“That’s not reassuring, Rafael.”
His jaw flexed slightly, but his voice stayed controlled. “It’s manageable.”
My frustration spiked.
“I don’t trust the man who called,” I said, stepping forward now, unable to stay still. “And you—youare their ultimate target. If they know you’ll be there, they won’t hesitate to turn that restaurant into a war zone just to take you down.”
His eyes darkened faintly at that.
“I have plans to take them first,” he replied flatly. “I’ll put measures in place.”
A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
“So this isn’t about escorting me safely,” I said, voice sharpening with disbelief, “it’s about using me as bait to lure Italian soldiers into a controlled environment.”
His silence was answer enough.
My chest tightened.
“I will protect you,” Rafael said after a moment, his tone lower now.
“And if I say no?” I challenged immediately.
I stepped closer, refusing to let distance soften this conversation. “If I refuse to walk into a potential ambush—yours or theirs? I don’t want Tess to become an orphan, Rafael. And I’m sure you don’t either.”
That made something flicker in his expression.
I pushed on.
“I can wait,” I said. “My brother will contact me directly eventually. It’s only a matter of time. I believe he will.”
“Or he won’t,” Rafael countered calmly.
His voice stayed level, but there was weight behind it now. “He’s probably tried more than once these past months and failed. So what makes you think he’d get through now—when he doesn’t even know the line is open again?
A pause.
“And what if he’s angry?”
My breath caught slightly, but I refused to back down.
“If he were angry,” I said firmly, “he wouldn’t still be sending me the monthly allowances he’s been depositing.”
That landed differently.
Rafael went quiet for a second.
Then he nodded slowly, like he was filing that away rather than reacting to it.
He took one deliberate step back.
Whatever tension there was between us didn’t disappear—it just shifted, like a drawn blade being lowered but not sheathed.
“Whatever you decide, Loretta,” he said quietly. “Whatever you decide.”
His eyes held mine for a beat longer than necessary.
“If you choose to go, I will accompany you,” he added. “If you choose not to, that’s fine too.”
