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Besides the whirling of the propellers of the helicopter, the mood is silent as we land. The only other vehicle on the airstrip is a plane. Victorio gets out first, then me, with Marco following.
I walk to the plane with long strides, unsure of what we are about to find. Climbing up the stairs with my gun drawn, I bang on the door. I try the handle, but it's locked. Slowly the door opens, showing Elias holding the gun on me. We’re at a standoff. The only reason he’s not dead is because Melina said he helped her. When his eyes land on Marco, he holsters his weapon. I do the same as I push my way past him to get inside.
"Antonio," Melina cries.
I turn in time for her to jump into my arms. I grab her, my heart pounding in my chest as I realize how close I was to losing this. “Fuck,” I groan.
“I thought I lost you forever,” she says, her words weak and hoarse as she cries. She's holding me so tightly I have to loosen her grip to pull back and look at her.
"Don't you know by now,il mio tesoro, nothing and no one will take you away from me? I'll never allow it."
Tears pour from her beautiful eyes as sobs overtake her. I pull her into me, claiming her salty lips into a searing kiss. Our tongues war with one another as the kiss deepens, full of hunger and desperation. We hold onto one another for dear life. The kiss would've kept going, but there's a thud behind us. I turn to see Elias on the ground.
Just as I move over, Marco comes up, pushing Victorio out of the way to get to his brother.
"Elias, what've you done?" Marco says, shoving his hands down on his bloody shoulder, staunching the blood flow.
"What was needed just like you have," Elias says, his tone weak as his head slumps to the side.
Melina cries in my arms. "No! Is he...did he..." She can't finish the words as she trembles.
"He's alive, but we need to get him to the hospital," Marco replies.
"Take the helicopter with the other men. Now that we have the girls, we have time. We can attack Dracos in a couple of days. We will send him the bodies of his sons as an announcement of our arrival.
Marco flinches but nods. He looks back into the plane cabin, where he sees Helena. Still kneeling over Elias, his hand pressed to the wound, he can't take his eyes off her. "Are you okay?"
"Why would you care?" she asks dryly.
He squints his eyes at her. "We'll talk when I get back."
"I doubt I will be here."
"You better be, or I'll be hunting you down,” he says, stoically.
Marco is cool and confident, but that is the promise of a desperate man. He sounds a bit like I did when I was claiming his sister.
She laughs dryly. "Sure, whatever." I can tell she doesn't believe it.
Marco huffs out an angry sigh, picking up his brother.
"Let's get you girls into a safe place," Victorio says, moving out of Marco's way.
I smile down at Lina.
"I already am," she whispers, as I do my best to dry her slowing tears. Our lips meet again as I pick her up and carry her down the steps to the helicopter. "I knew you would save me, but how did you get here so fast?"
"Because I was already close to Athens. I wasn't going to let that bastard hurt you. I’m never going to let him hurt you again."
"I know you’re going to get my father, Antonio, but you have to do it quickly. Eli told me he has my other two brothers chained in the dungeon for refusing to kill Marco. He will kill them."
"Quit worrying. I will deal with your father. For now, I need to concentrate on my wife and make sure you’re okay," I argue, getting us into the second helicopter. I move us so she’s forced to straddle my lap. I need to see her beautiful face and reassure myself she’s real. I move my hands up her back into her hair, our eyes locking.
"I love you," she whispers and this tightness around my heart loosens. It is hard to believe a few moments ago I was desperate enough to do anything to ensure this moment would happen and now…Melina’s back.She’s in my arms.
"Prove it," I dare, bunching her dress in my hands and pulling it above her thighs.
Victorio clears his throat from the doorway. "We will just take a taxi to the hotel you secured, boss."
