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My pulse thundered throughout my body, my blood boiling as I took two giant steps toward them. The lamp sitting on the table five feet away from them was the first thing I reached for, and without hesitating, I yanked it up and smashed it over Gio’s head. His eyes went wide, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, then he was dropping—directly onto Bailey.
“Fuck.” I jaunted forward, grabbing his body so that he didn’t land on her, and shoved him the other way, not caring that his head smacked off the bottom step in the process.
Only then did I get a good look at Bailey. Only then did I really see what shape she was in.
Her naked body was covered in blood splatter, her ribs turning a deep shade of purple already. A cut on her lip was dripping redness down her chin, and her eye was swollen.
“Angel,” I murmured, crouching down and reaching my hand out to her. She flinched at the move, and fuck, it hurt more than anything ever could. “I won’t hurt you,” I managed to get out past the lump in my throat. “I won’t ever hurt you.”
“What the hell?” a new voice asked from behind. Bailey gasped and I immediately stood, blocking her from view. “Is she okay?”
“Leave,” I growled at the woman from next door. “Right now.”
She raised her brows at me, pursing her lips. “I asked if Bailey is okay. I’m not leaving until she tells me herself.”
I opened my mouth, about to tell her to fuck off and never come back, but movement behind her caught my attention.
“Fuck,” another voice groaned, only this time it was from outside of the front door. “What happened?”
Raf’s body came into view, stopping directly behind the woman, frowning down at her, then at me, then his attention finally landed on Gio. “Bailey?” he asked, his eyes going wide as he maneuvered past the woman.
“She’s behind me,” I growled, pushing my shoulders back and making myself bigger. No one was getting past me to get to her. I refused untilIknew she was okay. “Leave. Both of you.”
I didn’t wait to see what they did as I spun back around and crouched down in front of Bailey again, holding my hand out to her. “Let me check you over,” I murmured, my gaze landing on the bruising coming up on her face. He’d marked her again, but it was nothing compared to what I’d do to him. “Let me make sure you’re okay, angel.”
Her eyes flashed at my words, the real Bailey trying to push herself up and out, but her mind was protecting her, and damn, I couldn’t fault it for that.
Another groan rang out followed by fast footsteps, and I looked just in time to see the woman shoot across the room and stamp her booted foot down onto Gio’s face.
I blinked. Did she just…
“I hate men like him,” she gritted out, sneering down at him, then glancing at me and Bailey. She could see her from where she was standing now, but she didn’t react in horror at the state she was in, she just smiled softly and said, “Come on, Bailey. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“Don’t touch her,” I warned, standing up, my protective instincts kicking in—although it was a little fuckin’ late for that at this point.
“I’m trying to help.” She shook her head, staring up at me, it was only then that I noticed how damn short she was. She couldn’t have been more than five feet tall. “Just let me help her.”
“Romeo,” Bailey whispered. My heart sank at her voice, my body already moving so that I was closer to her. “I want her to help me.”
I stared into her eyes, hating the tears streaming from them. And it was then that I knew, I couldn’t be there for Bailey in that moment. I couldn’t be what she needed. But I could enact the revenge she was owed and do what I did best—torture the man to certain death.
“Fine,” I sighed, scraping my hand down my face. “But go to her house, okay? Don’t stay here.”
Bailey nodded, wrapping her arms around her knees, her gaze flipping to Gio. “Once he’s gone, I’ll move. I just…I can’t…”
“I get it,” I told her, knowing what I had to do now. It was all crystal clear. Like someone had just turned the light on in a dark room and illuminated everything in there. I could see clearly now.
I waved Raf over and clasped Gio’s ankles. “Grab him.”
Raf did as I said, staring at me for a beat, a silent conversation happening between us within seconds. This was the brotherly bond, but also the Pagani curse and strength.
We moved to the door where I dropped him, then ran out to my still running car and reversed it onto the driveway. Within seconds Gio was stowed away in my trunk and Raf was sitting in the passenger seat.
Something pulled at me though—or someone—so I padded back to my front door, my stomach dropping as I witnessed Bailey standing up, her expression utterly broken.
“I’ll be back,” I told her, wanting to step inside, wanting to wrap my arms around her, wanting to not see the devastation mirrored in her eyes. “I’ll be back.”
It was all I could manage before I turned and headed to the car, each step feeling heavier than the last, my body refusing to leave her. But I didn’t have a choice. I had to do this—for her.
