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Val clicks something on his computer while I run to the door to look down the hall. The gunfire came from somewhere in the house.
“Fuck.” Screams Val as he jumps from his chair and runs out the room. “Basement. Now.” He yells back at Luca and I. We give each other a quick glance before taking off after Val. Another shot rings out. We’re closer. That definitely came from the basement. There is only one prisoner down there. Ramirez. Fuck. Did he get loose?
As I sprint through the halls, a stream of light followed by the flicker of a shadow catches my eye. The front door is open. Someone just went outside. More men are barreling down the stairs. I find Al in the crowd. He is a trust man who has been Luca’s bodyguard and driver for years. “Put us on lock down. Find out who just left.” I barely slow long enough to ensure he heard me.
He nods and runs out the door. With that handled, I continue down the hall, through the basement door, and down the stairs. I smell blood. Fresh blood. I run past a multitude of rooms and make it to the end of the hall. Ramirez’s room. Bolting inside, I am stopped when I crash into Luca’s back. I bite back a growl.
The room is twenty feet by twenty feet. Dead center is a ten foot by ten foot cell. A single chair is usually in the middle. It has been kicked to the side and broken. Two woman are inside the cell. They are rolling on the ground. Each trying to get the other hand. Who the hell are they? Where is Ramirez? How did they get here?
I go to step up to the cage. Ready to rip the door off. It’s locked. I can see the keyring sitting in the center of the cell. Dangling over the drain. Fuck, we have a spare but it’s upstairs, somewhere in Luca’s new office. We haven’t had to use it. The key is always on the wall outside the locked door to this room.
“Mass…” Luca whispers. I barely hear it. He says it just as the two women look up. I recognize them both immediately. My Livianna, and that bitch Rachel. The one I broke up with. The one Livianna knew I was tempted to do something stupid with. That stupid thing being propose marriage. Fuck am I dumb. Rachel is a lying bitch.
She stormed the gate this evening demanding to talk to me. That’s the phone call that ripped me away from Liv earlier. I couldn’t look at her. I wasn’t sure what my facial expressions would say. I didn’t want her to worry. As soon as I got downstairs I realized I probably had confused and worried her more by just leaving the way I did.
I had meant to make things quick. Remind Rachel we were over. That we had no future. Then escort her out and tell the guards to notify everyone that she was not welcome here.
I made the mistake of allowing her into the compound. Instantly her hands were on me. Trying to rip my clothes off. I pushed her off and grabbed her hands and held them in her lap so she couldn’t claw at me further. Then I sat her down and explained to her that I had no feelings for her. I have someone in my life. Someone I am committed to dating and being faithful too. She started with the waterworks. I went to get a tissue. When I got back to the room she was gone.
Her car, no longer at the front door. So I headed for the stairs, where I ran into Luca. He said Val had woken him because he found something on Joseph. We were still looking for the fucker. We were still talking when we heard gunfire.
What is she doing down here? Why is Livianna here and not in bed? Did she come looking for me? Did she see me with Rachel? Was she helping Ramirez?
No. Absolutely not. She hates him. There was no faking the disdain she showed for him. And he got mad at her upon seeing her. He hadn’t talked since being brought in by us. Yet seeing her and he was foaming at the mouth. Yeah, they had history, not good history. She wouldn’t free him. Sneak down to kill him, maybe. I wouldn’t blame her is she did. I’d have rather she didn’t as he deserved to suffer long and hard.
“What the fuck?” I can’t stop the words from leaving my mouth.
Rachel begins to laugh. She has the gun in her hand. Liv is fighting for control of it. “Hey handsome? Looking for round two so soon?”
Livianna freezes. Disgust, hurt, and anger all visible in her eyes. Yet she doesn’t relax her fight for the weapon. Good girl. Keep fighting. “Fuck no. I was trying to throw your ass out to get back to my woman.”
The pain immediately vanishes from Livianna’s face. She believes me. We both breathe a sigh of relief. I’m sure I’ll get an earful about the situation later. In fact, I look forward to it. Right now, I just need my girl safe. Both Luca and I have our guns out and ready. There is no clear shot. The woman are moving too much.
We need the door open to help. Livianna senses it too. She uses her feet to kick at the key. “No.” Shouts Rachel. She throws herself over Livianna towards the keys. Liv goes with her. They topple together. A mess of limbs thrashing then a loud pop. Gunfire. It echoes around the room. A fresh scent of blood rises.
“Liv!!!!” I scream and tear at the door of the cell. It creaks and groans. “Livianna!” There is no answer. Luca joins me at the door, so does Val and a few other men. A few collective yanks later and the door rips free. I sprint forward. “Call the doctor.” I don’t know if one or both are hurt or dead. If it’s Rachel I don’t care. But I can’t lose Livianna. I only just found her.
Rachel’s body is on top. I pull her off, none too gently. Luca takes her. There is a large pool of blood on her shirt, as well as all over Liv. She is face down. I don’t want to move her. What if I hurt her more? What if she’s bleeding from the chest and not flipping her over causes her to bleed out?
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
“Luca. Help me.” Emotion claws at my throat. My words like a plea to my friend. I need him right now. Not just with moving her gently. I need his support. I need to know how to handle the emotions flowing through me. I’m not good with them. Anger and rage I know. Lust I am familiar with. Love. No.
Love.
Fuck. I love Livianna. I don’t give a shit that I haven’t known her long. I don’t care if it’s too soon, or even if she doesn’t love me. Tough shit. I’m claiming her. She’s mine.
As long as she’s okay. If she’s not, I don’t know what I’ll do. I suspect nothing good. My limbs buzz with the desire to kill. To pillage those who had any small hand in this moment. My vengeance will make Elena’s look like child’s play. I have kept the beast within me locked up. If Livianna is dead, I won’t have a hope of holding him back.
Luca holds her head as I grab her torso and turn. Val is with us, moving her legs so we can place her on her back. She lets out a groan. Her eyes are closed. A hole in her shoulder. It’s still bleeding. I rip off my shirt and press it to her wound. I need to stop the bleeding.
Paolo, one of our guards who ran down with us, stands from his crouch by Rachel. He looks me in the eye and shakes his head. “She’s dead.” Keeping my hands on Liv, I look to Rachel. A large gaping wound, soaked with blood sits in the middle of her chest. Looking down at Liv’s hands, I see the gun dangling from her fingers. She pulled the trigger.
Fuck!
