The silence between us was deafening.

Luca didn’t speak. He didn’t touch me. He just watched me, like he was afraid I’d vanish if he blinked.

I could still hear his words echoing in my head. “I’m trying. For you.”

I didn’t want them to affect me. But they did. Worse, I wanted to believe him.

“Why bring me here?” I asked, my voice quieter now.

He looked away, jaw clenching. “Because it’s the only place they won’t dare touch you.”

“They?”

“The ones who killed my brother. The ones who want to use you to get to me. The ones who think I have a weakness now.” His eyes...