“Please don’t leave me.” The words are past my lips before I can comprehend what I’m saying. To my utter surprise, he actually gets in the car. I scramble to the other side to make room for him. I wince as I do it, my side aching now with each breath I take.
The vehicle takes off a second later. Gilly floors it down the road. “What the fuck was that?” he shouts from the front seat.
“Not now,” Antonio responds. He sounds so calm, but I can tell he’s anything but. “Let me.”
I glance down. He tries to take the gun that I’m still holding tightly in my hand.
“Or you can keep it if it makes you feel safe,” he offers. I release my hold on it.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask the same question Gilly did earlier.
“Are you hurt?” Antonio's hands start to roam, checking me over.
“It’s not my blood,” I say absently. “I feel numb.”
“It’s shock.” Antonio's hand grazes my ribs. I let out a small cry as the pain shoots through my body. Spots begin dancing in my eyes. “Angel, look at me,” Antonio orders, sounding far away.
“Was she hit?”
“I don’t know.” Antonio yanks at my dress. The sound of the material ripping pulls me back for a moment.
“Don’t.” I smack at his hands. “Don’t touch me!” My hand connects with his cheek. “Oh God.”
I just nearly escaped death only to slam myself right back into it.
5
ANTONIO
I’m more stunned by the bruises on her side than the smack to my face.
“Oh my God.” She covers her mouth with her hand and winces back.
“Who did this?” I skim my fingers along her skin.
“What?” She’s still flinching away from me.
“Who put these marks on you?” I can barely contain my rage, my entire body going even tenser than it already was.
“But I … I hit you.”
“The wind hits harder, angel. Tell me who hurt you.”
“Boss, I think we’re in the clear, but I’m not taking any chances.” Gilly pulls off the highway and onto side streets, cutting this way and that to lose any tail that might be on us.
“My father. I mouthed off to him.”
The rage turns to molten lava coursing through my blood. That fucking bastard put his hands on her,hitmy bride. He’s a dead man.
“Come.” I rise and sit on the backseat, broken glass crunching beneath me as I pull her into my lap.
She holds her ripped dress together, her eyes huge as she looks at me. “Are you going to hurt me?”
“Never.”
I raise my hand to her cheek.
She flinches again.