UNDER HIS WATCH
642 Words
Morning came quietly.
Amina woke to the sound of birds instead of sirens, sunlight filtering gently through the curtains. For a moment, she almost forgot where she was. Then she remembered—the gunfire, the warehouse, Luca’s voice cutting through chaos.
She sat up slowly, heart steady but alert.
A soft knock came at the door.
“Breakfast,” Luca said from the other side.
She opened it to find him dressed in dark joggers and a fitted hoodie, hair slightly damp like he’d just finished training. He looked… normal. Disarmingly so.
“There’s a kitchen?” she asked.
“There is,” he replied. “And you’re allowed to use it.”
That earned a small smile from her.
They ate in near silence at the island counter—toast, eggs, fruit. Simple. Domestic. It felt strange sharing something so ordinary with a man who carried violence like a second skin.
After a few minutes, Luca spoke. “We’re going outside.”
Amina stiffened. “Outside where?”
“The grounds,” he said. “You need air. And you need to know how to move.”
She frowned. “Move how?”
“Safely.”
The yard behind the house was wide and enclosed by tall trees and an invisible security perimeter Luca assured her was there. The grass was still wet with dew.
“First rule,” Luca said, facing her. “Always know your exits.”
He gestured around. “Name three.”
She scanned quickly. “The back gate. The tree line. The garage entrance.”
He nodded. “Good.”
They walked slowly, Luca explaining—where to stand, where not to linger, how to notice patterns. Nothing dramatic. Just awareness.
“You’re teaching me to be paranoid,” she said.
“I’m teaching you to stay alive.”
She hesitated. “Is this what your life is like? Constantly watching over your shoulder?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re… okay with that?”
He paused. “I don’t know anything else.”
Something about that made her chest tighten.
They reached a shaded corner near the fence. Luca stopped. “Now, show me your phone.”
She handed it over. He disabled several features, installed something unfamiliar, then returned it.
“What did you do?”
“Made it harder to track. And easier to reach me.”
She blinked. “You’re on my speed dial now?”
He didn’t smile. “Unfortunately.”
She laughed softly before she could stop herself.
Luca’s gaze lingered on her for a moment—curious, almost startled by the sound.
Later, inside, he showed her the security room—monitors, maps, schedules. It was overwhelming.
“You don’t need to memorize everything,” he said. “Just enough.”
“For what?”
“For when I’m not in the room.”
The words settled heavily between them.
She looked at him. “Do you think that’ll happen?”
“Yes,” he said honestly. “Eventually.”
Fear flared—but so did something else. Determination.
“Then keep teaching me,” she said.
Luca studied her for a long moment. Then he nodded.
That evening, as the sun dipped low, they stood side by side on the back porch. No guards nearby. Just quiet.
“You didn’t run today,” Luca said.
She shrugged. “I stopped pretending I could.”
His eyes softened.
“You’re stronger than you think,” he said.
She met his gaze. “And you’re not as cold as you pretend.”
A beat passed.
“Careful,” he warned lightly. “You’re getting observant.”
She smiled.
And for the first time since this nightmare began, the silence between them didn’t feel like a threat.
It felt like the beginning of something neither of them was ready to name.
- Writer
