Page 69 of Tempt Me
"Breakfast," Mom shouts back.
Pulling a face as I crawl out of bed and put my clothes back on, I wonder what food there was to make a meal with. I dread to think if all that was in the other safe house was beer and water.
Opening the door, the smell of freshly baked goods hits my nostrils, and my stomach growls.
"Luca," I murmur when I see him standing there with boxes of food. His face is smashed in from the attack on the villa last night, but he grins and gestures with his head to the to-go cups of coffee.
Casting a glance at Isaac, I see he is very unhappy with Luca's presence, and I understand why. He is still suspicious of Luca, but I'm sure he is above board and trustworthy.
Isaac's eyes bore into Luca. The tension ratchets up a notch.
Sighing with annoyance, I turn to Luca. "Thanks," I say as I take one of the boxes from him, placing it on the table. "What did you bring us?"
Luca grins, his good-natured demeanor putting me at ease. "Pancakes, croissants, muffins."
"Thanks," I say, grabbing a muffin and taking a bite out of it. It's warm and fluffy in my mouth, and I moan in pleasure. "This is delicious."
Isaac grunts in response, still glaring at Luca. "What are you doing here?"
Luca shrugs nonchalantly. "Just brought some breakfast for everyone. Figured you all could use some fuel after last night's excitement."
Isaac crosses his arms over his chest, scowling. "How did you know where we were?"
"I told him," Dad says, sitting down and pulling a box toward him.
Isaac huffs but doesn't say anything more as he picks up a pancake and bites into it.
As we eat in an awkward silence, my mind continues to race with thoughts of negotiating with my grandmother. It's a risky move, but I have to try. Caught between my family obligations and my love for Isaac, this is my worst nightmare. I never planned on falling for him and the baby...I can't even go there right now.
"We'd better get back to the villa," Dad says after a weighty pause where everyone is chewing. "The police are going to want to see us, find out why we left. Isaac, you took Rue and left straight away. Frank doesn't know you and will want to investigate further if he knows you stuck around to kill people."
"Frank?" I ask, eyebrow raised.
"Man on the inside," Dad says shortly. "Don't worry about it. It's fine."
"Fine," I murmur but shrug, knowing it will be. This is what Solitaire does. Cleans up and covers up situations like this.
Isaac stands up, having finished his breakfast in record time. "Let's go. We'll arrive back at the villa full of questions about what the fuck happened and who those assholes were."
"That's the plan," Dad says, leaning back in his chair and giving us a speculative stare.
"I'll come back with you," Luca says, joining me as I rise from the table.
Isaac turns to him with a scowl. "You take your own boat back."
He leaves absolutely no room for argument, and if Luca assumed he was grabbing a lift back with us, he was sorely mistaken.
Judging by the look on his face, he was expecting exactly that.
Hiding my smile as Isaac puts him in his place, all growly and fierce and sexy as fuck, I know he wants me all to himself in this tiny moment we will get from here on out until we can figure something out where we can be together. The more I think about it, the more I get on board with running away. This life takes its toll and isn't safe.
Sighing, I wave bye to my parents and leave the cabin with Isaac, heading down to the beach to clamber back into the boat to head home.
The ride back to Coe Bay is silent, the only sound being the roar of the engine as we cut through the waves. Isaac's tension radiates off him. He's on high alert, constantly scanning our surroundings for any potential danger. My mind races with thoughts on what to do next.
Isaac pulls up to the small jetty located in the cove and cuts the engine. I look up and see the villa on the clifftop, my heart beating rapidly. I've never dealt with the fallout from a situation like this. It was too great not to have repercussions. Stepping out onto the dock, a sense of foreboding washes over me as we make our way up the steep cliff steps back to the villa.
"Don't say anything," Isaac mutters to me when we get to the top and see the villa is surrounded by police, but not on the inside. I’m reminded of something my dad told me long ago. The villa acts as an embassy of sorts. It holds a special status, and the police can't touch us here, nor can they investigate or arrest anyone on these grounds. It's why we were able to leave earlier without any fuss.
