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Gavino doesn’t answer me, just rips his shirt from his shoulders to toss onto the floor. He reaches for me, but I kick away, dodging his grasping fingers.
“What are you doing? Get away from me!”
His warm bare chest lands heavily on my side as he jumps to grab my escaping form, breath hot on my cheek as I fight below him. “Stop this, Beverly. You owe me this. I’ve been so patient with you.”
The words come out in struggling breaths as he fights to keep hold of me.
I elbow him hard in the chin, his face snapping back with a pained groan. Scissoring my legs beneath him I’m able to gain enough room to slide out of his grasp, knocking him off balance. My butt hits the floor hard, jarring my teeth in my head. The back of my shirt tears with a loud rip as he fists the fabric, pulling tight as I get up on my knees and fight his hold to push to my feet.
“Beverly! Damn it!”
His footsteps are loud as he pounds behind me, running to catch up to my now sprinting form. I’m out of breath, both from the adrenaline and extra weight of my belly, my bare feet slapping against the cool hardwood flooring as I outrun Gavino’s stretching hands. Reaching the bottom of the steps first, I take off, swinging around the banister toward the front door.
My pulse spikes, pounding in my ears when I hear the heavy thud of Gavino’s feet hitting the landing. “Get back here, Beverly!”
Arms pumping, I press forward, my feet sliding on the flooring when I take a sharp turn to run through the kitchen. Dylan comes bursting through the dog door in the kitchen, either sensing or hearing my distress. With a quick pat, I swing the door open and he follows, the tags on his collars jingling. A guard meets me outside, assumingly alerted by Gavino, and I point at him, “Get him!”
Dylan moves instantly, teeth flashing as he launches toward the guard. The made man sees him coming and tries to turn and run, but Dylan’s too fast, biting down on his arm and yanking him to the ground before he can get away. I rush him, my hands moving frantically as the kitchen door bangs open. Light from inside illuminates the yard, Gavino’s silhouette streaking across it as he runs toward us.
My fingers barely gasp onto the made man’s cell phone in time to get up and run, my whistle calling Dylan off a second later. Arms pumping, I mentally scold myself for not thinking to grab the guard’s gun, my face looking down as I fumble to dial while running, my breath panting and lungs burning. Hightailing it in the direction of the driveway, I hear Gavino yelling at my back, but I don’t listen, frantically trying to work the phone on my hands.
Two more guards come running down the driveway and Dylan instantly goes for them, knocking out one of them as I sprint past. My heart beats in my throat, eyes trying to track the other guard in the dark as I hear the ringing of the phone in my hand, my call finally going through.
Lodare Dio.
Please pick up, please pick up.It’s all I think as the gravel cuts into my bare feet, Dylan rushing past me to knock the guard down that’s come dangerously close to reaching me.
“Pronto.”
Remy.
His name echoes in my head like a silent prayer.
“Remy!” I can barely get words out through my heaving breaths, my lungs burning and my legs starting to shake. I can feel my feet bleeding, but I push forward, knowing Gavino is catching up and more guards are coming.
“Beverly? Where are you? What’s happening?”
Breath fogs in front of my face with each puff of air that heaves from my lungs, the sting of the breeze cutting into my bare arms and legs, the cotton tee and sleep shorts I’m wearing doing nothing to keep me warm. “Gavino—he’s after me. The guards won’t let me leave.”
“I’m coming, baby. Fight, baby.”
I barely hear his words as my arms drop to run faster, whistling for Dylan as a guard comes rushing from the side. He’s not fast enough though and I grunt when I’m slammed to the ground, a loud cry leaving my lips as I scream in pain. The phone goes flying from my hand, skidding over the gravel, my exposed skin scraping along the rocks and tearing. Fighting through the pain, I kick and hit with all I’ve got, struggling to get the man off of me before Gavino can catch up. I hear Dylan snarling and snapping near me, my head turning just enough that I catch a glimpse of him fighting off another guard.
“Stop!” Gavino’s voice is too loud for comfort, and I feel myself panicking.
My hand reaches for the gun that’s currently clutched above my chest in the guard’s fist, a feral yell exploding from my chest as I try to yank it from his hands, my body rolling underneath him to toss him off balance. He crashes to the side, still holding on tight. We both see Dylan at the same time, summoned by my yelling, and he raises his gun to fend him off.
“No!”
I grab onto his hand, jerking it down as Dylan lunges, the loudbangof his gun ringing my ears. For a moment,there’s nothing.A chilled numbness that tingles along my limbs, a deafening silence as my eyes frantically blink trying to get my bearings. The weight of the guard has been ripped from me, Dylan’s back hunched as he tears into the man. My fingers grasp at the gravel as I try to sit up, a cry slipping past my lips at the wracking pain that shoots blinding white light behind my eyes.
Looking down, I see my shirt is stained red, blood dripping onto the driveway from a bullet hole in my chest. My head feels dizzy from the pain, my sight blurring as Gavino’s face rushes into view. My body recoils on instinct as he hovers over me, his face marred with worry, eyes flickering over the blood. I see him reach for the phone, his eyes growing wide as he holds it to his ear before letting it drop back to the ground.
I swallow hard as he stands, his head shaking, swiveling on his neck. His eyes meet mine one last time before my head hits the gravel, too heavy to hold up any longer as he takes off. I barely register the sting of the rocks against my cheek, my hand falling to my stomach as fleeting thoughts of my baby settle into my mind. My eyes close of their own accord as I vaguely feel the heat of Dylan’s body pressing to mine, my body feeling strangely warm as I drift off into blissful darkness.
Chapter Twenty-One
REMY
