"I don't like the idea of you being there by yourself after what's happened."

I groan as I place my jacket on my bed, phone pressed firmly to my ear.

"Luca, I'm fine. I've been here plenty of times on my own before you came back into my life. I'll be fine. I am fine."

"It still doesn't mean that I can't worry about you. Something inside of me is telling me that something is going to happen."

"Luca, I'm fine. Everything will be fine. You're just overthinking things after what went down with Greg."

He goes quiet.

I turn on the spot and peak out my closed blind at the car whose headlights are shining away in the car park. It wasn't like that when Jones dropped me off. There was no sign of someone sitting in a car but I know all too well that it'll be Luca himself sitting in the car to make sure I got home safe and sound.

"Luca, I can see you sitting in the car park," I explain. "Go home."

"Kaylee, what are you talking about? I am home," he says firmly.

"No, you're not. Don't lie to me. I know you're sitting parked up in the car park with your headlights on and most likely looking up at me looking out at you." I stare at the car and its headlights flash twice then the full beam comes on. "Now you're flashing your lights and you've put the full beam on."

The line goes dead. I pull the phone away from my ear and it rings again but it's Luca wanting to FaceTime with me. I answer the call and hold the phone away from me so he can see me.

"Why did you hang up on me?" I ask, my annoyance noticeable in my voice. I place my free hand on my hip and pout my lips, waiting patiently for him to answer.

"It's so I can show you that I'm not in that car," he answers, moving his phone so I can see his surroundings.

My breath catches in my throat. Luca moves the phone around his home office before he settles it back to himself. I move away from the window until the back of my legs hit my bed and I sit on it.

"Luca, if you're there, who the hell is outside flashing their lights when they see me at the window?"

"I don't know," he answers truthfully, worry clearly visible on his face despite his hardest to keep it from coating his words.

I begin hyperventilating, my chest rising and falling rapidly. I stare intensely at the window, the car lights flashing again causing the blind to brighten then go dull once more.

"Kaylee, breathe and look at me." Luca instructs. "Kaylee. Kaylee, look at me."

I turn my gaze to him.

"Breathe. Deep breath in and out. Breathe in and out."

I do as he says, his words being helped by the actions I'm starting to mirror as he shows me how to do it.

Deep breath in and out.

Breathe in and out.

In and out.

In and out.

I close my eyes and breathe in and out once more before opening them and look back at my phone to Luca. He's moving quickly and firing out orders here and there to people. Soon, the bright lights of his house fade away into darkness as he steps outside and gets into a car.

"Just watch her, mother. I need to go." Luca talks off screen. The engine of the car starts up and Luca looks back at me. "Carlo is getting Jones to turn around and get back to you. He shouldn't be too far away."

"Luca," I start, my voice close to trembling.

"I'm coming to get you," he tells me, setting his phone down on the passenger seat. "Stay away from the windows and make sure the front door is locked. I won't be long."

The call ends and I stare at the window. It lights up again and I can't stop staring at it as it does so.

It would be easy to say that the person sitting outside in the car isn't looking for me. That it's merely a coincidence that every time I look out my window, the lights of the car flash and the full beam comes on. It would be easy to say that I'm imagining things and that they're trying to get the attention of someone else in my building but I know it can't be.

If that was the case, it would have been going on before now. It would have been happening when I got out the car when Jones dropped me off. It wasn't, though. It only started when I went near the windows.

I had brushed it off when it happened while I was closing the blinds and curtains in the living room. I even brushed it off when I came into my bedroom to close the blind and get ready for bed, which is when I decided to call Luca.

I'm not saying that the person outside is looking at me but it's too strange how it's all happened now I'm alone and in my house. If it does turn out to be nothing, the feeling of fear that I've come accustomed to lately can simmer away to nothing. If it is something, I'm relieved I have someone like Luca I can call upon who can have people turn up to my flat as soon as possible to deal with the matter.

After the FaceTime call, I lose all track of time. I don't peel my eyes away from the window as the car lights continue to flash here and there. I couldn't even if I want to. I'm in a trance and I can't break it. I can't look away from the window because I know that as soon as the lights stop flashing and go off, there's a high possibility that that's a sign that whoever is in the car will be on their way up to my flat.

I don't want to think that way but I can't help it. When something bad like this happens, you can only think of the worst. Nothing happy can penetrate the negative thoughts and it's not something you can push to the back of your mind because it keeps happening when you think it isn't happening.

I close my eyes for the first time in what seems like a long time. I want this to all be a dream, a nightmare more than likely. But the sound of a rapid knock on the front door has my eyes snapping open and my head turning so I can look at the front door. I can still see the car lights flashing out the corner of my eye but I make no attempt to move to the door until I can be certain who is on the other side of it.

The knocking comes again and the handle goes down before the knocking starts back up again.

"Miss. Fletcher."

I breathe a sigh of relief at the sound of the male voice I'm used to hearing in a formal manner irrespective of the situation.

"Miss. Fletcher, it's Jones. Let me in."

I push off the bed and walk cautiously to the front door. My legs are a tad sore from my sitting position and I shake my hands at my sides as a way to relieve them of the pins and needles that have formed in them. It just goes to show you how long I've been sitting in the same position for since all this started.

I make it to the front door and unlock it as best as I can with the feeling in my hands slowly but surely beginning to return. I get the door opened wide enough for Jones to slip into the flat and he rushes to the living room window, ignoring me completely.

"Has the flashing stopped at any point, Miss. Fletcher?" Jones asks promptly.

I close the door firmly and step into the kitchen, watching Jones closely as he peers out the window from the side with one hand holding the curtain and blind back so he can see.

"N-No," I stutter in response.

"Has anyone made an attempt to come to your front door before I got here?"

I shake my head.

He nods then moves away from the window to turn the living room light off at the mains that I have on a timer. He returns to the window and resumes the position he had moments ago.

"Mr. Madden will be here shortly with Carlo," Jones informs. "I have parked out front and they will do the same so the person doesn't know we're here."

I walk further into the kitchen and hug myself tightly. "H-How did you get in the building without a key?"

"One of your neighbours let me in as they were leaving," he answers without looking away from the window. "That and I have a copy of the building key to let myself in if need be." He looks back at me. "Mr. Madden's orders."

I nod.

There's nothing Luca does that comes as a surprise to me now. That would explain how he can make it up to my front door without me buzzing him in whenever he turns up here. It explains more than it should but I don't care. For once, I'm beyond grateful for his actions that I'd normally pull him up for.

Jones looks back out the window. "Do you have a light on in your bedroom?"

"Yes."

"Turn it off. I want to see what happens when you do."

I walk to my bedroom and turn the light off then return to my standing position in the kitchen.

"Just as I thought," Jones expresses. He moves away from the window and turns the light back on he turned off. "The car is taking off. Most likely because they think you've gone to bed but that's not to say that they won't come back and try something during the night."

"Like what? Attempt to break in?"

He shrugs. "Or worse."

"But who is it? Who would want to do this to me and why?"

"It could possibly be Greg trying to scare you after what happened," Carlo's voice answers from the hallway.

I turn to the opened kitchen door and look at Carlo who waits for Luca to step into the flat before closing the front door. Luca rushes to me, practically throwing his phone and car keys down onto the worktop before he engulfs me in a tight embrace. I cling to him tightly and he kisses the top of my head.

"You're safe now," he whispers between kisses to my head. "I've got you. I'm here."

I nod against his chest.

He's got me.

I'm safe.

"Is the car still there or is it away?" Carlo queries Jones.

"It took off as soon as Miss. Fletcher turned the bedroom light off," Jones informs.

"Did you get an idea of the make?"

"Judging by the headlights, I'd say the same as the one Mr. Madden drives."

"A Q5?"

"I might not be but it's still an Audi. The headlights are a giveaway. Very distinctive front and back."

"Would explain why Miss. Fletcher thought it was Mr. Madden."

"I don't give a fuck who it is or what car they drive," Luca intervenes loudly. He lets me go but keeps one of my hands in his. "Whoever it is can easily come back and I'm not having Kaylee stay here on her own."

"Mr. Madden, if you're going to suggest staying here tonight, I'd highly advise that you don't. You have an important business meeting to attend tomorrow morning and it's not safe," Carlo reminds.

"I'm not saying that," Luca assures. He looks at me and squeezes my hand. "I'm saying that Kaylee is going to move in with me."

I gawk at him. "Luca, I'm not moving in with you."

"Kaylee, it's not safe for you to be here. It's not safe for any one of us to be here right now."

"And while I understand that, this is still my home." I let go of his hand and step back as far as I can go. "I don't want to be driven out of my home because of this. It's like giving into something they want to happen."

"You'll be a lot safer at my house than you are here," he defends weakly.

"I know I would but I'd feel so awkward and alone in your house when you're not there. It's not even technically my space where this is. This and everything in here is mine. I paid for all of the things in here with my money. I've made a life for myself here. I'm not giving that up for anything."

"Who says that when we leave here, whoever was out there won't come back? Who says they aren't going to ditch the car somewhere and walk back here and make it to the front door while you sleep? Heck, they could even break in and you'd be none the wiser."

I lean back against the worktop and shake my head. "I think you're exaggerating now, Luca. Your mind is running away with itself."

"It could happen, Miss. Fletcher," Carlo chimes in.

I turn my gaze to Carlo and narrow my eyes at him.

"We wouldn't want to take the chance, Miss. Fletcher." Jones adds. "It could be done and it has been done. This isn't the first time something like this has happened."

"What do you mean? To who? Me?" I look between Jones and Carlo then my eyes settle on Luca. He looks down at his hands and heaves a loudly. "To you?"

"When I was just beginning to make a name for myself, one of my exes broke into my old apartment and trashed the place."

His confession comes out easily. Almost like he doesn't care whether or not I want to hear it but I need to hear it in order to understand what's going on. I need to hear about all the bad things that have happened in Luca's life to get a better understanding as to how serious this could potentially get for not only Luca and his family, but for me and my family.

"And by exes you mean one of the women you slept around with?" I try to justify.

"On three different occasions," he clarifies.

"But she took that as a relationship?"

"She was fame hungry. I-"

I hold a hand up and he stops speaking. "I don't want to know the rest. I get the gist of what you're saying."

"For all we know, it could be one of your exes at it again, Mr. Madden." Carlo points out.

"But none of them know where Kaylee stays," Luca responds calmly. "I know it's none of them."

"Until we know for sure, nothing is off the table."

I run my hands down my face and shake my head. "Do I have any other choice in this matter?"

All three males shake their heads.

"It'll be for the best," Luca finishes.

I eye him with narrowed eyes. "I guess I'm moving into your house, then."

"Jones will be staying close by and will drive you to and from work. He'll take you to wherever you need to go. You'll have the security alarm codes and someone will be posted near the front door for most of the day. Someone does a food shop twice a week. The cleaners are in twice a week, too."

"I'll only be living out of four rooms if I'm lucky. I'm not a slob," I defend.

I only need to be in the kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom. I'm not going to leave anything lying around for others to clean up for me. I clean up as I go and I'll do the same when I move into Luca's house.

"I know it's not ideal but it's what has to be done for your safety," Luca adds as some way of trying to comfort me.

"And I appreciate what you're doing for me but I can fend for myself. It'll be almost like what my life was like before you came back into it."

Luca shares a glance with Carlo and I hang my head in shame.

"Sorry," I apologise. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing that you're back in my life but I just feel like I can't do the things I used to do. I can't go out on my own it seems without someone hurling a comment at me about us or you in general. I can't seem to get through a day at work before someone brings you or your work up."

"I know how you're feeling and I get it. It's not normal but you knew that this is how it was going to be. You knew this would only get harder and I did say to you that if you're not up to it, to being in my hectic life, you should leave while you still can."

"And I told you I wouldn't. Even if I wanted to leave, I couldn't because there's some crazy person trying to scare the shit out of me and it's working."

"You can still get out of this if wanted," Luca voices softly.

"Why? How could I possibly step away from this or from you? You found it so easy to do the last time but I can't. I know I can't because I love you that much that I can't bring myself to even think of leaving you."

"I never found leaving you easy," he upholds, his eyes glistening. "I never find leaving you easy. It's anything but easy. Every time I leave here to return to New York, I worry that something will happen to you. I worry that Jones won't be enough to protect you. I worry that you'll rethink us. I worry you'll meet someone who you love more than me. I worry all the damn time that I'll lose you. It never stops and it will never stop."

Silence falls over us and I blink up at Luca who stares back at me, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He holds my stare for a long time before I make the first move. I close the gap between us and wrap my arms around his waist.

"You worry about all those things . . ." I pull at the back of his jacket and press my body flush against his. ". . . I worry about those things. It won't go away because we know how it ended the last time but we're stronger now than what we were back then. Neither of us are going anywhere unless it's together."

He looks at me with a confused look crossing his face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're telling me that you're going to give up your job to follow me around the world."

"Never going to happen," I smirk and let him go. "I'm too expensive for you to keep."

"I like a challenge, though."

"You could never afford me."

"I call that a challenge."

I walk towards my bedroom. "Call it what you want. You get your own way, anyway."