Page 14 of His to Destroy

More men flood the shop, dressed in black and armed.

I don’t need to ask to know who they are when one of them fires a shot at the man who just shoved me to the ground.

Gaspare’s men.

One of the masked attackers drops instantly. The other tries to run. He doesn’t make it far. Two of the guards tackle him, wrestle Luca free.

Luca runs to me, crying, throwing his arms around my neck.

I hold him. Rock him. Whisper his name over and over.

Everything else is noise.

Gaspare arrives less than five minutes later.

His expression is carved from granite. He moves like a weapon, fast and quiet and dangerous.

He sees Luca in my arms, sees the blood on my face, and something dark flashes across his eyes.

He turns to the nearest man. "Status?"

"One captured. One dead. Kid’s safe."

Gaspare nods once.

Then he kneels beside me.

“Are you hurt?”

His voice is low. Controlled. But the fury beneath it simmers like lava.

“I’m fine.”

It’s a lie. My whole body aches. But I won’t show weakness.

Not in front of him.

He reaches out, brushing a strand of hair from my face.

I flinch and he draws his hand back.

Luca trembles in my arms.

“They were going to take him,” I whisper.

Gaspare’s jaw clenches. “Good thing my men got here in time then.”

He stands, barking orders. The men move fast, efficient. The injured attacker is dragged away. The dead one zipped into a body bag.

It all happens so fast.

Too fast.

When the dust settles, Gaspare sits across from me on the floor.

“This was a message,” he says. “Someone wants to scare you. Scare me. Remind us what happens when we step out of line.”

“Who?”

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