seat and shoot a warning look at Sarah. “Be nice.”
She snaps her teeth at me before stealing my chair. “Run along, soldier.”
3
Penny
Luca walks away, and the whole time I wish he wasn't leaving me alone with her. I don’t know this woman. I don’t think I want to. There’s a hardness in her eyes that unsettles me. A bitterness. And I’m unsure if it's aimed at me personally.
“Do you like it here?” she asks as soon as the French door closes behind him.
I continue to cradle the coffee mug in my hands and shift my focus to the backyard. It’s simplistic. Fresh-cut lawn. A few shrubs. Two billowing trees. It’s completely different to the perfectly manicured gardens of the hell I previously lived in, and for that I'm thankful.
“Yes.” I appreciate being welcomed into Luca’s home. But I hate being here. In my own skin. Cloaked in irrational emotion. Haunted by thoughts.
“You’re not uncomfortable? You wouldn't prefer to be somewhere else?”
“No.” The truth is, there is nowhere else. I have nowhere to go. Nowhere to belong.
“And what about Luca? Is he treating you well?”
I nod and begin to resent the manners instilled in me as a child that make it impossible to ignore her. I’m too tired for this conversation.
“Are you sure? He said yesterday that you've been cooking and cleaning. Is that out of obligation? Is he making you do those things?”
My narrowed gaze snaps to her. “No, of course not. He’s been nothing but kind to me.”
“So he hasn’t implied you need to carry your weight? Or maybe return his hospitality with a sexual favor or two?”
I shove to my feet, the blanket falling from my waist to land on the wooden deck. “Not at all.” My tone is harsh. Adamant. “He’s been perfect.” Too perfect. Especially for a man burdened by my presence.
“Okay. Good.” She nods and indicates my chair with a wave of her hand. “Please sit. I meant no offense. I’m just doing my job.”
“Your job?” It's her duty to question the man who saved me? The person who took a bullet to the head, risking his life to rescue a complete stranger? “And who gave you this job?”
She blinks back at me, those hard features softening. That’s when the puzzle pieces fall into place with a deafening click. She’s not here for me. She’s here for my brother.
“Sebastian,” I whisper. “This interrogation was requested by him.”
“I was asked to keep an eye on you.”
“Well, you can report back and let him know I'm fine. Luca has gone above and beyond to keep me happy.”
Her lips tweak, her grin sly. “To be honest, I think that's what he’s more worried about.”
Again, it takes a second for comprehension to dawn, but when it does my cheeks heat at the innuendo. I glance away, my skin prickling.
“Please,” she repeats. “Sit.”
I don’t want to. I’d love nothing more than to walk away. If only I wasn’t certain it would cause a scene Luca would have to deal with.
“I had no doubt he would do right by you,” she murmurs as I reluctantly slump into my seat. “He’s a great guy. And from the sound of it, you already know that. But your brother is—”
“I don’t want to talk about my brother.” I still can’t go there. Can't picture him remaining in the Greek islands, slaying my demons at the risk of his own safety. I need it all to be over. To fast forward through this chasm filled with worry for people I wish I didn’t love.
“He cares about you.”
I glance back at her in confusion. “Who does? My brother?”
“Yes, Decker,” she clarifies. “But Luca, Hunter, Torian, and Keira, too. You’re family, and we always take care of our own.”
My insides scream at me to deny her. I’m not one of them. I don’t want any association with my torturer’s family.
I also want to make her well aware I can take care of myself. I had for years while in a situation far more dire than this. I’ve lived through the worst life has to give. Yet I can’t honestly say I’m capable of anything anymore. I’ve lost the will to fight. I’m not sure how to find strength.
“So, what’s the plan?” she asks. “When are you going to see your parents?”
I sigh. “Is this another question from my brother? Is there a list I need to get through so you’ll leave me alone?”
“No. The interrogation is actually for your benefit. I assume you don't want to stay