Chloe and Elle sat in the food court, watching Nero and Amo get food. She had insisted on getting her own food, but Amo wasn’t having it. The tension between them was still uncomfortable, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as if they had been alone.

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to leave.” Elle looked like she was about to get emotional. “I mean, I knew you would; I just thought you might change your mind.”

“You know I don’t want to leave you, but you know I can’t stay here, either.”

“I know. I just always thought we would be going to college together,” Elle whispered.

Chloe had, too. They hadn’t expected Elle to fall in love.

“If I hate it after a semester, I can always come back and go to the university here with you, and we can spend summers together.”

Elle started tearing up. “I’m just going to miss you so much.”

“Please don’t cry.” Chloe’s heart started to break. This was why she definitely couldn’t handle Elle going to the airport with her. “You will always be my best friend. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, and I thank you for protecting me when I couldn’t. I love you, Elle.” She might not be able to hug her and show her love, but she could at least tell her.

“I love you, too, Chloe.” A tear dripped down her face.

Chloe smiled at her as they enjoyed this moment together. “Okay, now stop with the crying. You’re going to ruin your makeup.”

Elle laughed as she wiped away the tear.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” a sweet voice butted in.

Turning, Chloe saw Nero’s sister Maria.

“Elle told me you were leaving, and I wanted to see you before you left. I hope you don’t mind. Plus, it was a good excuse to come shopping,” Maria joked, taking a seat beside Elle.

Chloe’s eyes traveled to the man behind her, and she held her breath when his blue-green eyes settled on her. She hadn’t seen him since he had gripped that bat in his hands. Truthfully, she hadn’t seen Maria since then, either.

Chloe, Elle, and Lake had been in Nero’s apartment when a gunman had broken into the apartment, expecting Maria to be there. However, she had been sick and hadn’t come. Chloe never liked to ask questions about why someone had tried to go after Maria, because she didn’t feel it was her business.

Maria was everything a girl ever wanted to be. She was tall, blonde, and looked like a supermodel. Chloe was convinced she was, considering she always came with bodyguards. Even though she enjoyed Maria’s company, she didn’t ever feel comfortable with her. After all, not only had she almost died the last time she had tried to spend time with her, but most of the time, Maria’s bodyguard ended up being Lucca.

She barely managed to pull her eyes back to Maria. “I-I don’t mind.” She twisted her hands under the table. “Thank you for coming.”

Chloe’s eyes moved back to the man who was now coming closer to the table. His dark appearance didn’t remind her so much of their last encounter. Instead, it reminded her of their meetings under the white gazebo in the Caruso’s backyard. The first time she had met him was the night Elle had been attacked while going to work. Elle had been terrified of him at the time, but she had also found him attractive. Any attractiveness she had seen in him had disappeared the night he had crashed a bat down ruthlessly, showing her his true self. Or so she had thought …

She had expected to be horrified and disgusted if she ever saw him again; instead, she found just found him … chilling.

Lucca’s cold voice shivered up her spine. “Still running away, darlin’?”

She slowly nodded her head, knowing exactly what he meant by running. He seemed to somehow always know the hidden secrets she kept locked away.

Amo came to the table then, setting down a tray of food in front of Chloe. He seemed to stare Lucca down for a moment before he took a seat beside her.

Lucca kept his eyes on Amo for an extra second before he turned his gaze back to Chloe. “Be careful out there, darlin’; you won’t have anyone to save you if you get into trouble.”

Watching him leave to take a seat at the table behind Maria, she saw he sat down, facing her. It felt like he was looking into her soul.

“Chloe, are you going to eat?” Amo’s voice finally had her looking away.

“Y-yeah.” Trying to shake off Lucca staring at her, she did her best to ignore him as she picked up some fries.

“Are you all packed up, Chloe?” Maria asked, stealing some of Nero and Elle’s fries that he had brought to the table.

She could see another scary man take a seat beside Lucca. Another bodyguard? She swallowed hard. Another bodyguard meant it was bad for Maria.

“For the most part.”

Lucca’s eyes had yet to move from her. You could always feel his eyes on you. It was like his gaze created ice on your skin.

“What time does your flight leave?” Amo asked as he slung his arm over the back of her chair.

She didn’t know why she looked at Lucca when he did that, but she could feel him wanting to slowly kill Amo. She had seen that look on him before when he had taken a baseball bat to a lifeless body.

“E-eleven.”

Amo leaned in closer to her, almost brushing her shoulder when he stole a fry off her plate. “In the morning?”

She could imagine it now, imagine Lucca killing Amo. It was like the fury in his death glare was painting a picture in her mind.

Somehow, she managed a nod. Between Amo’s close body and Lucca’s daggers being thrown from his eyes, she didn’t know what was going on. She wanted to rip her skin off; she was that uncomfortable.

I can’t take it! Quickly, she stood from the table, grabbing her purse. “I’m not hungry. I’m going to get my suitcase.”

“I can go wi—”

“No. Stay,” she cut Amo off then took a quick, calming breath. “I-it’s just right there. I’ll be back in a minute.” She quickly walked away, leaving stunned faces behind.

She headed to the luggage store that was right at the beginning of the food court.

Calm down, Chloe, she told herself, reaching the safety of the store that was far enough away from Amo and Lucca to breathe.

Staring at the suitcases, she managed to ignore what had just happened enough to pick the size she needed then wheeled it to the checkout counter. The line was so long it curved the registers. Waiting for her turn, she patiently stood. However, the longer she waited in line, the stronger a feeling came over her that she was being watched.

Looking around, she didn’t see them at the tables anymore. When she scanned the food court, she found Elle, Nero, and Amo waiting in line to get a pretzel. They loved the pizza pretzels and always had to get one to take home for later. She noticed Amo glance in her direction, but he wasn’t the one she felt staring at her.

Scanning the other side of the food court, she then saw Maria in a small shoe store with her bodyguard. However, Lucca stood by the shoe store door, watching the passerby’s until his eyes settled on her. Still, his stare wasn’t what brought the feeling that was taking over her body.

With it only getting stronger, she was about to get out of line, when a woman’s voice stopped her. “Will that be all?”

Nodding her head, she handed the sales clerk the suitcase to ring it up then her credit card, wanting to quickly leave. While the cashier charged her card, she looked out the window into the mall and met the eyes her nightmares were made of. Clutching the counter, she kept telling herself frantically she was imagining the face staring back at her.

“Here you go. Thank you. Come again.”

Chloe snapped her eyes back to the woman behind the counter then back to the spot she had seen … He’s not there.

Letting out her breath and trying to control her racing heart, she realized it had just been another figment of her imagination. Lucca is doing this to you.

“T-thanks.” She took her card and suitcase.

Many times, the devil haunted her sleep or even when she was awake. This time, it felt more real than usual. Only one other time had it felt so real, and Lucca had been there. See? It’s just him.

Coming out of the store, she rolled her suitcase behind her as she scanned the mall. She found Amo, Nero, and Elle checking out on one side of the food court, and on the other side, Lucca still guarded the shoe store with Maria.

Taking a step forward, she found herself freezing in place, a horrible feeling rocking through her body.

Stay still, little girl.

Bang. Bang.

Chaos ensued as gunshots rang throughout the air behind her. Screaming people ran as fast as their legs could take them to the exit at the back of the food court.

Nero protected Elle, running toward the exit, while Maria’s bodyguard protected her, also heading toward the exit.

Unable to find her legs, she felt like everything was going in slow motion as people ran past her.

Or it’ll just hurt worse.

“Chloe!” Amo’s voice boomed as he tried to move forward to get to her, but the running people were coming at him, making it impossible.

Her heart thudded once in her ear as she took a step toward Amo.

“Chloe, move,” Lucca demanded from the other side, fighting against the flood of people, trying to reach her.

Her heart thudded again, and she took another step forward, this time toward Lucca.

“This way, Chloe,” Amo pleaded.

“To me, Chloe!” Lucca demanded.

Time stood still before her as she looked at the two men desperately trying to fight their way to her. They both stood equal distances apart from her. Her mind felt pulled to the right toward Amo, yet her body felt pulled to the left toward Lucca.

As she looked at Amo, memories flashed before her …

Smiling proudly, he took his seat. “You thought I wasn’t going to actually sit beside you, didn’t you?”

Chloe’s answer was scooting her chair over to the very edge, though it didn’t give her much more room because he practically took up the whole table.

By his smirk disappearing, she could tell he didn’t like her answer very much …

… When a tray was extended to her, she looked up to see Amo holding it out for her. It was the first time she could see something that almost seemed nice under his rough exterior.

Slowly, she took it from him, having to look away as she did. She had grown almost used to the roughness of him, and seeing him differently for once seemed weird …

… “You know why they’re staring like that, don’t you?”

She looked to the floor. “Because they think I’m a fre—”

“No, you’re not a freak,” Amo snapped. He paused for just an instant before he said, “It’s because they’ve never seen me walk a girl to class before.” …

… “Place your hands on the table,” he whispered over to her.

She quickly shook her head and started to press her nails into the skin.

“Please, Chloe, I can’t take you doing that to yourself,” he pleaded.

When she glanced at him, it was the first time she really looked at him, like really looked into his eyes. They weren’t the black abyss staring back at her like she had always thought. They might have been dark, but they also had a lightness to them. Almost like a sparkle of silver running through giving them life. They were dark yet light, reminding her of yin and yang.

Taking a breath, she placed her hands on the table …

… The next song was louder than the last, making Amo lean down to whisper in her ear. “Will you dance with me, then?”

His breath was warm as it touched her skin, his body just a few inches away. It was the closest he had ever been to her, making the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.

“When you’re sitting in California, and I’m missing you, I’ll regret that I didn’t get to dance with you once.”

She now turned her eyes to Lucca, the memory of when they first met flashing …

“Hey, darlin’,” a deep voice sounded behind her.

Chloe jumped at the sound. A second later, a man appeared on the other side of the rails. He was terrifyingly beautiful and scared the hell out of her, regardless of how handsome he was. She didn’t think a man that good-looking should even exist, or a man that chilling.

Chloe didn’t move a muscle, completely frozen in place.

He kept walking toward the entrance of the gazebo and went up the step. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She had no idea how she hadn’t heard him. She didn’t even know where he had come from.

She watched him lean up on a pillar, blocking her exit. After every hair had managed to stand up on her body at one look of his eyes, Chloe darted her gaze down to her lap and started fiddling with her hands.

“I’m Nero’s brother, Lucca. I would shake your hand, but you wouldn’t shake it, anyway.”

Chloe quickly glanced back up at him before looking down again. How did he know that?

Lucca read her eyes. “I overheard that you’re apparently germaphobic.”

Chloe glanced back up at him again. Apparently? He was really starting to freak her out now.

Chloe attempted to decide if she should honestly be afraid and try to run away. Yes, I should. However, Lucca was blocking the only exit, and she was not going anywhere near him.

Chloe saw him move; as a result, she regretfully had to look at him again. She held her breath when he put his hand into his pocket to pull something out. When a pack of cigarettes came out, she let out her breath. She continued to watch him pull a cigarette out and then hold it between his lips as he put the pack back in his pocket. Going into his other pocket, he pulled out a lighter. Chloe thought she was going to have a heart attack if he went into his pocket again.

Lucca flipped his lighter open and lit the end, making it burn a bright red as he inhaled.

“You don’t mind, do you?”

Chloe slowly shook her head. She wished she could look away from him, but she was too afraid. She could tell he was Nero’s brother without a doubt; they both oozed confidence and sex. They looked very similar, as well.

Lucca had the same skin color, but she couldn’t quite tell if his hair was black or brown. The same went with his eyes; she couldn’t tell if they were blue or green. She would swear they were one color before the string lights picked up the other color, changing her mind all over again. Lucca, however, was a billion times more frightening and a million times more handsome than Nero. She figured it had to do with the age gap, but one thing they were very different about was the way they dressed. Nero only dressed in button-up shirts and slacks, while Lucca was wearing a black sweatshirt and dark, loose jeans.

She wasn’t used to seeing hair as long as his. It was swept back, yet it touched the back of his neck. He clearly didn’t care if it wasn’t trimmed and neat, just like his unshaven stubble. Everyone she was around always looked immaculate, making his bad-boy appearance more like ‘don’t cross me, or I will murder your entire family tree.’ I don’t think it matters what he wears; he would look like that, regardless.

“Aren’t you a little cold out here, darlin’?” His voice also oozed just as much confidence as Nero.

She felt uncomfortable with him calling her that. If I tell him my name, he’ll stop.

“M-my name is Chloe.”

She watched him smile as he took a puff, holding the cigarette between his thumb and index finger. He exhaled. “The mayor’s daughter, right?”

Chloe nodded gently. She knew that practically everyone was aware she was the mayor’s only child. Right?

“You were in that car wreck a few years back. I remember reading about it in the papers. Is that how you tell everyone you got those scars?” Lucca tapped his ashes in the snow without moving his eyes from her.

Chloe swallowed and looked back down at her hands. “That i-is how I got them.”

“No, it’s not. I know a knife cut when I see one.”

Chloe glimpsed back up at him. How did he know? “I-I d-don’t know what you’re t-talking about.”

Lucca flicked his cigarette in the yard. “Yeah, you do.”

A chill went down her spine at his words, causing her to stand, not able to stay around him any longer and not liking where this was headed.

She walked a step forward, hoping he would move. His muscular frame was blocking the whole entryway. She didn’t want to know how many hours he’d spent in the gym; she could see his muscles through his thick, dark sweatshirt. When he still didn’t move, she gradually moved up more. Please move, please move.

Chloe was now just a few small steps away, refusing to go any farther. “C-can you let me through?” Her legs started to shake when he dipped his hand back into his pocket. Her heels made it hard for her to hold herself up.

Lucca pulled out another cigarette and flipped his lighter open. He slowly lit the end, not moving his eyes from her. He blew the smoke out, making it roll over her body. Instead of putting the lighter back in his pocket, he flicked it again, and the silver Zippo shot out a flame. Lucca did one of his tricks, rolling the lighted Zippo in-between each of his fingers.

“I will if you tell me how old you are.”

Wait … what?

Chloe became entranced, staring at the flame expertly passing through his fingers. She didn’t know how he didn’t let it burn himself.

Chloe mindlessly answered and asked her own question, captivated by the glow. “Seventeen. You?”

Lucca suddenly flipped the lighter closed. “Twenty-six.”

Something told her he wasn’t very happy about her answer by the look on his face.

Twenty-six. She had no clue why she’d asked how old he was.

After she’d watched him move slightly to let her pass, she really wished he would give her more room than that.

Chloe slowly walked up and turned her body to the side, keeping her eyes on him, afraid he would move when she passed through. She held her breath as she carefully started to move by him. Her face came to the middle of his chest, even in heels, and his shoulders came right above her head.

When she had successfully passed him, somehow with just mere centimeters apart, Chloe started walking as fast as she could, trying not to run back to the house.

Lucca’s voice carried across the yard. “You can’t run from the truth forever, darlin’.”

Chloe picked her feet up faster.

Yes, I can. I’ve been doing it for years …

She picked up her feet, going toward the man with the blue-green eyes who commanded her body …

Crack.

The sound of broken bones greeted her ears as a baseball bat slammed down into a limp body.

Snap.

Another flash of the bat making contact with the man’s leg, the man who lay practically lifeless on the floor.

He raised the bat once more, pausing only to look her in the eyes. An evil pair of blue-green eyes stared back at her, making her blood run cold. She watched him grip the neck of the bat with a force so intense she was positive it was going to shatter before the bat was brought down for its final time.

Crunch.

As she watched the man inhale the air around him, he looked crazed, his appearance disheveled. Then he slicked his overgrown hair back in place, and you could see the slight smile come to his lips.

Turning her eyes back to Amo, she saw him screaming, horror gripping his face to get to her, to save her …

“I’m the nice one.”

Glancing at him for a moment, she began to think she might have been too harsh on him. This clearly was a touchy subject for him.

“I guess you will have to prove it.” She smiled at him.

He smiled back. “I can do that…”

There was always a moment in time one faced in life when a choice must be made, and this was her moment.

Time unfroze. She kicked her feet up off the ground, running into the arms of the man she had chosen to protect her. His arms circled around her as she took a shuddering breath. They were the first arms to hold her in years.

Holding her close, Amo whispered into her ear, “I’ve got you.”