Page 78 of Harbor

Was that what happened?

The call clicked.

Renzo swore his heart fell right out of his fucking chest.

Was that possible?

It felt like it.

“Ren?” Lucia asked.

She sounded out of breath.

He was. Just from hearing her voice, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. That’s not how it was supposed to work, though. Everything was better with Lucia. She made everything so much easier in his life.

Even breathing.

Not right now, though. Not when his worst fears felt like they were about to come to life, and there wasn’t a single damn thing he could do to stop it from happening.

He’d never felt so incapable.

So fucking useless.

“Lucia,” he mumbled.

“Sorry, I was outside with Diego. He was kicking his ball in the alley. I left the phone in the apartment.”

“Lucia.”

Her sharp intake of breath felt like a knife cutting him right to the bone. “What’s wrong?”

Renzo couldn’t make his mouth work—not properly, anyway. Not to tell her they were in danger, or what he had found at his uncle’s home. Not to explain the note that was still crumpled tightly in his fist even though it felt like it was giving him a million and one little papercuts just by holding onto it.

No, he couldn’t seem to tell her any of that.

Instead, he said, “Don’t fucking move, Lucia. Do not move.”

FIFTEEN

“What are you doing?”

Lucia straightened to her full height at the sound of Renzo’s sharp voice behind her. She spun around to find him standing in the doorway of the bathroom. The wild look in his eye was only aided by the fact his hair was a mess. Like he’d been running his fingers through it. Even his jacket was skewed, and undone.

He just looked … out of it.

His call earlier had only served to freak her out, especially when he wouldn’t explain anything to her. But when he hung up, there was nothing Lucia could do except wait for him to get home and get on with her evening. Diego still had a routine that needed to be followed even if Renzo was going through some kind of shit.

Simple as that.

“Getting Diego in the bath,” Lucia said. “Like I do every night to get him ready for bed. What is wrong with you?”

Bending over, she turned the taps off. There was more than enough water in the tub. Diego, who was probably still playing on the small veranda with his tiny trucks and cars, didn’t need much to get clean. Never mind to make a mess. He could do that with a goddamn inch of water, like all kids.

“He’s not having a bath,” Renzo said, turning to leave the bathroom. “Let’s go.”

Lucia didn’t move. “What?”

“We don’t have time, Lucia. We have to go.”