AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We make it out to my car, where I carefully set her down, though I keep an arm around her waist. Opening the passenger door, I guide Katya to sit before taking off my suit jacket. She gives me a questioning look as I fold it up and hand it to her.
“Press it over the wound to help stop the bleeding,” I tell her, nodding as she does what I say.
Katya makes a tiny sound of pain in the back of her throat, and my heart twists inside my chest, wanting to break free and comfort her. I grunt at my obsessive thoughts, then fasten Katya’s seatbelt, careful to avoid her left side.
Climbing into the driver’s seat, I start the car and slowly exit the gravel lot, trying to avoid the major potholes so as not to jostle Katya too much. Looking over at the confounding woman, my chest grows tight once more. Her eyes are squeezed shut, and her shoulders are hunched up to her ears as she holds my jacket against her side.
I have no clue what the fuck I got myself into, only that I need to patch this woman up and find out more of her story. Then I’ll know what to do with her.
CHAPTERTWO
KATYA
Well, this didn’t go as planned.
Not that I had much of a plan when I was climbing through my third-story window at midnight three days ago. Still, I didn’t think I’d find myself bleeding out in a car with a Di Salvo next to me, supposedly driving me to safety. I’ll believe it when I see it.
The car hits a bump and I bite my lip to silence the scream fighting its way out. My left side burns as the stiff fabric rubs against my exposed wound, but I do my best to think of something else. Anything else.
Like how the last thing I ate was a stale, snack-sized bag of goldfish I found, and my stomach feels like it’s dissolving into itself with hunger. Or the massive headache that’s been residing behind my eyes for the last twenty-four hours. Could be from hunger, stress, illness, lack of sleep, or with any luck, a giant tumor that will render me unconscious soon. That has to be a better death than whatever the Di Salvos have in mind for me.
“Keep pressure on it,” Valentino snaps, momentarily taking his eyes off the road to glare at me.
“Worried about me bleeding all over your leather seats?” I quip.
“No.”
I raise my eyebrows in surprise, but the man doesn’t elaborate any further. Surely he’s not worried aboutme, so I’m confused why he cares.
The car in front of us honks, then slams on its breaks, causing Valentino to do the same. The seatbelt digs into my left side, right over the cut on my ribs. It feels like my skin is being flayed off one centimeter at a time, and I can’t help the pathetic cry torn from my lips.
“Jesus Christ,” Valentino curses.
At first, I think he’s upset with me for making a scene. My father would be. But then Valentino’s brown eyes rest on mine, and I’m left breathless at the concern I find in them. He looks angry, but this time, it’s not directed at me. It seems to be directed at whatever or whoever hurt me.
His large hand covers mine, and together, we hold his jacket against my side.
“Who did this to you? One of my men?”
I blink up at him, still in shock. He looks like he’s about to call every single mafia soldier he knows and line them up at gunpoint until someone confesses. That can’t be right, though. This man has no reason to be protective of me.
“No.”
He grunts in frustration, which I enjoy a little too much. Knowing nothing of Valentino aside from what little time we’ve spent together, I sense he’s someone who always has an answer for everything. I also get the feeling he’s used to getting answers from others as well, which must make me extra irritating to him.
“We’re almost there,” Valentino informs me, changing the subject.
A few moments later, we pull into a gorgeous home tucked away on a decent-sized estate. The landscaping is flawless, and I find myself gaping at the trees and lush greenery as we wind our way up the long drive.
Valentino parks and jumps out of the car, hardly giving me time to take a breath before he opens my door. I swing my legs out and stand, only to be immediately scooped up in Valentino’s arms. My body instinctively curls up against his, and despite knowing better, I cling to the massive man currently cradling me in his embrace. For just a moment, I soak up the strength and power emanating from him, letting myself feel safe and cared for.
When we get inside, the confusing man sets me down on his table. I make a move to jump down, but he gives me a stern look that has me feeling all sorts of unfamiliar emotions. Why does he have to be so… sexy?
Ugh, it’s so dumb that I’m even aware of his looks, but it’s hard not to notice when he’s a foot taller than me, rippling with lean muscle, covered in ink, and giving me possessive glances with his deep brown eyes. It doesn’t help that his nose and cheekbones are perfectly angled or that the slight stubble on his jaw makes him look impossibly gruff and refined at the same time.
“Here,” he says, handing me a mug. I was too lost in my silly fantasy to notice Valentino grabbed a few things from the kitchen, including a first aid kit.
I take the mug, scrunching up my nose when I see the tiny amount of amber liquid inside.
