“You’re our main priority. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”
His protection attempts to seep into me, the wisps of kindness brushing over my extremities. I’d love for the effects to sink deeper. To penetrate. If only my self-preservation didn’t see his ability to soften me as a threat.
“You all seem to know exactly what you’re doing,” I murmur. “How can you have confidence when you’re going into a situation where you know you’ll be outnumbered more than two to one?”
He grips the bench seat on either side of his thighs and ponders his answer for longer than necessary. He opens his mouth, only to close it, then glances away.
“You’re faking the confidence, aren’t you?” I try to read him. To see what he’s attempting to hide. “This is all a huge risk.”
“Of course it’s a risk. Doesn’t mean I’m not confident. I know what I’m doing.”
“How? This situation can’t be a common occurrence.”
He pauses, his gaze gentle. “I’ve had training.”
“Training? How can you train for—”
“I was a SEAL, Penny.”
I pull back an inch, my surprise hitting me hard as he glances away. He seems embarrassed by his honorable past.
“I don’t understand.” I lean to the side, reclaiming his gaze. “Why did you—”
“It’s not up for discussion.”
Right… his past is a touchy subject. I guess I should be pleased we have something in common, but what he tries to hide only leaves me more unsettled.
“What about the others? I doubt my brother became a SEAL while I was here. What training does he have? Does he have experience with this type of thing? Is he used to killing people, too?”
His expression remains impassive, neither confirming nor denying. “What Decker does and doesn’t have experience with is something you should discuss with him. I’m not getting between the two of you again.”
My pulse increases as I picture Sebastian as a murderer. I see visions of him killing people. Fighting for his life. Gunning down strangers. The aggression doesn’t fit what I know of the man from my past. It doesn’t mesh at all.
“I want to know if he’s going to be able to look after himself.” The question grazes my throat, the hint of a plea layered in my tone. “He’s different from the man I grew up with. He’s a stranger now.”
“Then get to know him.” He jerks his chin at Sebastian, standing beside Hunter at the steering wheel. “I’m sure he’d appreciate you attempting to talk to him.” He pushes to his feet, distancing me from necessary answers.
“Please.” I reach out to stop his escape, my fingers an inch from contact before I retract at the last second. “Just tell me if he’s capable of going through with this. Is he able to kill someone in cold blood?”
He glances down at my hand as my arm retreats, then slowly raises his gaze to mine. “He’s capable.”
Another part of me dies.
After everything I’ve been through, I wouldn’t have thought it possible. But there it goes, the sinking feeling in my stomach expanding to take over my chest.
Despite our plan already being in motion, a part of me had hoped for Luca’s uncertainty. That he didn’t know if Sebastian was one of them. The bad guys. The brutal.
Not only did his words confirm it, his pity-filled gaze cements the walls of the hollowness carved out inside me.
Sebastian isn’t Sebastian anymore.
“Hunter is more than capable, too,” Luca adds. “So you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
I scoff out a derisive laugh, hoping the effort will dislodge my vulnerability. “I wasn’t overly concerned about him. The vibe he gives off is threatening enough.”
A grin tweaks Luca’s lips, the sly expression slightly endearing in the glow of the moon. “He may look scary, but he’s got a soft side. If his woman asked him to put on a dress and perform a ballet recital, I’m pretty sure he’d comply without skipping a beat.”
I raise my brows, not buying his bullshit. Not caring enough to voice it either. I’m already in mourning for my brother. I can’t believe the gentle protector is gone. That he’s now working for the enemy.
“You’ll understand once you meet Sarah.” Luca continues. “She’s not the kind of woman you deny.”
“Pretty?” I assume.
“Deadly.” His humor fades. “Don’t get me wrong—she’s attractive, but she’s the type of woman who could slit a throat with a smile on her face. It’s like catnip to the big guy.”
I bristle at the mental image of this woman. Lethal beauty. Black