10. Luca

Chapter 10

Luca

We lay like that for a long time before my knot released, but I still didn't want to let him go. "You're so goddamn perfect." He really was.

As much as I wanted to spend the entire day in bed with him, now that his heat had broken, we had work to do. Knox had to go in for his debriefing and I needed to make sure everyone on my staff was safely accounted for.

I kissed him just before he climbed out of my truck at the hotel to meet his boss. "Come find me when you're done."

After I picked up a few gifts, I went to find Claude. He was waiting for me in my office, reading the newspaper with his sunglasses on. I handed him an envelope and smirked. "Open it."

He took off his sunglasses and slowly opened it. Inside were two plane tickets and a thick wad of cash. "What is this?"

"It's a vacation. For you and Joe. I know you've always wanted to go to Italy, so I'm giving you a month off to do it."

Claude wasn't one to show much emotion, but I thought I saw a glimmer in the corner of his eye. "Wow. Thanks, boss, but what about you and Knox? Seems stupid to leave right now."

"We'll be okay. We're gonna take some time off too, actually." There was no guarantee he could get away, but I hoped Knox and I had made more than love that morning.

After what felt like ages, the phone rang and it was Knox. "Want to grab some lunch?"

"I'll come get you." I grabbed my coat and practically skipped to my truck. Claude and Joe weren't the only two people I'd planned a surprise for. I was taking Knox to the Virgin Islands, and I wasn't gonna take no for an answer.

When I got to the hotel, Knox was too excited to contain his news. As soon as we got in the truck, he blurted it out. "I have a job here."

"What?"

"I have a job here in Gilded Lake. It's a remote research position. There aren't many in the bureau, but there are some."

I wrapped my arms around him. "You're staying? You're really staying?"

"I mean, if that's okay with you."

"It's perfect. It's what I want more than anything."

Knox had the hotel kitchen pack us a picnic, and we drove up to the bluff. What had been my private spot for so long had become ours over the past month. We ate lunch and talked about our future together. It didn't take much persuasion to convince Knox to move in right away. Like, immediately. And once that was settled, he agreed to leave within the next couple days for our vacation.

My omega looked extra gorgeous, all lit up with excitement. The worst of his heat had passed but his scent still seemed overly intense to me so when I couldn't resist any longer, I pushed the picnic basket out of the way and nudged him down into the grass before climbing on top of him. "I'm sorry, but I need to take you again."

"Never be sorry for that." He laughed and pulled my shirt off over my head. "Take me, Luca. I'm all yours."

Afterward, we stopped by his apartment to pick up a few things, but he didn't have much. He'd mostly been living at my place since arriving in Gilded Lake.

On the drive home, I couldn't remember when I had ever felt so happy. A little over a month ago, my life had been routine and lonely. It was a good life but lonely. I'd resigned myself to never finding "the one." Now, beside me was the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen and he was moving in with me.

Knox kept turning to look behind us, even as I reached for his hand.

I glanced in my rearview mirror. "What do you keep looking at?"

"I'm just so used to having Claude glued to me. It's weird that he's not back there. Where is he, by the way?"

I chuckled and squeezed his hand. "Hopefully, he's packing for Italy."

"Italy?"

"Yeah, I got tickets for him and Joe to take a vacation. Claude is a whole other person when he's on vacation. You wouldn't recognize him."

Knox was silent for a minute with a confused look on his face. Finally he blurted out, "Joe!? As in the Joe?"

I sighed. "I was gonna tell you eventually, but you can't tell anybody, okay? Claude and Joe fell in love when Joe was stationed out here. It was a very different department back then, not like the bureau you work for today. There was no way they could be together. We were also involved in more bad shit back then, and it would've been harder to make the kind of deal we were able to make with you."

"Okay, so what? Joe faked his own death so he could stay with Claude?"

It wasn't quite that dramatic but close. "More like faked his own disappearance."

Knox just shook his head in shock. "What about the finger?"

"Oh yeah." I grimaced. "He wanted it to be convincing."

"So he cut off his own finger? And mailed it to the FBI?"

I had to laugh even though it wasn't exactly funny. "Are you saying you wouldn't do the same thing for me?"

Knox shuddered and stared out the window. "All this time spent with Claude, it never occurred to me that he might have a partner. Good for him."

I parked in front of the house, then ran around the car to open Knox's door.

He smiled. "Extra romantic today."

"Maybe." I helped him out of the truck and then swung him up into my arms.

He laughed. "What are you doing?"

"You're officially moving in today, right?"

"Yes…"

"I'm gonna carry you over the threshold."

I realized I should've waited until after we climbed the five steps to the porch to pick him up, but I managed and stepped through the door. Once I set him down, we both laughed.

I gave him a kiss. "Welcome home, omega."

Knox looked around. "Where is everyone?"

I looked around as well. The house was eerily quiet. Where were all the servants? I held my hand out, motioning for Knox to stay behind me. He rolled his eyes and took his gun from its holster, then stepped in front of me. I made a mental note to give him shit for this later.

Something was definitely wrong. We crept silently through the foyer and into the living room. I paused to take a gun from the console. No sign of anyone. I jerked my head toward the hallway and cautiously walked toward the staircase.

I heard him before I saw him—a single footstep—quiet, cautious, but loud enough for me to hear.

Marcus was raising a gun with his eyes locked on me.

I dove to the side and aimed at his head. Deafening blasts filled the air as I rolled behind the sofa. I scrambled to the far end and craned around the arm to see Marcus running toward the front door. I got up to my feet and dashed after him, dimly registering that Knox wasn't with me.

Marcus was slow, so I caught up with him and brought the butt of my gun down hard on his head. He fell just as I heard Knox groaning from inside.

I ran back to the living room and found Knox lying on the floor in a large pool of blood. "Knox, no." I fell to my knees beside him and turned him onto his back. Blood was pouring from his head, but he was alive.

He looked past me and his eyes widened.

I raised my gun and turned just as Marcus aimed at me again. We both shot at the same time but my bullet hit first and his whizzed past my head, shattering a lamp instead.

Marcus fell hard.

I turned back to Knox. "Stay with me, baby. Stay with me."

"You got him." His voice was weak as he smiled.

I fumbled for my phone and dialed 911. When the ambulance was on its way, I picked Knox up and carried him to my truck, unwilling to lose a single minute of precious time.

I sped down the driveway with Knox's head resting on my lap. I pressed one hand against the wound near his temple, trying to stop the blood as I drove toward the hospital, hoping the ambulance would be coming from that direction. "You're gonna be okay, Knox. You're so strong, omega!"

His eyes closed and I could feel him fading just as the ambulance came into view ahead. I waved them down, then helped them get Knox into the back. I never let go of his hand as I climbed in beside him while the medics went to work.

Knox was pale and unconscious as tears began to stream down my face. "Don't leave me. Please don't leave me."