Chapter 44
TERINA
Present
One minute, I’m smiling at the woman on the sidewalk, and the next, I’m being shoved out of the way as DiAngelo flings himself between us. I’m stunned and confused as I try to figure out what on earth is going on.
That’s when I see the knife.
Adrenaline rockets into my system, sending my heart into overdrive.
The beautiful, petite woman with bright blue eyes and lovely blond waves has transformed into a snarling monster, and her sights are now set on D. She attacked me. He jumped between us.
Oh God. He’s bleeding.
Her knife must have made contact with his arm when he launched himself into the fray. I only have a second to assess how bad it is, and it’s not enough time to tell before chaos descends.
“Back up, Rina,” D growls at the same time the woman snarls. She drops, sweeping her leg out to take DiAngelo’s feet out from under him.
He stumbles from the attack but is able to grab her wrist in the process and drag her with him so that she can’t make a move for me.
All I can do is watch in horror.
They grapple with one another, inching into the shadows of a nearby alley.
I’m dumbfounded at how the woman overcomes the enormous size difference between them.
She is all over DiAngelo, climbing him like a tree and making it hard for him to get his hands on her.
One second, he has her wrist in his grasp, then she twists herself and spins until he has to let go.
I know I should probably run back to the yoga studio, but I can’t. I’m frozen in terror that I’m about to witness DiAngelo’s violent murder. Not only is he going to die protecting me but it’s going to happen right in front of my eyes.
I’m going to lose him before I ever had a chance to truly know him.
Please, God, no.
I start to look around for something I could use to hit her with when a sudden burst of movement ends in the woman staggering away from DiAngelo’s fist to the head. While she’s disoriented, he takes her to the ground with swift efficiency, then looks back for me.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” I nod, blinking away tears as I walk closer. “I’m fine. Are you … you okay?” My breathing hitches as I grapple with a surge of emotion.
“Yeah, but I need you to get out your phone and call Renzo.” He holds the woman secure with both hands. While she isn’t fighting against him, he’s not taking any chances.
I dig my phone out of my yoga bag with shaking hands and dial.
“Hey, Rina. What’s up?”
I’ve never been so damn grateful to hear my brother’s voice.
“We were leaving yoga, and a woman attacked us. DiAngelo has her on the ground, and his arm is bleeding, and I think we need help.” The words are jumbled and chaotic as they roll past my lips.
“Tell him we need three guys and a van,” D adds, which I pass along.
“Got it,” Renzo responds in full tactical mode. “I have your location and will have men there shortly. Hang tight.”
He wasn’t kidding. We don’t have to wait a full five minutes when a black van pulls up at the entrance to the alley. Four guys roll out and secure the blond, finally freeing DiAngelo to stand, which unveils a river of blood staining his jeans from the thigh down.
“Oh, God. You’ve been stabbed in the leg, too.” I move closer and try to determine the severity of the wound.
D stops me, forcing me upright. “Rina, look at me,” he says in a steady, calm voice.
I give him my wide stare.
“Breathe, firefly. Everything is going to be okay. The arm is just a graze, and the leg isn’t too deep. I know there’s blood, but it’s not bad. Okay?”
“How do you know?” I ask, my chin quivering.
The maddeningly gorgeous man flashes a boyish smirk as though he’s not bleeding out in front of me. “Because I’ve seen worse. I’m going to be just fine.”
I nod and tamp down the fear. If he’s so sure of himself, he must know. And I want to believe him. I want to believe that everything’s going to be fine.
“She’s secure. You guys need a ride to the doctor?” One of the men asks DiAngelo.
“I can make it there. Thanks for the help on short notice.”
“Appreciate you keeping life interesting.” The guy grins before heading back to the van.
D huffs and places an arm around my shoulder. I wrap my arm around his middle and try to help support him as he limps toward the main street. The car isn’t far away. He takes me to my door first, then retrieves a towel from the trunk and takes his place behind the driver’s seat.
“You sure I shouldn’t drive?” I push.
“Right leg’s fine. I can drive.”
Of course, he can. But should he?
I swear these men around me are beyond mystifying.
“Stubborn ass,” I mutter under my breath, finally starting to feel more like myself now that we’re safely back in the car.
DiAngelo cuffs his hand behind my neck and brings my lips to his for a possessive tease of a kiss. “That’s my Rina,” he breathes against my lips. “I wondered where you’ve been.”
His words wrap a warm, fuzzy blanket around my heart.
“Just tryin’ to deal with all this the best way I know how,” I whisper back.
He drops a tender kiss on my forehead. “I know, baby. And you’re doing amazing.”
What’s amazing is how a few simple words like that can bolster a person long after they’re said. We spend an hour at a doctor’s apartment getting DiAngelo’s leg stitched up. As he said, the cut on his arm wasn’t bad enough for stitches, so that is a relief.
I don’t freak out once. And even after we get home, the fortified connection I feel with D keeps me grounded and feeling secure.
The worst of my struggles almost always hit in the evening, after the day’s activities have ended. When the world quiets. That’s when my thoughts are the loudest.
Today would be a perfect day for my anxiety to rear its ugly head. Except D doesn’t let me out of his sight, aside from a quick shower. He allows me privacy, but doesn’t request the same when it’s his turn. I’m surprised to find how normal it all feels. It’s companionable. Comfortable.
We’re just two people who’ve had a long-ass day and are ready to go to bed.
There’s no pressure or expectations. And while I can’t deny sneaking a few glances at him in the shower, it’s more to reassure myself he’s okay than anything else.
And once we crawl into bed, he pulls me snug into the crook of his body.
“You did really well today, firefly,” he murmurs into my hair.
“It was pretty terrifying,” I admit.
“Told you I’m not easy to kill.”
“I’m glad,” I say softly.
He gives me a little squeeze, and within minutes, his body grows lax with sleep. I’m glad he’s resting. He fought hard today. Seeing that side of him is quite the revelation.
He doesn’t just look like a warrior; he is one.
DiAngelo was skilled at defending himself against the assassin—and that’s what she was. It was like watching the Black Widow character from the Marvel movies. She was everywhere at once, yet he took her down in a matter of minutes. It felt like an eternity, but in reality, he bested her in no time.
Witnessing something like that changes the way you view a person. How can it not?
I still worry about him being hurt on my behalf, but I have a greater appreciation for his skills. I’m starting to trust that he actually does know what he’s doing. And maybe that means, just maybe, there’s a chance that everything truly will be okay.
Thinking something so contrary to what I’ve told myself for years is a scary proposition.
What if I’m wrong?
What if I let my guard down and end up more devastated than ever?
Yeah, but what if you’re right, and D gives you the security you’ve been longing for?
I have to decide which eventuality I’m prepared to invest in. And from where I’m lying snug against his warm, slumbering body, I want to choose optimism. I want to believe I won’t lose him. That he’ll keep himself alive, and that if he sees my scars, he’ll still want me.
Hope has been a scarce commodity for me. I gobble it down and pray more is to come.
I’m not foolish enough to assume I’ll never have doubts again, but if this is a taste of how things could be, there may be more light at the end of my tunnel than I ever realized possible.
“Tommy’s going to come by in an hour to stay with you while I head out for a bit.”
DiAngelo is shirtless and eating eggs in the kitchen when I get up after sleeping later than normal. No matter how many times I see his beautiful body, it has the same effect of muddying my brain. I have to physically shake off the spell to make sense of his words.
“You’re leaving?”
“I’m gonna go talk to our new friend, see if she’d like to tell us who sent her.”
I take a seat next to him at the bar, making sure to get a closer look at the bandage on his arm while I’m at it. He’s got joggers on, so I can’t see his leg, but nothing seems to be bleeding, so that is reassurance enough for now.
“She was really impressive.”
He scowls and shakes his head. “She was damn good, and if I hadn’t trained with Shae over the past couple of years, she might have taken me.
Those two women are cut from the same cloth.
And I’m a goddamn idiot to have dismissed the possibility of a female assassin.
Not that I actively dismissed it, but I wasn’t as guarded when she approached as I would have been with a man. It’s a mistake I won’t make again.”
“Everybody makes mistakes,” I offer quietly. “That’s how we learn. That’s how we grow stronger.”
His penetrating gaze lifts to mine, and the torment swirling in those depths winds me. My hand reflexively goes to rest on his.
His gaze drops. “The problem is, some mistakes have permanent consequences. No lesson I could learn would ever make up for that.” His sorrow is so palpable, the pain bleeds into me until my chest physically aches.