Luca
Right now, he was going to have to take Sophia into the bookstore where she worked part-time and help her convince her boss to let her have some time off.
There was no way that she was going in there to fall prey to Peter’s lying in wait.
The only lucky break that he had gotten in all of this was that she was on summer break as a teacher, so he wouldn’t have to worry about getting her to work or Peter showing up there with a room full of kids.
“You okay?” he asked as he shut off the engine.
Sophia nodded, though her fingers were twisted together in her lap. “Yeah. I just hate that this has become such a big thing. I didn’t want to become a bother, and now I have—to you and to my employer.”
“It won’t be for long,” he said firmly. “I promise.” He was probably making a promise that he wouldn’t be able to keep, but he couldn’t help himself. Sophia looked so worried, and even scared, that he said the words before thinking them through.
“I appreciate you saying that, but you can’t promise me that,” she almost whispered.
He stepped out of his truck first, scanning the sidewalks, parked cars, and even the reflections in the café windows. Nothing stood out to him, but that didn’t mean anything. Luca had learned the hard way that danger didn’t always announce itself.
He opened her door and placed a hand at the small of her back as they walked down the sidewalk to the bookstore.
It wasn’t possessive—at least that’s what he told himself, but it was protective as hell.
He worried that she’d pick up on how he was feeling, but Sophia didn’t pull away.
If anything, she leaned into him, and God, it felt good to have her pressed up against his body.
It was something that he had been dreaming about for a damn long time now.
The bell above the bookstore door chimed softly when they stepped inside. The place smelled like espresso and paper, and Luca found the place warm, comforting, and deceptively safe. A woman with silver-streaked hair looked up from behind the counter and immediately zeroed in on Sophia.
“There you are,” she said, relief and worry seeming to tangle together. “I was hoping you wouldn’t forget to come by.”
“Marlene,” Sophia said, “this is Luca. I’m sorry that we’re so late. Luca wanted to make sure that Peter wasn’t hanging around waiting for me to show up.”
Marlene’s gaze shifted to him, assessing him. “I assume you’re the reason she finally agreed to take time off. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that she’s being safe about this man stalking her now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Luca said politely. “And I appreciate you looking out for her here at work. It’s just not safe for you, Sophia, or your customers for her to come into work. I hope that you’ll keep her job open for her.”
Marlene snorted. “Someone has to watch over her. Come on, Soph, let’s talk in the back. You should come along too, Luca.”
They moved into the small office behind the café, and Luca stood just inside the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he felt completely out of place. He wasn’t sure that he should be in the room with Sophia and her boss, but he wasn’t letting her out of his sight—not here, not now.
Marlene didn’t waste time. “He came by again this morning.”
Sophia stiffened. “Peter was here?”
“Yes,” Marlene said. “Twice yesterday, once right before closing. He has the same routine every day. He asks me if you are working or if you’ll be in today. I told him you were unavailable, as I usually do, and that he needed to stop coming here.”
“And?” Luca asked.
“He smiled,” she said grimly. “Said he missed her and wanted to see her and left.” Sophia looked scared out of her mind, and Luca felt like someone had punched him in the gut.
“I told him if he came back again, I’d call the police,” Marlene continued. “But I don’t want you here until this is handled. That’s not a suggestion—it’s me protecting myself and my business.”
Sophia nodded quickly. “I already planned to ask for time off. As much as you’ll give me.”
“You take all the time you need,” Marlene said without hesitation. “Your job will be here when you’re ready. And if he shows up again, I’ll document everything.”
“Thank you,” Sophia said, her voice thick with emotion.
Luca held out his hand to Marlene, and she took it. “Thank you for having her back,” he said.
Marlene stared him down. “Just make sure you watch Sophia’s back now,” she ordered.
“I will,” he said with no hesitation or doubt.
He always had her back, no questions asked.
Marlene had them leave through the back door to avoid the main street.
Luca scanned the alley before letting Sophia step out, then walked her to the truck like the world might try something stupid.
He wanted to be between her and whatever the universe wanted to throw at her.
Once they were inside the truck and moving, Sophia let out a long breath. “That went better than I expected.”
“Good,” Luca said. “Because now I’m done playing nice.”
She glanced at him, and Luca knew that she was going to give him a fight. “What does that mean?”
“It means,” he said, pulling out his phone at a red light, “I’m meeting Rocco and Tony tonight, and you’re going with me. And then, I’m making sure Peter understands that you are not alone.”
Sophia hesitated. “Luca, please don’t do anything illegal.”
He looked at her then, really looked. “I won’t. But I will do everything necessary to make sure that he understands that he’ll have to deal with me if he comes after you again.” She nodded slowly, seeming to trust him in a way that tightened something deep in his chest.
As he drove them back to his place, Luca knew one thing for sure—this wasn’t just about helping an old friend anymore. This was personal, and Peter had made a very big mistake coming after the woman that he cared about.