concern was genuine.
She stood back, regarding the New World leader curiously. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him. If she was honest, there had been lots of times when she'd find herself thinking of him. Ludwig Tennebris was the epitome of evil in her mind, and yet he was handsome and charismatic when you saw him in person, making you forget just how bad he really was.
His face was young and regal, hard and soft in all the right places. That dark blonde hair of his was always slicked back off his face, accenting his strong brow line. And his eyes...they saw through you, something that made Lake extremely nervous.
The way he looked at her especially put her on edge, because it made her heart beat faster and she didn't want that. She didn't like anything about the way her body reacted to her sworn enemy.
He wasn't looking at her now though, his eyes only on Charlotte. The way he was looking at her didn't hold the same heat as when he looked at Lake though. No, she didn't sense he wanted Charlotte in any romantic way. The feelings she got off him now was more of a brotherly concern. He didn't seem like the same man at all.
Lake tried to pinpoint the difference, and decided he seemed calmer, more relaxed. Happy almost, even though he was concerned for her at the same time.
“What are you doing here?” Charlotte was asking him.
She stayed against him, and Lake wondered just how weak she must be to let him continue to support her. Lake felt even more worried, knowing just how fragile the tiny girl was now.
Ludwig smirked, raising one eyebrow. “I could ask you the same thing,” he pointed out. His face immediately turned serious again. “What happened, Lottey? I haven't seen you that bad since you were younger and still building your defenses.”
Lake saw her eyes widen and then she stood up straighter, her gaze looking over his shoulder.
“The community center,” she whispered.
Lake and Ludwig looked down the street.
“What about it?” he asked. “There's a community event happening there tonight.”
Charlotte shook her head slowly in horror. “Someone is shooting in there. Everyone is terrified,” she said, her hands reaching out to grip the front of his shirt. “There are women and children in there, Ludwig.”
His eyebrows pinched together in confusion. “That can't be,” he said.
He looked over at Lake. She glared back, disgust filling her at what Charlotte was saying. Ludwig must have read it in her eyes, because he instantly shook his head, affronted.
“It's not my men,” he said. “I didn't order anything such thing.”
“Then who would?” Lake asked, not believing him for a second.
She watched as Charlotte and Ludwig looked at one another knowingly. They spoke together.
“ Douglas .”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Charlotte moved up the street alongside Lake and Ludwig, her legs still feeling shaky from the earlier assault. Having Ludwig there with her was beyond strange. If it hadn't been for the fact that he had helped her, she'd be kicking his ass and making a run for it. What was even stranger was that he was there alone.
Something was up with him. He wasn't acting like himself, and it wasn't normal for him to just roam the streets without guards. He seemed a little lost to her. If it were any other time, in any other universe, maybe she would ask. But she couldn't afford to care. And right now she needed to focus on helping those who were still trapped in the community center.
Ah, crap, she couldn't help it. “Want to tell my why you're out here by yourself?” she said as they kept themselves to the shadows of the surrounding buildings. They didn't know if there were men stationed as lookouts, and she was too weak to open her mind enough to check. And that was if she could even sense them, since her father had been training his men to block her out.
“Can't a man enjoy an evening stroll?” he replied, those keen eyes of his scanning the area.
Charlotte couldn't
She stood back, regarding the New World leader curiously. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him. If she was honest, there had been lots of times when she'd find herself thinking of him. Ludwig Tennebris was the epitome of evil in her mind, and yet he was handsome and charismatic when you saw him in person, making you forget just how bad he really was.
His face was young and regal, hard and soft in all the right places. That dark blonde hair of his was always slicked back off his face, accenting his strong brow line. And his eyes...they saw through you, something that made Lake extremely nervous.
The way he looked at her especially put her on edge, because it made her heart beat faster and she didn't want that. She didn't like anything about the way her body reacted to her sworn enemy.
He wasn't looking at her now though, his eyes only on Charlotte. The way he was looking at her didn't hold the same heat as when he looked at Lake though. No, she didn't sense he wanted Charlotte in any romantic way. The feelings she got off him now was more of a brotherly concern. He didn't seem like the same man at all.
Lake tried to pinpoint the difference, and decided he seemed calmer, more relaxed. Happy almost, even though he was concerned for her at the same time.
“What are you doing here?” Charlotte was asking him.
She stayed against him, and Lake wondered just how weak she must be to let him continue to support her. Lake felt even more worried, knowing just how fragile the tiny girl was now.
Ludwig smirked, raising one eyebrow. “I could ask you the same thing,” he pointed out. His face immediately turned serious again. “What happened, Lottey? I haven't seen you that bad since you were younger and still building your defenses.”
Lake saw her eyes widen and then she stood up straighter, her gaze looking over his shoulder.
“The community center,” she whispered.
Lake and Ludwig looked down the street.
“What about it?” he asked. “There's a community event happening there tonight.”
Charlotte shook her head slowly in horror. “Someone is shooting in there. Everyone is terrified,” she said, her hands reaching out to grip the front of his shirt. “There are women and children in there, Ludwig.”
His eyebrows pinched together in confusion. “That can't be,” he said.
He looked over at Lake. She glared back, disgust filling her at what Charlotte was saying. Ludwig must have read it in her eyes, because he instantly shook his head, affronted.
“It's not my men,” he said. “I didn't order anything such thing.”
“Then who would?” Lake asked, not believing him for a second.
She watched as Charlotte and Ludwig looked at one another knowingly. They spoke together.
“ Douglas .”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Charlotte moved up the street alongside Lake and Ludwig, her legs still feeling shaky from the earlier assault. Having Ludwig there with her was beyond strange. If it hadn't been for the fact that he had helped her, she'd be kicking his ass and making a run for it. What was even stranger was that he was there alone.
Something was up with him. He wasn't acting like himself, and it wasn't normal for him to just roam the streets without guards. He seemed a little lost to her. If it were any other time, in any other universe, maybe she would ask. But she couldn't afford to care. And right now she needed to focus on helping those who were still trapped in the community center.
Ah, crap, she couldn't help it. “Want to tell my why you're out here by yourself?” she said as they kept themselves to the shadows of the surrounding buildings. They didn't know if there were men stationed as lookouts, and she was too weak to open her mind enough to check. And that was if she could even sense them, since her father had been training his men to block her out.
“Can't a man enjoy an evening stroll?” he replied, those keen eyes of his scanning the area.
Charlotte couldn't
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