“Where are you going?” I said as he turned for the hall.
“I need to call Marco and find out what’s going on.”
Oh shit...
I lurched to my feet. “I can do that for you. I know you don—”
He turned to face me from across the room. But it was his eyes that cut off my words. Hard, cold, as deadly as I’d ever seen them.
“Did he say anything else? How long he’s been watching us? What he’s going to do if I don’t do what he wants? Who fucking sent him?”
I swallowed hard and twisted my suddenly shaking hands in front of me. Yeah, he said he and his sick friend were going to rape me in front of you if I didn’t bring you back. Probably torture and murder me as well.
“N-no,” I heard myself say. “Nothing.”
He was silent for a moment, then said, “And why didn’t you tell me this last night?”
My hands grew damp as I searched for any excuse that would make sense. “I-I wanted to, but... Yesterday was so emotional and complicated, and I didn’t want to make things worse when you seemed to finally be feeling… better.”
It was a terrible excuse. One that made me want to vomit all over again. And it wasn’t even close to the truth. I hadn’t told him because I was a coward.
His gaze held mine. I wanted to shrink into nothing under that withering stare. Without another word, he clenched his jaw and turned for the stairs.
I didn’t try to stop him. I didn’t know what I could say that would make anything better.
All I could do was sink back into my chair, close my eyes, and pray that somehow Marco cued in to my lie before Luc grew suspicious. And that he would help me get Luc back to Italy before our world imploded around us.