47. Day 100 – Dante
I’ve lost all track of time as Gio and I move past another pile of bodies. We lost the others, all of us separated in the fight.
And still no sign of Cat.
Movement behind us, and I spin, lifting my gun.
A pair of hands, lifting. Dark eyes meet mine.
“Where is she?” Gio’s voice is a demand as I keep my gun trained on Stefano Asante’s face. He doesn’t even look at it as he turns to Gio.
“I lost her a few minutes ago. I think she came this way.”
Gio twists to look over his shoulder, scanning the hall. “Let’s move.”
Slowly, I lower my weapon. Keep my eyes on Stefano Asante. He sent us the blueprints to get in, but that doesn’t make him trustworthy.
We move carefully, on guard for any sound.
When more footsteps echo, we pause. A single pair, light and fast.
Stefano throws his hand out in front of me, stopping my gun from lifting. “Cat.”
My feet burst into movement, as more footsteps ring out. Shouting.
And she rounds the corner, hair flying as she races toward me. I run, run as I take in the blood covering her, her bare feet.
“Cat!” Her name tears from my chest.
Her head jerks up, a sob slipping free when she sees me.
A gunshot sounds, splintering the wall next to her head as men follow her.
No. I force myself to stop.
Too far. I’m too fucking far.
And I roar the words caught in my throat, raising my gun as she staggers and those footsteps grow louder.
“To me, Cat. Don’t you fucking stop.”
I force my arms to steady, force my mind to clear as I aim.
One shot.
Two.
They rip past her as she keeps running, her face crumpling.
Beside me, Gio and Stefano are still as I aim again. Barely breathing, as my bullets rip through the air just inches from her head.
Three.
Four.
Five.
They begin to fall back, to take cover, as I keep shooting.
When I run out of ammo, Gio steps forward. Covering us, as she collides with me in a sobbing, frantic movement. I wrap my arms around her, squeezing as Gio continues to shoot, Stefano stepping up to cover him. “Caterina.”
“Dante.” She’s crying as I scan her, my hands running over her, searching for injuries to explain the blood on her body.
But I don’t find anything as I wrap my arms around her again.
“Go.” Gio shouts it as he steps back. Stefano has added his own weapon to the wall of gunfire, holding off the large number. “Before they pin us!”
I grab her hand, my mind racing as we take off. Gio and Stefano follow, turning only to shoot as we turn into another hall.
But Cat is flagging, her steps slowing.
“Keep going.” Stefano stops and turns, his gun still raised. “I’ll keep them back.”
She whirls, her face furious. “Don’t you fucking dare.”
He only looks at us. “Carry her if you have to.”
“No.” She glances back down that hall. The numbers are growing. Where the fuck are they all coming from? “We all run, or we all stay. Fucking hell – it’s like none of you have ever seen a horror movie.”
I eye Stefano Asante again at her tone. “We all go.”
He jerks a nod. “We can’t outrun them for long.”
“Then let’s hope we can run into some friends.”
Cat’s footsteps are faster this time, her breath heaving as we take different turns, following Stefano’s directions. Gio takes her other side, Stefano bringing up the rear.
In case he has to stop.
“Faster.” I snap the words at her, pushing her. “Faster, tentazione.”
We skid to a stop. More men move toward us from the far end, dozens of them, and we look between them and the group behind.
Fuck.
But Cat gasps. And she doesn’t move – she fucking sprints. Sprints up that hallway, the three of us racing after her as she runs straight toward that new group.
Gio bites out a curse of realization. “Took their fucking time.”
My limbs threaten to collapse with relief as Nico races past us with a nod, the Morelli contingent following. Cat launches herself at the man standing still in the middle of the hall, his eyes locked on her face.
Domenico Rossi sinks to his knees, his face buried in Cat’s neck.
He doesn’t say anything.
He just… breathes.
Breathes her in as if she’s oxygen and he’s starving for it.