Chapter 1 #3
Without thinking, I moved to push against Don’s shoulder in a desperate bid to get him out of the line of fire.
“Don Romano!”
The old man gave a startled shout.
Bang. The masked intruder fired. In the fraction of a second it took for the bullet to exit the gun and strike Don, everything slowed to a crawl. The air surrounding the gunman rippled, the blast so powerful that it made the invisible into something tangible enough to see.
With a groan of pain, Don clutched his chest, then slowly slumped down to the floor.
It was obvious that I was next. While there were weapons in my apartment, I was currently unarmed, complicating my chances at survival.
On top of that, the security guards were unlikely to arrive any time soon because the place had been soundproofed.
I’d only be able to alert them if I set off the alarm, which was currently out of reach in my fucking bedroom.
Adrenaline pumped through me as I made the split-second decision to fight off the attacker instead of trying to go for the alarm.
An escape attempt risked me being out in the open and it would just put a bigger target on me.
Hiding sure as hell wasn’t going to work either.
Between the gun and the element of surprise, masked man had the upper hand here.
Despite the odds against me, I seized my chance, lunging at the attacker. The masked man grunted, nearly dropping the pistol as I got my hands around his throat. Without warning, the intruder jabbed me in the ribs with his elbow, pain shooting through my side as the oxygen fled my lungs.
The masked man wrenched himself free, running toward the apartment door.
I rushed after him, determined to catch up and make him pay.
But then, the living room went inexplicably dark.
While it was difficult to see, I heard him throw the door open and rush out of the apartment, the sound of frantic footsteps getting further away.
He must have switched the lights off to buy himself time.
I rushed for the door, stopping short when I heard Mr. Romano behind me, letting out a gurgling, choking sound.
With the intruder making his escape, I had two choices: I could go after the bastard, or I could save my sworn enemy.
But he was more than just my enemy now. He was also Valentina’s father.
My choices narrowed down to one. No matter how much I hated the Romanos, the thought of Valentina seeing her father like this made me give up the pursuit.
My desire to spare her the unfolding horror forced my mind into incoherence as by body started to move on pure instinct.
All rational thought scattered as the will to bring the old man from the brink took hold.
Don Romano needed to live, not just for Valentina’s sake, but for all our sakes.
The old man dying in my watch could be interpreted as a declaration of war against the Romanos.
Nothing mattered except keeping him alive. I needed to act.
First, I had to staunch the bleeding. Turning, I made my way through the dark, stopping in front of the crumpled heap on the living room floor. His breathing was shallow, but at least he was still alive. For now.
Crouching down, I dragged him upright, then pressed my hand against the dark spot expanding on his white shirt.
The blood was warm against my palm. Desperate to keep the old man alive, I managed to half drag, half carry him across the room to prop him up on one the double doors that led to the balcony.
One side of the double doors was open. The side where the intruder had come through.
“Valentina,” Don Romano choked out.
That single word cleared my mind, lifting the fog of the adrenaline. The intruder. He was still out there. And with Valentina on her way any minute now, that meant there was a chance that she might bump into him. She was in danger.
Heart banging painfully against my ribcage, I kept one hand pressed against Don Romano’s wound.
A horrible realization hit me. With my phone locked away in a safe, I had no way to quickly warn Valentina.
I was going to have to leave Don Romano in this wounded state.
Because I couldn’t let Valentina face an armed killer alone.
“Don, listen to me,” I said.
He choked again then sucked down an audible, gasping breath. “Who is out there? Who is it?” he asked deliriously.
Needing him to understand, I finally finished the sentence that the gunman had cut short. “I swear to you, Mr. Romano, I’m going to protect your daughter. I’m going to take care of her and keep her safe, no matter what.”
I barely got that promise out when the apartment door creaked open. Followed by the sound of high heels on marble. Then the muffled sound of heels on carpet.
I started to turn my attention away from Don to look across the darkness of the living room. It was her. Valentina. Stumbling toward me. Hands outstretched, her gold dress shimmering even in the darkness.
She stopped abruptly. She swayed uneasily on her legs and then, she let out a scream loud enough to wake the dead.