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"Move," I commanded.
"If I let you get away, I'm as good as dead." He reached for me and without thinking of anything but that moment, I pulled the trigger.
The man flew back and stumbled into a flower bed, but I couldn't take the time to think of what I'd done, I had to keep going.
I reached the gate, but the thick metal chain and padlock secured it in place. I sat the gun down in the grass in order to use both hands and pulled with every ounce of my strength but before I knew it, Andrea came from behind me and gripped my upper arm with bruising force.
"Not so fast. You weren't thinking of leaving without me, were you, my dear wife?"
"We never..."
He fumbled with his keys to unlock the chain. The sound of shooting grew closer as he struggled to keep a hold on me. Just as he unlocked the gate, I yanked my arm out of his grasp, rounding to elbow him right in the nose and he stumbled back. I tried to run but he grabbed a fist full of my hair and pulled me back. I stumbled against him, his forearm across my throat, pinning me to him as he forced me through the gate. Andrea froze on the other side as we came face to face with Nic and Alessandro along with some other men behind them.
Andrea pulled us back, but Luca and Enzo came up behind us. I cried out as Andrea tightened his grip on me, using me as a human shield. He pulled his gun from his back and held it up to my temple just as another group of men came to join Nic and Alessandro's group.
"Teo?" I gasped, my heart swelling with overflowing joy at seeing him alive and in one piece.
Teo's eyes widened, and he froze when his gaze landed on the gun pointed at me.
"Nobody come any closer or I shoot her."
"It's over, Andrea. You're surrounded. There's no way you're getting out of here with her," Teo barked.
Even considering the situation I was in, a wave of relief washed over me just knowing that Teo and his men were there.
“As long as I have her it's not over. It’s never over.” Andrea's voice lifted.
"And if you shoot her then you won't have her anymore," Alessandro reminded him.
"I think Teo would be more heartbroken than I." Andrea pressed the gun harder against my temple and I tensed.
He was right. Andrea had more leverage because he didn't care, not really. I met Teo's gaze, hoping that he would be able to see what I couldn't say. I widened my eyes for a moment and gave the slightest hint of a nod.
Teo glanced at Andrea and back to me, worry and uncertainty etching creases in his brow. I was worried too but we had to do something.
"What's it going to be, Teo? Are you going to get out of my way and let me go or are you going to watch as I shoot the pretty donna in the head?"
Teo met my eye again and I nodded with more determination in my expression and his worry eased as determination took over.
I let my head bob slightly with each number as I counted in my head.
One...Two...Three...
With the last nod, I let out a nervous breath before twisting and throwing my elbow back as hard as I could into Andrea’s midsection. His grip loosened as soon as my elbow struck, and I ducked.
A loud crack rattled my ears. I glanced in the direction of the noise, seeing Teo with his gun still extended before turning my attention to Andrea who lay motionless on the ground.
"Mia," Teo cried out, drawing my attention.
I ran, and he opened his arms as I crashed into him. I threw my arms around him, engulfed in his strong embrace.
Teo kissed my temple, as his hands practically crushed me to his chest. “I thought I’d lost you,” Teo murmured softly into my hair.
“They told me that you were dead." I wrapped my arms tighter around him, never wanting to let go.
"Turns out, I'm not that easy to kill."
"Teo, we need to move unless you really want to test that theory," Alessandro tugged Teo back the way they came and me along with them.
