Page 31 of Lupo

I sit up, running my hands through my hair. The barn is dark except for moonlight filtering through the gaps in the walls. The house is quiet, Isabella and Elena are asleep, safe for now.

But for how long?

If those men at the market were Draco's people, they're getting close. If they were looking for me, whoever wants me dead is closing in. Either way, this farm isn't safe anymore.

And I can't leave. Won't leave. Not when they need protection.

Not when I need them.

The thought stops me cold.

When did that happen? When did Isabella and Elena become mine to protect? When did the idea of walking away become impossible?

I stand and move to the barn door, looking out at the house. A single light glows in the kitchen window, Isabella, probably unable to sleep either. I can picture her sitting at the table, worrying, planning, trying to figure out how to keep her daughter safe.

She shouldn't have to do it alone.

I step outside, and my body moves differently than it did even a few days ago. Quieter. More controlled. I'm not consciously trying to be silent, but my feet find the soft patches of ground automatically, avoiding anything that might crunch or snap.

I walk the perimeter of the property, and it's like someone else is guiding me. Someone who knows exactly what to look for.

Sight lines from the road. Places where someone could approach unseen. Weak points in the fence. The old oak tree that provides cover but also obscures visibility. The driveway that's too long, too exposed.

This farm is a security nightmare.

Too isolated to call for help. Too open to defend effectively. One road in and out, which means one way to be trapped. The house has too many windows, too many entry points. The barn provides storage but no real cover.

If someone comes, whether for her or for me, we won't be able to hold them off.

The knowledge settles in my gut like ice. I'm thinking tactically now, strategically, like I've done this before. Like I've assessed threats and planned defenses and prepared for violence.

Like it's second nature.

I complete the circuit and end up back at the barn, but I don't go inside. Instead, I stand in the shadows and watch the house, and I make promises to myself.

No one will hurt Isabella.

No one will touch Elena.

I don't care who comes. I don't care what I have to do. I don't care what it costs me.

They're under my protection now.

The certainty of it is absolute. It doesn't matter that I've only known them for a short time. Doesn't matter that I don't even know my real name. Doesn't matter that I'm probably one of the bad men Isabella spent her life running from.

None of it matters.

What matters is that I'm here now, and I'm not letting anyone hurt them.

Movement catches my eye, the kitchen light has gone off. A moment later, I see Isabella's silhouette in her bedroom window. She's looking out, and I wonder if she can see me standing here in the dark.

If she can see the monster she's invited into her home.

But maybe that's what she needs right now. Not the man I'm trying to be. Not the gentle stranger who fixes fences and plays with her daughter.

Maybe she needs the monster.

I go back into the barn, but I don't lie down. Instead, I sit with my back against the wall where I can see the door, and I think about Draco Vitale.