CHAPTER XVII #3
I glanced down at Gigi, and panic clawed at my throat. She needed to get to a hospital and fast. I held her closer to my chest, wishing I could somehow transfer my soul to her and bring her back to life.
The sound of heavy boots crunching through the snow grew louder.
My gaze found Alphonse, seeking answers. “How many of them are out there?”
Alphonse shook his head. “I couldn’t get a clear view.”
Fuck.
The approaching footsteps quickened my pulse.
“We have to make a run for it.” I glanced at them to get their confirmation.
“Agreed,” Alphonse replied.
“Alphonse, you lead with Lo ahead of me. You two will cover me while I get Gigi to safety.”
I locked eyes with Luca. “You and Matteo will stay here. We can’t risk?—"
“Fuck that,” Luca grunted, his jaw set tight. “I’m coming.”
“You’ve been shot,” Matteo snapped.
“I’m not fucking dead,” Luca shot back, glaring at Matteo before turning to me. “I’m coming.”
I could see the fire in his eyes, his stubbornness and will to fight through the pain. Reluctantly, I nodded. “Fine. But stay close. On three,” I said.
I counted down, each number tightening the knot in my stomach. “One... two... three!”
We surged forward, bursting from behind the statue and sprinting toward the mausoleum. My legs screamed with every step, but I pushed through the burn, every ounce of my focus on getting Gigi to safety. The sharp crack of gunfire split the air, bullets whizzing past us.
Alphonse moved like a machine, firing back as he sprinted ahead. His shots were precise, and he took down one of the shooters, the figure collapsing into the shadows.
As we reached the mausoleum, Alphonse yanked the door open and we piled in, the heavy door slamming shut behind us.
We stumbled deeper into the dim space, and my eyes darted around until I spotted a secluded corner nestled behind a wall. We rushed over, pressing our backs against the cold wall.
“What now?” Luca groaned as he collapsed beside me, his breath heavy with exhaustion.
“Fight back. If we don’t, this could be our new home for good.” Alphonse loaded his weapon with a decisive click.
I shot a quick glance at Gigi, my heart sinking. Turning to Luca, I said, “I need you to stay here and guard her.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. “Your leg is fucked. I need you to be safe as well.”
“Okay. I’ll stay with her, and I’ll guard her with my life.”
Satisfied, I turned to the rest of the guys. “How much ammo you have left?”
Lo, Luca, and Matteo exchanged glances before replying in unison, “We’re out.”
“Great,” Alphonse muttered, frustration coloring his tone. “I’ve got one in the chamber.”
I checked my own magazine. “Looks like I’m down to two,” I said, handing my gun over to Luca.
He took it, a serious look in his eyes, fully aware that he was now responsible for my angel.
“What’s the plan?” Lo asked.
“We’re going?—”
Before I could finish my thought, the doors burst open. We leveled our weapons, only to lower them in relief as Miguel and a handful of my men stormed in.
“Fuck, man!” Matteo cursed sharply. “We almost blew your fucking heads off!”
“Man, am I glad to see you!” Lo chimed in, a grin breaking across his face.
“Sir, we need to move now ,” Miguel replied.
“What happened?” I demanded.
“We took out the men firing at you and I had the team sweep the perimeter. We cleared the area. It’s safe for now but I don’t know for how long.”
“Okay, let’s get the hell out of here,” I said.
“Sir, just so you know, Miss Valarie is alive,” Miguel announced.
Alphonse jerked his head toward Miguel, his eyes wide with disbelief. “She's alive? How is that possible?” he asked, desperation seeping through his words.
“Let’s go,” I said. We didn’t have time for questions right now.
Matteo crouched down, helping Luca to his feet, while I reached for Gigi, lifting her into my arms and cradling her against me as we made our way toward the exit. I caught Miguel’s eye as he draped his coat over Gigi.
“Thank you,” I said.
He nodded, and we stepped back into the biting, cold night air.
When we finally arrived at the car, I carefully laid Gigi in the back seat before climbing in beside her and pulling her onto my lap.
Luca sat in the front passenger seat, with Lo and Alphonse sitting in the back. Matteo drove, the engine roaring to life, but all I could focus on was the angel in my arms.
Then Alphonse slid closer to me, fury radiating from him. “Give me my daughter.” His eyes glowed dangerously like a demon’s, but beneath that rage, I could see the pain.
“No,” I snapped back, desperate not to startle Gigi.
“She’s my daughter,” Alphonse growled.
“She belongs to me,” I declared, my arms tightening protectively around her. “I am not letting her go. I need you to back off,” I warned.
“Give. Her. To. Me.” Each word dripped with anger, but then he faltered, his fury evaporating into something far more haunting as he glanced down at Gigi in my arms.
“My baby,” he cried. He let out a roar of agony, a father’s heartbreak laid bare. His hand trembled as he gently swiped her bruised cheek.
“You can hold her when she’s safe at the hospital,” I promised.
He wiped his tears and gave me a curt nod.
I turned my attention to Lo. “Contact Jacobi and have him reserve a private room,” I instructed him. “I want the entire floor reserved for Gigi, with several guards at each entrance and exit, including snipers positioned on the roof.”
“You got it.”
I paused, swallowing hard, the weight of this fucked-up situation pressing down on me. “And I need you to call Emillia and ask her to meet us at the hospital, and to bring clothes and toiletries for Gigi.”
As we sped down the road, I glanced down at Gigi, who was still unconscious. I brushed the greasy strands of hair away from her beautiful, pale face, my fingers trembling with fear and desperation. Tears blurred my vision, spilling over like a dam about to burst.
“I thought I lost you,” I choked out.
“She’s going to be okay,” Luca tried to reassure me.
“She has to be okay,” Lo repeated like a mantra.
The road ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear: Gigi was alive, and together, we would face whatever came next.
The king had come for his queen, and no one would ever take her from me again. Gigi was my heart, and I would fight until my last breath to keep her safe.