Chapter 12

Luca’s POV

“No! The guards stay. You can bring in your own guards if it would make you feel safer.” James answered in a smooth voice before I could begin to answer to him and I watched as the man’s eyes narrowed at me for a fleeting moment before breaking the contact and focusing his eyes on James instead.

“You thought you ate that, didn’t you?” The man asked James in a flat voice with a raised eyebrow and James only snorted not so quietly, which made the man's face morph into a slight scowl which only lasted for a few seconds before disappearing, leaving behind his previous relaxed expression.

He turned back to me and raised his drink in the direction of the guards standing a few feet behind James and I, “The guards need to leave.”

I didn’t take my eyes away from his face as I spoke audibly to my guards, “Leave us.”

I didn’t need to glance over my shoulder to know that they’d immediately bowed their heads a little in respect before leaving quietly as instructed.

The guards left and