Page 13 of Be Very Quiet

Liliana.

Her hair was shorter now, the front ends longer than the back and brushing her shoulders, but he would’ve recognized her anywhere. If you stripped everything else away, it was as if her DNA called to him on a molecular level, as ridiculous as that sounded.

The woman beside her was saying something, but Liliana’s startled gaze was locked on his. He moved toward her, wanting to pull her into his arms and kiss her before squiring her away to his apartment inside the secure compound back home. Liliana’s safety was of the utmost importance to him.

Would she taste as wonderful as he remembered?

“Hi, I’m Nina. Are you here to take a class? You’ll love mine. I’ll get your heart racing, if you know what I mean.”

Luca’s attention never left Liliana. “Hi, Nina. No, I’m here for Liliana.”

The other woman inhaled sharply, but Luca didn’t spare her a look. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Liliana. Those light green eyes sucked him in and held him there. How had he survived ten years without her? “Hello, Liliana.”

She opened her mouth, closed it, and cleared her throat before murmuring, “Luca.”

As if realizing her surroundings, she shook her head and glanced around. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Nina.” She addressed Luca. “Let’s talk in my office.”

Luca dipped his head at the other woman, who he noticed was incredibly beautiful but not in Liliana’s league, and followed. Someone called her name and handed her a clipboard. She wrote something and passed it back before continuing to a room decorated in soft tones. One wall was made of glass and overlooked the studio—a grand view, but not very private.

Liliana walked behind a metal and wood desk that looked like it lifted so she could stand if she wanted to. She sat in a black leather chair. Luca took one of the padded seats in front. There was also a conference room table, a small kitchenette, and a sofa.

She opened her mouth to say something and then frowned as she looked over his shoulder. Luca turned to see what had distracted her. The woman she’d been talking to when he arrived—he thought her name might be Nina—and several others had huddled together. They were looking at them and smiling. Liliana punched a button, and the glass became opaque. Nice.

“How are you, Luca?”

“I was better before I received your call,” he answered honestly.

Liliana winced and glanced away. “I overreacted and shouldn’t have bothered you. I’m sure this is all a coincidence.”

“I’m not.”

Liliana’s gaze lurched back to him. “What?”

“There are several similarities to Ted Rader.”

Luca was out of his seat in an instant, rounding the desk to pull Liliana into his arms. Her body shook uncontrollably, and he hated she was reliving the pain from all those years ago. He’d take every bit of it from her if he could.

“I won’t let anything happen to you, Liliana,” he murmured, meaning it. His hand itched to stroke her hair, cup her face. The urge to kiss her, to ease her pain, was overwhelming in its intensity.

Luca felt the instant she gathered herself. It was as if her spine had suddenly encased in titanium. She pulled back, and he reluctantly let go. It went against every instinct he possessed, but he returned to his seat.

Liliana regained her composure. “That shouldn’t have happened. I’m sorry.” She straightened a stack of papers on her desk and aligned two pens. “As I said, there is no reason for you to have come here.”

The apology irritated him, but her aloofness pissed him off. “Liliana, look at me.”

As if by great effort, she met his gaze. The icy stare was a punch in the gut. “It’s me. I was there.”

She glanced away. “I’ve put that time behind me and moved on.”

Yeah, right. That’s why she had called him the instant she’d learned about the murder and then fell apart when he confirmed Rader could be the killer. “Liliana, this is serious. Ted Rader might be back.”

“I’ll be fine, Luca. I’m trained in self-defense, have several black belts, and carry a gun in my purse.”

He’d taught her how to shoot and bought her first pistol for her. He wondered if it was the same one.

“I’m afraid you made the trip from Minnesota for nothing.”

“So that’s it? You’re just going to ignore the threat?” He hated prodding her, but he wanted her to take this seriously. And yeah, maybe it hurt that she was treating him like an acquaintance instead of a . . . what? Friend? Nothing physical had happened between them besides that farewell kiss, but she’d meant much more than that to him.

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