Chapter 10
Leda
I watched Mrs. Wong leave and drew in a shaky breath. Her story was sad. But somehow she and her husband had persevered through it all. It was the same sort of conversation that Lucas needed to hear. He didn’t need to lose hope just yet. The best was yet to come. I could feel it.
And if it wasn’t, at least we would be together in the end. Our lives, our futures were riding on what we could do against my father and Adrian. I needed Lucas to realize that I was on his side, that everything I said and did was for him and our child and to protect my brother and his family.
Drawing in a breath, I washed my face and brushed my teeth, trying to think about what sort of story I was going to tell him about this. Maybe it was time to tell him the truth, but with him already wanting to send me away, I couldn’t give him more fuel for the fire.
No, I would tell him when the time was right.
I cupped my stomach lightly, staring at my reflection in the mirror. “I sure hope you are a girl,” I murmured to myself. “Because I can’t deal with another hardheaded Lucas Valentino.”
Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I walked downstairs to the restaurant, where Mr. Wong was busy prepping the food for the lunch rush. Lucas was also in the kitchen, dumping a heavy pot full of water into the industrial sink. His eyes found mine, and I saw the concern reflected in them. “Are you all right?” he asked, giving me the once-over.
I nodded. “Must have been something I ate,” I lied.
He didn’t look like he believed me as he set the pot down. “What can I do to help? Do you need to lie down?”
His concern was touching, but unless he knew how to cure morning sickness, I doubted he would be of any help at all. “I should be asking you the same question,” I countered, looking around the kitchen. “Is there anything I can do?”
Lucas did the same, and I was struck by how at ease he was in this kitchen. My thoughts kept going back to Mrs. Wong’s story, and I wondered how many times he had come in here to escape Cosimo or something else. How many times did he find solace with the couple who loved him like their own?
“I think we are almost done here. I thought you might want to reach out to your brother.”
Nico. He was going to be so upset at me for running off like that. I was surprised that no one had come knocking on the restaurant door, for I was sure he would have the entire city searched.
“Yeah, I would like that.”
Lucas motioned for me to follow him, and I walked out into the dining room, where Mrs. Wong was straightening the tablecloths. “Emil dropped a few things off,” he stated, reaching into a backpack. “I sent him out to get some clothes for you too.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, thinking of the bag I had upstairs. It wasn’t a lot, considering I had to get past Nico’s security, but I had the essentials at least.
“This is a burner phone that has been stripped of its GPS coordinates,” Lucas explained, a sleek black phone in his hand. “The moment you try to contact him, they will attempt to trace the number. The good news is that Emil found one that changes the number at random, so the number you call him from will not be the same one in an hour or so.” He handed the phone over to me. “Don’t put them in danger.”
“I won’t,” I said, opening the chat. I didn’t care to hear the lecture from Nico right now. I just wanted him to know that I was alive and well. I fired off a quick text before handing it back to Lucas. “There, it’s done, unless you are planning to send me back. Then I need him to send a car around.”
Lucas’s jaw clenched as he threw the phone back in the bag. “No, not yet. I’m not ready yet.”
That was all I needed to hear. He wasn’t ready, which meant he would likely never be ready.
Mrs. Wong had told me to be strong, and I would be.