Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 59304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
He hits Rocco again and again. Rocco gasps, his face a swollen, bloody mess.
“Threaten Siena?” he bellows. “All she’s ever done is the right.” He hits him. “Fucking.” Again. “Thing!”
Rocco croaks, his hands twitching.
“I should kill you,” Dario snarls, grabbing the gun and stuffing it in Rocco’s mouth. “I should end you here.”
“Dario,” I whisper, struggling to find my voice, panic coursing through me. I clear my throat. “Dario!”
He looks up, eyes glassy. Outside, there are footsteps.
Nico runs into the room, breathing hard. “Shit… Dario.”
Dario keeps the gun aimed at Rocco for a moment longer. I can see his desire to kill him, the violence flowing through him. I’ve called him Mr. Mafia as a tease, but he truly looks like a mafia man now.
He hands the gun to Nico. “Take him to my uncle. He’ll know what to do with him.”
When Dario stands, I rush to him. “You’re bleeding.” I take his arm. “Lean on me. We need to get you medical help.”
“I’m fine,” he says.
“I don’t care if you think that. We need to get you some help.”
He peels back his shirt, looking at where the bullet grazed his side. “It’s a flesh wound. I got lucky.”
“We’re still getting you help–no argument. Lean on me, Dario. I’m here for you.”
Instead, he brushes his hand along my face, holding me gently. “Are you okay?”
I stand up straighter. “Don’t worry about me.”
“No, Siena. Are you okay?”
Something about the way he says it unspools the panic inside of me. I begin to tremble, and then I can’t hold back the tears anymore. I shudder all over and sink against him, sobbing into his chest.
“You’ve—been—shot…”
“I’m used to this crap. You’re not. If you need to let it out, let it out.”
I cling to him, crying until my eyes ache, then glare up at him. “We’re seeing to that wound. Now. I’ll take you to Rosy, and she’ll hook us up with the medical team.”
Soon, I’m waiting outside the doctor’s office, biting my fingernails. Rosy gives me a guilty look. “We are telling people the noise was a firework malfunction.”
“You knew who the Bianchis really were.”
She nods. “The bad man, v, made it very clear. He said terrible things, told me to look the other way.”
I place my hand on her arm. “You didn’t, Rosy. You told me the truth. You’re the one who put this in motion. You’re the one who made sure we went after the right person. Everyone is alive because of you.”
“You’re a nice person, Siena. But I deserve to feel bad about this.”
“You were in a tough position.” When I spot Veronica approaching us, I turn and say, “I was just telling Rosy that Rocco put her in a tough position. You, Veronica, were put in an evil position. I hope you know that.”
She reaches out and rubs my arm. She’s never been the touchy feely type, but I can tell she needs it now. I pull her in for a hug. “I can’t imagine what this week must’ve been like for you.”
“At least I had you to keep my business afloat,” she whispers. “Thank you, Siena. I’ll never stop being grateful.”
“All you need to worry about is forgetting all about that jackass. He will not hurt you ever again.”
“Thanks to you.”
“No… thanks to Dario.”
Veronica squeezes me, then turns to Rosy. “Let’s talk about the final ceremony.”
“I think I should help,” I say.
“The only thing I want from you,” Veronica says, “is to be there for your man. No arguments. You’ve done so much already. You’ve more than earned your bonus–and then some. I’ll need you when it’s time for the big day. But for now, take some time. You’ve been through a lot.”
“So have you.”
“Yes, but I didn’t have a gun pointed at me.” The door behind us opens. “Be there for him. That’s an order.”
Dario is standing in the doorway, shirtless, with a bandage on his side. He’s holding a plastic bag, presumably with his bloody shirt inside, and he’s cleaned himself up, no more blood spatter on his body. In fact, I’m the only one with drops of blood on me, residue from where I hugged him.
I take Dario’s hand. “Let’s get some rest.”
He smiles gratefully. “That sounds perfect.”
Back in the room, I take a quick shower, then climb into his arms in bed. We’re both only wearing our underwear, but after everything, we don’t want to do anything else but hold each other. We just want to press our bodies together, feel each other’s skin, each other’s warmth.
“If he’d shot a few inches to the left,” Dario mutters, then sighs. “It makes you think. I could’ve bled out right there. Then he would’ve had you.” He squeezes my shoulder. “That’s the only thing I would’ve regretted, angel. That prick would’ve been free to…”
“Hey.” I kiss him on the shoulder. “We don’t need to worry about what ifs now. It’s over. He’s not going to be able to hurt us now… is he?”