AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nico jerked me up into his arms and I buried my face in his chest. “CPR. W-we can still s-save him.”
“He’s gone, Guerriera.” His arms were tight around me and he lifted a hand to smooth it over my hair as I cried hysterically.
I didn’t know how long we stood like that, but by the time Luca and Ciro found us my tears had died back. I watched as Nico’s friend picked mine up into his arms and carried him from the room. I wanted to scream and rail that it wasn’t fair, but no one knew better than I that life didn’t care about what was right or fair. It gave and it took at will.
Ciro eyed the bloody scene in the room and a muscle ticked in his strong jaw. Everything he’d seen—and participated in—tonight went against his training. It was clear, though, that he was willing to do anything to save his friend, even if it meant teaming up with us. Ciro nodded at Nico, then turned and left, trailing after Luca.
Nico kept an arm around me, but started walking us toward the door. I looked over at Raul’s body once more and felt no sympathy for him. We left him lying there, where he belonged—alone—and we walked out of his house.
Helping me into his SUV, Nico took my chin in his hands. “I need to search the house for Dante-”
“Go,” I whispered hoarsely.
He looked torn and I could tell he didn’t want to leave me alone. Finally, he turned and left.
I don’t know how long I sat, sobbing, in the back seat of the SUV, but the men finally returned looking angry and defeated. I glanced around and then my eyes found Nico’s. “Dante?”
“I don’t know where the fucker has him hidden, but it’s not here,” he said, grimly.
“Ciro, have the cops found any trace of him yet?” I asked. Nico told me on the drive over that they were looking for him.
“No,” he said, frustration ringing in his voice. “And I doubt they will.” Ciro met Nico’s gaze and a silent understanding passed between them. You didn’t need to hear the words to know that the cop was asking for help and offering it in return.
“Maybe one of Raul’s brothers has him?” Luca commented, breaking the silence.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure as fuck going to find out.” With that, Nico gunned the SUV. I turned and watched as a few of his men started dumping gasoline on the porch.
I kept my gaze that way, peering out the back windshield, watching the glow of the house burning as we raced into the night.
Chapter 39
Nico
The next morning, I found Havoc sitting on our balcony staring out over the property. It was still early and there was a definite chill in the air, so I dropped a blanket over her shoulders then sat next to her.
She started and it wasn’t until I dropped into the chair that she relaxed. She’d been deep in thought. “Are you alright, Guerriera?” I don’t know if she knew the meaning of my nickname for her. Whether she did or not, it was accurate. She was a warrior and had proven that time and again over the last few months. It wasn’t only because she’d avenged her family’s deaths, but that she hadn’t let them destroy her. She built herself into something new, something stronger, and moved on.
“Sad,” she responded. Her voice was husky with unshed tears.
She’d spent last night crying out her pain. I doubted she had many tears left. I’d held her until she’d fallen asleep, then slipped out to go with my men to search for my brother.
“He was a good friend.” Her eyes met mine. “He saved my life.” A few tears dripped down her cheeks, proving me wrong. “I’m not sure I was worth saving.”
“You’re worth it to me.” I caught her chin in my hand so she couldn’t break my gaze. “I’m sorry he’s gone, but I’ll always be grateful to him for saving you.”
I rubbed my thumb over her cheek and brought my other hand up to grasp the nape of her neck. It wasn’t easy for me to talk about feelings, but she needed it and in some way, so did I. “I love you. I don’t know what I would’ve done if that bullet took you from me.”
She sucked in a breath and her eyes moved back and forth as she searched my face. She was looking for the truth and she must have read it in my expression because her face crumpled and she started crying again. “I-I love you, t-too.”
Okay, that was adorable.She was hyperventilating a little, but it was still cute. It also leveled me like a bulldozer. The fact that this woman had set aside everything that happened in her life, including that I’d kidnapped her, and opened up her heart to me showed her true strength. I felt strangely like the cartoon character from my favorite Christmas movie when I was a kid—my heart grew a few extra sizes. It was all for her.
I leaned forward and kissed her while I wiped the tears off her cheeks.
“Have you found Dante yet?”
“No,” I sighed and smoothed her hair away from her face. “We went to Marco’s place, he wasn’t there and there was no sign that Dante had been either. None of Raul’s other brothers live here, so if they’re involved they could be literally anywhere in the city.
“Or they could’ve taken him out of state,” she pointed out.
