Chapter 34

My feet had hardly touched solid ground when the air was practically knocked out of me as what felt like a body collided with mine. I breathed in gingerly but whoever had me in their grasp continued holding me close with one one arm wrapped around my back and the other pressed firmly against the back of my head. “Oh, Elizabeth.” Luca’s voice was nothing short of relief and he breathed in and out rapidly, as if he’d been deprived of oxygen and had gone months without taking a single breath. “I’m back,” I whispered. The adrenaline rush from the stressful trip Garrett and I had endured was now quickly fading, so I settled for resting my head against his chest while my heart hammered to an unsteady rhythm. Luca pulled back slowly, his powerful arms steadying me as I stumbled forward. His clear eyes searched my own with so much concern and anguish that my heart twisted in my chest with guilt. He swallowed hard and nodded to himself. “You’re unharmed.”