[This chapter is dedicated to the new faces in our top fans list: eyecandy3, Ugochi_Prisca, wujie2, and Love_Muiru.]

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"So, what are we dealing with this time."

"Some people who have a lot of free time in their hands, kind enough to send you a beautiful array of wildflowers with a note that says, 'Watch your back' drenched in blood."

Luke who was sitting at the corner of the sofa gasped out loud at what Ellise said.

"Watch my back. Huh!" she scoffed, "Nice of them to give me an advance notice."

Luke, gripping his glass of wine with both hands, pulled his knees to his chest, and his eyes shifted back and forth from Jess sitting next to him and to Ellise's face on the TV screen.

He was stunned by the exchange of words between the friends. They were discussing the matter at hand as if it were a new fashion collection they had to watch out for. And not an actual threat to Jess's life!

"I had someone check the symbolism of those flowers - just in case. We have no clear idea who is after you this time around. "Lie low for now and perhaps, following the warning of watching your back is a good idea."

"Have you found any connection between the flower threat - that's how Luke called it - and Noah?"

"No, but we do not rule out the possibility that you are being targeted because of Noah."

"Apart from watching my back, what else should I do? Should I discuss this with Noah?"

While she appeared calm and collected, deep within the familiar anxiety she experiences when dealing with such matters was churning painfully deep in her guts. The peace and quiet she had for a few years were now mocking her.

Rather than a warning, the threat served as a reality check that she wouldn't be able to live a quiet life.

"Do you really want Noah breathing behind your back? If the answer is yes, then go ahead and discuss the matter with him. But as of the moment, we don't have any proof that the current threat is related to him."

"No. This matter stays without us." she glanced over her shoulder to get Luke's answer.

As the thought of Jess' life being in danger still shaken him, he nodded in agreement.

"So, that's it we are clear," she put down her empty wine glass on the table, " Noah and his whole entourage would be returning to Palo Alto tomorrow. Luke and I will be staying here on the island for two more days."

"Once you are back in Palo Alto, you will be alone in your apartment again, right?"

"I can stay with her." Putting down his legs, he answered Ellise's question before Jess even opened her mouth.

"No. That's not a good idea. You already had an apartment before taking the trip," she knitted her eyebrows in disagreement with Luke's proposal.

Luke cocked his head to Jess not understanding Ellise's refusal to his proposition.

"Why not? I have always been living in and out of Jess' apartment for years."

"We wanted to catch these people as soon as possible," she replied in an icy tone. "We can't do that if Jess is always with people."

His jaw dropped with the implication of what Ellise said. He stood up from the sofa in a flash, "You are not suggesting to make Jess as bait, do you?"

"Luke --"

"No, Jessica! This is preposterous!" his shrill voice raised up in anger. "You can't put her life in danger just to catch these motherfcvkers!"

"Jess' life is already in danger," she enunciated each word for Luke who was having an outburst.

While worrying about the business acquisition that doesn't seem to be going the way she wants, she receives a call from Luke about a threat to Jess' life.

She doesn't need this crap on her already overflowing plate but she would never abandon a friend - a family almost. Since Jess and Dana were more of a family to her than her own blood anyway.

Seeing Jess with Luke, who is genuinely concerned for her, calmed her down. However, the need for a realistic and rational approach to this situation remains. Emotions cannot get in the way.

"B-but, you guys have enough money to throw around -- to....to make sure those jerks can't get her!"

Ellise sighed and stared at Jess who was silent during Luke's outburst.

"Luke," she gently patted the space next to her, "please, sit down."

"You can't be agreeing to what Ellise was suggesting?"

"Please, sit down," she said with a smile.

"No, no," he shook his head vigorously, shaking his hands in front of her face, "Listen, Little Miss Jessie, we can't --"

"Luke!" she called his name, clenching her teeth and her hands.

"We cannot put your life at risk to catch these criminals!" He began pacing in front of the television, biting his thumb.

"Luke," she called his name again.

"No! Jess, I don't agree with this…" he started turning around in a circle, mumbling to himself.

"There should be another way to do this…"

"Luke!"

She yelled his name but he just put his palm in the air, gesturing her to stop, while he continued pacing in front of the television.

She and Ellise exchanged looks and rolled their eyes at the same time.

She grabbed the throw pillow to Luke and hurled it over to him, yelling, "Luke!"

"Shhh! I'm thinking!" he replied.

She heaved a deep sigh, "Luke, I'm telling you one last time. Please, sit down."

But Luke continued walking in a circle, mumbling incoherent words.

"Lucas Ravenport, sit the fuck down!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Luke faced her like he just saw her for the first time. His thumb was in between his teeth.

"Sit! Now!" She pointed to the sofa in a stern voice.

With his left arm folded over his chest, he continued gnawing on his thumb like it's a delicious bone that he can't let go of.

"Please, sit down." she gently said, as she twisted her body from her sitting position to properly face a panicking Luke.

"I am okay. No one is gonna get me or hurt me," she said with her eyes fixed on his. "Thank you for worrying about my safety, but --- for fuck sake, bitch, calm the hell down!" her tone abruptly changed from gentle to furious.

Luke flinched when he heard Jess curse in anger. He put down his hands on his lap like a child being scolded.

"I don't need you panicking out of your wits like what just happened right now. You have a rational brain. A very good one when it comes to finding answers. And we -- cannot find the answers if before we can even look at it, you already lost your shit!"

His shoulders slumped as the nervous anxiety left his body.

"Ellise doesn't know how to choose her words properly. Despite her many good attributes, being tactful is not one of them," she held Luke's hands in hers before continuing.

"When that tactless bitch said," she pointed to the television screen without taking her eyes off his face, "we cannot take those motherfvckers who were after my pretty ass with people around me -- what she really meant was, we need those assholes to be comfortable enough to do another move while we wait to nabbed them, thoroughly prepared."

She waited for him to talk but he must be too wrung out that he can only squeeze her hands as a reply.

"We dealt with this kind of people before. We know they are dangerous. We don't underestimate the darkness of their hearts and souls. And because we dealt with them before, we had a pretty good idea that the reaction they wanted to get from me was to cower in fear. And we don't give that satisfaction to those motherfvckers, do we?"

Luke nodded. His eyes were blinking too fast like googly eyes.

"That's why we are staying on this island as planned. We will follow our original schedule even when we are back home. That being said, we can't have you in my apartment when you have already bought your own place."

"Briare and Samara also told me this morning to go out with my day," he said in a small voice. Understanding slowly dawned on him.

"Yes. We go on with our usual schedule - as difficult as it sounds because we can't give them what they want - it would kill me to be under their thumb! That's why we have to be cautious and be drastic at the same time for we can't let them do all the moves, right?"

"I don't --"

"I know," her voice became monotonous. "I'm sorry, Luke. You are being dragged into this because --"

"Silly!" he grabbed her for a bear hug, "Don't ever say sorry! You stupid girl! You are a dear friend, and remember I do like you a lot, even though you are such a bitch!"