Page 26

Chapter Twenty-Four

Eva

Thirty minutes later, the knock at the door has Liam and I sitting up on the bed. Cartoons play on the television in the background whilst Luke goes to the door, opening it and letting the room service be delivered.

When he’s thanked the gentleman and accepted the trolley, he turns to me and Liam. “I wanted to order something healthy, but they only had chicken nuggets.”

Liam hops off the bed hearing the lid lift off the platter. He skips closer to Luke who dips his body, holding the tray of food.

My eyes momentarily meet Luke’s tentative gaze before he looks away, more concerned by Liam’s reaction than my own. If he doesn’t know it yet, ordering chicken nuggets over the gourmet stuff they actually offer here, is a sure-fire way to win any child’s heart.

I find myself watching as he looks down at Liam, the pair of them sizing up the nuggets like they’re pieces of gold.

Small pools gather in my eyes when Liam takes Luke’s hand, practically dragging him towards the television. He climbs on the bed, waiting for Luke to join him.

Luke looks at me, getting my nod of approval.

“Ketchup,” Liam shouts, making me snap out of the daydream in front of me. My son happy. The man I love. Together .

I spin, seeing a silver dish and spoon, then walk back to them. “No spilling this, okay?”

Even for an almost three-year-old, I’m pretty sure he eye rolls me, trying to look around me to see the television.

I pass him the dish then sit next to Luke, perching on the edge of the bed.

“No. Here,” Liam demands, patting the bed, the dish in his hand precariously tilting to one side.

“Be careful,” I tell him with light amusement, moving to where he wants me, my arm wrapping around him.

Luke gasps. “I almost forgot.” He stands, the bed bouncing. Grabbing another smaller tray, he returns, resuming his position the other side of Liam.

My eyes narrow with my smile.

“Forgot the chips.”

This food is all for Liam’s benefit. Luke said it himself not so long ago; he enjoys the finer things in life now. It makes me wonder when he last ate a chicken nugget. The thought makes me laugh.

“What?” Luke asks, peering at me over the top of Liam’s head.

I pick up a nugget, not realising how hungry I am. The saltiness instantly makes my mouth water. “Nothing.”

“Mamma.” I’m handed another nugget, or more so, one’s pushed to my lips by my son.

“Thank you,” I splutter, trying not to choke.

“More?”

I laugh a little harder. “How about some chips?” I tell him. It’s un-lady like to talk with a mouthful, still, I look at Luke who’s waiting for my reply. “I think this might be the first meal we actually finish together.”

As I say it, a handful of chips is shoved to my lips. I try to eat them gracefully, but when I hear Luke’s laugh, I’m sent into a fit of giggles.

Liam sees his cue, picking up food and feeding Luke before he’s back to feeding me.

Luke smiles, and like me, he lets Liam do his thing, happiness radiating from him. I feel hypnotised, the warmth from the smile on both their faces causes fresh tears to fall for a different reason .

Half an hour later, fresh from a shower, Luke dresses quietly into some lounge wear. I’m still giving off a pungent stink with Liam lying across my legs on the bed.

“Your turn,” Luke says, running a hand gracefully through the still damp strands.

“I’m okay.” My hand gently strokes the top of Liam’s head. I bathed him and got him into his pyjamas before he fell into a chicken nugget induced coma.

“Go,” he tells me again, his words spoken softly. “You need to shower. It’s been a long day.”

“You’re telling me.”

Luke perches on the side of the bed close to me.

I look up.

“You need to take care of yourself, Eva.” My lips part to tell him I will once I’m certain nothing else will go wrong. “The bath’s already running for you.”

“You didn’t need to—”

“—To what? Turn on the tap? Trust me, Little Warrior, it was easy.”

I give him a smile. “What if he wakes up?” Liam doesn’t usually fall asleep on me this way, but given what he’s been through, it’s no wonder he’s clinging to me like I’m his favourite toy.

“Then I look after him,” Luke says with a quick shrug of his shoulders, like looking after a toddler is the easiest thing to do. He must sense my mild hesitation. “Eva.”

My eyes leave Liam to find Luke looking at me hopefully.

Soft lines curl under his eyes with the smile he’s giving me. “If he wakes up, I’ll sing to him or read him a story.”

I’m pretty sure my heart grows three sizes. My cheeks pull on my face as I watch Luke in all his sincerity. “You’d sing to him?”

It’s not total embarrassment, but Luke looks away, a red tint giving his face more colour. “I used to sing to Sammie when she and Adam were little.”

“That’s sweet.”

I watch as his memories absorb him. “It wasn’t often we were actually together to be honest. They lived with their dad, but when I did see them, if ever she was scared, I’d sing to her.” He muses to himself as he looks at Liam. “Her favourite song was the colours of the rainbow. I never knew the actual order to sing the colours in, so I just made it up. She didn’t care though. I knew as long as I was singing, she was happy just listening to my voice.”

My heart strings ache as if they’re being played but the threads are fraying with every stroke. He did what he did to protect Sammie and Adam. What that cost him was a relationship with his sister.

Luke stands, and my throat clogs, but I manage to swallow my heartbreak and focus on him. Helping me, he carefully lifts Liam’s heavy limbs.

I shuffle out from underneath him. It’s a skill, one that’s definitely made easier with a little help. “You’re sure? I won’t be long.” I tuck Liam in, pretty certain he’s out for the night. He’s breathing heavy, his body completely still.

Luke throws me over his shoulder, marching me to the bathroom.

I try my hardest to contain my squeal, covering my mouth.

Kicking open the door, the steam dispels and the warm air instantly makes me feel too hot. Luke slides me down his front until both my feet are on the tiled floor. “I don’t care how long you take. Whatever you need; to wash your hair, shave, I don’t know, but do it. He’s perfectly fine out there with me. I have a few calls to make which I can do whilst I watch him.”

I shake my head but curl both arms around his neck. “Not sure what I did to deserve being able to have a bath uninterrupted.” I push to my tiptoes, practically performing a ballerina move as I press my lips to his.

A soft hum leaves him, and after a few moments, his tongue is pushing past my lips. Our kiss deepens. It’s not overly heated, it’s not forceful nor uncontrolled. This is savoured love. An endlessly perfect connection between the two of us.

Keeping his lips close to mine, I feel him smile. “I don’t know what I did for you to love me like you do, but I don’t want to see you for at least an hour.”

An hour? Alone? In a hot bath? “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

It’s exactly an hour later that sleep starts to beckon me. My eyelids turn to heavy blocks of lead, so I climb out from the tub and dry myself off. When I make it back into the room, Luke’s looking down at his phone, legs crossed, sitting reclined on the bed.

I’m so tired, I towel dry my hair and dress into my pyjamas, then I climb onto the bed next to him .

“Better?”

I hum my response, curling my body into his when he lifts his arm for me. Luke’s wearing a clean jumper and his hair’s dried a little wildly. He looks relaxed and completely at ease.

“It’s nice not seeing you in a suit,” I whisper against him. “Not that you don’t look good in suits,” I quickly add. Jesus, does he pull them off with utter confidence and sex appeal.

His phone rings silently in his hand, the blinking screen making us both look down. The name ‘Carrie’ dashes across the front, and Luke hurryingly presses the red button, dropping the phone to his lap. I feel him tense underneath me.

“Work?” I ask calmly, my head angling back to look at him.

Luke gives me a cautious nod like something is suddenly on his mind.

“Is Carrie the lady who was helping you at the function?”

“Yes,” he answers me right away.

Silence stretches between us. I can’t help but wonder how close they are. When we spoke about her last, I found out Carrie had helped him find me. He clearly trusts her. “Everything alright?”

He glances at his phone before he gives me a meek smile. “It can wait.” Then he stares dead ahead. Thinking.

I suck in some air, trying to steady my thoughts.

Right after I found out Carrie had helped Luke, I learned he had experience with women, but had saved the most intimate act until he was with me. My heart picks up pace knowing what that means, but Luke pulls me closer to him, presumably feeling me tense. For some stupid reason, I can't shake the image of them together.

“Have you two dated?”

Luke shakes his head, laughing subtly to himself before he kisses my head. “Carrie’s not my type. She also prefers blondes.” He scoots down the bed, shuffling me with him.

Blonde is definitely not Luke. His features are darker than the dead of night. With his words easing my mind, I ask, “What is your type?”

Taking my hand in his, his thumb runs light strokes over my warm skin, before he’s running his fingers through mine. We both watch the connection, feeling every second of it. “I only have one type, Eva.” His soft gaze takes me in.

Curling my fingers, I hold his hand tightly, allowing my eyes to close as we instinctively pull each other closer, strengthening our bond.

“Whatever happens next, I want you to know you’ll always have me.”

Whatever happens next? I draw my eyes open, looking up at him, seeing his hooded stare. “And you have me.”

He sighs, my guess is he’s not wanting to say whatever comes next. “Promise me you’ll put you and Liam first. If something doesn’t feel right or anything seems out of place, no matter how big or small, you’ll call me if we’re not together?”

He doesn’t stutter or mix his words. He’s serious. “I will. What do you think’s going to happen?”

Looking dead ahead, his head rests back against the soft, suede headboard. “I’m not sure.”

I let him think, watching his eyes bounce and his jaw tick. “Tell me,” I say. “I just need the truth.” I look at Liam over my shoulder, and Luke follows, resting his chin on my head. “For his sake, I need to know what’s going on.”

He kisses me. “Okay.” We roll back to his pillow, and he lowers further, both our eyes locked as we come face to face. “The men who took me and Adam now want me to work for them permanently.”

“Who are they?”

“Serbian mafia.”

Mafia? Fuck. In this world? It doesn’t seem real. “Are you safe?” I shift, feeling uneasy.

“Little Warrior.” He runs a hand over my wet hair, tucking it behind my ear. “Always. But they’re pretty confident I’m going to do what they want.”

“How?” I ask the obvious question.

His eyes drop. “Carrie’s the best tracker I have at my disposal, Eva. Even she couldn’t find the last man I swore I’d kill when I was twelve. Whether that makes me not of sound mind or whatever, I don’t care. The Serbians brought him to me as a sweetener after they found the information I was given on him was false.”

“False? Who gave it to you?” Jesus, this is all too much .

“The man I work for.”

I lift to one elbow. “Why would he give you false information?”

Luke shrugs, looking to the ceiling. I can see him mentally trying to piece things together. “That’s a good question. To keep me working for him? To protect himself? I don’t know.” His uncertain eyes find mine. “But I will find out, and when I do, I can’t be held responsible for my actions. Not when it’s anything related to my past. I can’t,” he begins shaking his head frustrated, “I can’t let them get away with it, Eva. I won’t.”

My hand lifts to his face, pulling him to look at me. “Stop,” I begin. His pupils have darkened, the whites of his eyes are burning. He’s struggling to contain his simmering rage. I study him closer. His jaw is tight, his body trembling. “You got a second chance to do things right, Luke. Don’t let your past send you right back to where you came from.”

He holds my gaze, his teeth clenching harder.

“I don’t want you to go back to prison, Luke.” It isn’t a sob, but my voice rises with every word. The idea of him not being around or him leaving me again, settles unwanted in my bones.

Lips pulled into a straight line, Luke glances at me and all anger dispels like it does when he sees me upset. I’m swiftly pulled close to him, his limbs coiling around my body. “Fuck, Eva, I’m sorry.”

My grip on him tightens.

“Talk to me. Tell me how to make things right.”

“I don’t know how you do that, Luke. I just need you. Stability. Normality. That’s all I want.”

My rushed words have him tilting my chin to look at him. “There’s a life waiting for me after all of this, and you’re in it. I just need you to hold on for me. Wait for me. Can you do that? When the time comes, can you be the warrior I need you to be, Eva? Because if you can’t, I’ll understand. But I won’t fight to make it to the other side if you and Liam aren’t on it.”

He drops the bombshell of all bombshells, leaving me still in his arms. “You can’t mean that? You’re a good man, Luke, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. ”

Frustration rattles him with a jerk of his hand flying to his head. He drags his palm over his face then lets his hand fall to the bed with a thump. “A man is only good until all the good is gone, Eva.”

“Luke?”

“ You’re my good,” he tells me in a rush. “You’re my reason to fight and make it back. You and Liam.”

There’s no stopping the way my body tiredly releases the tears from my eyes. They seep onto Luke’s chest, and he holds me tighter as I keep my eyes closed, not prepared to lose this man again. I won’t let it happen.