AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her eyes beg me not to leave her, but she doesn’t say the words. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid,” she breathes. “Promise me you’ll call for help.”
My throat burns and heat spreads through my stomach. “I promise.” I bend and kiss her on the lips. She’s shaking like a leaf and I hold her close. “I will protect you, bambina. Try not to be scared.”
I open the huge wardrobe inside the cloakroom and help Sefi hide behind some winter coats. “Whatever happens, don’t make a sound. Even if you hear me, don’t open the door. I will open it myself when it’s safe for you to come out.”
I kiss her again, shut the wardrobe, exit the cloakroom and turn the key.
Suddenly, my phone vibrates in my pocket.
A message from Luigi.
Framassi has been spotted in the vicinity of the villa. We are on our way.
I message him back. Get here fast. Security has been breached.
Something dark and dangerous stirs within me. I will do what it takes to defend my and Marco’s angel.
Where the fuck is everybody? Wherever the intruders are, I need to draw their attention away from her.
White knuckled, I grip my Beretta and creep toward the guest suite.
Shit, I sense a presence behind me.
Without warning, a bright, white light explodes somewhere behind my eyes. Pain ricochets through my head and I keel over sideways to the floor.
Through sheer force of will, I struggle against losing consciousness. My pistol has fallen next to me and I reach for it.
“Not so fast, poliziotto.”
I glance up.
Fucking Framassi. The confidence of the fucker to come here for Sefi himself.
He’s not alone, of course.
Framassi’s bull makes a grab for the weapon at the same time. But I get there first. I squeeze my hand around the muzzle and bring it down on the side of his face. I feel his cheekbones crumple as I knock him out.
I struggle to my knees, lift my piece and aim it at Framassi.
The motherfucker laughs. He fucking laughs.
Fuck, I sense another presence behind me.
Arms grasp me, and the sour stench of sweat fills my nostrils.
I resist and scuffle my feet on the floor.
Another blow lands on the side of my head.
I’m dizzy and can’t stop the blackness.
I come to in the kitchen, held in a vise-like grip.
Oh, fucking fuck.
Fraser and Maria have been gagged and tied to chairs. Framassi and his henchman are holding guns to their heads.
“Where’s your bitch?” Framassi spits. “Tell me or I’ll kill these hostages.”
My stomach clenches.
“She isn’t here.”
How the fuck do I save her?
The sudden crack of gunshot rings through the air.
More of Framassi’s men? I hope the fuck not…
Distracted, the fucker holding me relaxes his grip.
I seize my chance and lunge for his Beretta, wrestle it from him.
Luigi and Koffler race into the kitchen.
I stumble back a step.
Bullets fly and men shout.
Framassi shoots at Luigi, but misses.
With steely determination, I lift the piece I took from Framassi’s bull, cock it and squeeze the trigger.
And I take Framassi out with a bullet dead in the center of his forehead.Chapter Thirty-EightMarcoI’m driving like a bat out of hell toward the villa. When I got the call from Sefi and heard her tell me what had happened, and then listened to Alessio confirm it, I went into shock. I grabbed hold of my PA, shaking uncontrollably. Poor Signora Donati, who was Papà’s secretary for twenty years and has known me since I was a teenager, fetched me a glass of brandy to calm me down. I only took a small sip before I got myself under control. Alessio and Sefi needed me. I couldn’t let myself fall apart.
Traffic is light at this time of the day, and I step on the gas. I’m fucking shitting myself. How are they coping? Alessio has only just recovered from his wounds. Sefi has been strong since she was kidnapped, but this might just tip her over the edge.
Finally, I arrive and slam my BMW to a stop.
There’s a police cordon at the front gates, and what looks like a forensics tent by the gatehouse.
Fuck.
I show my ID and they let me through.
I park up and race inside. Go through to the formal living room.
Sefi and Alessio are sitting on a sofa, Luigi and Deputy Superintendent Koffler perched on chairs in front of them.
My lovers leap to their feet and run toward me.
I hold out my arms and they come into them.
We hug and kiss and cry tears of relief.
“Thank God you are both safe,” I repeat over and over again.
Luigi and Koffler stand apart, shuffling their weight from one foot to the other.
Luigi clears his throat and suggests that we might like some time alone.
We accept gratefully and sit together on the sofa.
“Tell me exactly what happened, amore,” I say to Alessio.
And he does. He fills me in on everything that went down, right up until the time he shot and killed Framassi.
