Luca Read online

  LUCA

  Copyright © 2020 Nyssa Kathryn Sitarenos

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be used, stored or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for use of brief quotations in book reviews.

  This book is for your personal enjoyment only.

  This book may not be resold or given to other people.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the authors imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locals is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by Dar Albert at Wicked Smart Designs

  Formatted by Integrity Formatting

  Edited by Missy Borucki

  Former Navy SEAL, Luca Kirwin, is both well trained and deadly. Recruited into a non-government sanctioned project, he was turned into a weapon. Now, with the help of his team, Luca must find every last soul who was responsible for the project and make them pay. When a new neighbor with alluring green eyes moves in next door, his instincts tell him to trust her - but could she be one of the enemies they’re searching for?

  Evie Scott can’t afford a relationship. She was in a one once and it almost killed her. Running and hiding has become her normal. But when her new neighbor gives her a job in the small town of Marble Falls, avoiding him becomes almost impossible. While protecting her secrets, Evie begins to suspect Luca has his own. Can he protect her from her past or will it destroy them both?

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thank you to my editor, Missy Borucki, for your patience, support and hard work.

  Thank you to my husband, for listening to my ramblings, taking care of the household when I am nearing a deadline and supporting my dream.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Also by Nyssa Kathryn

  About the Author

  CHAPTER ONE

  EVIE SCOTT GLANCED at her rear-view mirror. Nothing. Not a single car, bike, or pedestrian appeared in her view. Did that mean there was no one following, or that they were good at staying hidden?

  The nerves ate at Evie. Every time she stepped foot outside, even for a short grocery run, a small voice would whisper that he was there, watching, waiting, ready to take her back. Keep her hostage again.

  Detouring from home slightly, Evie played a juggling act between watching the mirror and the road. Eventually, enough calm settled inside her to pull into her driveway.

  Taking a deep breath in, Evie glanced up at her small rental. Home. At least her home for now. It was only last week that Evie had been sitting in a coffee shop two towns over searching the internet for her next stop. It was there that she’d spotted the old house in the small town of Marble Falls. The house was cheap. So cheap most people wouldn’t have spared it a second glance. For Evie, though, low cost meant affordable. Accessible. And that meant another couple months of anonymity. She could pay the upfront money in cash, and that was all she needed.

  She would only be here for a couple of months anyway. Comfort didn’t play a role in Evie’s existence. Survival was key. She would find a job, keep to herself, and move on. It was lonely. The alternative, Evie knew, was much worse. She would take lonely over that any day.

  Pulling the door handle of her old Honda, the hinge rattled, threatening to come apart. That was a worry for another day. Evie had bought the Honda at her first stop ten months ago. Even though the car was falling apart, it still cost more than she had. She was grateful the salesman took pity on her and sold it for almost nothing. He must have sensed her desperation. Or seen the bruises on her arms and face.

  Stepping out of her car, Evie felt the sun beat down on her as she went to retrieve her groceries.

  “Hey there, neighbor.”

  Gasping, Evie spun around, hitting her head on the roof of the car. The pain didn’t register though. As she looked way up at the tall stranger, the color drained from her face. Military. He was definitely military.

  The man appeared to be about six foot three, with blue eyes and muscles straining the fabric of his blue shirt. The real giveaway was the cut of his short blond hair. For some unexplainable reason, the cut always stayed with them.

  A buzzing started in Evie’s ears as she took a small step back. Her vision started to fuzz slightly. The stranger now appearing more of a blur than a man.

  No. She couldn’t pass out. The chance that he was working for him was too high. He would surely take her to him. Even if she didn’t pass out, how would she escape? He was huge. She didn’t stand a chance.

  The big man frowned and took half a step away from Evie. That confused her. To take her, shouldn’t he have moved closer? “I live next door to you, in that house just over there.”

  Blinking a few times, Evie tried to ward off the haze and understand what he was saying. His body language didn’t seem to be threatening, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a threat. She hadn’t thought Troy was a threat and look how that turned out.

  Glancing around the yard, Evie half expected Troy to jump out from behind a tree. When there was no one, she turned back to the stranger.

  The man in front of her appeared to gesture to the house next door. Glancing where he indicated, she struggled to comprehend the words he was speaking. The fear inside of her refusing to settle. Turning back to the large man, she forced herself to focus on his words.

  “I just thought I’d pop over and introduce myself. See if you need a hand with the groceries.”

  With a frown, Evie looked back into the trunk of her car. Taking a moment to consciously try to regulate her breathing. She had spent months practicing her breathing and warding off the panic attacks. No way was she going to let it get the best of her now. Tuning into her training, she closed her eyes for a moment.

  When she opened them, she felt the air entering her lungs at a slower rate again and was able to reason. Looking up, she noticed the man was indicating to the house next door. He lived there. So, not a threat. Just a neighbor. A neighbor who clearly had a military background, but not a threat to her. Not right now.

  Confusion swirled inside Evie. The man didn’t seem fazed by her lack of response to him. Instead, he just stood there and seemed to be patiently waiting. Clearing her throat, Eve worked to find her voice. The embarrassment of standing there for so long replacing the fear.

  “Um, thank you, but no. I, ah, don’t need help right now.”

  Hearing the tremble in her own voice, Evie struggled to hold the man’s eye contact. Taking a breath, she waited for him to leave. When the shoes she was staring at stayed where they were, Evie had to stop herself from nervously fiddling.

  “My name’s Luca, by the way.”

  Glancing back into the man’s deep blue e
yes, she had to stop herself from staring. They reminded her of the sky just before it rained. Beautiful.

  “I’m Evie.” Her voice sounded quiet to her ears. Would he have even heard her?

  “Nice to meet you, Evie.” The smile on Luca’s lips sent warmth to Evie’s cheeks.

  When he smiled, he wasn’t so intimidating. He might even be able to fool people into thinking he wasn’t a threat. Evie knew otherwise. His body spoke of power and strength. Most women, Evie was sure, would be all over Luca. Once upon a time, Evie probably would have too. That was before, though.

  “It’s good to have a new neighbor here. The place has been empty for a little bit,” Luca continued, glancing up at the house. “Are you from out of town?”

  Forcing words from her throat, Evie nodded before she spoke. “I just moved here from a few towns over.”

  Evie had learned a while ago that being vague while sticking close to the truth was usually the safest course of action.

  Her neighbor cracked another smile, and her heart stuttered. He was possibly the best-looking man she had ever laid eyes on.

  “Well, if you need anything, feel free to pop over.”

  Without waiting for a response, Luca gave Evie one final glance before heading back to his place. The moment Luca’s eyes broke contact, Evie felt like she could breathe again. As she watched Luca walk away, she noticed the muscles from his legs stretched through his jeans. He was all power. There was also a lethal grace about him. There had been another man in her life that had walked like that. He had almost destroyed her.

  At that thought, a shiver worked up her spine. Turning back to her groceries, Evie forced her mind to shut down any thoughts of her neighbor. He was military. Evie could feel it. She needed to stay away from him. Period.

  “Never again,” Evie whispered as she pulled the bags out of her car and headed inside. She would never allow herself to be someone else’s victim again.

  Dumping her groceries on the kitchen counter, Evie turned to padlock the front door. It had been the first thing she had installed the day she’d arrived. It gave her the illusion of safety. Illusion, because she knew no deadbolt in the world would stop Troy if he found her. Time.

  That’s why she’d installed it. She’d installed new locks at each house she’d rented. If he found her, she needed time to get away. What she would do with that time, she wasn’t sure, but Evie prayed that if it came to that, she would figure it out.

  Survive, that’s all she had to do. That was the start and the end of her plan. It had been her only reason for the last ten months. Survive first, everything else second. Her rule of survival was to keep moving. Troy couldn’t find her if she didn’t stay still.

  This was Evie’s fifth town in ten months. Five new houses, five new jobs, and five new towns of new people. It was hard, but not as hard as it would be if he found her.

  As Evie started putting away the groceries, her mind swung back to her neighbor. He had to be at least six foot three or four. That was a good foot taller than her. Not that another inch or two would make her any closer to his equal physically.

  Glancing down at her stringy limbs, she would probably lose a fight to a puppy. The diet of canned tuna and noodles she’d been rationing herself over the last few months sure hadn’t helped. If Troy didn’t get her, it was very possible malnourishment would.

  Putting away the last of the groceries, Evie caught a glimpse of her resume on the kitchen counter. Lies. All lies. But she needed a job. A job meant money, and money meant survival. Every move put a severe dent in her dwindling funds. Tomorrow she would find something. She always did. There was no other option.

  About to move away from the kitchen, scratching at the back door made her pause. As her heart started to race, she took a knife from the cutlery draw before moving forward. Glancing out the window, Evie saw nothing.

  Strange. Maybe the months were finally catching up with her, and she was losing it.

  Turning, Evie was about to step away, when the scratching sounded again. Frowning, Evie looked through the window one more time, directing her vision down. There, sitting on the mat, was a small golden mound. Not hesitating, Evie unlocked the door and opened it. The instant the door pulled open, the cat walked straight in like it owned the place and rubbed against her legs.

  Quickly locking the door behind it, Evie then bent down to pat its back.

  “Why hello there. Who do you belong to?” As soon as her hand touched its mane, the cat arched its back and purred. Evie’s heart expanded. She had always been an animal lover.

  Noticing how thin the poor thing looked and that there was no collar around its neck, she wondered if it had an owner.

  Making a snap decision, Evie went into her cupboard and pulled out one of the cans of tuna she’d just put away.

  “You look hungrier than me, you can have this can.”

  Emptying the contents onto a plate, Evie placed it on the ground. Confirming her earlier thoughts, the cat ate the food like it hadn’t eaten for weeks.

  “I’m going to call you Misty, and if you visit again, I’ll share some more of this yummy tuna.”

  Yep, she was definitely losing it. Dreaming about her too sexy neighbor and abducting cats.

  Standing up, Evie’s eyes flickered over to her open laptop. Moving over to the couch, she opened it and found the encrypted file she was working on. Switching her mind off from her neighbor, resolve filled her. Cracking the file was her focus. It had to be.

  Making herself comfortable, she felt movement on the couch and turned to see Misty eyeing her. Curling into a ball next to her, Evie couldn’t stop herself from giving it another rub. Maybe this town wouldn’t be so bad.

  As her fingers flew across the keyboard, she felt her confidence return. The answers were in there somewhere. The answers to why Troy had turned into the monster that he was. Evie would find them. No one could crack a file like her.

  CHAPTER TWO

  NEVER AGAIN. WHAT the hell did that mean?

  Luca Kirwin pumped his legs faster, trying to outrun the same sad green eyes that had been stuck in his head since yesterday. The two whispered words had been going back and forth inside his mind since hearing them.

  He knew she hadn’t intended for him to hear those words. She wouldn’t even realize he was able to. His ability to hear what others couldn’t was a blessing and a curse.

  Shaking his head, Luca tried to push her face out of his mind. What was it about her that had him so captivated?

  The look she’d had in her eyes alone should have sent him running. Fear. Fear of what, Luca wasn’t sure. Was it just him, or was it all men that filled her with terror? Knowing he should drop it, Luca and his team had enough going on.

  There was something inside of him that needed to know the reason. Did she know him? Was she at the facility when he was? Had she worked there?

  Shaking his head, Luca shut that thought down. No. He refused to believe that she had anything to do with that place. Evie had the eyes of a victim, not someone who got their kicks out of gambling with people’s lives.

  Recalling the speed of her heartbeat, he wondered how often she felt that level of fear. He was definitely big at six foot four, and he kept his body in good shape, but he had made sure to assume a non-threatening stance. An expert at reading people, Luca knew when to modify his behavior to encourage a reaction out of others. Yesterday he hadn’t been able to put Evie at ease though. Why?

  “Yo, Rocket, slow down, man. Someone’s going to notice how fast you’re moving.”

  Asher’s words cut through Luca’s thoughts. Immediately he worked to slow his pace. Glancing around discretely, Luca checked to see if anyone had noticed, relieved to see it was just him and Asher.

  “You’re fine, brother,” Asher said when he caught up, giving Luca’s shoulder a friendly shove. “What’s up with you today? It’s like you forgot I was with you. Come on, no one forgets me even on a bad day.”

  Luca glanced at his longtime f
riend and teammate. At a similar height and breadth, some might mistake them as brothers. But where Luca was calm and controlled, Asher was more spontaneous and a risk-taker.

  “I’ve got a new neighbor.” Luca’s voice was even. No one who heard him speak would think he had just run ten miles.

  The shock was clear to see on Asher’s face. That reaction didn’t surprise Luca. The place was a dump. Luca had thought it would be vacant for good.

  “In that old house that looks like it could fall over with a single push? I could probably give it a good shove and it would go.” A laugh escaped his friend. “Hope they brought their toolbox.”

  Toolbox? He bet she packed one suitcase with the bare essentials. Ready to pick up and go at any moment.

  “She shouldn’t be living there. The place is a health hazard. It’s not safe.” Luca’s voice was hard, leaving no room for debate.

  “Perfect for those with little cash.” Exactly what Luca was thinking. “What’s got her stuck on your mind?”

  As Asher gave Luca a side glance, the smirk on his face was clear to see.

  Picking up his pace, Asher easily kept up. “She’s running from something. Or someone. I’m not sure.”

  Asher’s expression went from joking to serious in an instant. It was the same with all the guys from their team. They were protectors first and foremost, it was why they had become SEALs. “You sure?”

  With a slight nod, Luca kept moving. He tried to wear his body out. Make it so tired his mind would stop thinking about her. But that seemed an impossible task these days.

  “I could tell by her body language. Looked like she was going to pass out at any moment. Just the sight of me made her want to make a run for it. Flickering eyes, as if waiting for someone to grab her.”

  Flashing his gaze in Luca’s direction before glancing back at the path ahead of him, Luca knew what was coming before the words left Asher’s mouth.

  “On the run? Scared at the sight of you? You thought about the fact she might be from the facility?”