33. Chapter 33
The night air is cool against my skin as I step outside, the moonlight casting an eerie glow across the mansion grounds. I shiver, though not from the chill.
My heart pounds as I make my way toward the shadows of the garden, nerves and anticipation churning inside me.
This clandestine meeting with Morello feels dangerous, forbidden. And it is.
But I can”t resist the magnetic pull I feel toward him, this man who has shown me both tenderness and strength when I needed it most.
I both long for and fear what might pass between us in the secrecy of the night.
”Alina,” his voice comes, low and smooth as velvet. I turn to find him emerging from the darkness, his tall frame backlit by the moon.
My breath catches at the intensity in his eyes.
He moves toward me, tilting my chin up with a gentle finger until our gazes locked.
”You don”t need to be afraid of me,” he murmurs. ”I told you, we”re in this together now.”
My lips part, but no words come out.
His face is so close to mine, his earthy, masculine scent enveloping my senses.
I want to melt against him, to trust in the sincerity of his words. But the specters of my past hold me back, whispering warnings of betrayal.
Sensing my hesitation, Morello trails his fingers down my neck in a feather-light caress.
”Let me prove it to you,” he whispers before his mouth claims mine in a searing kiss.
My reservations burn away in the heat of his passion, my body coming alive under his touch.
For this one perfect moment, the darkness doesn”t seem so threatening after all.
When we finally break apart, I”m breathless.
Morello”s eyes search mine, his strong hands still cradling my face.
”Alina...” he begins, but I silence him with a shake of my head.
”We shouldn”t have done that,” I say, my voice unsteady.
As much as my body sings from his kiss, my mind is awhirl with doubt.
We have far more pressing concerns than exploring this dangerous attraction.
Morello nods, his jaw tightening. ”You”re right. This isn”t the time. I”m sorry.”
He releases me and stepped back, his face becoming an unreadable mask.
I immediately miss his warmth, but try to ignore the pang in my chest. There are more lives at stake here than just ours.
We turn our focus back to finalizing the escape plans, speaking in hushed tones as we check our supplies and go over the route again.
Morello is all business once more, but I can”t stop replaying the kiss in my mind. I”ve kissed my fair share of men, but I”ve never felt anything like that before.
But is it real, or just another manipulation from a man claiming to want to help me?
”We need to move,” Morello says abruptly, snapping me from my thoughts.
His eyes dart around warily before coming to rest on mine. In them I see understanding and regret.
This is not the time to analyze what passed between us.
All that matters now is getting through this night.
I take a deep breath and give him a single, sharp nod.
We”ve made our leap of faith. Now it”s time to see where we land.
The night is still around us as we stood poised to make our escape.
A heavy fog has rolled in, muffling any sounds and making the darkened mansion look eerie and unfamiliar.
Taking advantage of a well-timed shift change, I slip back inside and take Yara by the hand, her small form bundled in every layer possible.
I put a finger to my lips, reminding her to be quiet, and we find Morello waiting in place.
Morello”s hand finds mine in the darkness, his warm, calloused fingers intertwining with my own. I glance at him in surprise.
”For luck,” he murmurs.
Despite my doubts, I don”t pull away. We stay that way, hands clasped, as we slip through the side door and out into the murky night.
The fog swirls around us as we hurry across the grounds, making our way toward the hidden section of fencing Morello had scouted out days before. My heart pounded, my senses hyper-alert. Each shadow looks like a lurking threat.
I stumble on an uneven patch of ground and Morello”s grip tightens, keeping me on my feet. We”re in this together now, our fates interlinked, for better or worse.
Somehow, we make it to the fence undetected. Morello gives me a boost over the top and I land lightly on the other side, my breath loud in my ears. He hoists Yara over soon after, and I carefully lower her to the uneven ground.
A moment later, he”s beside us again.
We pause, glancing back at the dark silhouette of the mansion one last time. Then Morello takes my hand again, his eyes meeting mine.
”Let”s go,” he says. And together, we melt into the fog and the night beyond.
For a moment, I inhale the sweet scent of freedom.
But, true to form, this feeling is very short-lived.
The gunshots pierce the silence like thunder. My heart leaps into my throat as Yara”s hand slips from mine.
”Get down!” Morello tackles us to the ground, shielding our bodies with his.
My breath comes in panicked gasps. We were so close to freedom just seconds ago.
More shots ring out, bullets spraying the dirt around us.
Yara whimpers, her small frame trembling against me, and the sound just about destroys me.
”Stay with me, baby,” I whisper.
Morello”s eyes scan the tree line, his jaw set. ”We need to move, now!”
He hauls me to my feet, keeping low as he drags us toward the brush.
Adrenaline pulses through me.
I grab onto Yara, holding her hand tight, for a split second wishing she was younger and smaller so I could just scoop her up and carry her.
Just a little further. We can make it if we just keep moving.
Suddenly Yara cries out. I glance down to see blood blooming on her shirt.
”No!” My scream is raw and primal. I stumble, nearly dropping her.
Morello whirls back and notices the scarlet hue, stark against the bright yellow of her shirt. His face drains of color.
”Go!” he shouts. ”Get her out of here!”
I clutch Yara close as more shots explode around us.
We dive behind a boulder.
She”s still breathing, but her eyelids flutter.
”Stay with me, baby,” I beg, applying pressure to the wound. ”Mommy”s here.”
Footsteps crunch on the gravel.
I look up to see Morello standing over us, gun drawn. He fires at unseen assailants.
”I”ll take her and you run!”
He hauls me to my feet.
”I”ll cover you!”
I blink back tears as I hand Yara to him. Our eyes meet, saying everything words cannot.
Then I”m running alone into the shadows, my baby”s fading cries echoing after me.
It”s agony, counterintuitive to a mother”s love.
But I plan on being a distraction.
I crash through the underbrush, thorns tearing at my clothes and skin.
My breath saws in and out of my lungs. Behind me, gunshots still crack through the night air.
I have to keep going. I can lead them away, buy Morello and Yara time to escape.
Suddenly, a dark shape lunges from the bushes.
Hands grab my arms, yanking me to an abrupt stop.
I struggle wildly, but another man appears and helps subdue me.
”We got her!” one of them shouts.
Floodlights switch on, blinding me.
I hear a car door open, followed by steady footsteps on the gravel.
Blinking, I make out a tall, slender figure approaching. Moonlight glints off his sleek hair.
Gerald.
He smiles coldly. ”Did you really think you could escape me, Alina?”
I thrash against my captors” grip. ”Let me go, you bastard!”
Gerald”s expression hardens. He backhands me across the face.
Pain explodes through my cheek.
”Such language,” he tuts. ”I expected better from you.”
He leans in close. The subtle notes of his cologne make my stomach turn.
”Now, why don”t you tell me where you”ve hidden Yara?” he rasps, a drop of his saliva landing on my cheek. ”Be reasonable, and no one else has to get hurt.”
I spit in his face.
He jerks back, his eyes flashing.
”Go to hell!” I yell hoarsely.
Gerald straightens his tie and shrugs. ”Okay, have it your way.”
He nods to the men restraining me.
One of them backhands me, just as I hear a familiar voice scream, ”Leave me alone!”
My stomach drops further and my blood runs cold.
I hear footsteps stomping through the brush, and moments later Yara is dragged into the open.
There”s no sign of Morello.
Gerald opens the car door. ”Take her,” he says, gesturing toward Yara.
”No!” I cry. ”I”m coming too!”
”Nope, that”s where you”re wrong,” says Gerald. ”You”ve been nothing but a thorn in my side, and now I get to have a little fun. You see, it”s clear to me that your daughter is your kryptonite. So I”m going to take her away from you. And you truly will have nothing.”
Blood runs cold in my veins as I watch Yara be bundled into the car.
”I”m so sorry,” I cry out as the door is slammed and the vehicle begins to move away.
One of Gerald”s remaining goons approaches me and jabs a needle into my neck.
The world spins. Darkness creeps into my vision. As I sink into unconsciousness, my only thought is of Yara.
I”m so sorry, baby girl. Mommy failed you.