I shook my head, trying to keep my attention in the moment and not on the hope of being free from here—free to live our lives. Using all of my strength, I pulled my hands apart, giving resistance so the knife would go through quicker.
“I haven’t had a pretty girl like you for a while,” Paolo said, his tone turning predatory. His hips bucked forward, his slacks coming down just a little, and I knew then he’d pulled his cock out. His fingers jammed against her mouth, yanking her lips apart, and then finally, the binds snapped free. It was so loud I was sure he’d hear us, but he didn’t. He was too occupied with what he was doing to my wife.
I leaned forward, holding in my groan at the way my burned skin on my stomach and chest pulled, threatening to knock me off-kilter, but I couldn’t worry about that now. We were close, so close I could taste our freedom. My fingers fumbled at the ropes on my legs, unable to figure out how the hell to undo them until light glinted off the knife the guard had used. I took it from him, sawed at the ropes, and finally, I was free.
Paolo shuffled forward, lining himself up at Aida’s mouth. I dropped the knife to the ground, the sound of it clanking, causing Paolo to pause.
I stood, my lips pulling into a sneer. This was it. This was my moment.
A hand touched my arm, and I flicked my gaze to the guard. He held a gun out to me, his throat bobbing as I stared at it. Everything was happening in slow motion, my brain taking in everything around me. It begged for me to hurt Paolo, to torture him in all the ways I’d imagined over and over again.
But that wasn’t what my heart told me. I’d always listened to my head, but as I took the gun from the guard, I knew it was time to listen to my heart.
I extended my arm, stepping over Veev’s decaying body, and growled, “Time’s up, old man.”
His body tensed, his arms moving as he slipped himself back into his slacks. Aida sat up straighter, the hope in her eyes shining as bright as the morning sun. He turned, slowly and carefully, as if he knew his fate had been sealed.
The guard shuffled next to me, not moving from my side. I’d taken from him, yet his loyalty had him standing with me.
Paolo’s gaze met mine, his eyes shuttering all of his emotions down in a millisecond. He opened his mouth, but I was done with him talking.
“I promised myself I would torture you.” I paused, taking another step toward him. “But knowing you’re no longer breathing is enough.” I squeezed the trigger, the bullet flying through the air and ripping straight through his head. He stood, his body swaying to the side, his life draining from his eyes. His body was trying to fight, but it was too late. He was done.
His body slumped forward, crashing to the ground, right on top of Veev. I pointed the gun down at him, firing off another two rounds into his head to make sure I’d finished the job. I wasn’t taking chances, not now.
“Lorenzo,” Aida gasped out.
I snapped my attention her way and darted forward, diving for her. The guard picked up the knife and ran behind her. “It’s okay, baby.” I pressed my hand to her face, trying to smile at her. “I got you now.” She nodded, wincing as the binds broke free. She inhaled a breath, pushing through the pain as I reached for her dress and held it up, covering her as much as I could. “I love you,” I confessed, unable to keep it in a moment longer. I’d waited to tell her, trying to find the right time, but I knew that there never was a right time. I’d nearly missed my moment with her, but I’d spend the rest of my life making sure I’d never miss a single opportunity to tell her how I felt.
She choked out a sob, her legs now free, and reached for me. “I love you too, Lorenzo.” Her arms wrapped around my neck. “So damn much.”
CHAPTER 21
AIDA
I held
on to him, too afraid to let go. We were finally free, but that didn’t mean we were out of the woods yet. We were still in the warehouse, trapped inside, not knowing what was on the other side of the door.
“Don’t let go,” Lorenzo said, wrapping his arm around me and boosting me higher. He turned us so he could face the soldier who had helped us get free. A soldier who had watched Paolo torture us over and over again. “How many soldiers?” Lorenzo barked, his arms moving. Metal clinking told me he was checking how many bullets he had in his gun.
“Five,” the soldier stammered. “Three in the hall and two outside.”
I felt Lorenzo nod, and for a brief second, I closed my eyes. Hope built within me as he started to move across the warehouse, but when the door opened, and bullets flew our way, it diminished, a flame being snuffed out.
Lorenzo dipped us behind a corner, shots still coming our way, and grasped the side of my face. “Can you walk?”
I stared into his dark eyes, wincing as I moved, but knew that if he had to carry me, there was no way we’d both get out of here alive. It was time to be brave, time to put all of my pent-up anger at what we’d been through to use. “I’ll try.”
He nodded, planted a kiss on my lips, and took a breath. “Hold on to me. Don’t let go.” He paused. “Ever.” He was talking about more than in this moment, and all I wanted was to tell him that I had no intention of letting go, but instead, I dropped my legs from around him, my bare feet touching the cool concrete floor. “Ready?”
“Ready.” I grasped on to his pants, staying close but giving him enough room to make his shots. He fired off the gun three times, then smacked his back into the wall.
“Three down,” he huffed out, bringing the gun higher and pulling the clip out. “Two bullets left.”
My breaths came faster. There were still two soldiers left, and from the way he’d shot the three in here, I knew he had good aim, but that didn’t mean he’d be able to use his last two shots just as well.
Lorenzo’s chest heaved as he took a breath, and with one last look at me, he grabbed my hand and ran across the warehouse. I wasn’t sure where we were heading, and I didn’t think Lorenzo knew either, but there was only one hallway with one door at the end. A stream of light cascaded from the edge of it; a beacon calling to us.