"Tristan told you to leave," she said as she pulled up the other chair.
Pulling myself together, I looked her straight in the eyes. “Would you have left Luca?”
She didn’t so much as blink. “Yes. If he ordered me to.”
“You’re lying,” I told her, trying to smile, but my face wouldn't cooperate.
She gave me a little shrug. “Maybe. I’ve never been in that situation, thank god, so I’ve never had to test it.”
"And Luca, as far as I know, has never gone through the shit Tristan has with Gino." The words caught in my throat as guilt threatened to consume me. I hadn't told her the sordid details of Tristan's traumatic past with my father. Those dark secrets weren't mine to share, and I would never betray his trust like that.
She gave me an encouraging smile, and then said, "Tristan scares the ever-living fuck out of me, Luna. I'm sure he'll hold his own until Luca and Enzo can get there."
But she didn't know. She didn't know what Gino had done to him when he was a child, or the effect those memories still had on him. But all I said was, "I hope so."
We sat in silence after that. Lisa brought me a cup of coffee and a sandwich, but I couldn't eat. I just held Logan's hand, careful not to jar his broken arm. Veda was with me the entire time, kicking off her shoes and curling her legs underneath her. I appreciated the company even if I didn't feel like talking.
The sun had dropped beneath the horizon when I heard the front door open and close, followed by raised voices. My heart leaped into my throat, and I jumped to my feet, running out of the room with Veda close on my heels.
Luca and Enzo were back, and they had Tristan with them. He was alive and had blood smeared across the side of his neck, but he was walking on his own. Sort of. He was a bit unsteady. As he got closer, I saw his long-sleeved shirt was ripped at the neckline, revealing a peek at some of his scars, but otherwise, he seemed intact.
"Oh my god," I whispered, my hand flying to my mouth. "Tristan..."
His eyes shot over to me, and he froze. "Luna." His voice was strong, and although his face showed nothing of what he was feeling, I thought I heard a hint of relief.
Tears spilled down my cheeks as I rushed forward, wanting to throw my arms around him, but not sure how he would react. He seemed distant again. Guarded. I stopped when I got close enough that he could touch me if he wanted to. "I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "I'm so sorry I left you there. I had to help Logan, and you told me to go and…and I didn't know what else to do."
"Shh," he soothed, reaching out to cup my injured cheek with a gentle hand. "You did the right thing,bambolina. If you'd stayed, we’d both be dead right now."
A pained sound tore from my throat at the endearment, and I leaned into his touch, my tears wetting his palm. My cheek stung where his palm touched the raw spots, but I didn’t care. "I thought...I was so scared. I didn’t know if Luca and Enzo would get there on time. I thought…I thought he killed you," I finally forced out.
"Not yet," he said, so quietly I almost didn’t hear him as he brushed his thumb along the tender skin beneath my eye, then he dropped his hand.
I wanted to ask him if anything else had happened. If Gino had…hurt him in any other way. But I wouldn't ask him such a thing with everything there, and the fact that he hadn't locked himself in his cell gave me hope. So, instead, I asked, "Did you kill him?"
He shook his head. "No."
"But…" I looked to Luca and Enzo, noticing for the first time that they weren't in much better shape. "I don't understand. How is he still alive if you’re here?" I'd assumed they would take Gino out the first chance they could. I’dhopedthey would.After what he'd done to the both of us—and to Logan—it was no less than he deserved.
"He must’ve run off when we arrived," Enzo told me as Luca pressed a kiss to the top of Veda's head. She stood in the circle of his arms, completely uncaring if the blood on him was getting on her clothes, and I was almost envious of how sure she was of her welcome there.
"They'd left the construction site,” he continued. “But we were able to track T's phone. By the time we caught up to them, Gino had more men with him, and it turned into a goddamn bloodbath."
Tristan's expression was unreadable as he stared down at me. He'd never taken his eyes from me since he'd walked in.
My heart lurched. This man had faced down his worst nightmare to save me and Logan. Well, to save me, at least. I didn't really think he cared at all about people in general besides Luca and Enzo.
And now me.
As Veda talked to Luca and Enzo, I swallowed hard, wondering again what it was about me that caught and held his attention that first day he saw me. And at the same time, feeling sick at the thought of him caught in the middle of this shit between me and Gino because I'd been stupid enough to believe Gino would ever let me go.
"You're wrong," he told me quietly.
My eyes jerked to his as he read my thoughts. "I am?"
"He didn't want you. He wanted me. He knew I'd come after you, and he knew I'd come alone."
I crossed my arms over my chest and hugged myself.What does that mean?I wanted to scream.
