CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

          THE SUN HAD ALREADY SET AND HER HEAD WAS ACHING FROM THE AMOUNT OF TIMES SHE CHECKED HER LAPTOP FOR NEW APARTMENT ALERTS. Lucy ambled through the grocery store and held a box of cereal and a bottle of cheap wine in her hands as she looked through the rows and rows of food choices. 

It was late, the store nearly empty and she was only there to distract herself. Her mind was miles away as she sauntered through the aisles. The sterile scent of packaged food filled the air as her footsteps echoed softly on the tiled floor. She selected a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa as she had eaten Rio's and wanted to return them.

As she continued through the aisles, she picked up a few more items that she had seen in his pantries while staying there. She grabbed a pack of his favourite chips and some granola bars. She also found a few packs of his preferred coffee blend as it was running low. 

Feeling a bit more purposeful with each item she added to her cart, Lucy made her way to the checkout. As she turned a corner, she nearly collided with someone coming the opposite way. She looked up to see Agent Turner standing there, a surprised expression on his face.

The brunette's heart skipped a beat as she came face to face with the taller man. His sharp eyes immediately locked onto hers. Lucy had not expected to run into him, here of all places and she hoped that after last time she had never have to see him again. 

"Lucy," Turner greeted her coolly, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of suspicion. "Didn't expect to run into you here."

"Agent Turner." she acknowledged with a polite nod. "This is a grocery store and I need ... groceries."

His gaze flicked to the items in her cart and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Does Rio like that brand?"

Her stomach twisted. Of course he'd bring Rio up. That one night that she had told him she'd slept with him would haunt her forever. She stayed calm, refusing to rise to the bait.

"I wouldn't know," she said flatly, trying to move past him but Turner stepped sideways to block her path.

He hummed and raised a single brow at the woman in front of him. He clasped his hands together and she felt like he had sought her out on purpose. "That's not why i'm here. When was the last time you saw your landlord?" 

Lucy was surprised she could keep her expression blank but on the inside she was screaming. She could practically feel her blood pumping through her veins, her ears began ringing and as she blinked she was back in her blood covered apartment. "Two weeks ago I think. Why, did something happen?"

"Your landlord's been reported missing." Turner said, his voice matter-of-fact as he took her in. "His sister filed the report after not hearing from him for a few days."

"Missing?" The words echoed in her mind but she kept her face steady. "I had no idea."

Turner studied her closely, as if gauging her reaction. "It's been over a week since anyone last saw him. Police have been looking into it, but his sister's starting to think something happened."

The brunette stared back at Turner, her body still and posture rigid. Despite the rush of panic surging through her veins, Lucy felt a flicker of pride in the way she kept her composure. The trauma of what had happened in her apartment had tested her in ways she hadn't anticipated, but here she was—facing down an FBI agent without so much as a twitch.

She blinked slowly, taking a measured breath as Turner's gaze bore into hers, searching for cracks. But Lucy gave him nothing. She had learned to compartmentalise, to push things down where no one could see. After everything she'd been through, the last thing she was going to do was let him see her break.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

Turner shrugged, his tone casual but probing. "You live in his building. Figured you might've seen something. Maybe you noticed anything strange before he went missing?"

Lucy shook her head. "I haven't. Like I said, it's been two weeks. I do hope you find him very soon."

Turner seemed to accept that, though his eyes lingered on her for a beat too long before he nodded. "Alright. Just let us know if anything comes to mind. You never know what small details could be useful."

"Of course, you have a good night agent Turner."

Without waiting for him to reply, she turned and headed for the checkout. Her pulse was still racing as she stalked away. The calm facade she'd held onto so tightly began to slip as she hurried through the aisles, desperate to get the hell out of there. 

Outside, the cool night air hit her face as she loaded her groceries into the car, but it did little to steady the nervous energy coursing through her like a rapid snake.

She had killed her landlord. And now, the FBI was involved.

         THE BRUNETTE HURRIED THROUGH THE HALLWAY AND TOWARDS THE FRONT DOOR, FUMBLING TO GET THE KEY IN THE LOCK. Her hands trembled as she finally slid the key into place, twisting it with more force than necessary. Lucy wanted to get inside where she felt less vulnerable, away from the prying eyes and the cold weight of Turner's questions.

She shoved the door open, stepping into the dimly lit apartment and kicking it shut behind her. The familiar scent of Rio's cologne hit her all at once and she felt like she could finally breathe again. 

Leaning against the door, she let out a shaky breath, her heart still racing in her chest. The walls seemed to close in on her as the tension of the encounter with Turner settled over her like a heavy blanket. Lucy pressed her back against the cool wood, staring up at the ceiling as her mind whirled.

The woman felt his presence in the room and her pulse quickened again, but not from fear this time. The unmistakable scent of Rio's cologne lingered in the air, stronger now. She blinked and lowered her gaze from the ceiling, her eyes finally locking onto him.

Rio stood in the dimly lit living room, his eyes already fixed on her. He stepped forward, his expression unreadable but his movements deliberate. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice low and calm, but there was an edge to it, like he already knew something was off.

Lucy opened her mouth, but for a moment, nothing came out. She felt the weight of Turner's questions, the looming tension. "It's Turner," she finally managed, her voice quieter than she intended. "He asked me about my landlord. He's been reported missing."

Rio's gaze darkened as he closed the distance between them, his hand coming to rest gently on her cheek. "What did you tell him?"

Lucy hesitated. "I told him I hadn't seen him in two weeks. I... I didn't know what else to say."

He gently brushed her cheek with his thumb, but his eyes were dark and dangerous and it sent a chill down her spine. "You don't have to worry about anything," he said, his voice calm. "Turner's not gonna find a damn thing. I've made sure of that."

Lucy swallowed, the tension in the room thick enough to cut through. "But he's asking questions, Rio. What if he—"

He cut her off as he moved his hand from her cheek to her chin, lifting her face so she couldn't avoid his gaze. "He can ask all the questions he wants, but there's nothin' for him to stand on. No proof. No trail. He's fishing, but he's never gonna catch anything."

Her stomach twisted with anxiety despite his reassurances. "But what about—"

"Lucy," Rio interrupted again, his tone firm. "I'm telling you, I've handled it. You don't need to worry. I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

The brunette slowly nodded her head, though her mind kept coming up with horrible scenarios. Deep down, the fact that Turner was circling left her on edge. "And what if Turner doesn't stop?"

Rio's eyes hardened as he spoke, his voice low. "Then he'll find out the hard way why that's a bad idea." His words edged with a menacing undertone. Lucy felt the gravity of his promise sink deep into her chest, a mix of fear and something else she couldn't quite define.

His hand lingered on her chin, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin in a way that sent shivers down her spine. The air between them was charged, crackling with an unspoken tension that made every touch feel electric.

Before Lucy could process his words or offer a response, Rio closed the gap between them with a sudden press of his lips against her own. His hands found their way to her face, cradling it with a possessive tenderness. The intensity of his kiss was overwhelming, a force that swept her up and left her breathless. His lips moved with a fervour that spoke of all the unvoiced emotions simmering beneath the surface.

Lucy's initial shock melted into a passionate response as she clung to him, her fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt. The kiss was all consuming. Her head spun with the raw, fiery intensity of the moment, the rest of the world falling away until there was nothing but the heat of his kiss and the pounding of her heart.

When he finally pulled back, his breaths were heavy, mingling with hers in the small space between them. Their faces were flushed, their eyes locked. Rio rested his forehead against hers, his gaze unwavering and filled with a protectiveness she had seen before.

"We'll figure it out," he whispered, his breath warm against her skin. The promise in his words felt so real she let out a shuddering breath.

hi everyone, thank you for the votes and comments they mean the world to me! this is a bit of a shorter chapter as i am trying to figure out how to write some other events into this story while trying to make it make sense? 

also the last part of this chapter is so cringe and not rio at all sorry.