Dominic and I burst into action and flipped Ariana over. She was out cold, and her body flopped.
Dominic grabbed her arms and heaved her up into a sitting position. He planted his shoulder into her stomach and hefted her into a fireman’s carry. I raced to the sliding door, and he dashed through it, carrying Ariana slung over his back.
I slid the sliding door shut, and we both ducked into our hiding places behind the curtains just in time. Matteo’s wife stormed into Ariana’s room, took one look around, and screeched for her husband. Shouts and screams echoed throughout the house. We didn’t have a moment to lose to get Ariana out of here.
I burst into a run and vaulted over the balcony railing. I landed in a crouch in the garden below and instantly raised my arms to receive Ariana’s body as Dominic lowered her from above. He held her by the hem of her sweatpants in one meaty first and then transferred his other hand to her wrist until I took her weight.
I adjusted her position to cradle her in my arms. My blood went on fire now that I was touching her and holding her in the flesh. She felt so alive and warm and magical in my arms, but I didn’t have time to think about that.
Dominic hit the dirt right next to me just as her father’s footsteps pounded on the balcony overhead. We both scuttled under the deck to hide while he scanned the yard behind the house.
A second later, he charged back inside. “Call the police!” he roared to his wife. “Someone’s taken her!”
“Go!” Dominic hissed. “Go, go, go!”
I angled Ariana into the yard. He raced ahead and eased the gate open for me. He hid behind the corner and checked the neighborhood before he motioned me forward.
I streaked across the street and down the block to our car, but Dominic got there first. He popped the trunk, and I lowered Ariana into it. I didn’t want to let go of her. I didn’t want the trunk to cut off my view of her, but Dominic slammed it down on top of her.
We both pivoted from left to right, surveying the neighborhood. Sirens shrilled in the distance. We had to get out of here now.
We dropped into the car, and Dominic fired the motor. He pulled out and started driving. He hit the main road just as five squad cars squealed into the neighborhood.
We drove the rest of the way to the parking garage in silence. My heart pounded, and my palms sweated on my knees. We had Ariana La Rosa in the trunk of our car. Now came the interesting part.
Dominic dropped into the garage and parked in our usual place. He popped the glove box, took out the radio monitor, and switched it on.
He listened to the police traffic for a while, but after a few minutes, we heard them talking about searching the neighborhood. They were still going house to house interviewing the neighbors to find out if anyone saw anything.
Dominic chuckled and held out his hand, palm up. “Ha ha! Give me some love, brother!”
I slapped my hand down into his and squeezed. “Good job, pal. We did it!”
“Phew!” He passed his hand across his brow. “My nerves are a wreck!”
I burst out in nervous laughter. “You and me both.”
He glanced over his shoulder, and his cheeks colored. His eyes flashed, and I realized in that moment that he was as excited about seeing Ariana as I was. What would happen if we started competing against each other for her?
That notion vanished in a blaze of reality. Neither Dominic nor I would ever get near her because Luca would be there. No one would have a hope in Hell with Ariana as long as he was around.
Chapter4
Ariana
Iswam out of a dream and stretched. I felt fantastic. I loved that dream, and I had it all the time. I lived in a huge villa bathed in sunshine, and I had three older brothers who did everything for me. I never went anywhere without at least one of them.
They carried me piggyback and brushed my hair. They called me Princess and treated me like one. They even ironed my clothes for me and took the blame if I ever made a mistake.
They protected me and made me feel like nothing could ever happen to me. I could do no wrong with them, and I felt so much love from them and for them that I could hardly stand it.
If I woke up from the dream in the nice part, I always woke up happy and peaceful, but if I stayed in the dream too long, it started to change.
It turned dark, and I watched from the crack in the door while a man held another man at gunpoint. Their angry voices drifted to my ears. I didn’t understand their words in the dream, but I understood them with my adult brain.
The gunman accused his victim of lying to him about something. He said this man was a traitor and deserved to die. He threatened to kill him, but before the gunman had a chance to do anything, a gunshot rang out from the shadows.
I jumped a foot in the air and froze, hiding behind the door. I watched in horror as a beautiful, brown-haired woman stepped out of the darkness. She held a smoking pistol aimed at the place where the dead man was just standing.