In my business, nothing is more valuable than being able to decipher good from evil. The secret is to understand the driving factors that cause a person to forget their values and morals. The world is far too complicated to divide every aspect and decision of life into rights and wrongs. Recognizing the difference between the liars, cheats, and traitors who lack honor, and those who are lost souls—desperate, scared, and fighting demons of the most ferocious kind. Nothing is black or white completely. There’s a vast section of gray between it all.

Right now, I’m watching Elianna dance between the darkness of night and light of day on that spectrum. The buildup of pain, anger, and deep-seated mistrust that she’s trying to contain is fighting to be set free. It’s only a matter of time before she loses hold on those threads of control.

She knows more than she’s admitted, and I suspect it has everything to do with my brother. I recognize it in her eyes because I see it in myself every time I look into a mirror. I can only hope others have missed the clues, but I’d be lying if I said she’s shielding it well.

This situation could be more serious than I expected and planned for, if that’s the case. Getting her to open up and let me help is a fight I’m more than willing to go to battle over.

“Elianna, in my head, essential needs are those necessary for survival, so if that’s your understanding of the definition as well, it shouldn’t take this much time to produce a list. Are you still thinking or are you ready to fill me in? I have time to wait and no intentions of rushing you, so feel free to continue discerning. Unless of course, you’re ready to address the items. I’m eager to show you just how efficiently my overqualified skills can get shit done, Sunshine.” With a smirk, I challenge her.

Eli is no fragile flower. I know she can handle it and keep up, and I see the fire in her. The problem is, that fire is so damn captivating it’s impossible not to want to get close. Even the risk of burning me alive isn’t a deterrent, but chancing her safety is. If I can’t take my eyes off Elianna, how the hell will I ever be able to watch over her shoulder and make sure any assholes in her path get addressed? I can’t. That’s all I need to remember, and we’ll make it through this together.

With a slight smile of defiance, she lifts her chin, meeting my gaze. “Well, if you really must know, Lucas, I need food in the house, so I must find a grocery store. Also, I won’t survive without coffee and pastries. It’s a non-negotiable need, so I need to know where the local coffee shops are. Lastly, in an effort to prevent mayhem in my local neighborhood, I need a bar that I can go to on occasion to have a drink. You may think I’m kidding, but I’ll have you know your brother agreed it was necessary. It’s been a while since I’ve walked into a bar or pub. I never expected that little ritual to be this challenging to continue without him beside me. However, going to a bar and not having Matteo ordering me to drink it to kill the bug that crawled up my ass may not have the same healing effect it used to, if I’m being honest.”

Her small confession is unexpected, but the moment she said his name, I felt myself jerk from a stab of pain while I watched her body do the same. Aren’t we a damn match made somewhere in the gray area between heaven and hell?

“Okay, Elianna. Here’s the plan. You’re going to make a list of the groceries you need to get you through the next few days, and then you’re going to haul your gorgeous ass upstairs and get dressed while I have one of the guys run to the grocery store. I’m not ashamed to admit my brother was the smarter of the two of us. Therefore, I trust his judgment and suspect you’re long overdue for some extermination treatments. I’d like it very much if you’d join me at work tonight. Bonus, I’ll introduce you to some friends since I suspect you don’t know many people in the area quite yet. But on the way to Indigo, we’ll drive around the block and scope out the local coffee shops. So there, that’s the plan. Wasn’t that easy?” I wasn’t sure how she would respond; it could’ve gone either way—agreeable or angry—but I didn’t fucking expect her to laugh.

“Lucas, that’s really kind of you and a fantastic offer, but—.” I stop her midsentence.

“It’s not up for debate, Sunshine. You’re the one who classified those items as essential needs, not me. I just agreed to prove the efficiency of my overqualified skills to help check the boxes on your list. Now, the sooner you write that list and get dressed, the sooner the extermination can begin.” I stand, noticing a notepad and pen sitting on the open bar top separating the family room from the open kitchen. I move that direction to get it then deliver the notepad and pen to her with a smug expression, completely ignoring her annoyance. Seeing the glimmer of excitement in her eyes in spite of her work to downplay it gives me hope we have a chance of surviving this.

* * *

Almost three hours later, I’m walking toward the back entrance of Indigo with Eli at my side wearing her confidence in the form of a stiff smile. Damn. She’s good.

Looking poised and so fucking hot, she’s wearing a strapless black curve-hugging dress that my cock immediately jumped up for a standing fucking ovation when she walked down the stairs. Elianna is showing enough skin that it doesn’t even matter what the scrap of fabric she’s wearing is covering.

All I’ve been able to think about for the last forty-seven minutes is how fast I’d be able to slip my cock into her once she wraps those delicious, shapely thighs around me. This girl is going to wreak havoc in this club tonight, but I’m not too worried. It’s unlikely I’ll be able to take my eyes off her, even if I wanted to.

Thankfully, in the event I do have to step away, my club manager and the closest thing I have to friend, Christian, will be here tonight. He’s my next best option for extra eyes and ears on Eli. No one is expecting her at the club tonight, but once I knew she’d accepted my invitation, Christian was able to pull the men together to pass word on straight from the boss, laying the ground rules where Elianna Nicchi is concerned. She shouldn’t have any trouble from any of our men, so that’ll be a start and hopefully set a precedent.

I open the back door, allowing her to skirt in front of me, but when I move my palm to the small of her back to gently guide her down the long hallway, I realize immediately I’ve fucked up. My body temperature instantly spikes to dangerous levels, and I know my seemingly innocent intention to be a gentleman just proved that I have no chance of reining in my control. Elianna is now my mission impossible, and it’s unbearable to resist my attraction to her.

I don’t bother to remove my hand from the hallow indentation at the bottom of her back. The damage is done, so my only option is to figure out a new plan and work around this new development.

She slows, the music growing louder with each step closer to the end of the hall and the door to the main floor of the club. I stop, pulling her back a step and spin her stand her in front of me. Tough as fucking nails, she’s not even the slightest bit startled by my rapid change in course. That definitely doesn’t help my cause not to become more turned on. Her eyes roam my face in the silence, and I allow her the time to explore. When her gaze finally settles on mine, I speak.

“You ready for this, principessa?” I ask, with unexplainable uncertainty.

She gives a forced smile and a tense nod of consent before looking away, but it isn’t enough for me. Moving my hand under chin, I gently turn her face back to me.

“Elianna, you’re safe with me. I can promise you; I’ll be close even if I’m not by your side. Do you trust me?” I inquire. She looks at me as if she’s weighing the question.

“Lucas, am I in danger?” she asks, trying to put the pieces together and avoiding my question. Smart girl.

“I don’t know, Sunshine, but I’m not willing to take any chances. There are too many unknowns, and until I know anything with absolute certainty, I want to be the one keeping you safe.”

“Why you? Why not the Nicchi family? Do you feel responsible for me just because your brother isn’t here?” she interrogates. She’s right to question my motives. Trust is a betraying bitch, and a mistake can get you or someone you love killed. I don’t trust anyone to have my back completely, and because of that, I’ll never be able to stop looking over my shoulder. Eli is different, though. She’s safe with me, and I want her to trust me, but I know it’s a lot to ask of people like us, so I understand.

Even if my motive to stand beside her at the service was initially at the request of my mother, that changed the second she let the shield of hers down. Elianna is strong, gorgeous, confident, and too smart for her own good, but once she showed me her vulnerability, I was done for.

“Let’s just say I have trust issues, sunshine. That’s why it must be me. I would’ve done anything my brother asked me, but he wouldn’t have ever had to ask me to keep you close,” I tell her truthfully. It seems the harder I try to ignore the facts in front of me, the more they come back to slap me in the face.

“So I should just trust you, Lucas . . . with my life? What do you really want from me?” Her voice drifts to almost a whisper.

“Everything, Elianna. Every. Single. Thing. If you aren’t ready to trust me, I’ll wait. Until then, though, I’m still going to be the one to keep you safe.” I pause, measuring her stance for a moment, before continuing. “I want you to give me a code word in case you need a second to regroup or want an out. What will it be?” I probe, not allowing my hand to fall from under her chin. Even this small connection somehow seems to be bigger than we are.

“Liability,” she answers, her voice sounding fragile. It’s the first outward sign of weakness she’s shown me, other than the minutes we shared at Matteo’s service when I was her comfort and shield of support.

Her eyes betray her confidence and the instinct to reassure her is too strong to avoid. I drop my hand from her chin and wrap my fingers around her tiny waist, letting my free hand mimic the same on her other side. I tug her a step closer to me. Bending my head slightly forward, I rest my forehead on hers so that we’re eye to eye. Earning her trust isn’t going to be easy, but it’s necessary.

“Liability,” I repeat, my tone gentle and still somehow apologetic. I’m not sure what I want more from her. A part of me wants to push her away and keep my distance, but the other half knows I’ll never get her close enough to satisfy my need for her. I can’t let her be my weakness. Men like me would never survive in this life with weaknesses. Elianna deserves better, and I know it, but knowing and accepting are two completely different things.