Kathleen leaned against the pole, chest heaving. “We lost them.”
“For now,” Enzo said.
Dragan glanced between them. “I’ll peel off after the transfer at St. Michel Notre Dame. Don’t want to draw heat. And I have places to be.”
Kathleen hugged him again. “Thank you.”
“Anytime,” he murmured. Then to Enzo, quietly, “Take care of her.”
There was an unmistakableorelse in his statement. Enzo held his gaze. “I am.”
With a curt nod, Dragan guided them off the platform and pointed out which Metro train to grab next before he disappeared into the crowd. Enzo and Kathleen rushed through the train doors just as they were closing.
Kathleen leaned her forehead against Enzo’s shoulder. “That went better than expected.”
“Yes,” Enzo said. He didn’t bother to mention that his gut was full of acid… not from Dominic and his thugs, but because of the way Kathleen smiled at Dragan. There was definitely something between them, no matter what the man had said, and a kernel of truth sat like a burr under Enzo’s skin. And as the train carried them away, one hard, undeniable fact settled in his chest; Kathleen Drake had history, one she hadn’t shared.
He stared out the window at the Seine and tried to get his focus back. It wasn’t like he’d shared his entire history with her, but he had told her about his former position withLa Famiglia.She also knew he’d dated Bianca, or at least she must have surmised it by now.
He glanced at her. She didn’t seem to care, which bothered him more than he could say. Just the thought that Kathleen had gone out with Dragan had him in knots. He couldn’t even let himself imagine them being together. The jealousy teeming within him was so great that he thought he might kill someone.
He let out a long breath and watched the signboard, willing the Versailles Chateau Rive Gauche stop to hurry up. But, with the way he felt, sixty minutes was likely to last an eternity.
He’d thought that when this was all over, he’d ask Kathleen out on a proper date. He’d take her places, and show her things, and they would have fun together. Now, he knew that was a bad idea. He’d only spent days with this woman, and already she had him tied up in knots. Had his head so screwed up that all he could think about was her when he should be thinking about how to stay alive.
Kathleen Drake was a dangerous woman, and the last thing he needed in his life was more danger. He’d barely survived this far, and the future wasn’t so bright as it was. Putting Kathleen out of bounds was the best course of action. She always should’ve been off-limits, and because he’d relaxed and ignored his own rules, he was now in a world of hurt. That was on him.He’d protect her and get through this, and then he would never see Kathleen Drake again.
Having a plan didn’t lessen the growing ache at the thought of saying goodbye to her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Kathleen’s nerves were shot. Enzo had gone silent, almost sullen, since Dragan had left them. The way he was pulling away from her generated a burning pit in her belly.
Asshole.It was stupid. It shouldn’t matter. So they’d slept together. It wasn’t like it was the first time she’d had sex since she’d found her freedom. But it was the first time it had mattered.
Enzo mattered.
For shit’s sake, what was it with her? Why must she always fall for the bad boys? Why couldn’t she have fallen for Dragan? God only knew that man was sexy as hell. Smart, funny, and yes, even he had the bad boy vibe. So, why didn’t she fall for him?
Because he was too young for her. He was in his early, possibly even his mid-thirties. She’d already crested forty, and as far as she was concerned, there was no going back. No future for them. Different age and stage. Still, it had been so good to see him. Someone she knew she could trust and depend on. It made a difference.
She glanced at Enzo. If she were truthful, she would admit she could trust Enzo. It was herself she couldn’t trust. She knewEnzo would do his best to keep her safe. He was her brother’s best friend. There was no choice. She just wished he wanted to keep her safe becausehe wanted to, not because he felt obligated to.
And his attitude because of Dragan? She wanted to think it was jealousy, but she knew better. It was a stung ego. He was supposed to rescue the damsel in distress, and another big, strong man swooped in and stole his thunder. She’d seen it too many times not to see the signs. Hell, her brother had those same issues sometimes when the Callahans were trying to keep him safe.
The male ego was a fragile thing.
She leaned back in the seat and stared unseeing out the window. She was in this mess because some thief picked her out of a crowd and put the damn statue in her bag.Just random. She paused as another thought hit her.
“What if it wasn’t random?” she said.
“Che cosa?” Enzo glanced over at her. “What did you say?”
“Ernie ending up in my bag. What if it wasn’t random?”
“How do you mean?”
Kathleen swore. “I can’t believe I fucking missed it,” she said, swearing again. “It’s so obvious.”
