.
• He was watching me from the top of the stairs down the hall. Quiet. Not moving. His was leaning against the railings, his eyes hard and fixed on mine.
• I tried to breathe as I stared back. He remained motionless like a statue. I did not move either. Then slowly he was out of sight like he wasn't there and I barely realized I had been holding my breath when I finally let it out. I went back upstairs to see how Lucia was doing, she was still sleeping.
• However one thought kept coming to me like a whisper as I sat next to her crib in the cozy glow of the restored lights.
• He suspects. But why wasn't he doing anything or was he just being the usual overprotective daddy.
• Double Damn.