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“I wasn’t,” she admits.
“How did you get here?"
"I… I walked up the beach, past the next two houses, then followed the path to the road before I called a car."
"You called a car at this time of night?" Anger suffuses my skin. My stomach feels like I’ve swallowed a rock. "Cazzo, Princess, do you realize the risks you took tonight? It’s a good thing Massimo saw you."
"Massimo saw me?"
"The path you took led by his house."
"His house?" She scowls. "You mean, the path I took to get to the road from the beach led by his house?"
"Didn’t I tell you? The rest of my brothers have their houses along the same strip of beach that borders mine."
"Ah," she bites the inside of her cheek, "you didn’t tell me that. Or did you decide to keep it quiet, just in case I did something as stupid as what I did today?"
"I didn’t keep it from you consciously," I bring my hand up to cup her cheek, "but I also decided I wasn’t going to bring it up, unless there was a specific reason."
She draws in a breath. "I’m glad you didn’t tell me. And I’m glad Massimo saw me."
"He called me, and I waited until he came over to be with Avery before leaving the house."
"So how did you get here? Who drove you?"
"I drove myself. I knew you were in danger, and trust me, nothing could stop me from getting to you. Certainly not a bullet wound." I cup her cheek. "I’m so sorry I didn’t make it earlier, and I was selfish enough that I didn't want anyone but me to come get you. I should have told you about the rest of my brothers occupying the other houses; it might have stopped you from acting so rashly. It might have deterred you from coming here." I press my forehead into hers. "I may never forgive myself for not doing so."
"Stop, Seb." She glances into my eyes. "This is my fault, not yours. And you’re here now, and that’s all that matters."
I lower my lips to hers and kiss her hard... Then I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. I straighten, use my unhurt arm to shove her behind me, then reach for the gun tucked into the small of my back. But the pain that slices through my shoulder slows me down."Cazzo!"I growl as thatpezzo di merda, Fabio, points his gun at me.
"No," she cries from behind me. She tries to move past me, but I hold her back.
"Don’t move," I say in a low voice.
"Yes, don’t move, Elsa. Let me shoot him, so I can make you a widow this time around." Fabio laughs.
"Stop it! Don’t do this, Fabio." Fear pours off of her. "Please, don’t hurt him."
"Put down the gun and let us go, and you’ll live," I snap.
"Oh, I’m going to live all right, but you… You’re not going to walk away from here. In fact, I’m going to kill both of you today, you hear me, Elsa? You married him; now die with him. I’m going to raise Avery on my own. I’m going to tell her how depraved her mother was. I’m going to tell her how she chose to die with her new husband, rather than stick around for her own daughter, I’m going to—"
The retort of a bullet being fired fills the space before he glances down at the blood that blooms at his chest. He looks up at me and his hand shakes. I look to my side and realize she grabbed my gun, stepped around me, and fired. As he begins to crumple, he fires his gun again. The bullet goes wide, hits the ceiling, and his body jerks again. She holds her finger down on the trigger, and another bullet slams into him, and another. He hits the floor and lays still as she brushes past me. She reaches him, points the gun at him, and fires again.
"Goddamn you," she snarls, then fires again. A clicking sound fills the space as I close the distance to her.
"Princess..." I place my hand on hers, take the gun from her, and she doesn’t protest. "Elsa..." I pull her into my arms and she stands there stiffly. "Baby?" I pat her back with the arm attached to my uninjured shoulder as I rub soothing circles over her back. "Are you okay, darling?"
She remains silent.
Massimo bursts into the room, followed by Luca.
"Che cazzo?"Massimo growls as he draws abreast.
"Did you?" He glances at the gun in my hand; I shake my head.
His gaze moves to her, then back at me. The creases around his eyes intensify.
