Chapter 14 #2
“Not if I kill you first.” I raise my gun but Gabriel scoffs.
“You couldn’t kill me. Not when your wife is in my arms.”
Nina whimpers as he presses the gun harder against her temple.
The sight of my wife terrified makes a heavy weight settle in my stomach.
I chose Nina because she didn’t annoy me the way Susanna did.
But I brought her into this world by choosing her.
My logical choice has consequences. And Nina is paying the price.
“Let her go,” I growl. “This fight is between you and me.”
“It is. But I can’t make it too easy on you.”
I can hear a gunshot outside before Alek comes running into the house. I’m relieved he’s alive. A fucking Russian. I never thought I would see the day but here I am. Changing. Because of Nina.
“You can kill me,” I say, lowering my gun to the ground. Nina’s eyes widen. “Just let her go.”
Gabriel hesitates, looking between me and Alek. He knows he’s outnumbered now. He knows he’ll die if he lets Nina go but there’s also a good chance he’ll die if he doesn’t. He’s out of options.
“You would risk your own life… for your wife?” Gabriel asks. “The woman you’ve only known for a short time?”
“It doesn’t matter how long I’ve known her for. What matters is that I made a choice to marry her and I am sticking to that. I will fight for her even if it means my death. So if you want the chance to kill me, Gabriel, take it. Now is your chance. You’re not going to get another one so easy.”
Gabriel moves his gun from Nina’s temple and aims it at me.
“Luca,” Alek hisses.
“I have to do this,” I respond, looking into Nina’s eyes.
I took her from behind when we had sex because I wasn’t ready for the emotion that comes with looking into another person’s eyes as they fuck.
But I will never look away from Nina’s eyes now.
I know it. She means that much to me in the short time we’ve been married. It’s right.
It’s not about logic. It’s about what my gut is telling me to do and that’s to save Nina, no matter the cost.
“Luca, no,” she whimpers. I’m shocked by it. Does she not want me to die? Do I mean a lot to her as well?
“Just do it, Gabriel,” I say.
He pulls the trigger. An intense pain ricochets its way through my chest as I fall to the ground. Alek shoots at Gabriel but Gabriel tosses Nina to the ground and turns and runs out the back door. Alek hesitates but instead of going after Gabriel, he turns to me.
Nina rushes to my side, tears streaming down her face. “Luca, no. Why did you do that? You’re going to die!” She presses her hands on my chest.
I can still feel pain which is a good thing. It means I’m not dead yet.
Alek calls someone on the phone but I can’t hear it. All I can see is Nina’s face.
“I’m sorry,” I rasp out. “For putting you in this position.” I cough. The one good thing is that the bullet didn’t hit my heart. I’d already be dead if that were the case.
“Luca,” she cries, clutching my hand to her face. Nina cares for me. Actually cares. That makes my heart lighter than it has ever felt before. “Don’t die on me. Please.”
But blackness takes over my vision and I fall under.
Nina
“No!” I cry, pressing my hands onto Luca’s chest. He still has a pulse, thank God, but for now much longer?
“We have to get him to the hospital,” Alek says. “I called one of my men to come clean up the bodies. Gabriel escaped but that’s an issue for another day. We have to go now, Nina. If we want Luca to survive.”
I get control of my tears and nod. “Let’s go.” Seeing Luca sacrifice himself for me has changed everything. Luca isn’t some cold disciplinarian. He’s a husband who fought for his wife.
Who fought for me.
This changes everything.
Together, Alek and I get Luca into his car and we take off to the hospital. I remain over Luca’s body the whole way there, checking his pulse. It’s still there but weak and it’s getting weaker and weaker.
Alek almost crashes the car as he parks in front of the ER. I’m focused only on Luca as Alek shouts for help. Doctors and nurses come out to the car and get Luca on a gurney and wheel him inside. I follow after as if I’m not in control of my body.
They immediately take Luca into a room I’m not allowed to follow. Without realizing it, I slump to the ground and sob. I cry for the potential me and Luca could have had. I cry for how much I already miss him. I cry for the fact that I could have loved him.
I only cry harder as Alek sits down beside me and holds me like he used to when I was a little girl. My surrogate father. I cling to him with all my might.
I’m not sure how long I’m there for when my mom and Susanna arrive at the hospital.
Susanna and I lock eyes. We’ve had tension between us all our lives. Always competing. She wanted to be better than me and I just wanted a sister I could depend on. My marriage to Luca has torn us apart.
But Susanna doesn’t snap at me. She doesn’t criticize me. Instead, she runs over to my side and wraps her arms around me, holding me like a sister does.
I let go of Alek and hold onto my sister.
“Are you ok?” she whispers into my hair.
“I’m not hurt. But I’m not sure about Luca.” I haven’t heard anything which tells me that he’s not dead yet but he’s not better either.
“I’m sorry, Nina. I’m so sorry.”
“You’re sorry? This wasn’t your fault.”
“No. But I’m still sorry.” Susanna might not say out loud that she’s sorry for her actions but I can tell that’s what she means. She’s sorry for not being the sister I need. She’s sorry for the drama between us.
But none of that matters right now. All that matters is that my sister is here to comfort me and for the first time in my life, I don’t feel alone with Susanna. I feel like I’ve finally gained the sister I’ve always wanted.