Page 112 of Stolen Kisses
Dante with his old bike— vintage.
Franco smiled when I turned to move toward the side of the roof. I would have to step on the rail to jump over.
Flynn started screaming worse than I had ever heard him and yet as I took my procession on the path of death all I could think of was Dante’s old bike.
I could even see it now and hear that thing in the echo of my memories tearing down the road.
Could hear it …
I stopped inches away from the rail as the sound rippled through the night.
Wait, I could hear the bike. I hadn’t imagined it.
As I looked ahead of me to the roof of the warehouse adjacent to us I saw it. I saw him.
Dante!
Dante on his old bike, but he’d just taken off from the roof top and was sailing through the sky. Sailing across the gap at magnificent speed that didn’t quite seem real.
I watched as if in slow motion as the bike came across in my line of sight and he twisted around to fire a shot at Franco. It got him right between his eyes.
It was all I saw, because Dante continued in motion with the bike right over the other side of the roof.
Instinct and adrenaline pushed me to run, but all I was doing was screaming.
Screaming for him, because I saw what was going to happen.
The bike must have hit something and blew up. The impact knocked me back and I fell, but got up straight away.
I had to see what happened to him.
I rushed to the side, but couldn’t see him anywhere, just the water from the lake that rippled in the dark.
God in heaven where was he?
“No! No!” I screamed.
I had to find him. Oh God I had to do something. Anything.
I got up and didn’t even remember Flynn was there.
My poor baby was still standing up crying in shock and Franco lay dead at his feet.
I grabbed Flynn and ran. Together we ran through the fire exit doors and down the steps which seemed to take forever. I couldn’t get down them quick enough and time wasn’t waiting for me.
I’d just gotten to the ground floor when Claudius burst through the door.
“Maria you okay?” he cried.
“Dante fell over the roof.” I screamed.
Gio and Alex had joined us and when I said that Gio whirled back around running toward the riverbank.
We followed going right up to the side. I set Flynn down frantically and looked around, but it was so dark and the tears pouring from my eyes didn’t help.
It didn’t help at all.
Dante …
