The king
Chapter 26
Lorenzo Vitale had always believed there were moments in life when the world slowed down.
Moments where instinct took over and thought disappeared.
Moments where the only thing that mattered was survival.
As the windshield exploded inward and glass filled the air, Lorenzo experienced one of those moments.
His arm wrapped around Amara instantly.
No hesitation.
No thought.
Just action.
The force of his movement drove both of them downward between the seats as another shot cracked through the night.
The Aston Martin lurched violently.
A bullet punched through the rear passenger window.
Another struck the frame.
Another ricocheted somewhere outside.
Chaos erupted.
Pure chaos.
"Down."
The command came out as a growl.
A dangerous sound.
A deadly sound.
Amara found herself pressed against his chest as Lorenzo shielded her body with his own.
The realization hit immediately.
The man wasn't hiding with her.
He was covering her.
Protecting her.
Taking the risk himself.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Outside, tires screamed.
Engines roared.
Then came the unmistakable sound of return fire.
The bodyguards.
Of course.
The sneaky, hidden, compromise bodyguards.
The betrayal.
The necessary-security betrayal.
Undefeated.
Gunshots echoed through the street.
Then suddenly stopped.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
The kind of silence that usually meant somebody was dead.
Lorenzo didn't move.
Not immediately.
His body remained over hers.
Protective.
Solid.
Warm.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Amara became aware of several things at once.
The smell of gunpowder.
The sound of her own heartbeat.
The fact that Lorenzo's arm was still around her waist.
The fact that she could feel his heartbeat too.
Fast.
Very fast.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Lorenzo."
Silence.
The man didn't answer immediately.
A bad sign.
A very bad sign.
"Lorenzo."
This time his eyes met hers.
Dark.
Furious.
Cold enough to freeze oceans.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Are you hurt?"
The question came immediately.
Of course it did.
The man had bullets flying through his car and was worried about her.
The audacity.
The complete audacity.
Amara blinked.
Once.
Slowly.
"No."
Relief flashed across his face.
Immediate.
Visible.
Gone almost instantly.
Replaced by rage.
Pure rage.
The kind of rage that started wars.
The kind of rage that buried people.
The kind of rage that reminded everyone exactly who Lorenzo Vitale was.
The car door was ripped open from outside.
A bodyguard appeared.
Weapon drawn.
Eyes scanning.
"Boss."
Lorenzo climbed out first.
Then immediately turned back toward Amara.
Offering his hand.
The gesture surprised her.
A little.
Maybe more than a little.
She accepted it.
The moment her feet touched the pavement, Lorenzo's hands moved to her shoulders.
Checking.
Inspecting.
Searching for injuries.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"I'm fine."
The words did absolutely nothing.
The man continued looking anyway.
The bodyguard wisely pretended not to notice.
Very smart.
Very, very smart.
Another SUV pulled up.
Then another.
The street rapidly filled with armed Vitale soldiers.
The date had officially transformed into a military operation.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
One captain approached.
Breathing hard.
"Boss, they got away."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Lorenzo looked toward him.
The captain visibly regretted speaking.
Immediately.
Reasonable.
Very reasonable.
"Explain."
The single word sent a chill through everyone nearby.
The captain swallowed.
Hard.
"Two vehicles."
A pause.
"They were prepared."
Another pause.
"Professional."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Lorenzo looked toward the shattered Aston Martin.
The ruined windshield.
The bullet holes.
The broken glass.
Then his gaze shifted toward Amara.
Standing unharmed.
Alive.
Safe.
The only thing preventing immediate bloodshed.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because if she had been hurt...
Even slightly...
The city would've been in trouble.
Real trouble.
The kind that made headlines.
The kind that left memorials.
Amara watched the realization move through him.
Watched the anger.
The fury.
The protective instinct.
Then something clicked.
A dangerous thought.
A very dangerous thought.
"They weren't aiming at you."
Silence.
Immediate silence.
Every head turned toward her.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The surgeon adjusted her glasses.
The movement small.
Precise.
Controlled.
"They knew where we'd be."
A pause.
"They waited."
Another.
"They chose the timing."
Silence.
The pieces began falling into place.
Lorenzo's expression darkened further.
Which seemed impossible.
Yet somehow happened.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"They were aiming at me."
Absolute silence.
Nobody argued.
Nobody disagreed.
Because everyone knew she was right.
The realization settled heavily over the street.
Viktor Romano wasn't attacking Lorenzo anymore.
He was targeting Amara.
The woman Lorenzo cared about.
The woman who'd become important.
The woman who'd become a weakness.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Lorenzo stepped closer.
Close enough that only she could hear him.
His voice dropped.
Quiet.
Dangerous.
Deadly.
"This ends tonight."
The promise wasn't for her.
It was for himself.
For Romano.
For anyone foolish enough to keep trying.
Amara looked into his eyes and realized something.
Something important.
Something terrifying.
The attack hadn't scared her.
Not really.
But the look on Lorenzo's face?
The cold certainty that somebody was about to suffer for this?
That was a little frightening.
Because for the first time since meeting him...
She wasn't looking at the charming man who brought her lunch.
Or the man who remembered her favorite sandwich.
Or the man who smiled when she laughed.
She was looking at the king.
And the king had just decided someone needed to pay.
End Chapter 26