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“Are they okay?” I ask, gripping the handle above the window hard enough to turn my knuckles white.
“Physically.” His clutch tightens around the wheel. “They were leaving the florist when a black SUV rolled past and opened fire.”
My stomach drops.
“Tommaso and Asher got them behind the armored vehicle before anyone was hit.” He presses harder on the gas. “But they’re both shaken up. Bad.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”
“Who?” Leo asks as we run a red light.
“It was Luka Vasiliev,” I tell him, my nostrils flaring. “One of my men caught him on a security feed near the florist.”
“That stronzo!” He pounds his fist against the steering wheel, his eyes darkening. We turn onto the highway, and he guns it, pushing the speedometer to its limit.
My knee bounces relentlessly while my fingers drum anxiously against my thigh as we race to our destination. Every excruciating second on the road feels like hours, anger boiling inside me. Those fucking Vasilievs are going to pay for this. The moment the shop comes into view, Leo twists the wheel hard toward the curb. The SUV screeches to a stop, and we jump out, striding toward the entrance. Leo yanks the door open, and we rush inside to find Asher and Tommaso talking with some officers, and Scarlett standing in the middle of the shop with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Leo,” she breathes, relief coating her eyes.
She barely gets his name out before he crosses the room and pulls her into his arms. “I’ve got you, Firefly.” He brushes a hand down the back of her head as she buries her face against his chest.
My gaze sweeps frantically across the shop. “Where’s Charlotte?” Fear takes hold of my heart, my pulse pounding in my ears.
Movement in the corner catches my eye, and I see Charlotte sitting on a nearby chair, staring at the floor while an older woman fusses over her, draping a blanket around her shoulders.
I don’t think.
I just move, making my way to her as quickly as I can.
“Charlotte.” My chest loosens at the sight of her.
At the sound of my voice, she glances up and abruptly stands, the blanket dropping to the floor.
Her big green eyes are glossy with tears, her whole body shaking as her bottom lip trembles. “Y-you came,” she whispers, her voice wavering.
“Of course I fucking came.” I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around her, tugging her against my chest. A sob escapes her as her fingers curl into my shirt, her tears soaking through the fabric. I bury my nose in her hair, inhaling her scent and grounding myself in the here and now. She’s okay. She’s safe. I glide my hand slowly up and down her back. “Let it out, Fiorellina. I’m here.”
There’s a desperation in the way she clings to me as if I’m the only one keeping her afloat among a storm no one else can see.
A strong surge of protectiveness washes through me, my hold on her tightening as something dark settles over me.
Every bruise she’s suffered, tear she’s cried, or pain she’s endured…
They’re all going to pay.
Every single last one of them.
They’re all going to answer to me.
I take a deep breath, calming myself as I lean down, brushing my lips beside her ear. “Let’s go home.”
She gives the smallest nod against my chest, and I look over at Leo and Scarlett. They’re in the same position as us, ensnared together with no ounce of letting go. His eyes meet mine from across the room, and understanding settles across his features.
He sees it.
The way my heart beats for her… And only her.
Fast, dangerous, and unrelenting.
