She must have worked for a government that was an ally of the US. Probably the British, considering her nationality. He doubted she was the kind of person who was still loyal to the place where she’d been born.
He’d grown up a refugee in the US with his brother Amir, making sure no one ever believed they were part of the regime they’d escaped. Despite the accusations that had been leveled against his father, none of them were connected to terrorism. But his father’s name hadn’t been cleared before he took his own life.
Luca used his key card to enter a secure door around the back of the hospital and rode the elevator up. Hammer stood at attention beside the door, hands clasped behind his back. His mind miles away while all of his physical awareness constantly scanned for threats.
“Hey.” Luca opened the door and checked on Francisco. The patient lay in the hospital bed, tucked in with blankets, his eyes closed. His doctor sat on a chair beside the bed, looking at the screen of a tablet, reading and scrolling slowly.
Luca closed the door.
“Hey.” Hammer cleared his throat. “What happened?”
“What are you talking about?”
His buddy shot him a look. “You think I can’t tell when you have something on your mind? You’re tense. More than your usual stoic demeanor.”
“Whatever that means.” Luca blew out a breath and rolled his shoulders. The hallway was empty, and the normal hustle and bustle of the busy hospital seemed far away.
He told Hammer about what had happened in the parking lot and how he had taken care of Stuart Parker when the guy was intent on getting answers from Kira by whatever threats were necessary.
Hammer shook his head. “No, that isn’t it.”
Luca sat in the chair next to the door and leaned his head back against the wall. “It’s fine. We took care of it. She helped someone, and he wanted to know where they were. The cops took the guy into custody. The woman he was looking for is safe.”
Hammer scanned the hall, then looked back at Luca. “But you got a taste of what it’s like when she’s in danger. How it feels to know the threat is coming for her, and you realized that stopping the threat is up to you.”
“I told her I need to see what she can do. That way I know in what situations she’ll be able to take care of herself.”
That should be somewhat reassuring, right? He would be able to breathe a little easier if he knew what she could handle.
“Maybe.” Hammer shrugged. “But if something kicks off and you’re not there, it’s going to drive you crazy.”
Luca shook his head. “There’s no reason to believe that guy will come after her again.”
Hammer leaned against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway, facing him. “Something will. Eventually. Maybe there isn’t a real huge threat in your lives, not like what we’ve faced the past few years. But eventually she’ll be in danger, or some other situation will arise, and you’ll be too far away to help.”
Luca didn’t like the sound of that.
“She could get sick, and there might be nothing you can do about it.” Hammer shrugged. “Or a thousand different things you won’t be expecting. Ways she could have her heart broken or get injured. Or ways she might have to face death. And the fact is that you’ll be facing it along with her.”
Luca pressed his lips together and shook his head.
“It’s a part of life, bro. Things happen that you can’t control. The people you love are threatened and nearly burned to death in a house, but thankfully, you’re there and able to help them.”
Luca shot him a look.
“You know what I mean. As much as you want to wrap her up and keep her safe, she won’t be able to live her life if you do that. This is the kind of woman who needs to feel like she’s free. Not like you’re dragging her down.”
“I’m not trying to trap her. Just trying to get a handle on the way I feel.”
Hammer said, “Literally the only thing I can guarantee you is that this won’t go the way you think it will. And it’s never going to be the best-case scenario. Life just isn’t like that.”
“You give such good pep talks.”
“The point is that you have to trust. God has all of it under His control. That doesn’t mean she’s not at risk or that nothing will happen to her—or you. It means that both of you have to trust that He’s got this in His hands, so you can rest because He’ll put you where you need to be at the right time. And all of it is just another way you can learn to trust Him more.”
Luca sat forward, running his hands down his face. Closing his eyes meant he saw Kira again in his mind, the way she looked—and felt—in his arms. The way she looked at him. Something he hadn’t ever had before.
“It isn’t like I’ve never dated before,” Luca said.