Just One Kiss (The Town of Pearl 8)

“As will be everyone else once they hear about her past. She’s a likable young woman, special in so many ways. People have taken a liking to her in town too. We’ll work on helping Lucia heal. God knows, we all know how difficult it is to feel such deep pain and then to try and let down our guard and allow the help and love in.”

Salvatore nodded then went back to work.

Lucifer looked toward the door and the stairs thinking how badly he wanted to see Lucia and hold her in his arms, but knew she needed some space

to process everything. She looked so scared and unsure. Mrs. Higgins would calm her down and help Lucia to see that Lucifer and his brothers were good men that would protect her. Lucia obviously felt comfortable with Mrs. Higgins. The woman was a godsend in so many ways. Without Mrs. Higgins, he and his brothers may have wound up in a lot more trouble than they did after their parents passed.

Their parents’ friend had been there for them during some tough times, helping them get through their parents’ illnesses and being there to assist them when they needed some guidance. Mary was like a surrogate mother, a guardian angel. Perhaps she would be one for Lucia, too?

Chapter 8

Gabriele was beside himself with worry.

He parked the truck outside of the Anders place and walked across the way to the small barn that had been renovated into an apartment. It was dark out, close to dinnertime, and they had made plans to pick up Lucia and bring her to their place for supper. But then she declined, saying she needed time alone. Well, with everything going on, including her revealing what happened to her, having Lucia out of their sights wasn’t going over well.

He knocked on the door and didn’t hear a sound. His concern grew as he turned to look toward the woods near the house, hoping that Lucia hadn’t decided to walk into town on her own. Maxwell found out that there was a connection between some robberies and assaults and individuals traveling on foot believed to be in the area.

“Hey, Gabriele.”

Gabriele looked over toward the Anders home and saw Dave and Shay. He gave a wave and headed toward them.

“How are you? Come to visit Lucia?” Shay asked him as Gabriele shook Shay’s hand then Dave’s.

“Yes, Sir. But she isn’t answering. Did you happen to see her leave to go somewhere?” Gabriele asked.

“I thought I saw her sitting out back on the bench earlier. I asked her if she was going into town or needed a ride and she said she was staying put,” Dave told him. Gabriele’s concern grew stronger.

“Maybe she fell asleep and didn’t hear you knocking? Want to try again?” Shay asked as all three of them headed toward Lucia’s place, the concern now spreading to the Anders men.

A moment later they heard the scream. Gabriele was never so frightened in his life as he immediately swung his head toward the woods. As Gabriele went running, he caught sight of Ron Anders jumping off his back porch, shotgun in hand.

* * * *

Lucia had been walking through the woods, just in the beginning part that bordered the Anders property. She thought she heard voices and then looked to the right and could see some men in the distance with backpacks on. Immediately, she knew should get out of the woods quickly, and she picked up pace and tried to remain behind the bigger trees. But apparently one of them saw her and started yelling and whistling.

She wasn’t too far from the entrance by the Anders home when she saw the flash of something to her right and then felt the shove to her shoulder. Her arm and shoulder hit the tree, and she screamed in terror before landing on her ass in the leaves and brush.

Two big men stood over her, looking dirty and up to no good. She was in trouble, and she tried scooting backward on her hands despite the pain in her shoulder.

“Look at what we have here. Now ain’t this a lovely surprise,” one of them said as he licked his lips and looked her body over. She felt the tear emerge. She wasn’t prepared for this. Her mind was all frazzled with worry over Maxwell, Lucifer, Gabriele, and Salvatore, and what they thought of her. She was shocked that she thought of them right now, and wished she had been with them instead of fighting their help, their interest, out of fear of her past.

“What are you doing out here, darling, all alone? Ya know it’s dangerous in the woods at night?” the other one teased as he knelt down and touched her ankle. She kicked his hand away and went to get up when the other one grabbed her by the jacket.

“She’s a wild one. May need a muzzle.”

She pulled from his grasp turned and stood up, her shoulder aching. She wasn’t going to get touched or assaulted by these creeps. Back in South Carolina, she had been drugged and abused and couldn’t fight Derek off because of that. Never again would a man, would anyone take advantage of her.

She slowly backstepped as the man reached out to grab her jacket. She screamed and struck him just as she heard some hollering. The one big guy shoved her down to the ground, and she fell backward, hitting her shoulder again. Before she knew what was happening, she saw a large shadow then heard the thump and the cry from one man. He fell instantly to the ground. Then the second one cursed then moaned.

She heard Gabriele’s voice, and then she made out the outline of his thick body and his fists flying.

“Lucia, are you okay?” She swung her head around to see Dave, Shay, and Ron Anders. Dave was holding a shotgun. Ron hurried toward Gabriele.

“Gabriele, you’ll kill them. That’s enough. Lucia is okay. Get to Lucia,” he told Gabriele.

She cringed as she tried to get up.

“Lucia?” Gabriele looked so wild. His eyes were wide, his face red and filled with anger, and his fists were bloody.