She eyed him over, muscles and more muscles, trim and fit, capable, and her belly tightened as she forced a reply from her lips.
“I’ll be okay,” she whispered.
“You always been this thin?” Maxwell asked her. His brown eyes held hers, and it almost felt like he could read her mind. These men were more powerful, intimidating than the next, yet she felt compelled to reply, to not run from this seat and escape. That was a first. Especially after the assault.
Maybe these months that had passed, remembering what Derek had done to her, had helped her move on and gain the strength she needed. Perhaps it was this amazing town and all its people that made her feel important, existent, and more than just a puppet, someone to control. Sometimes she felt like most of her life had been spent on a stage, strings attached and a puppet master in charge of her every move and decision. The analogy in her head made her rub her arms and almost feel like those strings were gone, cut, and she was finally free.
“Lucia?” Maxwell whispered her name and gently ran his large, warm hand along her thigh under the table. Her legs were crossed, and yet she felt the fire begin to simmer between them. Maxwell had a way about him. Seemed almost like he was interrogating her but not in a forceful way. He eased his questions in there and it seemed to make her loosen up a little. For every question one of them would ask, she asked her own. Problem was, were they seeking information to use against her, to hurt her sometime later? Or, were they really just trying to get to know her because they cared?
“I’ve been traveling a lot, until I got here to Pearl, actually. Being on the road, trying to conserve my money made me be overcautious, I guess. I need to get back on track with my meals.”
“You traveled far?” Gabriele asked then picked up his glass of sweet tea and took a sip. He held her gaze with those big blue eyes of his. The man was very handsome.
“From the South,” she replied. “How about you guys? Did you always live in Pearl?” she asked as Lucifer gave her an inquisitive expression to her vague response about “the South.”
“We grew up in the house we live in now. Spent some years in the service, then came back here,” Maxwell told her.
“Where in the South did you live?” Lucifer asked.
She held his gaze.
“I’m sorry. I’d rather not say,” she whispered as she lowered her eyes to her lap and squeezed her fingers together on her lap. Maxwell reached over and covered her hands with his, gently squeezing them.
Lucifer placed his large, warm hand over her thigh.
“You don’t have to be afraid to tell us. We’ll keep it a secret if you want. We’re just trying to get to know you,” Maxwell told her.
“Why?” she asked, head down.
Lucifer removed his hand. She felt the loss of his touch, which really messed with her mind, but then felt his palm against her cheek as he tilted her face up toward him.
She locked gazes with Lucifer, and those dark chocolate eyes of his.
“Because we like you. Because we feel an attraction to you just as you do to us. We want you to know that you’re safe with us, that we won’t hurt you but instead protect you. Now, where are you from in the South, and what has brought you to the town of Pearl, our home?” he whispered.
She was lost in his eyes, in the scent of his cologne and the feel of two men touching her, protecting her at the same time. She swallowed as she glanced toward Salvatore, who looked fierce and angry, then toward Gabriele who just looked firm. She wondered if these were normal expressions for them. It seemed to be the case.
“I used to live in South Carolina. A traditional Southern town with charm and sophistication but nothing like Pearl. Please Lucifer, please don’t tell anyone, and don’t ask me so many questions. I’m just not ready to answer them.” She lowered her head and swallowed. “Things happened there. Things that forced me from my home, from the area.”
“Things, Lucia?” Maxwell pushed. She didn’t find offense in it or anger, she knew he was an investigator, a detective, and that made her shiver a little more, yet she hoped her gut was right and the man would not investigate her.
She was saved by the server, as the waitress brought over their food.
* * * *
Lucia’s vague answers and nervous replies put Salvatore on edge. He watched Lucia, absorbed her beauty, her fragility as she tried to hold back information in her responses. She was walking on eggshells, holding back, thinking of her answers before she spoke as if she were trying to keep up with her lies. It made him wonder if anything she was saying was true or made up.
She ate slowly, taking her time, and he couldn’t help but to think that she was stalling so they wouldn’t push for more answers. Despite his own hang-ups and fears about getting romantically involved in her life, he felt compelled to be her guardian. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling that she was in some kind of trouble and she felt she was all alone instead of fully supported. He wasn’t sure what could have possibly happened to this young woman, but he wanted to know. He wanted to protect her, and that was a first for him.
He finished his lunch and leaned back, watching her play with the last piece of crust from her sandwich. Her chicken noodle soup was all finished, and her coloring already looked better. Why wasn’t she taking care of herself? What was on her mind so much that she didn’t eat today until now?
“Your coloring has improved already,” Salvatore told her, and she dropped the piece of crust and sat back in the chair. She reached for her glass of sweet tea and took a sip.
She placed it down.
“I told you that I could take care of myself. I was nervous this morning about coming into town and attending the meeting. I don’t know a lot of people here, and well, I’m kind of shy,” she told him, holding his gaze but not with confidence. She really was shy, yet back in Mrs. Higgins’s home when she spoke about decorating, remodeling, and her ideas, she seemed confident and sure of herself. What was it that made her otherwise seem intimidated?
“You seemed more confident at Mrs. Higgins’s place when you were talking about redesigning her rooms and working with us doing the construction.”