Page 64 of The Rebel Billionaire

"I'll be careful,"Isaid.

Lucas walked Brennan to the door. I stood in the middle of the kitchen, hugging myself, my hands threaded through the opposite sleeves of my sweatshirt, trying towarmup.

Even after the hot shower, I was still chilled deep inside. My meatball sub, wrapped in brown butcher paper, sat on top of my mini-fridge. I should have beenstarving.

My stomach still rolling with nausea, I didn't wanttoeat.

Lucas came back into the kitchen, stopped in front of me, and pulled me into his arms. I collapsed against him, absorbing his warmth andstrength.

He was so tall, my head only came to his collarbone, and though I wasn't a small woman, his big frame engulfed me. Just then, it was exactly what I needed. I burrowed into him, shuddering as his hand rubbed up and down my back,soothingme.

Reminding me Iwassafe.

"We’re going to find this asshole, Charlie. I promise," he said in a low murmur. I shuddered again, feeling heat on my cheeks. I realized I wascrying.

I never cried. I had a little trick I'd used since I was a kid and I didn't want the media to catch my tears. I'd bite my lip, hard, on the inside of my mouth where the flesh was tender and sensitive. It hurt like a bitch, but the pain was usually enough to push back thetears.

I drew in a breath and set my teeth intomylip.

Before I could bite down, Lucas placed a soft kiss on the top of my head. I sucked in a breath, startled by his tenderness. Lucas was protective, but he'd never beensweet.

With one hand, he cradled my head against his chest, stroking the callused flat of his thumb over my cheek, wiping away my tears. Normally, I was appalled at the thought of anyone seeing me cry. Anyone—my brothers, my cousins . . . so why, with Lucas, was it so hard for metostop?

Maybe if he'd chided me, told me to get it together, it would've been easier to force my emotions under control. But I was terrified, off-balance, and the soft stroke of his thumb on my skin seemed to draw the tears out as much as it brushedthemaway.

I don't know how long I stood there crying all over Lucas. Longer than I wanted to. Finally, I wept myself dry and tried to pull back. He didn't let me. His arms wound tight, he said against my hair, "It's still early, but you'reexhausted."

I was. I really was. With my cheek pressed to Lucas's chest and the reassuring thump of his heart filling my ear, tension drained out of my spine and my stomach growled. In the quiet of my kitchen, itwasloud.

"Do you think you can eat that sub you brought home?" Lucas asked, his voice gentle, his fingers threading throughmyhair.

"Yeah, I should at least try. If I don't, I'll wake up in the middle of the night starving." Middle of the night kitchen raids never went well, even in an understocked kitchenlikemine.

"Where do you wanttoeat?"

"I'll just sit on the floor in here," I said. Lucas released me to go grab my sandwich and I sat, leaning against the wall. Tomorrow, I was getting a table and chairs. Nothing fancy, just a folding card table and some folding chairs. They'd come in handy later when I needed extra seating, and I was getting tired of eating breakfaststandingup.

Lucas handed me my sub and a paper towel before taking a position across the room, leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. I wasn't sure I had an appetite until I took the first bite of the meatball sub. It was cold, but it was stilldelicious.

The second the tang of marinara sauce hit my tongue, I realized I was ravenous. As I chewed and tried not to look like a pig, I thought about what had happened. Everything. Aiden firing me and my moving in here. Getting jumped in my yard, thethreateningnote. . .

I needed to figure out whattodo.

I knew what Ishoulddo. And I knew what I wanted to do. Halfway finished with my sub already, I swallowed and looked up at Lucas. There was worry in hisgreeneyes.

I didn't know if I liked that or not. I didn't need another overbearing male worrying about me, but it was nice to know he cared. Unless he was just worried I was going to get killed and then he wouldn't be able to have sex with me anymore. That was a possibility. At the moment, it wasn'timportant.

"I don't want to move back in with Aiden," I said. "I want to stay here. In myhouse."

"I get that," Lucas saidevenly.

"But you think I should move back into WintersHouse."

"You'd besafer."

I looked down at my sub and took another bite. I couldn't argue with his logic. Winters House was on ten acres, behind gates, and built like a fortress. It wasn't impenetrable, but it had layers of security. Intruders were far easier to spot than theywerehere.

Lucas interrupted mythoughts.