THIRTY EIGHT
I 've never experienced anger on this level before, watching someone handle a woman in that manner. My woman. I was fucking fuming. Livid. Absolutely pissed.
I knew her better than anyone and I could easily detect how scared she was, despite trying to keep herself emotionless. Blood trickled down the side of her lip and her forehead, the spot where she was hit with the gun.
I couldn't do anything, not until Ares stepped into play. Of course, he didn't disappoint because after Antonio's heartfelt speech, Ares managed to shoot him in the leg. His hold on Gabriella instantly faltered and that's when I stepped in.
My movements were quick, I held my gun up as I swiftly made my way closer to her. I may have been closing the distance between us, but my eyes never left Antonio.
He doubled over in pain. Ares and I were inching closer, but we knew that if he still had that gun in his hand, things could easily go south. Just the slightest twitch and he'd fire a bullet in God knows which direction.
I couldn't risk it, knowing Gabriella was still in close proximity to any danger. Then again, the slightest twitch would have me blowing his brains out in front of my girl and that's the last thing I wanted.
"Son of a bitch!" he screamed. I took the opportunity to aim towards his hand, not missing my shot. I pulled the trigger, the bullet going straight through his right hand.
The black Smith and Wesson dropped to the floor. Ares kicked Antonio in the back with all of the force he could muster, sending him flying. He toppled over and this gave Ares time to grab the weapon on the floor. He emptied it, tossed it aside, and once again had his gun aimed at Antonio who was clutching his wound at the back of his leg.
I reached Gabriella, pulling her into my arms. She hadn't moved since I entered this damn room and she looked visibly pale. I held her by the back of her head, smothering her in my arms. "You okay, baby?"
There weren't any sounds, but I could feel the tears soaking my shirt. She held onto me tightly. "You good, Valiente?"
"I'll be fine. Take care of your girl, I'll handle this." I nodded, picking her up and quickly striding out of the room. I had just excited when backup arrived, Antonio’s screaming filling the background.
"I'll kill you, Calisto! You and that little bitch." He was down bad, but still had the motherfucking audacity. The only reason I wasn't beating the shit out of him right now was due to Gabriella being present.
"Kayden, come in," I said loudly, standing in the hallway with Gabriella cradled in my arms. She still hadn’t spoken and her eyes were closed.
"Nick," he said gruffly. "Talk to me."
"Is the coast clear?" I asked.
"Yeah. You're good to go, all men have been detained and all exits are clear. Judging by your location, the nearest exit is straight down the hallway and then you have to take the last left," he said quickly.
"Copy that."
I rushed out of the building. I needed to hear her voice. Needed to see her face. I needed to tell her how sorry I was and how much I fucking loved her.
I kicked the door open, a gush of wind immediately hitting us. My car wasn't parked too far away and I just wanted to get us inside of the vehicle. I placed her down gently, unlocking the door. "Can you get in for me, mikrí petaloúda ?"
She obliged, climbing into the back of the car. I followed suit, locking the vehicle from the inside and immediately pulling her into my arms. "I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry," I muttered. I wanted to repeat it until I was blue in the fucking face.
Then finally, finally there was a reaction. Gabriella wrapped her arms around me, burying her face into the crook of my neck. "I fought them," she croaked. "I did everything you taught me, I really did. I—"
"Hey." I caressed her hair softly, the curly strands feeling so luscious against my fingertips. "You shouldn't have needed to fight in the first place. I should have been there to protect you and I wasn't."
That's when she broke down, warm tears wetting the skin in my neck. My heart ached and I held her tighter. "I've got you, baby. I've got you," I reassured. "We need to get you to the hospital, okay?"
"No, please," she said softly. "I just want to stay with you. "
"You're hurt. You have injuries," I said, trying to be as gentle as possible. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" I asked, scanning her body.
"Please." Fuck. Her voice was filled with so much sweetness, I couldn't say no. "Please, Nico. I just want to go home with you. Take me home." Her bottom lip trembled and it tugged at my heart strings.
"Okay, my love." I tried to calm her down. "Can we at least have a doctor come and examine you?" I asked gently.
Silence enveloped the car for a few moments until she finally spoke. "Yes, that's okay."