AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That’s the thing. I have no idea. “We’ll figure it out.”
Not five minutes pass before we’re on our way outside, both of us still armed in case a second wave arrives. “We need the keys,” I announce, checking the body still slumped against the front door.
She heads out, going to the man who almost blew us both away when he shot up the cabin as he was dying. I’m standing in the doorway as she rolls him onto his back.
I see the pistol before she does. “Emilia!”
A shot rings out, and she gasps, staggering backward. The shooter takes aim, barely lifting his head from the ground.
Only to fall back when I pump a bullet into his skull.
“Emilia. Oh, fuck.” I drop to one knee beside her, where the right sleeve of her sweater has gone dark red. She presses a hand against the wound, but blood flows from between her fingers.
“Stay still. Try to stay calm.” I’m babbling without thinking, fumbling with my belt, pulling it free, and wrapping it around her upper arm before cinching as tight as I can. “It looks like it went through,” I tell her as she fights to control her breathing, whimpering and groaning when I pull the belt tighter. The sound is a knife in my chest, twisting and turning, shredding what’s left of my heart.
“So stupid,” she whispers, shaking her head. “I should know better. Why don’t I know better?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Because in the end, I should’ve protected her.
She’s mine.
She always has been.
I should have seen this coming.
As it turns out, he had the keys. I pull them free before pulling her to her feet. “Let’s go.”
“Where?” she asks for a second time while I try to ignore the pool of blood she left behind. I practically have to lift her into the SUV, and her plea is weak, “I need help.”
“And I’ll get it for you,” I vow before closing the door.
Even if it means having to beg, I’ll get it for her.
17
EMILIA
Sounds and images flow together until I don’t know what’s real and what’s the product of my weakening grip on consciousness. I can barely keep my eyes open as Luca flies away from the cabin, taking the rough terrain at a hair-raising speed and making us bounce in our seats. I don’t have the strength to tell him to be careful. I’m losing too much blood. Or I did. It appears to have slowed when I get up the courage to look down at the bloody mess my arm has become.
“Luca…” I whisper, and even that single word takes effort.
“Save your strength,” he barks out, steering with one blood-covered hand while handling his phone with the other. He needs to keep his attention on the road while driving this fast, but I can’t make my mouth form the warning.
My eyes slowly close, and I welcome the darkness. There’s no pain in the dark. No fear.
“Listen to me!” My eyes open, though I don’t think he was speaking to me. There’s someone on the phone, someone he’s shouting at while we careen down a two-lane mountain road. I slept through the drive up here, so it’s not only the dizzy, woozy feeling in my head that leaves me confused. I don’t even know how far we are from home.
“She needs help, and she needs it now!” he shouts. “No, I can’t take her to a fucking hospital… what’s wrong with you? You know damn well what would happen.”
A hospital.
My salvation.
But he wouldn’t be able to stay with me, would he? My heart sinks at the thought of him leaving me there, alone. He would have to go. He’s still my kidnapper.
I won’t tell them. I won’t tell anybody. The thought surprises me, but it feels right. I would let Luca go. I would pretend not to know who left me at the hospital. I could fake shock, something, whatever it took to keep him out of it. Keep him safe.
He could have handed me over to those men at the cabin. He could’ve killed me so many times. Instead, he’s fighting with whoever is on the other side of the phone, which I’m guessing is someone from his family.
