She could hardly believe this was her new reality.
Tipping her chin up, he kissed her with reverent care. Then startled her when he scooped her into his strong arms and carried her to the bathroom. He stepped into the tub with her, sinking down into the water with her straddled against him.
Bella sighed into the comfort of his arms and the softly lapping pool around them. “This is heaven,” she murmured, resting her head on the muscled pillow of his shoulder. “I’ve never been so happy. I never thought I would be.”
Ettore tenderly caressed her, his hands wet and warm and soothing as he bathed her. She started to drift, her mind relaxing as she watched the little ripples dance in the bath water.
The vision came on so suddenly, she flinched.
It formed beneath the clear surface—horrific, bloody, violent.
She saw a Breed male covered in mangled, melted skin. Dark soot and grime smeared all over his shoulders and burned head. He held a screaming human in his jaws. The man’s throat was torn open as the predator siphoned his blood in gulp after greedy gulp.
“Bella?” Ettore’s voice was flat with dread.
He had to feel her shock. Her terror.
His hands shook as he pulled her away from him so he could see her face. Her gaze was still riveted on the water, her mind still caught in the hideous vision.
“Sweetheart, what is it? Tell me what’s wrong.”
She could hardly find the words.
Because at that moment, the Breed male in her mind’s eye lifted his ruined head. His furious, blazing amber eyes seemed to reach out for her through the water.
“It’s him,” she murmured. “Massioni. He’s alive.”
Chapter 11
Bella’s vision weighed on Savage like a ton of bricks parked on his chest, a weight that was only increasing in the hours since she’d described what she’d seen in the water. The very thing he’d dreaded, the mistake he’d made in not making sure he had finished the job, was soon coming home to roost. He had no doubt of that.
Unfortunately, Bella hadn’t been certain if she’d seen Massioni in the immediate future, or days—even weeks—from now.
Nor did it matter.
The son of a bitch had survived the blast that should have killed him.
Vito Massioni was alive, and that meant Savage had failed in his mission for the Order.
He could only pray he hadn’t failed Bella in the process.
And to make certain of that, he was doing the only thing he could think of to ensure their safety.
“Everyone ready to go, sweetheart?”
Bella nodded as she strode toward him from the back bedroom. “Chiara will be right behind me. She’s having a bit of trouble with Pietro. The poor thing has been having nightmares most of the day.”
“Understandable,” Savage said. “The kid has been through quite an ordeal. You all have.” He drew Bella under the shelter of his arm. “We need to be on the road to Rome as soon as the sun sets. It’s only a few hours away, but the sooner I get you and your family there, the better I’ll feel.”
She peered up at him, stroking his tense jaw. “You’re sure your comrades won’t mind taking us in for a while?”
“You’re my mate, Bella. Chiara and Pietro are my family now too. The command center may not be a suitable home for a child, but somehow we’ll find a way to make it work.”