Slowing her breaths, Evie let the protection of Luca wash over her.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
IT HAD BEEN three days since Evie was attacked by that deadbeat. Three days and the team had not located him. It was like the guy was a damn ghost. Luca didn’t understand how they hadn’t found anything, even a scrap of evidence.
Walking into the kitchen, Luca watched Evie lean over the stove as she prepared dinner. She had stayed at his house while he’d taken time off work. He wasn’t returning until this shit was sorted. Luca wasn’t taking any chances with Evie’s safety.
Moving to stand behind her, Luca wrapped his arms around Evie’s waist.
God, she felt good.
Nuzzling his face into her neck, a giggle escaped Evie’s chest while she tried to squirm out of his hold.
Pulling his head up, Luca kept his arms firmly around her waist. “Mmm, smells good, sweetheart, but you should be resting.”
Turning her head, Evie tried pushing Luca away, but he didn’t budge. “I can’t stay in bed all day, Luca. I’ll go crazy looking at the same four walls. And it may smell good, but don’t be deceived, cooking is not my forte.”
Lowering his lips again, Luca grazed her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. “I can think of lots of things you can do in that room other than looking at four walls.”
Turning around in his arms, Evie placed both hands on his chest. “Luca Kirwin. You can take your mind out of the gutter and leave me be. Dinner’s just about ready, so make yourself useful and get us some cutlery.”
Cracking a smile, Luca loosened his arms. “I love it when a woman tells me what to do.”
Rewarded with a hint of a smile, Luca got to work setting the table. Making some space, Luca grabbed Evie’s laptop to move it to the coffee table. She had only gone home to grab a few things, her laptop being one of them.
Every spare moment she had, she was on that thing. When Luca had tried asking what she was working on, Evie was evasive and gave him non-committal answers. The frustration of not knowing what she was doing was killing Luca, but he wanted to earn her trust. So, he let the subject drop. For now.
Scooping up two bowls of lasagna, Evie turned to place them on the table. Nibbling her bottom lip, Evie looked to be working up the courage to ask him something. Giving her the space she needed, Luca knew she would get there in her own time.
It wasn’t until they were seated and had started eating that she finally voiced what she wanted to ask.
“Have you found anything?”
Ah, she wanted to know about Troy.
It was obvious she was trying to hide her nerves, but the fidget of the table edge gave her away.
Luca hated that he couldn’t tell her what she wanted to hear. Evie wanted to feel safe and dammit he wanted that too.
“We’re getting close.”
Plastering a smile on her face, Evie nodded. Her gaze quickly turned back to her food. The disappointment behind the smile may be invisible to most, but Luca could see it. Evie had been running from this asshole for the last year, and she needed him gone.
Indicating with his head to where the laptop sat, Luca asked the same question that he’d raised a few times in the last couple of days. “What were you working on today?”
The shuttered look came over Evie’s face. Disappointment sat heavily inside Luca. She was going to lie to him again.
“It’s nothing, just looking up things to do in nearby towns.”
Even though Luca had anticipated the lie, known it was coming, it still hurt. Telling himself not to read into it, Evie would share when she was ready.
Luca reminded himself that he had secrets of his own that he hadn’t shared. Secrets he’d been debating telling her.
He wanted to share them with her. He wanted there to be no secrets in their relationship. He had even spoken to the team about telling Evie about the project and what it had done to him. The guys thought it was too soon. They asked him to wait.
The government had wanted it kept quiet. It definitely saved them from the attention and media frenzy, so the guys preferred it that way too.
In general, they didn’t share their past with people and kept their abilities to themselves.
But if he shared his, she might share hers. If this thing was going to work, they needed to trust each other.
Clearing his voice, Luca glanced across the table at Evie. “Did Troy ever share anything with you about the work he was a part of as a SEAL?”
Evie’s eyes widened for a moment before she recovered. Shaking her head, Evie remained quiet.
He wanted to believe that it was the truth, but could you really date someone for that long and not know what they had been through? What they had become?
Deciding it was time to let Evie in, Luca stopped eating. “Do you remember that picture you found at Marble Protection?”
Giving a small nod, Luca heard the pitter-patter of Evie’s heart speed up.
“We were sent on a rescue mission. It was supposed to be an easy in and out. We had the coordinates, knew the plan, should have been a three-day job. When we got there, we had a gut instinct that something wasn’t right. Then we got an email from base to say the plans had changed and not to go ahead. None of it felt right, but as a SEAL, you don’t go against orders. The next day, we heard the place we were supposed to raid blew up at the very time we were supposed to be in there. That afternoon we ran into Troy and his team in the exact town as us. They tried to make up some bullshit excuse as to why they were there, but we suspected the truth.”
Visibly stiffening, Evie moved forward in her chair slightly. “You think Troy…”
Not being able to finish the sentence, Luca did for her. “We think his directive had been to take us out. When we weren’t in the explosion area, we were on the lookout for anything suspicious, so it would have been too hard to take out our whole team.”
Seeming to recover, Evie reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Luca’s. “I’m glad you guys are all okay.”
Turning his hand and wrapping his fingers around hers, Luca gave them a squeeze. “There’s something else I want to tell you. The project that we were part of…” Before Luca could finish what he was saying, a shadow moved past the kitchen window.
Rising to his feet, Luca pulled his phone from his back pocket and dialed Asher. He lived the closest and could get here the quickest. At the same time, he took Evie’s hand and pulled her to the corner of the room.
Asher answered on the first ring. “Hey, buddy.”
“I need you to watch Evie,” Luca said, not wasting any time.
“Be there in five.”
Hanging the phone up, Luca glanced up at the window again but saw nothing but the night sky. His body itched to go outside. Hunt the predator he knew was there. Luca wasn’t making that same mistake that Eden had made, though. He refused to leave Evie alone and unprotected.
Noticing the slight tremble in Evie’s hand, Luca grimaced.
“What is it? What’s going on?” Her voice was steady, but Luca could tell she was frightened.
Not wanting to alarm her, Luca pressed her further into the corner. It was the only place in the house which would be invisible through the windows. “I might have seen something outside, but I’m not sure. I asked Asher to watch you for a moment while I check it out.”
“Luca, no. If it’s Troy, it’s too dangerous. Please.”
Reaching out and rubbing her arms, Luca’s gaze didn’t stray from Evie’s. “Trust me, sweetheart. I’ll be okay. I’m very well trained to deal with this sort of thing.”
There was still fear in Evie’s eyes, but she nodded reluctantly.
About to turn, Evie stopped him with her touch. “Be careful.”
Moving his lips to her cheek, he placed a kiss there. “Always.”
Three minutes later, Asher stepped inside Luca’s front door. Walking over to his drawers, Luca discretely tucked a gun into his waistband before passing Asher.
“Watch her like she’s your own. Under no circumstances do you leave her unprotected. Got it?”
“Got it. Go, man.” Not waiting a moment longer, Luca moved to the back door and stepped outside.
The night air felt like a cold bucket of water on his face, but he didn’t stop to think. He moved into the woods and through the trees. To most, it would be pitch black, but to Luca, the trees and the dirt were crystal clear. He knew the darkness would have no advantage, because just as he could see everything so could Troy.
Stopping for a moment, Luca closed his eyes and blocked off the sound of the wind and trees. He listened for anything that sounded human. Then he heard it. It was the slightest of crackles. To his left was the sound of branches snapping under footsteps.
Not stopping to think, Luca’s body moved. He had one job. Catch the asshole and bury him.
The wind whipped across his face, and the branches broke beneath his feet. As he moved, the crackling of leaves became louder. Then he caught the sight of footprints in the dirt.
Pushing his body to move faster, Luca trailed the sounds. Troy may be fast, but Luca was faster.
Then he saw the figure. Leaping across the soil, Luca hit the body in front of him at full force. As the two powerful bodies collided, both grunted and dropped to the ground.
Pushing straight back to his feet, Luca got his first look at Troy in over a year. The son of a bitch hadn’t changed.
Troy’s face pulled into a smile that made Luca’s blood run cold.
“I hear you’re shacking up with my woman, Rocket. I’ve never been much of a sharer, but for you, I’ll make an exception.”
Circling each other, neither man dropped their eyes.
“You’ll never touch her again, and I’m going to tear you apart for what you’ve done to her.”
Troy’s brows lifted, but the smile remained. “No, you won’t, Luca. I’m going to get her back, and you won’t be able to do shit about it. And when I get her back, what I’ve done previously will pale in comparison to what I have planned for her.”
Luca’s anger boiled over. All he saw was red. In the blink of an eye, Luca hooked Troy’s neck with his elbow, holding him in a choke position.
All too quickly, Troy’s elbow landed on Luca’s ribs, effectively freeing him. Flipping around, Troy pulled his fist back.
Dodging the hit, Luca bent his body and moved at maximum speed into Troy’s mid-section. The hit took Troy at full force, and he released a grunt. Not stopping, Luca raised his knee into Troy’s ribs, before landing his fist into Troy’s face.
The sounds of both men’s hits were loud in the silent night.
Then Troy reached into his pocket. Seeing the glimmer of the knife just before it left his fingers, the knife flew past Luca’s head.
Dodging the weapon gave Troy the time he needed to disappear into the night air.
Pulling out his gun, Luca moved his legs, chasing the enemy. Realizing the footsteps were taking him back toward the house. Back toward Evie.
Hell no.
Pushing his body faster than he had before, the night suddenly fell silent.
Following the footprints, they led him to the window, which looked directly into his living room.
No one had entered the house, but there were multiple prints. The asshole had been here before. Looking at the glass, Luca noticed Troy’s handprint in thick mud on the side of the window. That was no accident. He’d left it there as a message.
Rage pulsed through Luca’s veins. Had the fucker watched them together? He simultaneously wanted to be sick and murder the guy.
Turning to see where the footstep led, they went to the street before disappearing into nothing.
Only just keeping his frustration in check, Luca headed back inside. He would find Troy, and when he did, he would make him pay for every last bit of pain he had put Evie through, plus more.
CHAPTER TWENTY
EVIE WOKE AT the sound of voices in the living room.
Creeping out of bed, she moved silently across the room and sat next to the top of the stairs, ensuring she stayed out of sight.
Hearing Luca’s voice, she leaned her head closer. “He was fucking messing with me. Going around in circles, making me chase him like a damn dog.”
“So, you didn’t get anything?” Asher asked.
“Nothing. He’s the same asshole he always was, but he’s good. He wanted me to know that he’s been here before. Wanted me to know that he can come and go as he pleases. Watch us whenever he wants, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.”
Evie flinched at the sound of a bang. It sounded like a boot connecting with a wall.
“What’s the status on Cage and Ax?” Wyatt asked.
Asher’s response was instant. “They’ll be here at oh six hundred tomorrow.”
“I want to find him. I have to find him now. What are we not seeing?” Luca’s voice was angry.
Nibbling on her bottom lip, she tried to ignore the guilt she felt of bringing Troy back into Luca’s life. If it wasn’t for Evie, Luca wouldn’t be feeling this way.
“Something’s not right here.” It was Mason, but he sounded a lot less agitated than Luca. “He could have taken or killed Evie at Marble Protection. He didn’t. He left her. Then he said he was coming for you. Why?”
The reminder that she had been so vulnerable to Troy at Marble made Evie shudder.
There was some shuffling like someone sitting down on the couch. “Do you think he wants to take her again?”
Goosebumps rose along her arms at Asher’s words.
“No. At least not right now. He would have taken her at Marble Protection if that was all he wanted.” Wyatt’s words lowered the anxiety inside Evie slightly. “There’s something else he has planned.”
“It has something to do with Project Arma.” There was silence after Eden voiced his thoughts. Evie pressed herself closer to the stair railing, desperate to find out what they knew.
Please, please tell me what you know about the project. The idea of never finding out tore Evie apart.
“There is no Project Arma. Not anymore.” Bodie sounded confident.
“Until we find everyone involved, we don’t know that for sure,” Luca said.
The next words were lost in their hushed voices. Evie’s heart dropped. No. She needed to know.
Feeling like she was choking in disappointment, Evie turned and tried to hold back the tears of frustration.
There was a reason he had become the monster he was, and Evie would find out. Quietly returning to the bedroom, she spotted her laptop on the ground. Evie went over to grab it before taking it to the bed.
One way or another, she would find out. She would find out why Troy changed, why he killed her parents, and why he destroyed her life.
She couldn’t have just chosen wrong, because that was too hard to accept. That meant it was all on her, right? If there was no third party, then the reason her parents were murdered was that she’d made a bad judgment call, and Evie just couldn’t take that.
Opening the laptop, Evie got to work. A few more days, and she knew she’d have it. She’d crack the file and have the answers she was looking for.
What if she didn’t find what she was looking for, though?
No. She wouldn’t think about that.
Evie was madly typing when the bedroom door popped open. Quickly shutting the laptop, she glanced up.
“Luca?”
Walking over to the bed, he began taking his clothes off, exhaustion on his face. As he removed his shirt, Evie’s eyes immediately drew to his hard chest.
“What are you doing up? You should be sleeping.” Luca’s asked with his timber voice.
Popping the laptop on the ground, Evie turned back to look at Luca. “I wasn’t tired.”
Drawing down the covers, Luca crawled into bed and pulled Evie’s body into his. “Mmm, you feel good.”
Snuggling into Luca’s big body, some of the tension in her
own began to ease. It was so easy with Luca. He made her feel like she was protected. Safe. Everything she had been chasing for the last year.
“What were you working on?”
Stiffening slightly, Evie’s mind scrambled for a response. It wasn’t that she was trying to hide it from Luca, but she wanted to open the file before she told him. She didn’t know why that was so important to her, but she wanted to have more information before she exposed her last secret.
“It was nothing.” Evie pushed down the guilt of having to lie. She knew he was hiding a part of himself from her, too, but for some reason, she couldn’t let go of the guilt she felt.
“Tomorrow, I need to talk to you about something. Tonight, we sleep.” Hearing the disappointment in his voice, Evie’s guilt intensified.
“I would like that.”
The muscles in Luca’s arms rippled as he held her. This man was everything. He had put her safety first tonight and was hunting the man of her nightmares to keep her safe.
Slowly leaning forward, Evie placed her lips over his. They were just as soft as she remembered, and, my lord, he smelled like heaven.
When Luca didn’t pull away, Evie went to deepen the kiss.
“Evie.” Turning his head, Luca placed both hands on Evie’s shoulders. “I don’t think this is a good idea right now.”
Courage, Evie.
She wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Not tonight.
Placing both her hands at the bottom of his shirt, she pushed it up to expose his rock-hard stomach. Brushing her finger over his muscles, she felt them harden and flex under her touch.
This man’s body was like a sculpture, there wasn’t an ounce of fat to be seen.
When Luca didn’t move to stop Evie, she took advantage and leaned down to place soft kisses on his warm skin. Slowly working her way up, her fingers trailed down the sides of his ribs.
A growl tore from Luca’s throat as he gently took hold of her shoulders and sat her up. Thinking Luca was going to push her away again, a shocked gasp escaped her lips when instead, he slowly pushed her back onto the mattress.
“We go slow, okay? You’re still injured. If anything hurts, you tell me, and we stop.”
Luca Page 14