70

70
“Wait, I need to check out,” Kendall weakly said as Lucien pulled open the passenger door.

He stared darkly at her. “Get in.”

She swallowed hard. Silently, she got into the car, placing her hands politely on her knees as he shut the door and went around to the other side.

She barely had seconds to compose herself before the car door opened again and his intense aura filled the space.
It buzzed with anger and the ragged edge of frustration.

The car was filled with the sounds of him angrily settling into his seat before he finally sat back and glared out of the window as he tried to steady his breath.
Kendall sat there, thoughts rushing through her head with a chaos she couldn’t tame, no matter how many deep breaths she took.

“What are you doing here?” he rasped.

She snuck a glance at him. “Uhm… I came to meet Hamza Rah—”

“Did I ask you to do that?” Lucien demanded, turning to glare at her. “Why would you come all the way to fucking D.C. to talk to him? Do you know what he’s capable of?”

She looked puzzled. “But Mr Delcroix said you knew. He said you w-were okay with it and I would be safe because you would be here.”

“That’s why you said yes? Because he said I’d be here?”

She quickly nodded, her lips trembling. “Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry.”

“Don’t… cry.” He muttered between clenched teeth.

She bit her bottom lip, inhaling her tears.

With a sigh, Lucien looked out of the window at the grand mansion across the parking lot.
The windows glowed with golden light, and he zoned out for a second, staring at the faint drizzle that had just started falling.

The wait made Kendall feel even more nervous. And then he broke the silence.

“How do you know Eliott Cross?”

She tensed, staring at her lap.

Lucien slowly looked at her. “Kendall.”

She jolted, looking at him. “Hm? Me?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Where did you meet him?”

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out as she shook her head and turned away.

“And, please,” Lucien closed his eyes. “Do not lie to me. I can forgive most things, but I cannot stand lies.”

She pressed her lips together to hide her trembling. “I… I met him here tonight.”

He looked at her. “Tonight?”

Kendall nodded.

“Look at me.”

She didn’t move.

Like his patience had snapped, he reached across the narrow space between them and took hold of her jaw, turning her to face him.

She gasped, clutching the hem of her dress as her chest rose and fell with panicked breaths.

“Kendall,” he murmured softly, the gentle tone contrasting with the anger in his eyes. “Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth.”

Her trembling lips parted. “I m-met him tonight. You’re s-scaring me, stop…”

He didn’t let go right away, just studying her frightened expression. Inwardly cursing himself, he forced his fingers to loosen.

“Okay.” He released a calming breath and turned his body to face her. “I’m not trying to scare you.”

“But you’re angry.”

“Not at you. I’m upset he touched you. I’m a little upset you didn’t tell everyone he was being a creep, but that’s fine. You didn’t want the situation to escalate, I understand. I'm sorry I got mad.”

She seemed to calm down a little, and he sighed, finally pulling his hands away from her. He’d forgotten that he wasn't supposed to touch her when they were alone.

“Kendall, the reason I’m asking is because Eliott Cross is a very dangerous man. If you knew him before today, you need to tell me so I know how to help you.”

She wouldn’t look at him. “What makes you think I’d need help?”

He looked at her. “Someone broke into your hotel room today.”

Her eyes went wide, and she straightened, turning to face him. “What? Into my room? Who?”

“We don’t know his identity yet. But I caught him in the act, and he’s currently being interrogated.”

“By the police?”

“No,” he said firmly. “Not by the police.”

She blinked, frowning. “Then by wh—”

“At first, I thought it was Liam.” Her expression twisted with a look of instant disagreement, and he held up a hand to stop her. “I know, he’s your friend. But I have reason to believe he could be capable of such.”

She sighed. “But it’s not Liam?”

“It’s not. I’ve verified. So, as things stand, we don’t know who he was. Do you know much about Eliott Cross?”

She didn’t answer. Staring dazedly into space, Kendall felt her stomach knot with fear and confusion.

Someone had broken into her room. Had they been watching her all this time? That was why she’d been feeling so uneasy lately, wasn’t it?

Was it Eliott? That was why he’d brought up her old apartment; he'd been watching her. That was why he'd asked her where she was staying. She released a shaky exhale, trying to think clearly. She didn’t understand. Why was he after her?

Why had he tried to take her away tonight? What more did he want from her?

If Lucien hadn’t come…

In silent gratitude, she turned to look at him. He was already looking at her, silently studying her face.

When he saw the tearful mixture of gratitude and fear in her eyes, he immediately softened. Without his permission, his hand reached across, covering hers.

“Don’t be scared,” he whispered.

She sighed, nodding.

“Is there any way to get in touch with your family?” he gently asked. “If Cross has his eyes on you, you’ll need serious protection. Tell your parents, I'm sure they're far more powerful than he is.”

The words burned a hole through her heart, leaving her aching. She bit her bottom lip, shaking her head. “I… They wouldn’t care.”

A silent tear slipped down her cheek, and he couldn't stop himself from wiping it away with the pad of his thumb. His anger doubled, and he suddenly wished he’d throttled Eliott just a little more, for scaring her this way.

She was just a girl, alone in the world. Did that sick fuck really have to hurt her, when she already daily dealt with her family’s rejection?

Her pitiful appearance pulled at his heartstrings, and he sighed, grabbing his phone. “Fine. Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll take care of you. Like I always do.”

And the first thing he’d do would be to make sure Cross paid for what he did tonight.

He dialed a number and waited till the call was answered.

“Couldn't tell me you were leaving?” Carmell tiredly asked.

“I'm leaving,” he said. “First, I need you to tell me what happened before I arrived. The girl you saw with Eliott Cross. What exactly did he want from her?”

Carmell gasped. “Oh, right. Lucien… about that girl…”