Page 67 of Stalk

She’s kind of scary as fuck.

“Go, Mattia,” Ren tells me.

I stay right where I am.

“How about I kill you now so we can put an end to this? It would save me a long trip to Venice,” Catherine says coolly. “And put that gun away, Ren. We both know you won’t use it on me.”

When Ren pulls the trigger, Catherine’s eyes almost pop out from her skull. Unfortunately, they miss. One of her bodyguards turns around and shoots at us. Immediately, I’m met with blinding pain in my shoulder. I almost fall to my knees, but soon enough, Marco’s arms wrap around me and he starts to walk us backwards up the stairs.

“Ren!” I scream out, hoping they’ll run after us.

Ren doesn’t do what I wish. Instead, they shoot several more times. Only this time, they don’t miss. A bullet hits Catherine in her stomach, and she falls down to her knees with a lovely sounding shriek.

CHAPTER 27

Ren

My bulletactuallytook Catherine Burdick down. A nice shot right in the middle of her stomach. Sadly, I’m certain she will live. Her staff will take her back to the house and fix her up.

Should have aimed a little higher.

Oh well. It still felt powerful to force the woman who has made my life a living nightmare fall down to her knees. That’s the last thing I see of the outside world before the airstairs come to a close, securing us inside. I can’t help but grin from ear to ear.

I look behind me, not knowing where Marco and Mattia are. But when I spot them, only a foot or two away, my smile falls immediately and every hair on my body stands at attention.

Mattia is slumped over in a chair, applying pressure to his right shoulder with one hand. Both of Marco’s hands cover Mattia’s, and even with that amount of pressure on top of the wound, blood seeps through Marco’s fingers and drips down to his forearms. Cannella whines and paws at Mattia from the ground.

“Oh, my God! Mattia!” I fall in front of where he’s seated and place my hands on his knees. “Where are you shot?” I ask frantically.

Mattia is paler than normal. I don’t like it. The thought of losing Mattia—no.I can’t freak out on him now. Not after everything he’s done for me.

Despite looking pasty and with his blood spewing out, Mattia attempts a smirk. “Do not worry,tesoro mio.It’s a clean shot through my shoulder.”

“I’m sorry—but—you’reliterallybleeding through Marco’s hands right now,” I say, my voice shaking.

Marco laughs, and I don’t understand how they can both act so nonchalant about this. “One of our staff members helping us on the way home is a, as you say, medic? She will make sure he is okay. Human body makes a lot of blood, Ren.”

As if she’s been summoned, a short young woman with dyed blond hair comes out from somewhere in the back of the jet, carrying a medical kit. She smiles at all of us and nods to me, then removes Marco’s hands and Mattia’s hand and begins to address his wound.

“This is Bianca,” Mattia says, a bit out of breath. “She does not speak English, but she is a very good nurse. One of the best. I am in good hands.”

Marco, who now stands beside me, bumps me playfully with his shoulder. “Your man will be fine.” He pats me roughly on the back. “Get rid of the worry on your face!”

I stare at Marco, then back at Mattia. “Both of you are being way too calm about this,” I mumble.

Mattia smiles and shakes his head as Bianca cuts down his shirt to better access his wound. “We have been shot before. Haven’t you?” Mattia rolls his eyes, as if to answer his own question. “Never mind. I’m assuming you haven’t.”

“No… and I’m hoping it will stay that way.”

Mattia beams at me. “I’m proud of you. You shot the wicked witch.”

I shrug as a small blush creeps up my neck. “It wasn’t fatal or anything.”

“Still.”

Marco sighs. “Let’s go home, yeah? No offense, Ren, but I’m sick of this city.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Me, too.”

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