by Eden Summers
“It’s okay.” I shake my head, my cheeks heating.
“No. I’m fucking sorry,” he grates. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“I know.” I truly believe him, because why would a man like him flirt with a whore like me? It was clearly a mistake. “You don’t need to explain.”
A door opens directly across the hall and Cole steps out, his scrutinizing attention falling on me before coming to rest on Luca.
He raises a brow, drawing assumptions about my presence before he clears his throat. “The jet is here. It’s time to leave.”
I beat back the burst of apprehension and retreat from the end of the bed. “Am I allowed a few moments to see Tobias one last time? I won’t wake him.”
Cole gives a short nod, his face remaining tight.
“Thank you.” I hate those words. I hate that I’m giving them to him. But they’re necessary. He cleaned up one of my murder victims and I desperately need him to clean up the second.
I turn back to Luca. “Thank you again. For everything.”
“Don’t mention it.”
I don’t wait for the discomfort of this farewell to set in. Once I leave here, I won’t think of my harsh protector again. I can’t. People like Luca are only a temporary fantasy.
I hustle from his bedroom and make my way to Tobias, my heart squeezing at the sight of him resting peacefully in the single bed. I make sure not to get too close and remain hovering at the door, the brush of light footsteps approaching seconds later.
“Cole said you’re leaving.” Keira comes to stand beside me.
I nod, not dragging my attention from Toby.
“You’re not waking him?” she queries.
“No.” As selfish as it is, I’m going to leave without saying goodbye. He doesn’t need to witness my theatrics. The poor kid has already been through enough without having to deal with whatever direction my unpredictable emotions decide to take.
“All he does is speak about you,” she continues. “He said you’re like a mother to him.”
My eyes blaze, the promise of tears hovering close, yet so far.
“You can call him any time.” She keeps her voice low. “You can video chat and email or text. Whatever you like.”
“I don’t have a phone.”
“I’ll make sure you get one. And if there’s anything else, you only need to ask Sebastian. He’ll get it for you.”
With dirty money, no doubt, but I keep that thought to myself.
“Did Luca tell you how your brother came to be a part of our family?” She leans against the doorjamb, her body turned toward me.
“No, and I don’t want to hear it. I’m not ready.”
“I understand. But if you ever need someone to talk to, I’m always—”
“Keira.” I turn to her. “I appreciate the offer, but I can whole-heartedly tell you I will never, ever seek out the daughter of my rapist as a comforting shoulder. I’m sure you can understand that, too.”
She holds my gaze, her pained eyes punishing me. “Yes, I do.”
“Thank you.” I walk into the room to kneel before the bed. I place my hands on the edge of the mattress and my chin atop them to stare at Tobias.
“Is there anything I should know about him?” Keira inches toward me. “Any medical history or useful information?”
There’s seven years worth of things she should know. All his demons. All the damage. But maybe those ghosts are better left buried until Tobias is ready for the outside world to know.
“He’s allergic to grass,” I whisper. “It’s nothing serious. He’ll break out in bumps all over his skin and he’ll itch like crazy. Just make sure you put him in a bath and give him an antihistamine.”
“Okay. I can do that.”
“And he doesn’t like carrots.” My throat clogs as I recount memories of our time together. “At all. No matter what they’re mixed with, he won’t eat them.”
She lets out a breath of a chuckle. “Stella’s the same with corn.”
“And don’t listen to him if it gets to bedtime and he says he’s not tired. He always is, and it’s ten times harder to get him to sleep if you give in.”
I can’t remember how many nights he’s talked me into staying awake an extra thirty minutes, only to throw an unruly tantrum when it finally came time to crawl into bed.
The kid has always been a master manipulator. At least where my heart was concerned. He knew he could talk me into anything if he tried hard enough. Usually, all it took was a bat of those innocent eyes and a pout of his kiddy lips.
“What time?” Keira asks.
“Excuse me?” I glance at her, confused by the question.
“What time should he go to bed?”
“Oh.” I frown. “He’ll be thrown out of whack because of the last two days. But usually he’s in bed by eight-thirty. A little later on weekends if he promises to sleep in.”
I turn back to him and reach out, sliding a lock of hair from his face. “I’m going to miss you, little man,” I whisper, my throat tightening.
He whimpers, his eyes still closed when he says, “Penny?”
“Go back to sleep, sweetheart.”
He nuzzles into his pillow and lets out a sigh. “Are you leaving?” His question comes so easily as he remains in sleep mode.
“Yes. I need to get to the airport.”
He nods. “Keira says I can call you whenever I want.”
“That’s right. Whenever you like. No matter what time it is.”
He nods again, his face remaining nestled against the pillow. He doesn’t say another word. As far as I know, he’s slipped back into sleep.
Again, so easily.
Without a care.
I lean in, place the lightest kiss to his cheek and begin to drag myself away, only to have him wrap an arm around my neck, holding me tight.
I smile through the heartache. I fucking die through it.
“I love you,” he murmurs.
I close my eyes, pressing my forehead to his cheek. “I love you, too. I love you more than anything.”
I remain against him for a tortured eternity, his hold slowly loosening, his breathing returning to the deep lull of slumber.
When he starts to let out the lightest rumble of a snore, I break away, gently guiding his arm to the mattress.
Each retreating step is done not only with reluctance, but with soul-tearing sadness. And when I turn to face Keira, she’s not there, Luca having taken her place in the doorway.
He’s dressed, in black jeans and a matching T-shirt, and with the growing stubble along his jaw, the mass of darkness makes his hazel eyes more intense.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
“Do I have a choice?
“Nope.”
I sigh. “Then yes, I’m ready.”
“Keira will take good care of him. She’s always been great with kids. And I’ll keep an eye on him, too.”
“Thank you.”
I follow him as he leads the way down the hall and into the living room. My brother is already there, leaned against the back of a sofa, a suitcase at his side, his gaze lowered. He doesn’t look up as I approach. The only acknowledgement of my existence comes from the slight tightening of his shoulders. The lightest flinch.
“Well, I’ll see you around, shorty.” Luca gives my shoulder a quick squeeze, the touch lingering well after he drags his hand away. “Look after your—”
“I wouldn’t say your farewells just yet.” Torian pushes from his seat at the dining table to walk toward us. “You’re the one taking her home.”
There’s an awkward pause. My stomach drops. Everyone glances at each other. Me to Luca. Luca to Sebastian. Sebastian to Cole.
“No, he’s not.” My brother straightens from the sofa. “I am.”
“You were,” Torian corrects. “But not anymore. It’s Luca who has to leave.”
15
Luca
“No fucking way,” Decker snarls. “I’m ta
king her back. Not him.”
“There’s been a change of plan.” Torian pins me with a stare. “You need to return to Portland.”
“Why?” Foreboding crawls up my spine. He’s got that look in his eyes again. The one that announces he’s made up his mind. “What happened?”
“You’re hurt. It’s not safe for anyone if you stay.”
“Then give him some Advil and a fuckin’ Band-Aid and he’ll be fine.” Decker clenches his fists at his sides, barely containing his anger. “Because she’s not leaving with him.”
“I’m not arguing over this. Luca is injured, so he’s the one getting out of here.”
“I’m not injured, Torian. I’m good.” I might feel like I’m suffering the worst hangover of my existence, my eyes seemingly coated in a thin layer of gravel while my head continues to pound. But essentially, I’m good. “It’s a fucking scratch.”
“A scratch?” He approaches, his smile dark as he shoves my chest.
“Fuck.” I stumble backward, my skull clenching as if it’s in a vise. “What the fuck was that for?”
Torian takes a swing, confusing the hell out of me.
I duck and lose my balance. I stumble, fumbling over my feet, my vision darkening as I land on my fucking ass. Hard.
“You’re good?” Torian stands over me, looking down his nose at my fucked-up position on the floor. “Really? You can’t even stay on your feet, which means you’re far from good. You’re a fucking liability.”
“He’s got a concussion.” Penny rushes toward me, her eyes filled with concern as she offers a hand to help me stand. “Are you all right?”
“Don’t.” I bat away her offer and shove to my feet. “I’m not a fucking invalid. And I’m not going back with her.” I shoot her a sideways glance of apology and feel like an absolute prick for the wince plastered across her face. “No offence, shorty, but my place is here. I earned the right to take down those assholes. I’m not leaving until it’s done.”
“You’re injured,” Torian repeats.
“Yeah, well, I’m no fucking doctor but putting me on a jet while concussed doesn’t seem like a brilliant idea either.”
“If you stay, you’re a distraction and I’ve already got enough of those. So go home. Rest up. And if we’re still here once you get back on your feet you can return.”
“I can rest here,” I snarl. “Decker’s the one who wants to take her home.”
“If Deck goes, it leaves Keira and Tobias without trustworthy protection. I may be paying those mercenaries by the truckload, but I need someone on the inside I can rely on.”
Fuck him. Fuck this. “I was reliable last night. I led the entire fucking operation at your father’s house.”
“It wasn’t my brother or sister’s lives you were risking on that mission. And at the time, I was too caught up in my own head to realize how bad your injuries were.”
“This is ridiculous.” I scoff. “Why can’t you get Keira to take her back?”
“I fucking agree,” Decker snaps. “Let Keira do it.”
“No, she stays to look after the kid.” He walks away. “I’m not arguing over this. My mind is already made up. Safe travels.”
I follow him, stalking two steps behind as we enter the secluded hall. “And what the fuck am I meant to do with her once we get to Portland? As it is, my brother can barely handle the responsibility of one woman, but you’ve lumped him with three fucking fragile victims. You expect him to take on a fourth?”
“No, I expect you to take care of it.”
“Torian,” I warn. “Stop fucking with me.”
“I’m not fucking with you.” He turns to face me. “And I’ll never forget what you’ve done here. You’ve gone above and beyond for my family. It’s a debt I hope to one day repay, which is why I’m starting right now by looking after you seeing as though you don’t want to do it yourself.”
“I’m fine.” I launch my fist at the wall, my knuckles breaking plaster, pain shooting to my head. I need to stay here to make those fuckers pay. To make sure any other women are freed. To get Penny her revenge.
Torian raises a brow. “A few short days ago, you were bragging that your macho ex-SEAL ass could kick mine without effort. Now you’re falling on that ass after I throw an air swing. So forgive me for relying on my own judgment to make this call.” He claps me on the shoulder, hard. I’m sure it’s in an effort to increase the pounding in my head. “Keep me updated. I’ll see you in a while.”
He continues down the hall, ending the conversation with a definitive slam of his door. Again, I’m sure it’s just to trigger my migraine.
Fuck.
I slump against the wall.
I’d been apprehensive at the thought of entrusting someone else with Penny’s safety. I’d even contemplated being the one to take her home. Now the reality is so fucking far from comforting it’s almost scary.
I’m not the one who should be looking after her. Not after I slipped subtle flirtation into our conversation. And that isn’t the worst of it. Those words hold no comparison to my thoughts. My fucking obsession.
She shouldn’t be around me.
And I definitely shouldn’t be entrusted with her.
I rest the back of my head against the wall, not moving when Decker enters the hall to storm toward me.
“Don’t start,” I warn. “I don’t want to hear it.”
“Too fucking bad.” He stands in front of me, chest puffed, shoulders stiff. “Every time I take a breath you’re getting closer and closer to my sister.”
“Not by choice.”
“I don’t give a shit if it’s by choice, or circumstance, or divine fucking intervention. If you so much as make her sniffle, I’ll fucking destroy you.”
I take his fury. Mainly because I don’t have the mental capacity to retaliate, but also because I’d be equally bitter if the situation was reversed.
“Keep her safe. Keep her happy. Or I’ll…” He pauses, his hostility ebbing as he diverts his focus blankly down the hall. “Just keep her fucking safe, okay?”
“I will,” I vow, then hang my head, despising how this is really fucking happening. And after the bullshit I went through with Luther. The risks I took to take him down. The bullets I dodged. And the one I caught with my thick skull.
“I can go on my own,” Penny’s fortified voice carries from the entrance to the living room. “Nobody needs to escort me.”
I don’t answer her. Don’t even look.
Neither does Decker. All he does is glare. At me. Like this is all my fucking fault.
“If someone can get me to the jet, I’ll make it back by myself. It’s no big deal.”
“You’re not going on your own.” I push from the wall and sidestep her brother to continue toward her. “What’s done is done. There’s no changing Torian’s mind.”
“But you want to stay. And I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“It doesn’t matter—”
“Yes, it does.” She stands her ground, reclaiming her warrior status, not letting me pass into the living room. “I won’t take this from you.”
It’s in those words that I realize my protests are truly pathetic.
The day Luther died she told me something that stuck with me. Something I despised.
She implied she was a possession. Explained that she was a gift.
It’s now that I realize no truer words were ever spoken. She is a gift. And it should be considered an honor to accompany her home.
“You’re not taking anything from me, shorty.” I stare into those dark eyes and wish I didn’t feel a thrum of connection. No, not a thrum—a fucking avalanche. “I’m being sent back because of my head and there’s nothing I can do about that. My issue revolves around the promise I made to you. I told you I’d clean house with Luther’s men, and I don’t go back on my word.”
“Will they still be taken down?”
“Yes,” Sebastian answers for me. “Without a doubt.”
Sh
e sucks in a breath and raises her chin. “Then you’re not going back on your word. You’re just letting someone else take care of it. Maybe that’s for the best. Like Torian said, you need to rest.”
“There’s not going to be a lot of rest when I’ve got you to contend with.” I wink at her, trying to ease the tension. “Somehow I think you’re going to make it hard to keep you out of trouble.”
She releases a rasp of a laugh, her smile slight as she lowers her gaze to the floor. Shy. Almost submissive.
Fuck, she’s beautiful.
Breathtaking.
Tempting.
Trouble is definitely going to be on my radar. And there’s no way her protection will ever take a back seat to my recovery.
But it’s no longer Luther or his guards I have to keep her safe from.
The biggest threat to her right now is me.
Turn the page to start reading Luca
Luca
1
Penny
My heels tap along the floorboards as I make my way down the shadowed hall of my new temporary home.
It’s nice here. Quiet.
I no longer need to constantly straddle fight or flight. There are no monsters knocking at the door. Only the haunting thoughts of my past to interrupt the peace.
I enter the living room, the warm lights illuminating the man waiting for me on the sofa.
Luca Hart.
He’s my savior. My protector. An undefeatable force who rescued me from a life of sexual slavery.
His mouth kicks in a subtle grin, the coaxing tease of lips making me wish I could return the gesture with equal measure.
“You look nice.” His gaze treks my body, from my face to my toes and all the way back again.
Normally, that sort of admiration would make me shudder, but the shiver wracking my body stems from something inquisitive. Something more aligned with anticipation.
He has a way of bleaching my past to make me feel clean, despite my mind’s determination to do the opposite.
“Thank you.” I lower my focus to take in the beautiful dress clinging to my waist, the shiny satin, the polished shoes. This isn’t an outfit I’d usually enjoy wearing. In fact, it’s something I would despise after the years being forced into exquisite attire by my puppet master, but Luca makes everything easier.
