Page 92 of Silent Heart

Luka met my look, brow arched in a silent dare to contradict him.

“Watch the road,” I barked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Luka chuckled. “All I’m saying is that my big brother has special operations training. Think of it as the Navy Seals meets Green Beret meets double-O seven Hollywood. You name it, Kolya can do it.”

Suddenly cold, I wrapped my arms around myself. I didn’t know the man I’d spent the summer with. I knew all along not to fall for him. But here I was, on the floor.

“That’s how he got hurt. That’s why he doesn’t sleep,” I murmured. “He isn’t a normal veteran.”

“The shit he’s seen has no doubt scarred his psyche, but yeah, his body is exhausted,” Luka agreed, tone suddenly sober. It was strange to hear the lack of laughter in his voice.

We drove deeper into the heart of the city. Turning off the highway, the darkness of the industrial park swallowed the streets. Only the light from the car carved a path through the empty wasteland.

Unease slithered down my spine. There was no one here. If something happened…I was alone.

With a stranger.

I tried hard not to shift in my seat or show any amount of discomfort. But the truth was, I was uncomfortable. How much did Ireallyknow about this family? They were strange. On the surface they seemed normal, but the moment one began to poke behind the veil, things didn’t add up.

Normal people did not drive through the industrial parks after midnight!

There was nothing in the cab that I could use as a weapon. My can of mace was in my bookbag, not my purse. I wouldn’t let Luka hurt me. I wouldn’t go down without a fight.

But dammit, why did I agree to come with him?

“Here.” Luka shifted, and then reached over to drop something in my lap.

I blinked at the metal object.

“Safety’s on, but it’s loaded,” he smirked. “That should make you feel better.”

A lump, thick enough to block my airway, formed in my throat. I coughed, slowly taking the pistol. “What the hell?” I croaked.

This man just handed me a gun!

“You got nervous the moment we pulled off the highway.” Luka shrugged and sped around a corner, a little too sharply. “I know this isn’t the nicest neighborhood, but you don’t have anything to fear. I wanted to make sure you know that.”

“I assumed with how well-to-do Cami Joe seems that you all lived in Hyde Park.” I wrapped my fingers around the gun but didn’t point it or put my finger on the trigger. Strange how a deadly hunk of metal could feel so reassuring. But it did.

“Not Hyde Park,” Luka snorted. “Too many nosey neighbors.”

We slowed before a high-fenced wall. A metal gate swung inward, and the muscle car rolled smoothly through the opening.

I gaped at the monstrosity of a structure before me. It was as if a castle and a factory had a baby. Luka was enjoying my surprise and perplexity far too much for my liking. He kept chuckling under his breath.

The urge to hit him was strong.

He drove the car right to the front door and cut the engine. “Normally, I park around back, but since I’ll probably be the one taking you back for classes later this morning, I’ll keep the car ready.”

“Okay,” I breathed.

“Don’t worry, Harley, you’re not our prisoner.”

I couldn’t tell if that was a joke, or a statement of fact.

The cold wind howled through the cobblestone front drive. The house was decorated for Halloween, but I doubted any trick-or-treaters would come this way. I stopped before the front door, not stepping foot over the threshold.

“What is this place, Luka?” I demanded.

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