CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Vivia
He’s here.He’s here.
After all I’ve been through, after giving him up as lost forever, after everything, he’s here.
I knew they’d come to The Castle, but I had no time to warn anyone and didn’t think they’d listen to me if I did. I had no time to do anything but jump into my own car, a hijacked, stolen Yaris I swiped from a lot just south of here, and try to head them off.
Them being the group I targeted and have hunted for days.
But I don’t think of them. I don’t think of anything but Dario. He stares at me like I’ve come back from the dead, and when I turn to him, he does something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. He opens his arms.
So I run. My throat is tight, and my eyes burn, and even though I run as fast as I can, the ground between us swallowed up by my steps, it seems to take too long. When I reach him, I collapse against him. He catches me. He lifts me in his arms, his hands on my ass hiking me to his chest. My legs wrap around him, and I tuck my head into his shoulder. But the blissful reunion lasts only seconds before he pivots, spins, and falls to one knee.
I gasp in surprise as he lowers me to the ground behind one of the trucks and releases me. He lets me go. I blink, only to see him catapult himself forward. He crashes to the ground with Sergio beneath him, lifts his fist and slams it into my brother’s jaw. His head snaps back and blood splashes across his face. Again, Dario punches and again, I flinch at the brutal slam of his fist against Sergio’s jaw.
“How dare you pull a fucking gun on her,” Dario growls, angrier than I’ve ever seen him. “How fucking dare you.”
He lifts Sergio by the shoulders and slams him bodily on the concrete. I scream out loud and cover my face.
“Dario!” my cousin Romeo screams. “You’ll kill him, brother.”
Dario’s fist is raised as if to strike again. He’s vibrating with anger and brutality, fully unleashed. I’ve never seen my brother look so scared in his life. It’s unnerving.
Dario pulls away with reluctance. He gives Sergio a look that dares him to make another move, while he yanks him to his feet and tugs his hands behind his back.
“We talked about her, didn’t we?”
Sergio spits blood on the ground. “We did.”
“I told you she’s my future wife.”
Someone’s poured ice down my back. I stand, frozen in place.
His future wife?
Several things happen at once. Romeo unceremoniously grabs Sergio and jerks his chin at Santo. Together they lift, walk, and plunk Sergio into one of the huge, armored vehicles they were driving and lock the door. Romeo barks out orders for everyone but Dario to get rid of the bodies, then jerks his chin at Mario. “Any of these salvageable?”
Mario nods and jerks his head at the one closest to me. “The one near Vivia.”
“Dario, take Vivia home. Castle.” Romeo turns to me, sees something that makes his face soften, then drops to one knee. When he speaks, it’s like he’s talking to a small child he’s trying to convince to take the meds she doesn’t like. “You alright, kiddo?”
I nod, still shell shocked. “Dario’s gonna take you home, Vivia. You two have some catching up to do. I’ll give you that time. Then when you’ve told him everything it’s time you tell us what you know. You get that?”
I nod again, thankful for his compassion right now. I feel like I’m coming apart. I can’t now, though. Not after all I’ve survived and endured.
Dario’s taking you home.
Home.
Home would be The Castle then.
Dario beat up Sergio.
Sergio’s still mad at me.
I wonder what will happen when I tell them everything I’ve found. I’m fully prepared to be exiled. I’m honestly halfway there already.