33. ~Julian~
33
~Julian~
It had been over an hour and we still hadn’t received word from Nico or Milo.
I was trying to comfort myself with the fact that things like this had gone down in the past and much more time had elapsed before they’d sent me confirmation that they were actually okay. It had always worked out. They’d always come back to me.
As soon as I’d told Cat, she’d shared my concern, especially about the two of them heading down there to what sounded like a fucking shootout alone, and she’d had the same reaction as I had to head out there and back them up.
But with my renowned persuasive skills, I’d managed to convince her that we needed to heed Nico’s orders and remain here. She wasn’t in the best emotional state to head out to battle anyway. It could actually be a risk right now. And I had recently had an episode, because of that asshole, Angelo, something that hadn’t occurred for years, so I wasn’t in the greatest frame of mind either.
No, it had to be this way currently.
It was the safest bet, and if our involvement was discovered in direct Marchetti business, it would complicate matters and shit would hit the fan, making everything a hell of a lot worse than it already was.
Fortunately, I’d managed to find us a distraction while we waited for news.
A distraction and some of that fun that I believed Cat needed.
And we were currently tearing down the back roads around Charon Manor on my tricked-out Harley.
Because of security concerns, I couldn’t go very far, needing to keep tight to the area around the Manor, so I was having to head down the same paths and do a whole lot of circling, which wasn’t the best for me. But it was new to Cat, and that was what mattered right now. She was having a blast.
She continued whooping and cheering, throwing one arm high in the air while the other clung to my waist, as she got caught up in the thrill and the freedom of riding.
As I took a tight corner, both her arms wrapped tightly around my waist, sending a whole other kind of thrill through me. As if the protective leather riding gear I’d gotten for her in preparation for doing this one day once it had been confirmed that she’d be staying at the Manor hadn’t already had me worked up enough when I’d watched her sashay her way downstairs in it. Having her molded to my body for half of the ride had been a treat and a half and added a whole new element to the adrenaline rush of riding my Harley.
“Slow a little,” she breathed in my ear, sending a delicious tremble through me.
“Your wish is my command, darlin’,” I said, grinning, as I did as she’d asked.
The next thing I knew, she was shifting her weight behind me, her hands shifting on my body, until they were grasping my shoulders.
I shot a glance in my mirrors to see her now standing on the saddle. Damn.
Then she slowly released my shoulders and spread her arms out on either side, balancing like a pro as I hurtled down the back road.
“Whoo!” she cried excitedly.
I laughed and joined her in whooping.
She stayed up there for a while, taking it in, letting the thrill roll over her—something I knew a hell of a lot about.
And then she surprised me as she dropped down easily with a little thud and wrapped her thighs and arms tightly around me.
“Thank you,” she whispered in my ear. “This was just what I needed.”
“I’m glad,” I said, turning my head a little to brush my lips over her cheek. “Figured a little bit of fun would break up all the bleak shit encircling us.”
“Definitely,” she agreed, giving me a squeeze.
Another hearty laugh burst from me.
But this time, it was cut off by headlights flashing up ahead.
On our side of the road.
Blocking our fucking way.
“What the shit?” she exclaimed. “What are they doing?”
A few seconds closer and I could make out a silver Audi, the one with its headlights on, but then three other vehicles—all unmarked white vans—spread across the entire stretch of the road.
Worse than that was when I zeroed in on Angelo standing there beside the Audi, a twisted grin on his face.
Jesus Christ.
I came to a stop several feet out, then went to make a U-turn.
Thankfully experienced with riding, I was able to make it in record time, then pick up speed quickly.
But our swift escape was fucked to hell when shots rang out, ripping into the tires.
There was nothing I could do.
Control of the bike was lost the moment the bullets tore into the tires and we wiped out, the bike skidding across the road with us hurtling from it in the process.
As I hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, I caught sight of my Harley smashing into a tree, crushed to shit.
Groaning as my body screamed at me in protest, I forced myself to roll onto my front, searching for Cat.
There she was, several feet further down the road on her side. Un-fucking-moving!
“Cat!” I screamed, choking from the effort in my current state.
She didn’t move.
I struggled onto my knees, only to have my view of her blocked by a pair of jeans.
I looked up to see Angelo standing there and staring down at me with a sick look of triumph all over his sleazy face.
He pulled my helmet off and tossed it into the fields.
And then he was fisting his hand in my hair and making me grunt. “Payback’s a bitch, fucker.” He yanked brutally hard, jolting my whole body forward in the process. “And you’re about to become my little bitch.”
Something stabbed at my throat and with his brutal hold on me, I was only just able to make out one of his men in my peripheral vision jabbing a needle into my neck.
“Get some rest,” Angelo told me. “You’re gonna need it, Carver.”
A sudden head rush assaulted me, making my limbs weak in moments, forcing me from reality and dragging me down quickly.
“You’re… making a… mistake,” I managed to utter.
“You’re the one who made the mistake. Now you’ll pay dearly for it.”
“Get… her… help. Caterina.”
“Don’t worry, she won’t be left out. I have plans for her, too.”
A shudder rolled through me. “No… leave her.”
He released me roughly with a creepy laugh, and I collapsed onto my back on the road.
Everything began moving out of focus.
My breathing became labored.
And then it all slipped away entirely.
To be continued in VICIOUS LITTLE PRINCESS