Page 5 of Luka

As soon as he got back into his Jeep, Luka turned off his phone. It would never be turned on again. He had his personal phone on him, a number only his family had. Not Aiden or Rayne, the leader of the wolves, or even Eleazar, the eldest vampire in Ridgeway had it.

Only his parents and his sister.

Because, as of this moment, Luka was definitely retired.

* * * *

When two in the afternoon rolled around, Luka walked to the bakery. He knew Spencer’s schedule, and the human was nothing if not predictable. He wanted to check on Spencer, to make sure he hadn’t been abused again.

As soon as he stepped into the bakery, the smells hit him. He was suddenly dying for some chocolate chip cookies. He hid his smile when he spotted Spencer already in line, looking up at the menu board. He was wearing faded jeans and a T-shirt and looked good enough to eat.

Luka stood behind Spencer in line, inhaling the smell wafting off the baked goods counter. He watched as Spencer shuffled forward in line, one hand tucked into his pocket while the other held on to his wallet as he waited to place his order. Luka couldn’t help but feel a pang of protectiveness as he watched Spencer go about his day-to-day routine.

When it was finally Spencer’s turn to order, he hesitated for a moment before deciding on a croissant and a black coffee. Luka almost chuckled at the way the bakery worker seemed to take an extra moment to make Spencer’s order, a clear indication that she was interested in the man.

As Spencer walked away from the counter, Luka could tell that Spencer was nervous, his posture tense and his eyes darting around.

The human was definitely in trouble. Luka’s years of honed instincts told him that, whatever Spencer was messed up in, he was in way over his head.

After getting half a dozen cookies and a coffee, Luka slipped into the chair across from Spencer. The guy looked up, and then his eyes widened as he stared at Luka. “What’re you doing here?” Spencer looked around. “Are you following me?”

“I happened to love this bakery’s cookies.” Luka slid one from the bag. “Best in the city.”

Spencer’s shoulders visibly relaxed. “They are good.”

His eye was still bruised, but the swelling had gone down. Luka had to curl his fingers in to stop himself from reaching out and touching Spencer’s cheek.

“You okay?”

Spencer nodded, but Luka could tell he was lying. With his heightened senses, he could smell the bitter scent of fear rolling off Spencer’s body, and the human’s posture was tense.

“Anyone ever tell you it’s not polite to lie?”

Spencer’s eyes widened again, and he seemed to shrink back a bit, but then he let out a long breath and gave a small nod. “I think we went over this last night.”

Luka hated that. No one should ever go through life feeling so helpless and alone. He promised himself he’d make sure Spencer was safe from whatever threat lurked in his life, even it if meant putting himself in danger.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Luka said softly. “Maybe I can help.”

Spencer chewed on his lower lip, his features tight with worry. “I’m just debating on whether I should eat this entire treat. I don’t want to ruin my figure.”

Luka chuckled. The guy didn’t have anything to worry about. If anything, Spencer could use a few more pounds. He was a little too skinny in Luka’s opinion, but if Spencer was fine with his weight, so was Luka.

“I doubt one croissant will matter.” He popped an entire cookie into his mouth then offered Spencer one, who took it. The cookie was still warm, and the chocolate melted in Luka’s mouth. He watched as Spencer devoured the cookie then went back to his own treat.

“Now, tell me what’s really going on,” Luka said. For Spencer, Luka would come out of his ten-hour retirement and kill whoever had put that bruise on the human’s face.

“You’re like a dog with a bone.” Spencer gave him a wobbly smile as he nibbled on his croissant.

Unable to stop himself, Luka brushed the tips of his fingers over Spencer’s bruise. “I just don’t like to see abuse.”

“Who said anything about abuse?” But Spencer didn’t pull away. “Are you married?”

The question threw Luka. He held up his hands. “Do you see a ring?”

“You could have taken it off.”

Luka leaned in close. “When I’m with someone, I’m with that person and no one else, Spencer.”

---