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I think about the tree at the back of the lawn with the low branches. I’ve never been a super athletic person, but I think I could just about do it. I could scramble up there, and then I’d have to lower myself from the wall, drop, and try to land without hurting my ankle.
Then what? Find a phone, call my stepdad, and escape the East Coast. Maybe then I could salvage my and Rosa’s friendship, or perhaps this is madness. I should calm down before deciding, but I can’t. I spring up from the bed, pacing the room, thinking about the gunshot, Rosa’s face, the agony in her voice, and the implication in her eyes.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Leo
A few hours later, the alarm screeches through the estate. I leap up from my bed. I haven’t been sleeping, just lying here, staring at the ceiling, lost in visions of the future and the memory of the argument.
It felt like it came from nowhere, her sudden shift in mood. In hindsight, I could’ve handled it better. I could’ve been softer with her. I could’ve done without calling her bratty or pouty or anything else. She’s my woman, but that doesn’t mean I can treat her any way I want, gunshot or no gunshot. Hell, Ilikeit when she’s bratty. It’s just more excuse to spank her.
I rush through the house to the security room. “What’s the situation?” I say, finding Dario hunched over the terminal.
“Cycling through the cameras now. Somebody’s left the perimeter.”
“Left?” I say. “Climbed the wall?”
“That’s what the sensors are telling me.”
“Fuck. It’s that goddamn tree. Check the rear camera.”
Dario quickly cycles to it. I stare as my heart hammers in my chest, sending violent pulses through my entire body, regret spiraling.
Emma is jogging into the forest with her head bowed and curvy hips shifting from side to side. Even at a time like this, I notice that. It’s a testament to how perfect she is or how savage I am.
“Leo?” Dario yells when I turn and sprint down the hallway. “Wait for backup!”
There’s no way in hell I’m going to do that. I sprint to the armory, grab a pistol, and run down the long back lawn to the tree. If I use the main gate, I’ll have to circumvent the walls andthengo after her, losing time. I noticed the tree when I arrived. I thoughtEmma might be tempted to escape, but then I dismissed the notion. Maybe it was naïve, assuming she wouldn’t want to leave me.
Admiration floods me as I scale the tree. It’s not a difficult climb, but it must’ve taken my woman a lot of effort and determination. Like so many things she does, it shows what an incredible mother she will be—never stopping, never letting things stand in her way. Does she still want to be the mother of my children? The running would implyno.
About halfway up the tall tree, I carefully hop to the top of the wall, then grip the edge and lower myself down. It’s not much of a drop, considering I’m almost seven feet.
“Emma,” I roar, jogging toward the forest.
The sky is clear, the moon and the stars shining down, but that doesn’t help much when I dart into the forest. The foliage blocks the light. Behind me, I hear Dario jogging.
“Leo, wait up.”
“Emma!” I shout, my head splitting with all the things that could happen to her, all the evil, all theshit.
My woman… Somebody could be hurting my woman. My muscles swell. My hand tightens around the grip of the pistol.
“Emma!”
Dario jogs after me, touching my arm. He brings his fingers to his lips with his free hand, shaking his head slowly.
“What if we’re not alone?” he whispers. “The safe house is secure, but it’s not bulletproof. They could’ve been staking us out.”
“Then that’s more reason to make all the noise we can,” I growl, ignoring the throbbing feeling in my ribs. “I can’t let anything happen to her. I…”
I hesitate momentarily because Emma should be the first person to hear me say this.
“I love her,” I go on. “I loved her the second I saw her. I’ll never stop loving her. If anything happens to her, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
Turning away, I raise my voice again. “Emma, Emma, Emma.”
“Leo!”
