Page 114 of Be Still My Unbeating Heart

“A boat?” De Luca asked.

“I saw him down by the harbor, unmooring a rowboat. I suppose he fancied an evening of reflection under the stars.”

The light in her eyes told them she was joking about that last part.

Bastian pursed his lips. Why would Matteo be taking out a boat? He looked at De Luca suddenly, a thought occurring to him.

“The caves,” they said in unison.

37

“Well, this is romantic,” Whitby said, sitting in the middle of the two-man boat, a look of disparagement on her face as De Luca rowed them out to sea. “There’s nothing like a sunset sail in—AGH!”

Water splashed up over the side of the boat, spattering her in a fine mist. She pawed her face while emitting a low grumble in her throat, and Bastian couldn’t help chuckling.

“It’s only a bit of water, Whitby. Don’t make a fuss.”

“If it’s so harmless, why don’t you just throw yourself in it?” she hissed, shaking out her fur.

“Tried that,” Bastian said, his gaze lifting to De Luca’s.

The inspector looked back at him with soft eyes, and Bastian knew he was thinking about their kiss. The first time they had touched each other,reallytouched each other, without an undercurrent of distrust or violence, alone out there with the sea. The kiss had been clumsy and heated, their bodies humming with desire, and Bastian would gladly take more.

He had no idea where they stood now, though. De Luca hadsaid they were better off as friends, but did he really think that? Or was he just protecting himself, the way he had done for years?

Bastian wasn’t sure what it was about De Luca that drew him in and lit him up with such bewildering frequency. Physically, he was a catch, and his love of Bronski Beat was a delicious surprise. Plus, he coulddance.

But there was something more. Bastian felt safe with De Luca. The inspector had shown himself to be fair and thoughtful. Open-minded. He was dedicated to doing the right thing—to bringing justice to those who inflicted hurt on others.

And then there was the rage that Bastian sensed in De Luca. The anger. They were both smalltown boys who had faced hardship and prejudice; they both lived with anger in their blood. They were different in so many ways, but there were certain places where they aligned, and those places felt magical. Fortuitous.Rare.

Bastian tried to focus. He supposed he should wait to see if they survived the night before thinking about the future.

“Whitby, what are you muttering?” he asked.

“I’m trying to create a bubble around me to keep out the wet.”

“A bubble, dear?”

“Shhh, you’re making it difficult to concentrate.”

Bastian watched De Luca drag at the oars with a grimace.

“Would you like me to row?” he offered.

“No. I’m fine.”

Bastian could see the tendons in his neck standing out with effort, though. His shoulders strained against the fabric of his shirt, and Bastian sensed his worry. He reached over and touched De Luca’s knee, his fingertips warming at the contact.

“We’re going to get him back, De Luca. Enzo is going to be okay.”

De Luca nodded, his features softening. Bastian felt good knowing his words had helped, if only a tad, but he worried that theywere already too late. Enzo was unwell. His blood condition was serious. If Matteo had taken him, dragged him all the way out here, the stress of it could prove too much.

“Oh god,” Whitby said, and Bastian saw that they were approaching a gaping black hole in the cliff face. Water sloshed into the opening, splashing up and around the rocks, and the dark within was impenetrable, even with Bastian’s sight.

“Here we go,” he said.

Cold fell like a net the moment De Luca steered them into the darkness. Bastian’s skin prickled and he shivered. Vampires really did need heat, contrary to popular belief. Intense cold could be fatal, do permanent damage, and in only a matter of hours. He couldn’t tell De Luca that, though, because he was sure De Luca would only worry.