Chapter 29
GAbrIELLA
“I’ve missed you, wife,” Nico said with genuine affection. Something was off about him, like he was on the verge of tipping over the edge. Into what, I had no idea. But I wasn’t willing to find out.
Stay calm. Don’t let him see your panic or sense your fear.
I automatically switched to survival mode, assessing the threat, searching for any weakness or vulnerability. He has my baby in his arms!
Step one: get Celeste to safety.
Step two… didn’t matter. As soon as my girls were clear, I’d worry about the latter.
So, despite my instincts screaming at me to retreat, I stepped closer to my ex-husband, my former best friend, and replied, “I missed you too.”
His eyes flared with longing as the glimpse of a horrid smile tipped the edges of his lips before his deranged thoughts spilled out in quick succession.
“We can start over, babe. I promise, this time, everything will be different. All of it will be up to you. We can keep the girls, if you want them, or maybe just the baby so she will grow up only recognising me as her daddy. Or we can make our own family, our own babies…”
Keep them? He spoke as if Angelina and Celeste were mere possessions, not the entire fucking make-up of my world. He was deluded, irrational and unpredictable, which meant he was more dangerous than I had imagined.
Stay calm. Tread carefully.
Celeste fussed in his arms as he awkwardly repositioned her against his shoulder in an attempt to soothe her. It didn’t work, her little eyes fluttering, on the verge of waking.
I used the excuse to pitch forward and offered my hands in an open gesture, giving him the option to transfer her to me.
“I-I don’t want her to wake yet,” I said. “I want to spend some time with just you for a little while longer. It’s been so long, Nico.”
His mask softened at my gentle tone, clearly missing the underlying terror lacing my words.
I took another step closer. “Let me put her down in the cot, then we can go somewhere quiet to talk.”
He visibly sparked up at my suggestion, nodding before transferring Celeste into my embrace. As soon as her solid weight settled in my arms, I nearly broke down crying. I hid my face in her soft, fluffy hair, sniffing her perfect baby smell, taking those small, precious moments to refocus.
I was desperate to get him as far away from there as possible and would sacrifice anything to keep them protected.
Bending over the cot, I settled a sleeping Celeste on the mattress and spared a chaste kiss to her temple. “I love you,” I whispered before spinning for the door.
I didn’t get far, Nico enveloping me in a tight hug, anchoring us in place. His breathing was harsh as he stroked down my hair, neck and spine, his touch simultaneously reverent and creepy.
Goose bumps raised on my skin wherever he made contact, disgust causing bile to rise to the back of my throat. But as soon as I tried to extricate myself, he’d squeeze tighter, his hold borderline painful.
“Let’s get out of here, Nico, so we can talk properly without any distractions.”
Get out of the nursery! Get out!
He didn’t relent, burying his nose in the base of my neck. “Just another minute, babe. It’s been so long since I’ve held you. Dance with me, like you used to.”
By his tone, I knew he was serious. And when I pulled back and caught his expression, I took his demand for what it was; he’d given a direct order, not a request.
My hands bunched into fists on his pecs, the material of his shirt tightening between my stiff fingers.
Pushing every single reservation to the back of my mind, I tentatively loosened my grip, slid my palms upward and wound them around his neck.
Looking directly into his eyes, I lied straight through my fucking teeth. “I’d love to dance with you, husband.”
Nico’s expression flashed in surprise before a beaming smile took over. I hid my face in his chest and began to sway, not wanting to see his happiness or delight whilst my heart was literally shattering inside my chest.
Let this be enough, please.
Time seemed to blur as I thought of a million different ways to escape my demise, when a slight movement caught my attention. I continued my mindless dance to ensure Nico was positioned the opposite way so I could fully scope the doorway without suspicion.
That’s when I saw Leonardo, crouching low in the shadows, preparing to attack.
Tears immediately coated my vision, and I bit down hard on my tongue to stop a cry from breaking through. My husband’s features were set in determination, prepared to move at any second.
He had to wait and know the full scale of danger in what we were dealing with. I inconspicuously shifted one hand, signalling to the gun settled at the base of Nico’s spine.
Leonardo seemed to receive the intel as his gaze zeroed in on the weapon. However, Nico wasn’t fooled, thinking I’d made a flimsy attempt to grab the pistol for myself. He soon grasped my hands in his and anchored them back on his chest, where he regained control.
He chuckled. “You were always so smart, wife. Oh, how I missed your clever brain.”
Nico leant closer, lips puckered and eyes fluttering closed as if it were the perfect opportunity to lay one on me.
Bolstered with courage and the knowledge that I had someone else on my side, I reacted on impulse when his lips connected with mine.
I bit down hard. Nico screeched in pain as ruby red splashed between us. Taking advantage of the distraction, I then shoved against his chest with all my might, in the direction of Leonardo.
My husband did not hesitate, going on the attack immediately. The gun skittered to the doorway, while I stood sentry in front of Celeste’s cot, with the two men wrestling on the ground. Leonardo had the upper hand and seemed to be getting Nico under control—until fate intervened.
Each moment after that would become a haunting blur—the sound of a grunt, the distinct ringing of a gunshot, Celeste’s woken cries, Nico’s lagging breaths as he lost consciousness, then Leonardo lying supine, a puddle of stark red seeping from his abdomen, soaking the carpet with his blood.
Everything became distorted as all my senses pinpointed on my husband. He attempted to sit up, leveraging onto one elbow, which buckled beneath him.
I rushed over, dropped to my knees and pressed my palms hard against the hole in his side.
“Don’t get up. Stay down,” I said.
“Ah, so it’s me, then? I got shot?” he asked, his voice lacking its usual strength and lustre. He tried to get up again. “Is Nico—”
I shoved Leo back down and spared Nico a mere glance. “Yes, he’s out cold. He won’t be waking up anytime soon, so stop fucking trying to get up!”
Leonardo smirked, nodding along with my directive. “Whatever you say, Ella.”
I peered down at his wound and the torrent of blood seeping through my fingers, a desperate sob climbing up my throat. He’s losing too much, too fast!
Sirens could be heard in the distance, and long-forgotten hope flickered back to life when Leo said, “I called them. They should be here soon to keep you safe.”
“I need you to keep me safe. To keep our girls safe,” I said, tears running unchecked down my cheeks.
“We both know I can’t do that for much longer,” he said, indicating his life-threatening gunshot and the life force we were now both saturated in.
I didn’t have to be a doctor to know he was in critical condition. The bullet had hit something vital, Leonardo’s rapidly deteriorating state evidence enough.
Despite that, I pushed harder against the injury, fighting against the inevitable.
“You’re not leaving me, Leo! You said you would fight for us, for me. Then fight, goddamn it!”
My aggressive rant was cut off by his gentle fingertips tenderly tracing my cheek, my jawline. “I’m sorry, darling. For everything. I never meant to hurt you, never meant to cause you pain. I would have spent the rest our lives making it up to you, earning your forgiveness—”
I crumbled, my face twisting in so much agony, it was unbearable. “Please, Leo. Please,” I begged. “Fight for us.”
Then, my husband truly crushed my soul by fulfilling the vow he’d made not so long ago—who knew it would be tried and tested so soon.
“I’m happy to give my life for you, Ella. For our family. I’ll fight for us forever.”
His vibrant grey eyes began to lose their light as his hand fell away from my face, his strength and consciousness waning.
I cried, pleaded and argued. But in the end, I repeated the same mantra—the only one that mattered. “IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou…”
And when his chest shuddered with a shaky exhale, my emotions and mind split open, and I was assaulted with one singular memory—Leonardo on his knees, begging for our marriage, stating he’d fallen victim to his fear of the worst-case scenario.
“And what are they, Leo? What are the worst-case scenarios in your perfect little world?” I’d asked.
“Losing you…”
Losing you. Losing you.
I broke apart.