Luca jerks his chin in acknowledgement. “We’ll be there in a minute.”
She smiles and sneaks back inside, closing the door behind her.
“I’m going to have to get out of here today.” He drags me into his chest, his arms locking around me. “I can’t sit on my ass while that fucker is out there.”
I nod, already feeling the distance that will come between us. The exposure. The fear.
“Will you be okay without me?” he asks.
“No. But I’ll manage, as long as you promise to stay safe.”
“I can do that.”
There’s little conviction in his tone. There’s definitely not assurance. I tilt my head to meet his gaze and stare into those harshly intense eyes, wordlessly begging for a more confident affirmation.
“I need you to return to me,” I whisper. “You have no idea how much I need it.”
His lips lift in a half-hearted smile. “Yeah, I do, shorty. Because I feel the same way.”
26
Penny
We sit at the two remaining seats at the dining table. Benji is slouched in the chair to Luca’s left, his wife at his side. Sebastian is strung tight at my right beside Keira, while Sarah and Hunt sit across the table from us as Cole claims the head chair.
The kids are no longer around, their laughter and occasional shouts carrying from a far corner of the house.
“Penny, I’ve got something for you.” Sarah slides what looks like a black leather wrist cuff across the table, a shiny metal design on the front. “I thought it might be a nice start to your arsenal.”
“My arsenal?” I reach for the offering, running a lone finger over the metal.
“What is it?” Luca asks.
“A blade,” Hunter mutters. “I bought it for her a while back, but apparently my gifts aren’t appreciated.”
Sarah grins, saccharine sweet. “I appreciated it on merit. What I didn’t approve of was the hidden GPS tracker you told me nothing about.” She holds my gaze with a cautionary stare. “Just a word of warning, these guys tend to trample over privacy and personal boundaries. Make sure you remember that if Luca ever buys you jewelry.”
“It’s the thought that counts, right?” Cole smirks. “It’s the little things we do to keep you protected.”
Sarah ignores him, keeping her attention on me. “The metal part is a retractable blade. I can teach you a few tricks with it later if you’re interested.”
“I’d love that.” I place the cuff on my wrist, then turn my arm to clip it in place as the rest of the table eat their breakfast. “I’d appreciate anything you’re willing to show me.”
“Are you two finished now?” Cole asks around a bite of bacon. “We’ve got a lot to discuss.”
He isn’t lying.
He spends the next half hour relaying a mass of information that steals my appetite.
He explains how Nina was attacked by masked men in her parents’ home, taking two bullets—one in the chest, the other in her thigh.
Luca squeezes my leg as I’m told of her precarious situation in ICU. I think I’m supposed to be appeased, or even thankful, when Cole tells me men have now been assigned to keep an eye on her, along with Lilly, but I’m not placated in the slightest.
“We’re nailing this fucker to the wall as soon as possible.” Cole turns his gaze on me, his dark stare narrowing.
With one look, I understand why he’s feared by grown men. There’s no soul behind those eyes. No warmth. Or fear.
“I assure you those women are taken care of.” He enunciates the words slowly, the bitter grate to his tone making the reassurance more of a threat. “The men assigned to their protection are ex-military. They know what they’re doing.”
He goes on to vaguely mention the informants, authorities, and members of his outer circles who are currently searching the state for the man of the hour and his unknown sidekick. Luca adds details of a green sedan. Hunter stops eating to mention a potential lead who left a voicemail in the early hours of the morning, while my brother remains quiet, holding Keira’s hand on the top of the table for all to see.
Then the rules start.
The kids won’t be attending school. Us women aren’t allowed to leave the house without an escort. And everybody is to advise Cole of their whereabouts at all times.
“I know I’m stretching the limits of our task list, but can we add the death of your neighbor’s dog to our daily chores?” Hunter asks. “That fucker kept me up all night.”