I wasn't sure what I'd expected, but our destination was undeniably a nice surprise. Yes, it was quite remote, and we were isolated from the world, but the scenery was making up for it. The day was slowly fading into night when we arrived, and the warm glow of the sunset made everything look almost mystical. The house was accessible through a private road surrounded by more pine trees. When we reached the clearing and its architecture had revealed itself to me, I was properly stunned.

The house itself didn't look like the average lake house, but was a masterpiece of modern architecture. Its materials, volumes, and wide openings were so different from all the other houses we'd seen around Lake Canim. Like all of them, though, it was turned toward the lake, with a private dock where a small boat was tied down.

Lex pulled up in front of one of the garage doors and took out a remote from his stuff on the back seat. The door slid upward, and he drove the car in. In the other parking spot, there was another car; a luxurious sedan that was a deep shade of red.

He exited the SUV and then helped me out of it. "I'll give you a tour first, and then I'll come back for our things," he explained, guiding me out of the garage.

The comfortable way he was walking around the place was confusing. "Have you been here before?"

"No, I bought it four days ago. But the real estate agent sent me dozens of pictures and videos. I also hired an interior design team, so they'd make sure it was fully furnished and operational by the time we got here."

We had now entered the main section of the house, and my eyes widened at our surroundings. "You're telling me this house was empty four days ago?"

"The previous owners left a few things behind, but yes, it essentially was."

"Money can really buy anything."

"Almost, yes. So this is the core of the house," he explained, turning around to take it all in.

It was sumptuous. The room had an impressive ceiling height, combining the two levels into one. A massive fireplace was in the middle of it, hanging from the ceiling, with a round couch surrounding it. There was a dinner area, with a long table and ten chairs, the kitchen was separated from the rest by a sleek wooden counter that served as a bar or another eating spot. The kitchen itself was imposing, with stainless steel appliances, a huge island in the center, and dark tones – wood and charcoal doors on the cupboards and cabinet.

Lex showed me the entire ground floor, where there was a home office, a personal gym, a TV room, a utility one, and a spare bedroom with its own massive bathroom. Below us, a sublevel held the boiler room, the heating system, and other necessities. Then we went upstairs, where there were two more bedrooms with separate bathrooms, some sort of leisure room, and another office, smaller than the first one.

From every single room, the view over the lake was splendid. Especially with the sun veiling the entire landscape with a warm, fiery glow. It almost looked like fall out there, instead of the end of spring. Our last stop was the outside commodities, where a large terrasse faced the lake, with a firepit surrounded by a round lounge sofa. There also was a wooden hot spring, and then a stone path that led to the dock where the boat was.

"Lex, this place is incredible," I told him, turning to look up at him.

"I told you you'd like it. There is no way for anyone to know it belongs to me, so no one's coming for us here. I've ensured that the internet connection is safe and untraceable, so as long as we keep the video calls to the safe rooms inside, no one could ever guess we're in Canada. If anyone's looking for us, they'll find credit card and name references in Cancun. Then our ghost selves are heading to Sydney, Bangkok, Mumbai, Dubai... Every time someone might think they've caught up with us, we've moved on to another city."

Once more, I was baffled by the extent of his plan. It was almost tempting to actually be in all these destinations, but the house here and the quiet, soothing atmosphere that surrounded us were already making me feel better. In no time, I'd be back in top shape, physically and mentally.

Moving closer to him, I slipped my arm around his back, pressing my side against his. With my temple on his shoulder, I admired the lake and the beautiful nature, enjoying the crisp, fresh air of the evening.

"Thank you," I said in a small voice.

"For what?"

"For coming up with all this so we could be safe. For taking me along with you. For looking after me..."

His arm moved and his hand was suddenly on my shoulder, pressing me closer to him.

"I'll forever look after you, Andrea. We're in this whole mess because of me, and if I have to, I'll dedicate the rest of my life to make sure you're safe."

"Also contributed to the mess," I reminded him. "Whoever is doing this is retaliating from my heist. Maybe I should have been more careful with who I picked. I hope we can find out who this person is, and get them to call back the kill order."

I looked up at him again, my temple still resting on his broad shoulder. "I love it here, and I love you with everything I have. But it will only be enough for a few months, half a year, maybe. I need my family and friends, Lex. I can't spend an entire life away from them. And I can't spend it away from you either. We'll need to fight for our old lives back. Andrew and Alexandra Wilson aren't us. They'll never be us."

His gaze was deeply planted in mine as he listened. The truth was that even with him by my side, I'd never be truly happy without my family around. Kate was like a sister, and I needed her in my life too. Maybe I could get over my friends in Seattle, because I hadn't met them that long ago, and although I'd miss them, they wouldn't leave a gaping hole in my heart. But my parents, MC, Ty, Kate... They would. I needed them.

"First you get better," he declared. "Then we'll see what we can do. Does that work for you?"

I nodded, offering him a small, thankful smile. The kiss he granted me comforted me, as I could taste the sincerity in the way his lips met mine. He would respect his word.

If we couldn't find a way to be Andrea and Alexander again, I would have to get over it and adapt. But if I could help it, we had to remain our true selves.

• • •

A few days in, I had to admit that Canada was fucking amazing. Never in my life had I been around wilderness like this. Even when I was on vacation, I was in urban areas, like a true city girl.

But now that I was experiencing the blissful tranquility of Lake Canim, I was realizing that I might have secretly been a country girl all along.

In the morning, I'd eat my breakfast in front of the floor to ceiling windows, admiring the calm lake, the birds, the hills, and hoping to spot some wild animal. On our first day here, I'd seen a fox from afar, but nothing since. According to the websites I'd checked, not only might I see one of those car-sized moose, but I could also spot a black bear.

As promised, I could still communicate with people back at home, so I often killed time by texting with friends. The cohabitation between Oli and Death was apparently working out, and no one had died so far. She'd started her job at Kelex, and Lex had insisted that she'd be on a trial period, as he apparently didn't trust her to be rigorous enough to maintain a full job.

To everyone, we'd explained our departure as a need to get away from Seattle, so I could get better in a secure environment. We'd told them we weren't sure when we'd be back, but not anytime soon, as we were enjoying our time in paradise. The excuse seemed to work, but my mom had pointed out she would have loved to know that before our hurried departure, so she could have squeezed in more time with me.

So, in the mind of the people we knew, we were in Mexico, enjoying the sun, the SPA facilities, and the accommodating services the hotel offered. It did make sense that we would find ourselves some fancy resort to spend time in for my recovery. Although, as Lex had pointed out, I wouldn't have been able to soak into the sea for at least another week. And the sun wouldn't be good for my scar either.

Since texting and scrolling through Instagram could only occupy me for so long, I also had a secret project on the side. Oli and Death were working on it already, but I felt compelled to look for who wanted Lex – and incidentally me – dead. Who could be pissed enough at Nammota to offer a million dollars for our heads?

Quite a few people, actually. Twenty-five, at the very least.

Because he would surely forbid me from my very important and time-killing research, I was forced to keep that part of my daily activities secret. He usually spent his afternoons in the ground floor's office, having to manage and handle his holding and investment companies, which gave me a few hours every day to keep looking for whoever was ruining our lives.

He was remaining the overprotective and attentive self. As instructed, I wasn't allowed to do anything straining, and that even included opening jars. He also insisted on caring for my wound, since he'd researched it and had watched the nurses at the hospital do it. The scar was impressive, in the sense that it was nearly invisible. The stitches were all inside, and apart from the extremities of the wound, where the surgical string was tied, there was barely anything to see. As the doctor had said, I would be left with barely any scarring.

Physically, at least. Because despite the distance we'd set between us and Seattle and the tranquility that surrounded us, the trauma I'd endured was still very present.

On our fourth night there, I woke up with a muffled scream, my body sitting up at once as I opened my eyes. The sudden motion had the pain in my chest errupt, its intensity searing and pulsing. I fought the urge to press a hand over the scar to appease the ache, knowing it would only add to it. The best thing I could do was wait for it to pass. With my breath panting and chills of dread still creeping up my back, I sat on the bed, trying to get over the horrible images in my mind. How long would the man with the snake tattoo keep haunting me like this?

Lex sat up next to me, stirred out of sleep by my guttural reaction. "Another nightmare?" he asked in a raspy voice. I nodded, not daring to look at him. If I did, the image of him with a gaping bullet wound between his eyes would flash into my mind. "Was it the same as usual?" I nodded again. "You or me?"

"It was you. And I woke up as he pulled the trigger on me."

With a sigh, he passed a soothing hand on my back, drawing circles over the Chewie T-shirt I was wearing. "It was just a nightmare, Andrea. We're safe here."

"I know, but it felt so real. It always feels so real..."

He kissed my shoulder over the fabric and gently got me to lie down again. "We're safe," he murmured in my ear. "No one's coming for us here."

My body relaxed as he kept whispering reassuring words to me, the sour after-taste of the nightmare slowly fading away. While he was close to me, he wasn't holding me in his embrace either, and I wished he could stop being so physically distant. We slept in the same bed, but he wouldn't hold me anymore. Until I fully recovered, plastering my front against him was still uncomfortable. But I did my best to be close to him, lying on my back against him. He always moved away, though, to the point where we'd wake up in the morning with him cornered at the edge of his side, while I was in the middle of the bed. But I needed his comforting arms around me now. He had to let go of whatever was preventing him from touching me.

"Can you hold me?" I asked, hopeful.

Silence answered me, and while I could barely distinguish his face in the darkness, I could almost hear the gears running in his brain. He was hesitating. Whatever made him not hold me in our sleep anymore was holding him back.

"Is it because you still feel guilty, or is it because you're worried you'll hurt me?" I whispered, turning toward him in the dark.

"Some of both," he admitted after a moment.

"You aren't responsible for what happened to me, Lex. I lunged forward to save you. I was the one taking the decision, and I'd do it again. So you need to stop feeling like you did this to me. And if you hurt me, I'll tell you."

It wasn't enough, as he hesitated a little longer. "I sleep so much better when I'm in your arms," I tried.

This time it worked, and his hand found its way around my waist. With careful moves, he maneuvered me so I was on my side facing away from him, and he came closer to spoon me, his warmth chasing away the remnants of my nightmare. We remained like this for a moment, being the closest we'd been in a while.

"I should have seen him," he said, breaking the silence. "I should have seen that man waiting outside. I was so absorbed, already trying to think of what we needed to do, I didn't notice him. If I had, everything could have been so different."

"Baby, as attentive and astute as you are, you can't see and anticipate everything. I'm not blaming you for not seeing him. I'm only glad I saw him in time to save your life."

His hold on me tightened as he came closer, pressing his firm body against me. "I keep thinking that you almost died because I wasn't paying enough attention."

"That's not technically true. You almost died because you weren't paying attention. I almost died because I was. Does it help?"

He thought about it for a moment, and I hoped my logic would work. It was true, and the slight nuance might be enough for him to hop off the guilt train. "Is it weird that it does help to know I endangered my own life, rather than yours?" he wondered.

"I think it just means you love me more than life itself. Which I find quite flattering, to be honest."

A semblance of a chuckle came out of his lips, his warm breath fanning over the side of my neck. "It's an odd feeling."

"What is?"

"To care for someone so much. To value the life of another person more than your own. It feels very selfless, but at the same time I am selfish in my love for you."

"How so?"

"I never want to let go of you. I almost lost you, and I want you all to myself all the time."

"So I guess this situation here is working quite well for you."

"It is. That's why I'm being selfish. There's nothing I'd want more than to stay in this house with you for the rest of our lives. But I realize you need to see your family, to have friends, to see other people than me..."

"Don't you? Wouldn't you miss Kev and Shelly if we never went back? What about Amanda? Don't you want to see our goddaughter grow up? And I know you're not on very good terms with them at the moment, but what about your sisters? Your nieces and nephews?"

He took a few long seconds to think about it, trying to project himself in the future, to guess what being away from his life would become like over time. "I guess I would eventually, yes. But if the alternative is keeping you safe, I am willing to never see them again."

"It's a bit extreme. I'm sure we'll find ways to remain safe eventually, without needing to hide."

"We'll see how we can do that once you get better. Now, rest. It's the middle of the night."

"Ugh... All I do all day is rest. A girl needs to have some fun now and then," I mumbled.

Feeling audacious, I pushed back against him, to press my behind against his boxers-clad crotch. His hold on me turned as firm as iron, as if he could prevent me from doing it again, and my smile broadened at his hissing breath.

"Andrea, we agreed on no straining activities for six weeks."

"No, you agreed. I offered to lie spread eagle while you did all the work."

"Can't you even last six weeks without my cock in you?"

"Can you last six weeks without being in my tight cunt?" I asked back, biting the inside of my cheek so I wouldn't laugh.

Given the way his dick was swelling between us, plastered on my ass, it seemed quite clear it was a tough call for him.

"I guess we'll see who's got the strongest will on this. Now sleep, you horny brat."

Had he just issued a challenge? It felt an awful lot like so, didn't it?

Alright, we'd see who would break first on this. The lengthy hardness poking my back told me I might not be the weak link this time around.

On our sixth day there, I was still fomenting a plan to win our unspoken competition. In all honesty, I still wasn't feeling quite ready for some slex, but I was already sure that six weeks would be a pointlessly long wait. Surely, I'd be ready for that kind of physical activity in four weeks. And a girl had needs, so there was no way I'd wait a full fortnight once I was ready to get back on the saddle.

We were having our breakfast together, seated on the large table, and my mind had drifted to the gutter, trying to find what incentive would be strong enough to break Lex's legendary resolve. While packing my stuff, seduction hadn't been on my mind much. As a result, I didn't have anything sexy here. Dumb me had thought about Idris and Jason, but there wasn't any lingerie. But as he'd once said, Lex wanted me whether I wore funny socks or fine lingerie, so this was doable.

A loud tune tore me out of my thoughts, and I looked around, confused by it. By my side, Lex tensed and turned to the door, his face struck with panic. When I understood what it meant, my heart dropped low into my stomach.

It was the doorbell.

Someone was here.

With calculated and precise moves, Lex went to the door. I followed him, frightened, until he gestured for me to stay back. There was a console by the door, and he went for it first, opening the drawer and reaching for something inside. My eyes widened at the sight of the gun he held, and I watched, horrified, as he pulled back the slide to put a bullet in the chamber.

Since there was no peephole in the door, nor windows by it, there was no way to tell who stood out there. Dread was coursing through my veins at the idea that the man with the snake tattoo could be out there. But would he really ring the bell if he'd indeed found us?

With his hand inconspicuously drawn back to hide the gun, Lex unlocked the door. He instructed me with a head gesture to move to the side so I wouldn't be visible from the outside, and I obeyed immediately. Please, God, let it not be more complications.

After he'd taken a deep breath, his grip on the weapon tightening, he opened the door just enough to peek outside.

"Hi there!" came a feminine voice. It was overly enthusiastic, and much less threatening than what I'd expected.

"Hello, neighbor!" This time it was a man, but he was just as cheerful. "We are the Crawfords. Our house is over there, three hundred meters from yours."

Although he was still tense, Lex's body language relaxed slightly as he pushed his hand further back to make sure they wouldn't glimpse at the gun.

"We saw the lights here a few days back, but we thought we'd give you some