Page 24 of Be Very Quiet

“Come here. I’ll show you.”

Rader grabbed her, and she couldn’t remember any of her training. Her muscles refused to work. He dragged her to a door, as he had ten years ago, his brutal grip bruising her arms. He whipped it open, and she saw Luca lying on the floor, covered in blood. His eyes were closed.

“Liliana.”

Liliana gasped awake, expecting to see Ted Rader’s evil face. Instead, it was Luca’s beautiful one. He was alive and sitting beside her on the bed, his hands grasping her arms. He’d turned on a light, and the glow filled the dark nooks and crannies in the room.

“Are you okay? You were having a nightmare.”

“Rader,” she croaked, trying to control her ragged breathing. “He came back for me, and he-he killed you.”

“He’s not going to get to you, sweetheart. That I promise you.”

Liliana threw herself at Luca. His powerful arms around her helped erase the vile images from the dream. The fear dissipated, replaced by a sense of calm. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and she reveled in the feel of the steely muscles along his chest. Had he been that buff years ago?

Luca pulled back to study her face. “Better?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

He eased away, but she clung to him. “Stay, please. I’m afraid to go to sleep now.”

Luca brushed a lock of hair from her face. “Okay. Let me grab my phone.”

She almost whimpered when he released her to stand. She hadn’t seen him for ten years and now didn’t want to be away from him for a single minute. What was wrong with her?

Still unsettled by the nightmare, she checked the drawer in her nightstand to be sure the gun Luca had purchased for her was still there. It was. She practiced at a range once a month and kept it maintained. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to use it on an actual human instead of a paper target, but she appreciated the feeling of security it provided.

Luca was always taking care of her. He’d come running after her call and rented the condo across the hall to watch out for her. Even after she’d treated him poorly, he hadn’t left. He was and always had been her hero.

Her heart galloped when he returned, this time wearing a T-shirt and shorts. He placed his phone and weapon on the other bedside table and climbed beneath the sheets. Liliana closed the gap, pressing her body to his. She looked into his eyes and could barely breathe. She pressed her lips to his, needing the contact.

Luca slid a hand into her hair and kissed her. The first time had been mind-boggling, the second staggering. This one blew those out of the water. It was exquisite perfection.

Luca broke the kiss and rubbed a thumb down her cheek. “Go to sleep, Liliana.”

“Luca . . .” She didn’t want him to stop.

“You need the rest. Close your eyes. I’ll hold you.”

Despite wanting him more than her next breath, she did something she hadn’t done in a decade. She fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Chapter Eight

Torture. Lying in bed, holding Liliana all night, had been unmitigated hell in the sweetest, most amazing way. Luca obviously didn’t get enough sleep because he wasn’t making any sense. Her exotic, feminine scent enveloped him, her silky hair tickled his cheek, and her soft yet strong body fit perfectly against him.

As much as he’d wanted to make love to her, and by the signals she was throwing out, she wouldn’t have said no, she had been severely rattled after the nightmare. There was no way he’d take advantage of her in a weakened state. When they made love for the first time, it would not be because something had spooked her. It would be because she needed him as much as he did her.

Once she’d fallen asleep, he’d worked on compiling a list of equipment he’d need Christian and Audria to bring. The security in her apartment was average. The guard in the lobby was a plus, but Luca didn’t have faith that Warren could stop a fly, much less a determined intruder, despite his claims that he was prepared. Luca had yet to meet the daytime guard, who he’d discovered was Jorge Martinez, a former Marine. If the US military had trained him, he would have mad skills.

Luca planned on installing a security system with sensors on the egress points. There were three, with the front entry and two separate sets of sliding glass doors leading to a balcony. Liliana’s condo had no windows, so that was a plus.

He finally nodded off around two, so he wasn’t thrilled when the alarm buzzed four hours later. Liliana woke up and looked surprised to see him. “Morning.”

“I thought it was a dream.”

“Nope.”

“Thank you, Luca. I slept better than I have in years—maybe ever.”

---