Page 151 of Knights Game

Thirty minutes creep by.

Thirty minutes of constantly watching the rise and fall of Luca’s chest and checking his vitals. He’s stable. But unconscious.

Katy brings me a mug of tea, and I take it gratefully.

“Do you need anything?” she asks, yawning.

“No, I’m good,” I reply quietly. “Go get some rest, I think the others will be back soon, and then we’ll move him.”

She nods. “I’ll go make a nest in the living room. I would try and talk you into joining me, but I guess that would be stupid of me.”

I smile and blow the tea. I’m where I’m meant to be.

“Call if you need anything, I’ll only be dozing.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you sleep like the dead.”

“I think the penthouse has good padding. You’re amazing by the way. They’re lucky to have you, he’s lucky to have you.”

I smile tiredly and look over to Luca, resting a hand on his forehead, running my fingers through his soft, dishevelled hair.

“I’m lucky to have him too. I’ll be fine, go and get some sleep.”

Katy says goodnight and disappears into the living room. I stare at the clock, 3:30 a.m., then out the window. London is quiet, the lights glimmer. The river shimmering peacefully.

“You’ve given me two heart attacks tonight,” I whisper to Luca. His face peaceful now.

“I thought I’d lost you, and I felt like I’d lost a part of myself. I’m scared, Luca. Terrified that whatever comes next may mean that one of us doesn’t make it. I don’t think I can live without you in my life. The light needs the darkness, I need you.”

I lean forward and place a kiss on his lips and wipe at the tear that falls down my cheek and look down. Seeing his wallet, I pull it out to place it on the table. Seeing receipts peek out the top, one catches my attention. It’s from a local garden centre.

“It was you,” I say in a broken whisper. “You bought the bird feeder.”

The date on the receipt is from after we had just met, when he had been watching me. He’d seen my granddad, and the tree. My heart swells with love for this man. This complex, cunning, dangerous man.

I’m not entirely sure when I fell in love with him, or what that truly says about me and the state of my mind. I’m in love with someone who dominates me, and controls me, but makes mefeel safe, makes me laugh. That looks after my loved ones, he’s my person, and when I’m with him, I feel like for the first time since my parents died that I belong.

I meant it when I said I’m where I’m supposed to be.

Because it’s right here, next to the darkness.

51

Layla

The front door slamsshut, and I sit up. I’d fallen asleep again, the penthouse is deathly quiet, and I glance at the clock seeing that only an hour had passed since Katy delivered me the tea.

It’s likely Fletcher with the blood.

I stand and stretch, my back, my arse, my whole-body screams at me for sitting in an awkward position for so long. Groaning, I flex my muscles back to life as I walk to the hallway.

“Did you get it?” I look up and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I come face to face with Terry Peyton.

He’s standing behind the huge vase of lilies and my eyes fall to the gun that he holds in his black leather gloves, a silencer on the end.

“Hello, Layla.”

“Katy!” I scream.

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