relationship?
My thoughts meandered through those dark hallways as we walked the brightly lit streets of Rome. Me, two teenagers, my husband, and our toddler son. If Stuart knew the direction of my thoughts, he hid it well. He concentrated on pushing the stroller and keeping his eyes on Eliza. He was alert and focused, and in that moment I thought that maybe it would all turn out okay. That maybe he could be an asset, even if he wasn’t a full partner.
I frowned, wondering if I’d discovered the source of my hesitations. Maybe it wasn’t that I didn’t want to be Kate the Demon Hunter with Stuart. Maybe it was that I was afraid of losing him altogether if he became drawn into this life. Pushing him away might hurt, but in the end it might just keep him alive.
He glanced at me and his brows lifted when he saw me watching him. He shot a meaningful look at Eliza. “Problem?” he whispered.
I shook my head. “No. Just thinking.” I reached for his hand. “I’ll tell you later.” And as I spoke those words, I knew that I meant them. Whatever dark thoughts about my marriage were circling my head, my husband had a right to know. Maybe they’d hurt. Maybe they’d help. But I owed the truth to this man with whom I’d exchanged sacred vows.
We walked two by three. The girls in front, where I could keep an eye on Eliza, and Stuart and me in the back with Timmy rolling along in front of us, powered by Stuart’s push and the wheels of the stroller.
Despite my wandering thoughts, I was keeping a close eye on Allie and her companion. Close enough that I saw the dark-haired demon from the market a full two seconds before she tackled Eliza from the side, landing on top of her—a knife to her neck—and sending Allie sprawling.
Those two seconds saved Eliza’s life. I leaped forward, then thrust out with my foot. My comfy Keds intersected with the woman’s wrist, sending the knife flying and Eliza’s attacker reeling sideways.
Eliza gasped and took the opportunity to scramble backwards, crab-like, even as Allie lunged for the knife. “Mom!” she cried, tossing it to me.
I was already over the woman’s chest, my legs pinning her arms to her side. I released my grip on her neck long enough to catch the knife, then started to thrust it down toward her eye.
“ Kate!”
Stuart’s cry startled me, giving the demon the opportunity to lurch up. Her forehead connected with mine, and I rocked backward. She jerked her arms free, then shoved me back. “Fool,” she snarled as she leapt to her feet and bolted.
Allie started to run after her, and I held off on cursing Stuart to yell for her to stop.
“But Mom!” she protested, skidding to a stop.
“Let her go,” Stuart said, before I could get a word in.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I demanded.
“Me?” he asked, sweeping his arm out to indicate the crowd that had gathered around us. “I’m really not interested in posting bail in Italy. Especially since I’m not even sure if you can post bail in Italy.”
Shit. He was right, of course. I’d been so caught up in the moment—the attack, the possibility of losing Eliza before I knew her story, the whole damn thing—that I’d completely ignored the fact that we had an audience.
“Right,” I said. I climbed to my feet and held out a hand to help Eliza up. “Right. Sorry. You’re right.”
Stuart came up and took me in his arms. “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered.
I tilted my head back to look at my husband—and desperately wished that I believed him.
Chapter 10
“S o do you think it’s true?” Stuart asked me.
We’d arrived back at the B&B, and Stuart had pulled me into the hallway just outside our room. Inside, Eliza sat on the bed and Allie stood guard. The door was cracked, and I could see my daughter, diligent and wary, with the knife tight in her hand. Timmy was safe and sound in the room he shared with Allie, asleep in his portable playpen, the TV playing softly to keep
My thoughts meandered through those dark hallways as we walked the brightly lit streets of Rome. Me, two teenagers, my husband, and our toddler son. If Stuart knew the direction of my thoughts, he hid it well. He concentrated on pushing the stroller and keeping his eyes on Eliza. He was alert and focused, and in that moment I thought that maybe it would all turn out okay. That maybe he could be an asset, even if he wasn’t a full partner.
I frowned, wondering if I’d discovered the source of my hesitations. Maybe it wasn’t that I didn’t want to be Kate the Demon Hunter with Stuart. Maybe it was that I was afraid of losing him altogether if he became drawn into this life. Pushing him away might hurt, but in the end it might just keep him alive.
He glanced at me and his brows lifted when he saw me watching him. He shot a meaningful look at Eliza. “Problem?” he whispered.
I shook my head. “No. Just thinking.” I reached for his hand. “I’ll tell you later.” And as I spoke those words, I knew that I meant them. Whatever dark thoughts about my marriage were circling my head, my husband had a right to know. Maybe they’d hurt. Maybe they’d help. But I owed the truth to this man with whom I’d exchanged sacred vows.
We walked two by three. The girls in front, where I could keep an eye on Eliza, and Stuart and me in the back with Timmy rolling along in front of us, powered by Stuart’s push and the wheels of the stroller.
Despite my wandering thoughts, I was keeping a close eye on Allie and her companion. Close enough that I saw the dark-haired demon from the market a full two seconds before she tackled Eliza from the side, landing on top of her—a knife to her neck—and sending Allie sprawling.
Those two seconds saved Eliza’s life. I leaped forward, then thrust out with my foot. My comfy Keds intersected with the woman’s wrist, sending the knife flying and Eliza’s attacker reeling sideways.
Eliza gasped and took the opportunity to scramble backwards, crab-like, even as Allie lunged for the knife. “Mom!” she cried, tossing it to me.
I was already over the woman’s chest, my legs pinning her arms to her side. I released my grip on her neck long enough to catch the knife, then started to thrust it down toward her eye.
“ Kate!”
Stuart’s cry startled me, giving the demon the opportunity to lurch up. Her forehead connected with mine, and I rocked backward. She jerked her arms free, then shoved me back. “Fool,” she snarled as she leapt to her feet and bolted.
Allie started to run after her, and I held off on cursing Stuart to yell for her to stop.
“But Mom!” she protested, skidding to a stop.
“Let her go,” Stuart said, before I could get a word in.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I demanded.
“Me?” he asked, sweeping his arm out to indicate the crowd that had gathered around us. “I’m really not interested in posting bail in Italy. Especially since I’m not even sure if you can post bail in Italy.”
Shit. He was right, of course. I’d been so caught up in the moment—the attack, the possibility of losing Eliza before I knew her story, the whole damn thing—that I’d completely ignored the fact that we had an audience.
“Right,” I said. I climbed to my feet and held out a hand to help Eliza up. “Right. Sorry. You’re right.”
Stuart came up and took me in his arms. “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered.
I tilted my head back to look at my husband—and desperately wished that I believed him.
Chapter 10
“S o do you think it’s true?” Stuart asked me.
We’d arrived back at the B&B, and Stuart had pulled me into the hallway just outside our room. Inside, Eliza sat on the bed and Allie stood guard. The door was cracked, and I could see my daughter, diligent and wary, with the knife tight in her hand. Timmy was safe and sound in the room he shared with Allie, asleep in his portable playpen, the TV playing softly to keep
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