the side. I remember how much it hurt, and how afraid it made me. But after a moment I just thought, ‘ Well, there it is. There’s no going back. I’m done.’ I think I passed out at that point because I don’t recall how he got me off that cross and into the river.” She sighed, as if the telling had exhausted her. “I guess I lied to you when I said I remember everything. Not very heroic of me was it?”
Luca didn’t know what to say. The fact that she was retelling this made her a damn hero in his eyes. Also, her status as a John the Baptist victim had just been undoubtedly confirmed.
The fact that he stabbed his victims with an ancient Roman spear had never been released to the press.
“I appreciate you going over that with me, Ms. Katrova-Connor.” Luca stood and grabbed his phone from next to her head. “Last thing; is there anything you can remember about the van? A color, a license plate, an identifying sign, words, or even letters?”
Aggrieved, Hero shook her head. “I only saw the inside. When he dragged me away from the van, it was dark and I was really disoriented. I was so busy trying to get a look at him I didn’t even… I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. That’s everything I need for now.” She’d given him more information in a few minutes than he’d collected in a few months. She couldn’t know how grateful he was for that. “I’ll leave you to rest and work on recovering.”
She nodded before sniffing in a very unladylike manner and tilting her head to wipe a tear on the shoulder of her gown.
He couldn’t bring himself to move, though. He just stood there like a chump, looking at her stunningly beautiful face and her small, still body. He knew she had a brute squad for a family, but once she was out of his sight, he couldn’t be sure of her safety and Luca found he didn’t like that one little bit.
She needed a tissue. He couldn’t leave before getting her one. Grabbing a handful from the box next to her bed he held them out to her, and then performed a mental facepalm when she glanced down at her bandaged hands.
“Here,” he murmured, holding the bunch up to her nose. She raised her eyebrows, but gave a dainty blow, which he wiped and chucked the wad into the garbage. This stunned him. Usually, that kind of stuff squicked him out, but with her, he didn’t seem to mind. It was kind of cute, even. With a mental shrug, he grabbed another tissue and covered his finger with it.
“Can I ask you one last thing?” He blurted the question before his mind had the chance to talk him out of it. Lowering the back of his finger to her face, he used the tissue to gently wipe her damp cheeks, just so they wouldn’t get itchy if the tears dried. No other reason.
“Sure,” she whispered, her eyes locked on his. Damn, those things were like heat seeking missiles. Once they had you, there was no escaping them.
“Why me? Why did you want me with you last night? Regan, er, Detective Wroth would have been better. Hell, anyone would have.”
She looked thoughtful for a moment. Then shrugged. “When I came to, your voice cut through everything else. I knew I’d been saved. That I was safe. And there aren’t words for the relief I felt.” She smiled, which pushed her cheek against his hand. He didn’t move it. “You’ve seen the men I’ve lived with for most of my life. After feeling the most helpless I could ever imagine, I felt safe with the one in command, who got things done while shouting obscenities. It felt like being home.”
Luca frowned, unsure of how he felt. Flattered? Had she just said he made her feel like home? That was probably a bigger compliment than he was willing to accept. All he knew was he didn’t want to stop soothing her, touching her, now that he’d started.
And that was fucking dangerous.
“Hero, the doctor said—” Rown’s voice cut off.
Luca snatched his hand away and took a hurried step back. He didn’t really want to turn around. He knew
Luca didn’t know what to say. The fact that she was retelling this made her a damn hero in his eyes. Also, her status as a John the Baptist victim had just been undoubtedly confirmed.
The fact that he stabbed his victims with an ancient Roman spear had never been released to the press.
“I appreciate you going over that with me, Ms. Katrova-Connor.” Luca stood and grabbed his phone from next to her head. “Last thing; is there anything you can remember about the van? A color, a license plate, an identifying sign, words, or even letters?”
Aggrieved, Hero shook her head. “I only saw the inside. When he dragged me away from the van, it was dark and I was really disoriented. I was so busy trying to get a look at him I didn’t even… I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. That’s everything I need for now.” She’d given him more information in a few minutes than he’d collected in a few months. She couldn’t know how grateful he was for that. “I’ll leave you to rest and work on recovering.”
She nodded before sniffing in a very unladylike manner and tilting her head to wipe a tear on the shoulder of her gown.
He couldn’t bring himself to move, though. He just stood there like a chump, looking at her stunningly beautiful face and her small, still body. He knew she had a brute squad for a family, but once she was out of his sight, he couldn’t be sure of her safety and Luca found he didn’t like that one little bit.
She needed a tissue. He couldn’t leave before getting her one. Grabbing a handful from the box next to her bed he held them out to her, and then performed a mental facepalm when she glanced down at her bandaged hands.
“Here,” he murmured, holding the bunch up to her nose. She raised her eyebrows, but gave a dainty blow, which he wiped and chucked the wad into the garbage. This stunned him. Usually, that kind of stuff squicked him out, but with her, he didn’t seem to mind. It was kind of cute, even. With a mental shrug, he grabbed another tissue and covered his finger with it.
“Can I ask you one last thing?” He blurted the question before his mind had the chance to talk him out of it. Lowering the back of his finger to her face, he used the tissue to gently wipe her damp cheeks, just so they wouldn’t get itchy if the tears dried. No other reason.
“Sure,” she whispered, her eyes locked on his. Damn, those things were like heat seeking missiles. Once they had you, there was no escaping them.
“Why me? Why did you want me with you last night? Regan, er, Detective Wroth would have been better. Hell, anyone would have.”
She looked thoughtful for a moment. Then shrugged. “When I came to, your voice cut through everything else. I knew I’d been saved. That I was safe. And there aren’t words for the relief I felt.” She smiled, which pushed her cheek against his hand. He didn’t move it. “You’ve seen the men I’ve lived with for most of my life. After feeling the most helpless I could ever imagine, I felt safe with the one in command, who got things done while shouting obscenities. It felt like being home.”
Luca frowned, unsure of how he felt. Flattered? Had she just said he made her feel like home? That was probably a bigger compliment than he was willing to accept. All he knew was he didn’t want to stop soothing her, touching her, now that he’d started.
And that was fucking dangerous.
“Hero, the doctor said—” Rown’s voice cut off.
Luca snatched his hand away and took a hurried step back. He didn’t really want to turn around. He knew
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