His gaze narrows. “Don’t look so worried. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“No, it’s not that. It’s a shock to know I’ll be here without you.” Without your security. Your comfort.
“I won’t be gone long.” He chops more vegetables as the wok sizzles. “A few hours at most. And you’ll be safe while I’m out.”
I hate this. For all the hope the kiss gave me, I wish I could take it back because it’s driving him further and further away.
“Is this for work?” I ask. “Now that Hunter and Sebastian are back, does it mean you’ll be leaving the house more often?”
“No, not yet.” He keeps chopping, those arm muscles working overtime. “I just need to get out of the house, shorty. That’s all. I’ve got things I have to take care of.”
He’s running. From me.
He walks for the fridge and claims a packet of raw beef strips as the doorbell rings.
“Could you get that?” He glances at me over his shoulder. “It’s Sarah.”
My heart pangs.
I don’t want her here.
I don’t want Luca to leave me.
“Pen?” He closes the fridge door and returns to the island counter. “Can you get the door so I don’t ruin your dinner?”
I nod, taking slow steps backward. “Sure.”
I take off, my head reeling by the time I check the peephole and pull open the door.
“Howdy.” Sarah walks inside without invitation.
“Yeah, what she said.” Hunt juts his chin at me. “How’s things?”
He doesn’t wait for an answer as he follows her down the hall, leaving me to lock the door behind them.
I don’t want this. I don’t.
But I’m unsure how to get Luca to stay.
I creep back down the hall, stopping before the entry to the open living area to listen to the murmured conversation.
“Let her do her own thing,” Luca says. “Don’t crowd her. I won’t be gone long.”
“You only need two minutes, right?” Hunt asks.
“Very funny. I’ll probably be out for a few hours. Three at the most.”
“Are you sure this is the right thing to do?” It’s Sarah this time, her voice filled with concern. “You don’t want to think it over?”
“I’m not thinking about it anymore. This needs to be done.”
Dread creeps into my stomach, growing with the blossoming silence.
I enter the room, all eyes turning to me as I pad my bare feet against the cold tile.
“Well, I’m going to make myself at home.” Hunter places his keys and wallet on the kitchen counter, then heads for the sofa. “No chick flicks tonight.”
“Is that so?” Sarah winks at me and follows after him. “I have a feeling you’re going to be outnumbered, big guy.”
I ignore them as I return to the island counter, noting the increased tension in Luca’s posture as the television blares to life.
Something’s wrong. Something that makes it hard for him to look at me.
“Is everything all right?” I keep my voice low, not wanting to be overheard. “I’m worried.”
“Don’t worry.” He gives a half-hearted grin and shovels a scoop of stir-fry into a bowl. “Enjoy the time without me.”
I thought I’d feared leaving the house, but the more the minutes tick by, the more I’ve come to realize that it isn’t these four walls. It’s Luca. He’s the sanctuary. “Can’t I come with you?”
He bristles, the kind expression vanishing. “Not this time.”
“Why?”
He fills another bowl and another, placing them at the far edge of the counter. “Dinner’s up,” he announces to the room and sidesteps, grabbing forks from the cutlery drawer before handing one over. “There’s things I need to do, and I can’t have you with me.”
“Because it’s dangerous?”
He cringes. “No. It’s…” He shoves a hand through his hair as Hunter and Sarah approach and grab their dinner. He doesn’t speak again until they’re resettled on the sofa. “It’s just something I have to do on my own. You don’t need to stress about it.”
He isn’t telling the truth.
I’ve had enough experience with liars to read them well.
When he stalks to the dining table it only proves my point. His gun is on display at the back of his jeans. I know it’s always there. He’s never without it. But that’s to protect me, right? Does he really need a weapon if there’s nothing to worry about?
He grabs a jacket from the back of one of the chairs, pulls it on and walks back toward me.
“Make life hell for them, okay?” He stops at my side, his body stiff as he leans in and places a peck at my temple.