Page 84 of Shadows of the Past
But I’m done waiting. That’s why I’m parked in an SUV with Julia, watching from a distance as Luna rides with two of Roman’s men. My hands grip the steering wheel so tightly it's a miracle it hasn't cracked. This is our first real shot—she’s finally left the property. We can’t waste it.
“¿Qué carajo…?” Julia’s voice yanks me out of my head. I follow her gaze and see a convoy of SUVs closing in, trying to ram Luna’s car off the road.
Julia’s already tapping at her tablet, pulling up info with her usual speed. Within a minute, she mutters, “Irish.”
No more waiting, I guess. I watch as Luna’s car gets shoved, flips, and a cold spike pierces my chest. No way fate is this cruel—not now, not when revenge is within arm’s reach.
Briefly, my mind flickers to Roman. If he’s brought Luna into his home, into the same space as our sister, she means something to him. That alone makes me hit the gas.
Julia loads her submachine gun, pulls on her mask, and we jump out, stopping just a few yards from where Luna’s pinned against the pavement by a man trying to drag her away. This isn’t a hit, they want to take her.
Julia must see it, too, because she opens fire, giving me the cue to unleash hell.
“COME WITH ME!!” Julia’s shout finally gets Luna attention, but she hesitates.Why isn’t she moving?
“It's you they want, Luna. If you're not here, they'll leave. Come on!”
I don’t know if it’s Julia’s tone or the realization that more SUVs are on the way, but, at last, Luna scrambles to her feet and bolts for our car. I slide behind the wheel and focus straight ahead. Julia’s in control—always is.
“Are you hurt?” she asks, voice low but steady.
“My shoulder’s killing me,” Luna gasps, pain and adrenaline mixing in her breath.
“May I?” Julia says, her calmness and kindness so natural it disarms anyone, even Luna, who tenses but lets Julia check.
“Your shoulder is dislocated,” Julia announces, and I meet her eyes in the rearview mirror for just a second.
Luna inhales sharply, then whispers, “Do it.”
The road ahead is clear. Julia glances at Luna, pride and respect shining through, before snapping her shoulder back into place with a crack.
“Better not to expect it,” Julia says the words I’ve used a hundred times, but on her lips, they taste like something new. I want to kiss her for that, but this is not the time.
And of course, the peace can’t last.
“I need to call someone,” Luna blurts out.
Yeah, I can guess exactly who she means; the same man who’s probably losing his mind right now trying to figure out where she’s gone.
“When we get to safety, I promise you can call whoever you want,” Julia replies, gentle but firm. I want to tell her there’s no way Luna’s calling Roman before she helps us get access to her old firm, but I keep silent.
Luna spends the entire ride scowling at the window, lost in her own head. When we finally reach our headquarters, some of our soldiers approach the car, but I shoot them a look sharp enough to keep them away.
The last thing I want is to scare Luna even more—being snatched off the street by two strangers is bad enough. Julia calls her inside, and I watch as Luna, wide-eyed, scans the place, taking in the computers, the security, every detail. She wears her emotions right on her face; I can see the moment she realizes this whole rescue mission was for her.
I pull off my mask. She stares, stunned, but I don’t waste time on greetings. “I wouldn't have wanted us to meet like this, but we need to have a discussion without my brother intervening.”
Normally, I’d laugh at her expression, mouth slightly open, eyes huge, but Roman’s probably tearing Chicago apart to find her, and we don’t have much time.
“Does Roman know?” she asks.
“That I exist?”
The way she looks me up and down, I know she’s shocked. Compared to my twin, I look like I dropped out of a biker gang, while he’s always polished in a suit, looking every bit the millionaire who takes holidays on the French Riviera.
“No,” I answer, honestly. “No, although I sense the long-awaited meeting will be soon.” I gesture to the couch, hoping we can get through this quickly.
“I'd prefer to stand and to know why the hell I'm here,” There it is, a spark behind the bookworm glasses, a fire that makes everything about her more interesting, and finally I get why Roman noticed her.
