CHAPTER 5

WINTER POV

I woke up to someone in my room.

My eyes flew open and I saw a shadow by my window. A tall male and my heart stopped.

"Marcus," I whispered.

"It's just me." Luca's voice came from the darkness. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

I sat up and turned on my lamp. Luca stood by the window fully dressed even though it was three in the morning. "What are you doing in here? I locked my door."

"I picked the lock." He said it so casually like breaking into my room was normal. "I couldn't sleep, I wanted to make sure you were safe."

"By sneaking into my room in the middle of the night?"

"Would you have let me in if I knocked?"

"No."

"Then I made the right choice." He sat on the edge of my bed. "You were having a nightmare. You kept saying his name."

My face got hot. "You were watching me sleep?"

"Protecting you while you sleep. There's a difference." His hand reached out and brushed hair from my face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Winter." His voice was so gentle it hurt. "You can't keep everything locked inside. It'll destroy you."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine. You're terrified. I can see it." His thumb traced my cheek. "Let me help you."

"How? By breaking into my room? By watching me like some creep?"

Something flashed in his eyes, hurt maybe. "I'm not Marcus."

"Then stop acting like him." The words came out harsh. "Stop watching me. Stop controlling me. Stop deciding what's best for me."

"We're not trying to control you. We're trying to keep you alive."

"By scaring me? By making me feel trapped?"

"By making you feel safe." He moved closer and I should have moved away but I didn't. "Do you feel safe right now, Winter? With me?"

I should have said no and simply told him to leave but sitting there in the dark with Luca looking at me like I was something precious, I felt safer than I had in years.

"I don't know what I feel," I whispered.

"That's honest." His hand cupped my face. "Can I stay? Just until you fall back asleep. I'll sit in the chair. I won't touch you. I just want to make sure you're okay."

Every smart part of my brain said to refuse but the scared part that still saw Marcus's face in every shadow said yes.

"Fine but stay in the chair."

"Deal." Luca moved to the chair by the window and settled in like he planned to stay all night.

I turned off the lamp and lay back down. I could feel him watching me in the darkness.

"Luca?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you care so much? You don't even know me."

Silence.... Then his voice came soft and honest. "Because the moment you walked through that door looking scared and broken and beautiful, something in me knew you were mine to protect. All three of us felt it. You can call it crazy or obsession or whatever you want but it's real."

I didn't know what to say to that.

I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up again, sun was coming through the window and Luca was gone but there was a note on my nightstand.

You talk in your sleep. You said my name not his. That means something. - L

My face burned as I crumpled the note.

I got dressed and went downstairs. Voices came from the kitchen. Dante and Kai were drinking coffee and looking at a laptop.

"Morning," I said.

They both turned. Kai smiled. Dante's eyes traced over me like he was checking for injuries.

"Sleep okay?" Dante asked.

"Fine." I wasn't telling them about Luca's visit.

"Liar." Kai's smile got bigger. "Luca said you had nightmares."

"He told you he broke into my room?"

"He told us he stayed to make sure you were safe," Dante corrected. "There's a difference."

"Not really."

"Coffee?" Kai held up a cup.

I took it because I needed something to do with my hands. "What are you looking at?"

"Security footage." Dante turned the laptop so I could see. "From last night."

The screen showed a car parked down the street from the mansion. I couldn't see inside because the windows were dark.

"That's been there since midnight," Dante said. "Three hours just watching the house."

My coffee cup shook in my hand. "Is it him?"

"We think so." Kai leaned back. "He's testing us and seeing if we're serious about protecting you."

"What are we going to do?"

"We?" Dante raised an eyebrow. "Does that mean you're accepting our help now?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"You always have a choice, Winter. But some choices are smarter than others." He closed the laptop. "Get ready. Kai's teaching you self-defense today. If Marcus comes for you, you need to know how to fight back."

"And if he comes for you?" My voice was small. "What if he hurts one of you because of me?"

Kai laughed. "Baby, we're not the ones in danger here."

My phone buzzed. It was a new number. I didn't want to look but I had to.

Tonight. I'm coming tonight. Say goodbye to your three bodyguards. They can't protect you from me.

My hands went numb as the phone fell.

Dante caught it before it hit the ground. He read the message and his whole face went dark.

"Change of plans." His voice was ice. "Nobody leaves this house today. Kai, call our security team. Luca!"

Luca appeared from nowhere like he'd been listening the whole time.

"Get Winter somewhere safe. Marcus is coming tonight."

"Where?" I asked. "Where is safe?"

Dante's smile was sharp and cold and terrifying.

"Right here between us. Let him come."

The front door exploded inward.

Glass shattered as wood splintered and Marcus Shaw stood in the doorway holding a gun.

"Did you really think I'd wait until tonight?”