16
ZOEY
My heart sinks when Leone yanks me behind him before shoving the box into one of his pockets and pulling out his gun. I realize he’s moved me to use his own body to shield mine.
I want to protest, but I know right now the last thing Leone needs is to bicker with me. Not even a half a second later, the sound of a gun going off fills the air. I gasp when a bullet whizzes by both of us, hitting the metal locker right where I’d been standing moments before.
Leone pulls me into his side as more gunfire starts to sound all around me. I can’t tell if it’s coming from Leone or whoever might be shooting at us. I’m guessing both. I stay glued to Leone as we run back toward the car. Suddenly he stops, releasing his hold from me. I lift my head to see that we’re behind the small brick bathroom. I watch as Leone reloads his gun before turning to me.
“No matter what happens. If I fall, you keep going.” He thrusts a set of keys into my hand.
“What are these?”
“They’re to the car. Lenny hasn’t checked in, so I don’t know if he’s dead or alive.”
I choke back a sob.
“Remember, if I go down or tell you to run, don’t hesitate. You run as fast as you can to that car, and you get the hell out of here. Don’t look back.” Does he really think I could leave him?
“Leone.”
“Zoey, do you trust me?”
I nod. I more than trust him. I’m completely, hopelessly in love with him.
“Then do as I tell you.”
“Okay.” I agree even though I don’t want to.
“That’s my girl.” He presses his mouth against mine in a hard kiss.
When he starts to pull back, I grab him. I may have already lost one person I love with so many things left unsaid. I won’t lose another without letting them know exactly how I feel.
“I love you,” I tell him. Leone closes his eyes for a moment.
“I love you too, little one.” He gives me one last long kiss before he grabs my hand, pressing his back firmly against the wall before he peeks out around it and fires off a few rounds. Then we’re running again.
“Fuck.” Leone grunts, his whole body going stiff on me.
I can’t hold it back any longer. Tears slide down my cheeks. He’s been hit. I know it. That doesn't slow him down, though. My legs burn, and I can barely catch my breath. We come to a halt behind the ticket booth, and Leone starts to reload again. Blood leaks down his arm.
“Where’s the wound? Your arm?” I ask, trying to pinpoint where the blood is starting.
“Yeah,” he says a bit too calmly for my liking. “I got one guy, but there’s still one more.”
I nod. “We’re almost there.”
He drops his forehead against mine. “Are you still with me?”
“I’ll always be with you, Leone.” He smirks, kissing the tip of my nose.
As soon as he pulls back from me, his expression completely changes. His eyes are now dark. He looks nothing like the Leone I’ve come to know. He looks lethal and sexy as all hell. This is so not the time for me to be thinking about any of that, but I can’t help it if my mind went there. Leone’s movement breaks me from my inappropriate thoughts. I watch as he starts to lean out again but pulls back when bullets rain into the old metal ticket box.
“Come on, motherfucker,” I hear him say under his breath. His mouth moves again, but I can’t hear what he’s saying. A few more shots hit the ticket box as I realize Leone is counting. My heart drops when he starts to lean out again as bullets are still flying our way, but the second he turns the corner, they stop, and it’s his gun going off now. “Got him.”
He pulls me, and we take off again on a dead run. Leone isn’t holding his gun up as we make our way back toward the car. His hand is to his side. His blood is still dripping and leaving a trail behind us. His steps start to slow down.
As we draw closer to the car, I don’t see Lenny anywhere. The driver’s side door stands open. “Do you want me to drive?” I ask. Leone slows down more when we’re about twenty yards out from the car until he comes to a complete stop. “What?” I squeeze his hand, worry filling me.