Page 24 of Scarlet Embrace

“Why are you here?” I asked him again.

He folded his arms and looked at me. His eyes gazed into mine, and I found them filled with concern. There was no way Lucas Cruz was concerned about a stranger like him. He wasn’t the type of person to do that.

“To see if you are okay,” he said calmly.

“I’m fine,” I said with a thick voice, looking away from him. I wasn’t going to break down in front of him, and neither was I going to cry.

“Are you sure?” He asked, lifting my chin up.

“Yes. I’m sure,” I said right before the tears began to flow.

“Elena?” I heard Bianca’s voice.

I turned away as quickly as possible to prevent her from seeing me. Lucas took over almost immediately. “Bianca? Is that you?”

“Yes?” Bianca said, a little bit startled.

“Elena has spoken about you a lot. She always brags about how you’re the smartest in the family. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you,” Lucas said as he stepped forward to shake Bianca’s hand.

I had managed to dry my tears, and I watched the rather awkward interaction. Bianca was looking at the both of us, most likely trying to find an explanation for what was going on. She wasn’t aware of the vendetta I had to the Cruz family, and she probably didn’t even know who Lucas Cruz was.

“Sorry, who are you?” Bianca asked.

“No. Don’t tell me you haven’t mentioned me to her,” Lucas turned to me, acting hurt.

What the hell is he up to?

“I’m hurt, Elena. I’m really hurt,” Lucas said, placing his hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt. “Your sister and I are kind of partners. I need her legal expertise to help capture a thief who’s costing me millions, and I can’t believe she hasn’t mentioned me.”

“Just ignore him,” I said to Bianca. I wasn’t going to let Lucas pay any more attention to my sister again. I led her away, telling her that I needed to have a private discussion with Lucas. “Don’t you dare go after my sister.”

“Trust me, I won’t. I’m just here to ensure that you are safe, that’s all.”

I had a problem believing what he was saying. I just wanted him out of my life. I had suffered enough damage being involved with the Cruz family, and I wasn’t taking any chances again.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Can you leave now?”

Maybe he was truly concerned about me, which would make my actions a bit hostile. The evening has been a lot, and I just wanted to get some rest and put everything behind me.

“Walking away now. I’m really sorry for what happened, Elena, and you won’t have to worry about your safety or that of your family,” Lucas assured me. I really hoped that would be the case going forward, but I wasn’t taking the chances. Bianca was only in town for two weeks. I can’t wait for her to finally leave.

“Thanks. I’m just a bit stressed, that’s all,” I told him.

“I understand,” Lucas told me as he stepped out the door.

For a brief moment, I leaned against the door to gather my thoughts. For the first time since I started on this path of vengeance, I came close to losing everything I had. That wasn’t a risk I wanted to take. As much as I wanted justice for my father’s death, I wasn’t going to take the chance of losing my family.

I should give up on this vendetta.

It was a hard decision, considering the fact that I have dedicated the past five years of my life to this cause. I have been in a few dangerous situations, just like at the warehouse, but tonight topped the list. At this rate, I might end up losing the things I hold dear. Not getting justice for my father scares me, but not as much as losing my family.

*******

“Now I know why you turned down my date,” Kaze told me as I walked him to the door.

“Really?” I asked with interest.

“Of course. The entire street is talking about it, and I have to admit that I did not peg you at the time.”