Page 200 of Mine Again
“And how will you use this leverage?”
“Either give it to the authorities so they can hunt him or use it to bait him. It depends on his next move. But I have to find it first.”
I meet her eyes. “I have to go fully offline. It could take an hour, maybe four, or even twelve. There’s no way to know until I find what we need to put this back on Hale.”
I kiss the side of her neck and feed her more bread.
“I won’t see or hear anything while I’m under. And I’ll need my fullfocus. So please stay behind this locked door so I don’t worry. In here you’re safe. But if anything does happen, come and get me.”
I lift her from my lap and set her gently on her feet, then cross to my bag. Pulling out a compact pistol, I check the safety and place it on the table beside her chair.
She stares at the gun, her expression hardening.
“Luca, you know I don’t like—”
“This is a last resort,farfalla, and for my peace of mind. I know you hate using guns, but I can’t leave you up here unable to protect yourself. If someone tries that door, aim center mass and shoot. No warnings.”
Her eyes flick to the weapon, then back to me. I hold her gaze.
“Use it only if you have to. Call for me first if you can. I’ll get back up here as fast as possible.”
She exhales audibly and steps into me without a word, her arms looping around my neck. Her mouth finds mine in a kiss that lingers.
I hold her close, breathing in the scent that’s unmistakably Isa, and press one last kiss to her lips before stepping toward the hidden door.
I grab the duffel with the tower unit and heft it over my shoulder before pulling the panel aside.
Her gaze follows me until the panel shuts between us.
The room falls away behind me as I start down the ladder, the chill of the metal seeping into my palms. Each step lands with a hollow echo in the shaft below.
Every step feels like a countdown.
Chapter Seventy-Five
Isabella
The secret panel closes with a muted click, and the room seems heavier without Luca in it.
Brief as it was, the echo of his kiss still lingers on my lips, as if he had sealed something between us.
I lean a hand against the wall for support, my palm pressed to the cool plaster. The chill seeps into my skin as exhaustion sweeps through me like I’ve swallowed lead. With Luca gone, I can finally admit to myself that I’m running on fumes.
I draw a slow breath through my nose and let it out in a long sigh through my mouth, the sound barely stirring the quiet.
My gaze wanders over the dim outlines of the room. The shadows in the muted light seem darker than they should be. Everything here appears cold and uncared-for… because it is.
I picture our island, the salt-heavy breeze drifting through open windows, the comfort of a home that he made for me. A place where the walls held not just warmth but safety.
Luca said I’m safe here. I want to believe him. But now that I’m alone, the silence holds something different, and doubt presses in like the dark outside the glass.
I stand still, listening. For what, I’m not entirely sure. Sounds that warn of danger?
Something moves beyond the walls. Some noises seem harmless enough, maybe a night bird or a stray cat, but others… a faint crunch, like weight on gravel, makes my skin prickle.
This part of the city might be abandoned to most, but not everyone stays away. There have to be squatters somewhere nearby. Some buildings still look solid. What if someone saw our light and decided to investigate?
I should turn it off, but the thought of complete darkness is worse. My eyes find the pistol on the table. I cross the room and wrap my hand around it.
