family?” she asked. “What about my family?”
“David will work on what to tell them,” Luc replied. “They should be safe enough for the time being. I think Joey will be able to control Frankie at least that much. He really won’t want to put his organization at risk for the sake of a personal vendetta.”
Katie drew in a breath. “You think?” It hadn’t occurred to her that her family might be in danger. Her sense of helplessness intensified. She couldn’t do anything about it. She couldn’t do anything to make it better.
“They’ll be fine.” Luc seemed to realize that he’d probably said too much. “We’ll watch out for them.”
She nodded, but she wasn’t sure she believed him. Her family. She cleared her throat.
“My job?”
Luc’s voice was soft, as if he was reluctant to give her any more bad news. “We’ll get you another one wherever you end up.”
Wherever she ended up? “My life?” she whispered.
Luc didn’t answer. Which was answer enough, she supposed.
She leaned back against the seat again.
“I can’t…” She swallowed. “I can’t do this.”
Luc glanced at her, then reached over and touched her cheek gently, rubbing the backs of his fingers against her skin before he drew away. “You have to.”
Katie looked out the window. Just her purse, the clothes on her back and Kato, unless someone could eventually clean out her apartment. Because of Frankie Silvano. Because of one man. Because of an evil little man.
Now she really was alone.
“Luc?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think everything will work out?”
He didn’t answer right away. The car hummed, the wind whistled by the window. “I’ll make sure it does,” he said finally. “Go to sleep.”
CHAPTER SIX
She’d thought it was impossible, but eventually the hypnotic movement of the car, Luc’s hands strong and sure on the wheel, the silence between them and her own utter exhaustion did indeed lull Katie to sleep. She didn’t wake up again until Luc touched her on the shoulder and startled her so much she practically jumped through the roof.
“Sorry.” He sounded like he might have been smiling. “I just wanted to let you know we’re here.”
She blinked, disoriented. They weren’t on a paved road anymore; she could hear gravel snapping against the undercarriage of the car.
“Here?” She was groggy with sleep. Aw, man, please don’t let her have snored. Or drooled…
“My place.”
Katie glanced out the window and drew in a sharp, shocked breath as she came abruptly back to full awareness.
Bathed in the strong silver light of the moon and nestled into tall, dark trees was a castle. A real medieval castle complete with a maze of turrets and towers jutting haphazardly from thick stone walls. In the soft light it had a fairy tale quality, as if it would vanish at any time.
“Your place,” she murmured. Oh, sure. Here she’d been picturing a grungy apartment or, at best, a split-level in the suburbs, but he lived in a castle.
Luc chuckled and pulled the Nova to a stop in a gravel parking area. “Yeah, well, it’s a roof over my head, you know? Welcome to the Museum. It’s something else, isn’t it?”
“You can say that again.” Katie grabbed her purse and jumped out. She stood staring up at the walls looming over her, massive and impenetrable. For a moment she forgot about evil little men and just enjoyed the magic of it all. Let the moonlight and the castle draw her away from the madness.
There was a muffled grunt behind her. She turned to see Luc struggling to get out of the car. She rushed to help him, ignoring his grumbles, and took his arm until he found his balance.
He leaned on her, his body warm and solid against hers. When she tried to step back, he didn’t let her. Instead he kept his arm around her shoulders, and looked up at the castle, smiling, his black hair shining in the moonlight.
“It’s just a folly,” he said. It took her a second to realize he was talking
“David will work on what to tell them,” Luc replied. “They should be safe enough for the time being. I think Joey will be able to control Frankie at least that much. He really won’t want to put his organization at risk for the sake of a personal vendetta.”
Katie drew in a breath. “You think?” It hadn’t occurred to her that her family might be in danger. Her sense of helplessness intensified. She couldn’t do anything about it. She couldn’t do anything to make it better.
“They’ll be fine.” Luc seemed to realize that he’d probably said too much. “We’ll watch out for them.”
She nodded, but she wasn’t sure she believed him. Her family. She cleared her throat.
“My job?”
Luc’s voice was soft, as if he was reluctant to give her any more bad news. “We’ll get you another one wherever you end up.”
Wherever she ended up? “My life?” she whispered.
Luc didn’t answer. Which was answer enough, she supposed.
She leaned back against the seat again.
“I can’t…” She swallowed. “I can’t do this.”
Luc glanced at her, then reached over and touched her cheek gently, rubbing the backs of his fingers against her skin before he drew away. “You have to.”
Katie looked out the window. Just her purse, the clothes on her back and Kato, unless someone could eventually clean out her apartment. Because of Frankie Silvano. Because of one man. Because of an evil little man.
Now she really was alone.
“Luc?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think everything will work out?”
He didn’t answer right away. The car hummed, the wind whistled by the window. “I’ll make sure it does,” he said finally. “Go to sleep.”
CHAPTER SIX
She’d thought it was impossible, but eventually the hypnotic movement of the car, Luc’s hands strong and sure on the wheel, the silence between them and her own utter exhaustion did indeed lull Katie to sleep. She didn’t wake up again until Luc touched her on the shoulder and startled her so much she practically jumped through the roof.
“Sorry.” He sounded like he might have been smiling. “I just wanted to let you know we’re here.”
She blinked, disoriented. They weren’t on a paved road anymore; she could hear gravel snapping against the undercarriage of the car.
“Here?” She was groggy with sleep. Aw, man, please don’t let her have snored. Or drooled…
“My place.”
Katie glanced out the window and drew in a sharp, shocked breath as she came abruptly back to full awareness.
Bathed in the strong silver light of the moon and nestled into tall, dark trees was a castle. A real medieval castle complete with a maze of turrets and towers jutting haphazardly from thick stone walls. In the soft light it had a fairy tale quality, as if it would vanish at any time.
“Your place,” she murmured. Oh, sure. Here she’d been picturing a grungy apartment or, at best, a split-level in the suburbs, but he lived in a castle.
Luc chuckled and pulled the Nova to a stop in a gravel parking area. “Yeah, well, it’s a roof over my head, you know? Welcome to the Museum. It’s something else, isn’t it?”
“You can say that again.” Katie grabbed her purse and jumped out. She stood staring up at the walls looming over her, massive and impenetrable. For a moment she forgot about evil little men and just enjoyed the magic of it all. Let the moonlight and the castle draw her away from the madness.
There was a muffled grunt behind her. She turned to see Luc struggling to get out of the car. She rushed to help him, ignoring his grumbles, and took his arm until he found his balance.
He leaned on her, his body warm and solid against hers. When she tried to step back, he didn’t let her. Instead he kept his arm around her shoulders, and looked up at the castle, smiling, his black hair shining in the moonlight.
“It’s just a folly,” he said. It took her a second to realize he was talking
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