“Safe room. Both of them. Now.” He doesn’t slow down as he takes the stairs. “Lock the door behind you and don’t open it for anyone but me.”
“Yes, sir.”
I’m still beating on his back even though I know it’s pointless. “Let me go! I need to make sure Luca is?—”
“Luca will be fine because he’ll be locked in a reinforced room with you.” He reaches the basement level and heads for a heavy door at the end of the hallway. “Stop fighting me.”
“Mama?” Luca’s voice behind us is small and curious. “Why is Dante carrying you?”
That makes me stop struggling immediately. “It’s okay, baby. We’re just playing a game.”
It’s another lie in a day full of them and I hate myself for it.
Dante eventually sets me down in front of the safe room and I immediately spin to face him, fury blazing through me.
“Don’t you dare?—”
“Get inside.” He steps closer and lowers his voice so Luca can’t hear. “Someone just breached my property looking for you. That means they know you’re here. And I’m not having this conversation while armed men are trying to get to you and my son.”
The fight drains out of me immediately when he says “my son” and I glance back at Luca who’s standing with Rosa looking absolutely terrified.
Thankfully he did not hear that.
“How long?”
“As long as it takes.” He pulls open the heavy door and I can see the reinforced interior. “Inside. Now.”
I hold his eyes for another second, searching for something, anything in those eyes. Some hint of reassurance or comfort or anything human.
But there’s nothing. Just ice.
Cold ice facade.
I turn and walk into the safe room. Rosa follows with Luca and I wait until we’re all inside before Dante speaks again.
“There are security monitors on the wall. You’ll be able to see everything. Don’t open this door for anyone but me.”
My hand comes up to grip the edge of the door. “Dante?—”
“I’ll come back for you when it’s clear.”
Then he slams the door shut and I hear the lock click into a place with a heavy sound.
The safe room is bigger than I expected. Concrete walls enforced with steel plating. A small bathroom in the corner with a shower. Shelves stocked with water and food and medical supplies. And along one wall, a bank of security monitors showing different angles of the estate.
Clearly, this isn’t just a safe room, this is a bunker built for escape and survival.
“Mama, I’m scared.” Luca wraps his arms around my legs, his small hands fisting in my jeans. “What’s happening?”
I kneel down and pull him close, forcing myself to smile even though my heart is racing so fast I feel dizzy. “Remember how I said we were visiting my friend to stay safe? Well, some bad people found us, but we’re okay now. We’re in a special room where nobody can hurt us.”
“Is your man friend going to fight the bad people?”
“Yes, baby. He’s going to make sure we’re safe.”
“I don’t like him.” Luca’s voice is so quiet I barely hear it. “He looks mean.”
My chest tightens and I don’t know what to say to that. Because he’s right. Dante does look mean. He looks dangerous andviolent and exactly like the kind of man I’ve spent five years trying to protect my son from.
