“Unfortunately, not.”
“Couldn’t you have spoken to them? Couldn’t you have warned them?”
I didn’t realize I was crying until Luc’s thumb wiped a tear away from my cheek. He left his hand resting against it and I leaned into his touch, finding some comfort in it.
“Princess,” he said tenderly, “in my job respect means everything. If I had spoken to him, if I had warned him, it would have made me weak. It would have said I allow disrespect on my doorstep and would have given others the liberty to try and fleece me. This, the way I dealt with it tonight, is a warning to everyone. One life taken saves many in the long run.”
This was the most honest Luc had been about his work since I’d walked into his life, and I wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or terrified. It was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he rationalised the murder of one person by the fact he had inadvertently saved more.
Luc’s face came closer to mine until our heads rested against each other, noses touching.
“I won’t ever hurt you,” he reiterated; words that he had told me before. Despite everything that had happened, I trusted those words. I knew deep down that Luc would never hurt me in the way he was capable of doing to other people.
“I won’t hurt you but I’m not a good man, Mia. I’m no hero. No knight in shining armour.” The words felt like an unspoken warning. “I’m a man with more red than ledger. I’m a man who even God has probably turned his back on.”
Whatever warning he tried to deliver did not register as I closed the gap and pressed my lips against his to silence him. I could see, over the time we’d spent together, how so many people saw Luc in a positive glow. He was attentive and funny and in complete contrast to the man he described now.
I pulled away. Luc’s grip around my waist loosened reluctantly as I stood up.
“You need to sleep,” I told him.
“You’ll be here when I wake up?” Luc asked, and I looked at him confused by the question. “You won’t run?”
“I promise.”
And I meant it.
Chapter Fifteen
Mia
"Happy birthday!"
I woke with a start and saw Dom sitting at the end of my bed and grinning at me.
“Are you trying to kill me?” I asked him once my heart had calmed down. Grabbing the duvet, I pulled it over my head before Dom caught the other end and pulled it clean off the bed.
“Of course not,” he told me. “Because who would I annoy then? Hurry up and get downstairs,” Dom ordered. “We’re all waiting for you. Don’t worry about changing.” He stood at the foot of the bed expectantly.
Today marked my 20th birthday and although I would never have imagined spending it with Lucas and company, I couldn’t say I was angry about it anymore. I rubbed my eyes and stretched out in bed as I thought about the way my life had begun to change. Things between myself and Luc had been good as of late. Although I was still slightly terrified of what Luc could do, I had started to process the conversation from a few nights ago.
He no longer avoided my questions about work, however I knew he never told me every detail. I’d also noticed the abundance of lilies that appeared in vases around the house and at times I found it hard to follow my own rules. The kiss we’d shared remained an unspoken moment, but it made every interaction between us more charged and I had to remind myself to retain logic.
Eventually, I pulled myself from bed and went down to the kitchen where the tabletop was covered with fruit, pastries, coffee and juices. Lucas, Lydia and Dante were all sitting around the table as I walked in with Dom at my side.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” Lydia said, as she bustled over and hugged me. “Come on. Come join us for breakfast.”
“Thank you, Lyds.”
Dante rose from his seat as I walked over, and scooped me into a hug. “Happy birthday, Mia.”
“Thank you, D.”
I squeezed him tightly before noticing the way Luc watched us. I held my breath without even realizing and waited for the fire but instead, he stood up and opened his arms before giving me a smile. Releasing the breath, I walked into his arms, a space that had become familiar and welcomed. In the moments I hugged him I held on a little tighter as if to remind him that I was still here. That I hadn’t run.
“Happy birthday, princess,” Luc whispered into my ear before kissing my cheek, his beard scratching against my face as he did so.
The simple gesture made me flush red, and I dropped into the seat opposite Dante who wiggled his eyebrows at me. I grabbed the mug of coffee and took a drink, wishing that my limbs were longer so I could kick him under the table.
