“HERE!” Rafaelo called out.
He was both shocked and far too happy to hear someone else’s voice, even as the injured man in his lap moaned loudly.
“Help is coming,” he assured him. “Please hang on.”
“Is there anyone around?” the voice repeated, the sound louder and clearer than before.
Rafaelo closed his eyes as he sighed in relief.
It was a woman calling out. He hadn’t expected that. A warm, tingling sensation spread to his limbs as he let the taste of her voice envelop him. It was light and melodious, and so comforting, it reminded him of a desert on a rainy day. He didn’t know if it was because she symbolized his salvation, but he found an odd type of refuge in the sound of her voice.
Her accent was native, so he supposed it was one of the workers from the hacienda.
God damn those guards! They’d sent a woman inside? How the hell could they do that?
“We’re here. Gallery eight,” he yelled at the top of his lungs.
Yet just as the words were out of his mouth, he realized maybe she wouldn’t know which one was gallery eight. His spirits plummeted as he wondered whether he’d finally meet his end in a darkened tunnel.
He wasn’t hurt. Not really. A few scratches, nothing more. But the man he’d been trapped with had been seriously injured, blood pouring from his leg injury even now. At this rate, Rafaelo didn’t know if he was going to make it before he bled out completely. It was why he hadn’t tried to move him for fear of doing more harm than good.
When they’d been first trapped, Rafaelo had instinctively known no one would care enough about them to come to their rescue, so he’d tried to find a way out by himself. All he’d done had been to walk in circles in the darkness, unable to find any other exit. So he’d given up on that and returned to the other man, using his shirt to put pressure on his leg.
A few moments later, he heard steps.
“Are you there?” the woman asked, this time the voice was within hearing distance—she was close.
“Here!” he called out, holding on to a glimmer of hope that she would help them.
Steps thudded across the tunnel, the sound closer and closer.
“Please keep talking so I can find you,” she said.
So Rafaelo did.
In no time, he felt another presence in his proximity, and he swallowed hard at the muted joy that arose within him.
“Here,” he said again, this time in a low voice, for he felt her close.
“Are you hurt?” she suddenly asked as he felt shuffling next to him.
“Light?” he inquired first.
“No, I’m sorry. My lighter went out a while ago.”
“It’s okay,” he sighed. “At least you’re here. Thank you. I really thought…” he croaked, unable to put his feelings into his words.
“Are you hurt?” she repeated, her hands suddenly on his torso.
“Not me. He is, though. His leg got caught in the explosion and he won’t stop bleeding.”
“I brought some stuff with me,” she said as she laid down a bag, removing some items.
It was so dark, he could barely detect any movement except for the sound of her voice and the shuffling of her bag. Yet despite that, a quiet conviction washed over him as he instinctively knew she was going to save them—they were going to make it out of there alive.
“This is disinfectant, and this is a bandage roll. I think between the two of us we can manage to help him,” she spoke slowly, though Rafaelo detected a small tremble in her voice.
She was afraid, too.
For fuck’s sake. Of course she’d be afraid. She was just a woman, sent on a suicidal mission in a collapsed building. Once more, he was becoming increasingly angrier with everyone on the outside—all the men who’d thought to send a woman to do their job.
“It’s okay,” he suddenly said, his hand finding hers in the dark and squeezing hard. “Don’t worry. We’ll get out of here.”
She seemed surprised by his words, and she squeezed his hand back, her skin warm under his.
“There’s a small hole at the other end of the temple that leads to the outside.”
He nodded pensively. Maybe he’d missed it when he’d looked for an exit.
“First we need to stop the bleeding so we can move him,” he added.
“Alright.”
She came closer, bringing the supplies with her. Their hands wrestled in the darkness until they managed to find the man’s injury. She poured disinfectant on top of it and Rafaelo held the man still while he writhed in pain.
“Hang on,” he whispered to the other man, his fingers sticky with blood as she worked to cleanse the wound.
“That should work for now,” she released a deep breath as she leaned back to take the bandage. “I’m going to wrap the wound now.”
“Let me do it,” he said, bumping into her. “I’ll do it tighter.”
She let out a soft sigh as she handed him the roll of bandage.
It took him a few minutes to get the hang of it, but he eventually managed to fully bandage the wound.
“What’s your name?” he asked as it dawned on him he didn’t even know the name of his savior.
She drew in a stilted breath, not answering for a moment.
“Lucero,” she eventually whispered.
“Lucero?” Rafaelo frowned. He’d heard the name before from Charles. What had he said? That she was always helping the other slaves. “Thank you, Lucero,” he amended in a softer voice.
“You’re welcome,” she replied in a bashful tone. “What’s your name?”
“Rafaelo. But you can call me Raf,” he grunted.
“Raf,” she whispered, tasting his name on her lips.
He smiled at that. He was simply in awe at her courage and kindness. Where no one had bothered to come after them, she’d risked her own life to help them. Who did that?
Rafaelo made to move, a groan escaping him as pain flared in his side.
He hadn’t gotten hit, had he? The entire thing was a blur, so he couldn’t be sure. Yet the pain emanating from his rib told him he’d been too careless to notice.
“You’re hurt,” she declared.
“No,” He shook his head. “Let’s go. If there’s anything, I’ll take care of it when we get out.”
“No! Show me,” she demanded.
He blinked in confusion at the sudden shift in her tone, no longer soft and subdued, now she sounded like a general commanding an army.
Before he could reply, she moved closer, her hands roving over his naked chest as she tried to find the source of his pain.
Although the touch was impersonal and only meant to ascertain the degree of his injuries, he found himself getting unnecessarily hot anyway.
It must be her voice, he told himself. It was the sweetest thing he’d ever heard. Coupled with her kindness and bravery, he couldn’t help but admire her.
“Show me,” she repeated, her palms spread on his chest.
He shivered, his cheeks going red from her proximity.
“Erm…” he swallowed. “Only a few scratches on my arm and I think I bruised my ribs. It’s not much.”
She wasn’t deterred, however. She moved closer in front of him—so close, she almost climbed in his lap.
Her sweet scent took him by surprise as she leaned in, her hair brushing against his chest, her cheek skimming his.
Rafaelo squeezed his eyes shut.
Why the hell did she have to sound and smell so sweet? So goddamn enticing? He was in a life and death situation, the last thing he needed to think about was how her body molded against his, or how small and frail she was, fitting in his arms perfectly.
“Found it,” she said as her fingers brushed over the small scratch on his shoulder.
She worked quickly, dabbing some disinfectant and cleaning the area.
Rafaelo gritted his teeth at the sting, taking refuge in her proximity to take his mind off the pain.
“Have we met before, Lucero?” he murmured softly.
He didn’t know why but there was a familiarity to her, almost as if he was well acquainted with her presence.
“I don’t think so,” she answered warily. “I usually work at the house.”
“You’re very brave to come for us. You could have gotten hurt yourself,” he praised quietly.
“I couldn’t let you die…” The words were imbued with an odd feeling, one he couldn’t make sense of, but touched him deep within.
“Thank you. I’m in your debt.”
“No.” She shook her head, tendrils of her hair touched his face. “It’s what anyone would do.”
“I highly doubt that,” he muttered dryly. “You’re so small…” he trailed off as he realized his hand had brushed against the side of her breast. “I apologize,” he added immediately.
She let out a soft laugh.
“You don’t have to apologize for anything, Raf. It’s because I am small that I fit better through all these nooks.”
“You have a point there,” he chuckled.
Still, that ghost of a touch played in his mind, and he berated himself for being such a fucking pervert. Yet it was undeniable that for all her small frame, that part of her wasn’t as small…
He groaned out loud as he realized the direction of his thoughts.
This doesn’t help!
“Are you in pain?” she suddenly inquired.
Yes, but of a different kind.
“No,” he mumbled, his face flaming.
What was it with him now, that his libido had suddenly awoken to life in these dire circumstances? First he’d felt drawn to that damned witch—the wife of the master—and now he was becoming aroused from the sound of this woman’s voice alone.
Maybe he’d gone mad.
Maybe everything he’d been through in the last year had finally caught up with him and he’d gone stark mad.
Odd though, that he didn’t feel any revulsion when she touched him, considering his past with Armand. If anything, there was something extremely soothing about her touch—something that calmed his clamoring thoughts and made him feel at home.
Home.
That was what she reminded him of. With her soft touches and sweet voice, she wreaked havoc on his senses, making all these awful circumstances fade into the background.
“Tell me if it hurts,” she murmured as she went ahead and tended to those small cuts with the utmost care.
“You’re very kind, Lucero,” he praised softly, his breath fanning across her face as he leaned forward. Her hands stilled on his arm as she slowly turned her head, until he felt her own breath fluttering against his lips.
God, but what he wouldn’t give for some light to be able to see her.
“You deserve some kindness in your life, Raf,” she told him, the words searing themselves inside his heart.
How… How had she known? How the hell had she known he was starved for a kind touch instead of a bruising one?
He gulped down against a deluge of feelings that inundated his being.
Before he could help himself, he reached for her hand, cradling it in his own and bringing it to his lips for a light kiss.
“Thank you,” he told her, emotion radiating from his voice.
She froze at the contact, and for a moment Raf thought he’d committed a faux pas. But in the next moment, she was flush against his chest, giving him a light hug.
“Always,” she whispered into his hair.
They stayed like that for what seemed like forever, though in reality it wasn’t more than a few seconds. Yet the warmth of the embrace lingered in the air.
Lucero finished patching up his wound before they were ready to head out.
Rafaelo rose to his feet, getting his bearings together before he pulled the passed-out man to his feet, shouldering his weight as he followed Lucero out of the tunnel.
“This way,” she said, her hand reaching out and grasping his. “Hold my hand so we don’t get lost.”
“Okay.” He nodded, squeezing her hand lightly and letting her lead the way.
It took them at least an hour to make it to the back of the temple, since the injured man proved to be quite a challenge to move around.
Yet as Noelle realized that they were nearing the small hole she’d made, she knew he was going to recognize her and his regard for her would automatically turn into hate.
“If you go to the end of this tunnel, you’ll find a small hole in the wall. Use that to go out.”
“What about you?” Raf suddenly stopped, his voice gruff.
“There is still something I must do here. You need to go out and get help for your friend.”
“I’m not going without you,” he said resolutely.
Her eyes widened in alarm.
“You must,” she insisted, coming closer to his side and reaching out for him.
She just couldn’t keep her hands to herself. From the moment she’d first touched him until now, she simply couldn’t stop this greediness taking shape inside of her.
“I won’t leave you alone, Lucero. It’s too dangerous in here. If one gallery collapsed, who knows when the others will, too.”
“Please trust me. I know what I’m doing. Your friend needs medical attention, so you need to leave.”
“Lucero…”
She hated hearing her friend’s name on his lips, but she could not let him know what her identity was—not yet.
All in due time.
When they were both free from the hacienda, she would confess everything and would tell him who she was, why she’d done everything.
But until then… She must keep everything a secret.
“Please, Raf,” she urged him. “Think of your friend.”
She knew him well enough to anticipate that he would balk at being reminded of his friend’s state.
He paused for a moment before he sighed out loud.
“Fine. But please be careful.”
“I will. I know my way around here,” she lied.
“And promise me something,” he started, clearing his throat as if he were uncomfortable.
“What?” She frowned.
“Promise me we’ll meet again outside.”
Noelle licked her lips, uncertainty washing over her.
How could she meet him again when he could never know what she looked like?
Yet he was waiting, not budging until he exacted that promise from her.
“You have my promise. Now go.”
“Thank you,” he whispered again, leaning into her until she could feel the warmth of his skin against hers.
For a moment, she thought he would kiss her—praying to all Gods that he would.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he simply gave her another hug, whispering a thank you into her hair.
All too soon, it was over, and he was trudging his way to the end of the tunnel with his friend slung over his shoulder.
Noelle waited until she was sure he was outside the temple before she put her bag down, removing the rest of the explosives and scattering them around the temple in strategic locations.
When she was done, she removed her lighter—she’d lied that it had completely gone out—and she lit the explosives.
And when that was done, she dashed out of the tunnel, running for the exit just as loud noises cracked into the air, the walls of the pyramid crumbling down behind her.
She barely made it to the exit in time, and she was happy to see Rafaelo was nowhere in sight. Taking advantage of that, she put as much distance as she could between herself and the temple just in time to see the foundation collapse, prompting the rest of it to follow suit.
“You need to stop doing that. You’re just driving yourself crazy.”
“No one knows I’m watching.” Noelle shrugged.
After the entire temple had collapsed, Sergio had demanded an investigation to see who’d caused the explosion. Since no one had seen anything, there had been no culprit to punish, so Sergio had taken out his wrath on all the slaves.
Thankfully, Rafaelo hadn’t been hurt too badly and he’d escaped suspicion. Instead, the man she’d previously showered with attention had ended up being the other injured man trapped in the temple. Given her history of flirtation with him, Sergio had punished him harsher.
Yet because he hadn’t been able to pin the explosion on anyone, he’d decided to add security cameras all around the hacienda, including in the slaves’ quarters.
Though Noelle hated the added degree of scrutiny, she had to admit she’d taken full advantage of the security system by following Rafaelo’s every movement.
Day and night, she could watch him without physically leaving her room and making Sergio suspicious.
Wasn’t that the best possible recourse?
“You’re wasting your days just watching that damned screen.” Lucero shook her head. “You’ve become so obsessed you’re not doing anything else—not even take care of yourself.”
Noelle turned sharply towards her friend, frowning.
“When’s the last time you washed?” She asked as she patted Noelle’s hair—granted, her very oily hair.
“Must have slipped my mind,” she murmured, her cheeks turning red.
“I understand that this must be very exciting, but you’re going to the extreme. You can watch him and still do other things. Remember you still have a position to uphold.”
“You’re right,” Noelle sighed. “But I can’t…” she trailed off.
Her friend raised an expectant brow at her.
“How else am I to learn more about him and protect him?”
“And what exactly did you learn that you did not already know?”
“Well,” Noelle wet her lips, excitement shining in her eyes as she was ready to spout all of Rafaelo’s attributes. Not that Lucero hadn’t already heard everything multiple times, but she indulged Noelle because she knew how happy it made her to speak of her crush.
“Even in this situation, he’s so kind. He’s been saving the extra lunch he got for one of the older slaves. He’s been helping those not physically able, doubling his work. I mean… I knew he was a decent man before, but it had been only via our conversations, you know? This time I’m actually witnessing his behavior and my God, Lucero… How can anyone be so perfect?”
Noelle gushed as she clasped her hands in front of her. “Everyone already respects and defers to him and he rightfully earned it. Where others only look out for their own interests, he’s the opposite, helping anyone in need. Of course, that’s not entirely a good thing as I wish he were a little more selfish. After all, he’s going without food and increasing his workload to help others. But I can’t very well march to him and tell him I’ve been studying him for close to two weeks now, can I?”
“Is this the part where I’m to understand you haven’t washed your hair in two weeks?” Lucero asked, her lips trembling as she tried not to smile.
“Is that all you got from what I just said?”
“Your boyfriend is too perfect. So why do you keep on watching him?”
“Because,” Noelle paused as her lips tightened, her entire face enveloped in a scowl. “The men and women are not segregated anymore.”
“So?” Lucero tilted her head, looking mightily confused.
In the past, the women and men had been segregated, living and working in different areas of the hacienda. Lucero had been lucky she’d been allowed quarters in the women-only dorms, but she’d been one of the few who’d been sent to do hard labor with the men—her punishment for disobeying el señor.
“So?” Noelle repeated, her eyes wide with outrage. “I’ve told you. This girl keeps on giving him sweet eyes and I don’t like it.”
“Noelle,” Lucero sighed. “He’s probably the nicest man she’s met in a long time. Don’t read too much into it.”
“But that’s exactly the thing, Lulu. Because he is the nicest guy, she might fall for him. And what if… What if…” Her lip trembled. “What if he falls for her, too? I’m not there to intervene, I can only watch from afar.”
“Nothing like that is going to happen. The last thing on his mind should be to get with one of the girls, especially since everyone knows they are off limits and belong to the señor.”
“Do they? Look,” Noelle pointed to the monitor.
The lunch break had just started and everyone had been handed their portion.
Rafaelo took his, putting aside the extra bit and giving it to the old man he’d taken under his wing. He gave the old man a small smile, shaking his head when he wanted to return the food. After exchanging a few words, Rafaelo went on his way.
He usually preferred to spend his breaks on his own. Despite being so popular among the workers, he needed some time to himself.
At the same time, on another monitor, Noelle pointed to the slave girl who’d been following Raf around with her eyes.
“She’s half in love with him,” Noelle gritted out.
“What’s a little crush? It’s not as if she’s going to act on it…”
Yet Lucero barely spoke the words as the girl took her food and headed in Rafaelo’s direction, taking a seat by his side.
“You were saying?” Noelle raised a brow, her mouth flattening in annoyance.
Rafaelo gave a girl a small smile, and it was obvious from the video footage that she was trying to engage him in conversation.
“Noelle… Don’t do something crazy,” Lucero warned, already used to Noelle’s antics.
“Crazy? Like what?” Noelle asked innocently, though, her eyes gleamed mischievously.
In the beginning Lucero might have thought Noelle planned to play with the girl, but when Rafaelo extended his hand and gave her what was left of his food, she knew the girl had just signed her death warrant.
“He’s just being kind. You’ve seen he’s like this with everyone.”
Rafaelo gave the girl a smile and a nod as he got up to stretch his limbs before going back to work. What he didn’t see, however, was the way the girl was admiring him, that one smile she’d received from him the highlight of her day.
But Noelle saw.
She’d been noticing it for a while now, and she could usually read people well. But who in their right minds wouldn’t admire Raf? He was a paragon of virtue in a world of vice. It was as simple as that.
Whereas everything was black and white around here, he was that one spot of color that simply enriched people’s lives with his very presence. Noelle had recognized that in him from the beginning, so it wasn’t a surprise that others were seeing it now too.
Despite his soft demeanor, or maybe in spite of it, people took to him and followed his lead. And that was exactly what Sergio was missing—what Noelle was missing, too.
Sergio was buying his subjects’ adoration with false promises, while Noelle was doing the same with fear.
But Rafaelo… Rafaelo didn’t need to buy anything. His sincerity brought everyone to his side whether he wanted to or not.
Her hands balled in fists, Noelle took a deep breath to calm herself.
She couldn’t allow herself to succumb to insanity. Not when she knew her impulsivity would only get her into trouble.
Yet no matter how much she tried to tell herself that Lucero was, indeed, right—that it was just a crush, nothing more—she couldn’t help but see red in front of her eyes.
Rafaelo was hers—only hers.
