Page 46 of Harbor

Lucia just didn’t know how much longer it was going to keep on like this before something changed. She’d not gotten another call from her family since that one. While she felt like she had to look over her shoulder when she did leave the hotel, she never found that there was a reason to do so. No one was ever following behind, after all.

Everything seemed fine.

Quiet, even.

It felt like the calm before the storm.

Wasn’t that how life worked lately?

Diego kept a tight hold on Lucia’s hand as they headed into an upscale apartment complex. She glanced up at the high ceiling of the entry, and noted the crystal chandelier hanging low and glittering from the lights. The walls, a soft cream color, felt like it was meant to be warm and welcoming.

She didn’t feel warm or welcomed here at all.

Lucia waited to speak until they were standing next to the bank of elevators, asking, “Why did Tuck call you in again?”

Renzo shrugged. “Not sure.”

He tried to sound unbothered by that fact, but Lucia could hear the anxiety lingering at the edges of his voice. Sure, he was doing a damn good job of hiding it, but that was the thing about the two of them …. Lucia always heard it. She could see it, too. In the way his gaze had hardened as they drove across the city after Tuck called, and how Renzo made an effort to keep his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket, so she wouldn’t see how often he was clenching them into tight balls.

The three of them stepped into the elevator when the door for the middle one opened, and quieted again. Even Diego, but he was always good like that. Probably one of the most well-behaved kids Lucia had ever had the privilege of meeting in her life. Plus, he was more interested in staring at all the new things and trying to take it all in at once instead of causing problems. Not that he ever made an issue for them, really.

“So, this is where Tuck lives, then?” Lucia asked.

Renzo nodded. “Guess so. Little uppity for him, as even when he was making decent cash, he preferred something less … obvious about it, I guess you could say.”

Huh.

Lucia didn’t know how to respond to that, so instead, she stayed quiet. She had been to the warehouse where Renzo usually went in to get his details for a job—only once, though. She knew the address of the place and the numbers to call if she needed to get ahold of Renzo for any reason. Tuck didn’t like to see her tagging along whenever Renzo had to do a job for the guy. Apparently, he thought she was a problem, or that she might cause one. Despite how much that kind of pissed her off, Lucia could see his point.

But … it was always Renzo who brought her and Diego along. She never really asked to go—she was fine with staying at the hotel, and looking after Diego until Renzo got back from wherever. However, if he thought she was fine to come along because he wouldn’t be doing anything that he didn’t want her to see or know, then he brought her along.

Tuck had a problem with that.

She wondered …

“Did he mention not bringing us along when he called?” she asked.

Renzo kept his gaze forward, but it was the slight curve of his lips edging into a grin that had her shaking her head. “Not really. He didn’t say anything about the two of you at all. Mind you, he won’t like the fact you’re here, but he didn’t outright say not to bring you two along, either. That sounds like something he’ll have to deal with, you know?”

“Ren.”

He only shrugged, entirely unbothered. That dark gaze of his darted to her as the elevator climbed higher. There was something about the intensity of his stare that always pinned her in place, and loaded with the heavy weight of all the things he felt and saw when he looked at her.

She loved it the most.

Loved how it made her feel, too.

Crazy, and his.

She was his.

“You’ve been stuck in the hotel all damn day,” Renzo muttered, “did you really want to stay there all night alone, too?”

“Not really.”

“Exactly, so I brought you along.”

Lucia’s gaze narrowed. “If you thought I would have to stay there alone all night, then Tuck must have made you think you were coming in to get a job.”