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I carefully untie and remove the cloth from her mouth, then get to work on her hands. “I’m so sorry,” I repeat, rubbing the red, raw marks on her wrists from the rope burns. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I whisper, sitting back on my heels to take her in. “I didn’t know Aaron was associated with your uncle. I swear, Allegra. I would never…”
I clench my jaw so hard I’m positive I’ve cracked a tooth, but I can’t help it. The thought of knowingly harming my woman, of sending her back to this disgusting establishment, has me ready to tear these walls down with my bare hands. I still might.
“Please trust me,” I beg, leaning close enough to take her hand in mine. “I owe you answers, and I’ll tell you everything when we get home. Right now, I need you to trust that I would never put you in danger. I would never hand you over to your uncle. I need you to trust me enough to let me get you out of here, okay?”
She hasn’t said anything yet, and exhaustion weighs heavily on her shoulders. Tired, mournful eyes stare through me, like she doesn’t know who or what to believe anymore.
“I’m so sorry, angel,” I repeat. “We don’t have much time.” Without another word, I scoop her up in my arms.
Allegra curls up against me, burying her head between my neck and shoulder while silent sobs shake her body.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper as I carry her through the hallway, dressing room, and out the side door to my car.
Dante is parked next to me, and his eyes immediately fall on Allegra. I give him a nod, and I know we’re on the same page.This is the most important thing to me. I have to go kill the man who hurt her, and you’re going to watch over her.
I open the back door to Dante’s vehicle and gently set my girl down. Taking off my suit coat, I drape it over her body and then smooth her hair behind her ears, revealing more of her face to me. She has a few scrapes and smudges of dirt, but Allegra is still the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“I’ll be right back,” I promise. “I’m going to make sure he never hurts you again.”
Blue eyes meet mine, and she blinks once, letting me know she understands.
With Allegra safely out of the way, there’s no need for subtlety as I rampage toward the front door of Teasers, tearing the fucking door off its hinges and throwing it behind me. Valentino is sitting with Tommy at the bar, and he grabs the man’s right arm before he can pull out his gun. Tommy shouts as Valentino forces him into a standing position and twists his arm behind his back, holding him in place as I storm over.
Circling my fingers around his throat, I squeeze Tommy’s neck until his eyes bulge and his face turns from red to purple. “I’ve killed many men, but this will be my most satisfying yet. Hell, putting an end to your pathetic life and the suffering you’ve caused might just make up for some of the other shit I’ve done.”
Tommy sputters, trying to defend himself. I don’t give him a chance.
“Enough. You don’t deserve any last words. As much as I want to torture you and draw out your agony, I want to be with my Allegra more, so I’ll make this quick.”
Valentino steps out of the way as I shove Tommy to the ground with my hand still around his throat. I pull out my gun and rest the muzzle against his forehead, relishing in this man’s final moments before pulling the trigger.
“Armando.Armando!”
I shake my head, then look up, realizing Valentino has been trying to get my attention.
“It’s over. Go get your girl.”
I blink a few times, then look down at the gory remains of Tommy, where my hand is still trying to choke him out. Releasing his neck, I stand and take a few steps back, reorienting to my surroundings.
“Hey. I got this,” Valentino says as he hands me a damp rag. “We’ll take care of the body. You go with Dante, and I’ll get your car back to you.”
I nod numbly, the words flowing over my head. “Clean up your hands and lose the shirt before going outside. Don’t want Allegra seeing any more blood, yeah?”
This jolts me out of my stupor. “Right,” I agree, getting to work on washing the blood from my hands. I unbutton my shirt, tossing it aside, along with my tie. Thankfully, my undershirt didn’t get much on it, so I decide to leave it on. I’m not sure what Allegra thinks of me, and I don’t want to crowd her space while half-naked.
I try taking deep breaths as I make my way back to Dante, but my mind is buzzing with what Allegra is going to say. She has every right to hate me. I’m a violent monster who deceived her about my line of work. It would make sense for her to not want anything to do with me after this.
When I see my angel curled up in the back of Dante’s car, every doubt evaporates. I don’t care if she never wants to see me again after this, so long as I get to hold her and make sure she gets somewhere safe.
I open the back door and slide in, not sure what to say or how to tell her I need to touch her before I go insane. Allegra shocks the hell out of me by crawling into my lap. I wrap her up in my arms, holding her close while Dante drives us through the city, back to my place.
“You’re safe now,” I whisper, absorbing her tears as she clings to me.
Allegra doesn’t say anything. She simply nods and tries to get herself even closer, like she wants to dissolve into me. I don’t mind. After today, I don’t know that I’ll ever let her out of my sight again.
CHAPTERTEN
ALLEGRA
