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Her face drained of color. "How do you know that?"

"I had your finances reviewed,” he said, as though it was no big deal that he was snooping through her bank account.

"You did what?" she asked.

"You'll need a new identity,” he continued, not bothering to answer her question.

"You invaded my privacy!" She wasn’t sure that she had ever met such an infuriating man in her life.

"It was necessary,” he insisted.

"No, it wasn't!" She slammed her hand onto the island harder than she'd intended, knocking over her coffee mug. Coffee splashed over the polished stone and the room fell silent. Lily immediately grabbed a towel. "I'm sorry." She stopped, and her shoulders sagged. She was apologizing again.

Soren watched her for several seconds before speaking. "You've apologized six times this morning."

She stared at the towel in her hands. "I know."

"Why do you do that?"

She laughed bitterly. "Because I make mistakes."

"Everyone makes mistakes.”

"My mistakes usually—” She stopped herself.

Soren's voice grew quieter. "Usually what?"

She looked away. "Nothing."

"Lily.” Her name on his lips sounded like a warning and a request all at the same time.

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters,” he insisted.

"No." Her throat tightened. "It really doesn't."

Soren stepped closer, not enough to crowd her, but enough that she couldn't pretend he wasn't there. "It matters to me."

The words stole the air from her lungs. No one had ever said that before—not her boss, and definitely not her ex. Not anyone. She searched his face for sarcasm or manipulation—for some hidden motive, but she found none. All she saw was his steady blue eyes watching her with an intensity that made her heart beat just a little faster.

Before she could respond, an alarm echoed through the house. Luca reached beneath his jacket and Soren's entire posture transformed. He looked toward one of the security monitors mounted on the wall. "Someone's at the front gate."

Luca frowned. "They're not alone."

Soren's jaw hardened. "They found us." And for the first time since she'd arrived at the estate, Lily realized something terrifying. The people hunting her weren't giving up.

Chapter Four

Soren

The security monitor showed three black SUVs idling outside the front gate. Soren recognized the lead vehicle immediately. "They're getting sloppy," he said.

Luca rested a hand on the grip of his pistol. "Want me to handle it?"

Soren watched the grainy image for another few seconds before shaking his head. "No. They're testing us."

"I know,” Luca said. "They won't stop."