It's predatory, and not in the arousing way Dante's gaze is.
I shudder and back away. "No, thank you," I say quickly, taking Sofia's hand to move away from the stall.
But the man follows.
He stays a few steps behind us as we walk.
He doesn't say anything else, but his presence is enough to make my heart race.
I glance back at the guards.
They're still there, but they're far enough away that they might not notice the man following us.
And the farther we walk, the more terrified I become.
I don't know who Dante's enemies are.
I don't know what they look like or where they hide.
For all I know, this man is just a harmless stranger who was trying to be friendly.
But I can't take that risk.
I can't assume that everyone around us is safe after what happened when they shoved me in that van.
I'm finding myself feeling panicked and terrified and grateful all at once that I didn’t try to sneak away.
"Luca," I call out.
He's beside me within seconds, hand tucked on his gun under his jacket. "What's wrong?"
"There's a man following us," I say in a discreet tone. "Gray hair, blue jacket." My heart is racing and I feel like running away as fast as I can, but the two guards Luca brought along are immediately by my side, making me feel much safer.
Luca scans the crowd and spots the man immediately.
He walks over and speaks to him quietly so as not to make a fuss.
The man raises his hands and shakes his head.
Then he says something I can't hear and turns and walks away quickly.
He looks angry and flustered, and I'm just glad he's moving away from me now.
I get a strange sensation in my shoulders and at the nape of my neck.
It makes me wish Dante were here to wrap his arms around me and let me know I'm safe.
And I hate that notion.
I'm a strong woman.
I shouldn't be afraid like this, and I shouldn’t need Dante to help calm me, but God help me, that's what I need right now.
His arms, and his raspy voice calling meTesoro, telling me I'm safe.
Luca returns to my side. "He said he was just trying to make conversation. But I told him to keep moving."
"Thank you," I tell him, realizing that even if that man just thought I was beautiful and wanted to ask me out, I was paralyzed with fear.
