Page 90 of Disarming Caine

As soon as my eyes crested the floor, my heart took a leap. Samantha, in shorts and tank top, at the microscope. Obsessing. Not letting it go. And hiding it from me again. Sneaking up here while I was asleep.

We were supposed to be wrapped around each other and enjoying the time we had before I left. But she chosethisover me, and a lie in a text to cover it up.

“Samantha!” The name came out so sharp, it startled even me.

She jumped back from the workbench, hand flying to her chest. “Jesus, Antonio! You scared me half to death!”

I hurried up the stairs and over to her, clenching my fists, as though I could clench the anger away. “I let it go yesterday. Didn’t say a single word about how reckless—”

“Stop.” She put up a hand, her voice and features softening. “I wasn’t hiding anything from you. I was letting you sleep.”

“Really?” I jabbed a finger at the sheet on the bench, with bullet casings in three quadrants now. “You texted me you were going to the gym. This is not the gym!”

She slid the sheet out from under the microscope, slowly, ensuring nothing moved. “I found the casing after he shot at me—”

“He what?” My stomach twisted and turned. I’d been good all day. Hadn’t interrogated her, chastised her, or made any demands. I’d watched movies with her and Lucy, cooked a lovely dinner, made love to Samantha. I even refrained from telling her I loved her, at the risk of causing her stress. But this? Should she not have told me this? “What do I have to do to make you trust me?”

“Stop,” she said again, more firmly. “I want to share this with you, but I can’t if you’re going to continue like that.”

I backed off, running hands through my hair.Deep breath. “Alright.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about that, but I didn’t want you to worry.”

I folded my arms and leaned against the bench. “Sì. Heaven forbid.”

She sighed but continued. “You’ve been acting all day like the shooting didn’t affect you, but I was scared out of my mind that something happened to you. I forgot about grabbing it in all the chaos. I was more concerned about you than anything else, and just forgot.”

Perhaps remaining quiet about it had been the wrong choice. A thickness gathered in my throat, as I remembered the panic before she arrived. Everything was a blur, except my worry for her safety, which remained crystal clear.

“Iwasheading down to the gym.” She gestured to her gym shorts and tank. “And when I went for the keys in my jacket pocket, I found the casing.”

She paused, waiting for me to say something, but all I managed was a nod.

“So, up I came, and did the comparison. Mason’s, my hotel, and your office yesterday. Any guess about what I saw?” A hint of excitement twinkled in her bright eyes.

“They’re a match. This shouldn’t be news.”

“Yeah.” Her shoulders sagged, and she stared down at the sheet. “I was worried—maybe—I don’t know. What if Parker wasn’t talking about Tuesday? What if the police really do have the right guy locked up and maybe what Parker said about killing me when he had the chance was some other time? What if—”

“Stop with the ‘what if’ scenarios.” I unfolded my arms and cupped her chin, forcing her attention to me. “I want to go back to bed. The police can handle this.”

“What if they miss something?”

“Bella.” I sighed and stepped closer, wrapping my arms around her waist. “You can’t protect the world.”

She slid her hands around my neck. “Not the world, just the people I love.”

The disheartened laugh which escaped my lips was unintentional. “So, you were concerned about Sofia at the office yesterday?”

She frowned, ignoring my words, rubbing her nervous fingers behind my neck. “I know it sounds reckless, but catching him was the right choice. I couldn’t let him try again.”

I placed a light kiss on her forehead.

“I can’t lose you,” she whispered, eyes glistening. The real words remained difficult for her, locked deep inside.

“You will never—” I shifted a hand to the side of her face and leaned in to hold a kiss to her cheek. “—lose me, bella.”

Her eyes slid closed, and I pulled her tighter against me, her rare vulnerability sparking through my body. Our lips met and she pushed her hips against me. I squeezed my eyes shut and thought the words into her brain, begging for the same in return.I love you, Samantha.