His body jerked twice, and he fired at the Russians with a snarl. He’d taken the impact of two bullets for me. The Kevlar vest protected him from the first, but I noted the red bloom on his white shirt, a wound gouged into his left arm.
He kept himself squarely in front of me, acting as my personal human shield. His men continued to shoot at our enemies, and by some miracle, none of them managed to catch Dante with a head shot in the long, breathless seconds it took us to reach the waiting SUV.
Dante shoved me through the open door. His body jerked again, and he roared as crimson stained his shoulder.
I had one moment to stare into his fierce emerald eyes. They glittered with murderous intent.
“I’ll kill them all,” he vowed. “Get her out of here!” As he issued the barked order, he slammed the door between us.
A shocked cry that sounded a bit like a ragged protest burst from my chest, but the SUV lurched forward. Through the tinted window, I watched Dante reel back from the impact of another bullet hitting his vest. He ran for the cover of his other SUV.
The violent scene disappeared from sight as we rounded a sharp curve in the road, tires squealing. I was being taken back to the safety of the estate, while Dante stayed behind in the midst of the firefight.
He’d bled to protect me. He’d saved me from the Bratva.
For the first time since he’d kidnapped me, I didn’t wish for Dante to die.
Chapter11
Luca
Asudden wash of light seared my eyes, and my stomach dropped as I recognized the light, quick footsteps on the stone stairs.
“You can’t be here,” I ground out, blinking hard to clear the spots from my vision.
“Luca!” My name hitched on a sob, and I blindly groped my way to the bars, toward her.
The world finally came into focus, and fear lanced my heart. Dark red blood splattered her left shoulder.
“What did he do to you?” The demand was so roughened by rage that it was barely intelligible.
She shook her head, mussed hair swaying around her pale cheeks. Tears glistened on her face, falling in thick streams. She threw herself at the bars, reaching for me. Instead of taking her hands in mine, my touch roved over her chest, checking her injuries.
“It’s not my blood,” she choked out. “It’s Dante’s. The Russians…” She shuddered and choked off on a sob. Pressing herself tighter against the bars, she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me toward her for a fierce embrace. The metallic barriers were frigid between us, but they didn’t stop me from holding her as close as possible.
“You’re not hurt?” I asked, even though she felt whole in my arms.
“No,” she replied, her voice small. Her delicate frame shook, and I rubbed my hands down her spine in an effort to soothe her.
“Is he dead?”
Hope sparked in my chest, but it was quickly doused when she said, “No. I don’t think so. He was still fighting them when I last saw him.”
“But he was bleeding,” I pressed. Maybe he would succumb to his wounds, and then we would be free of him.
“Yes, but he was wearing a bulletproof vest.” She pressed closer to me, and I registered the bulky Kevlar that shielded her own body. I’d been so distracted by the sight of blood on her that I hadn’t noticed it.
“What happened?” I asked as gently as I could manage. I was desperate for more information. Dante could be bleeding out right now. Or he might have a bullet in his brain.
My fingers itched to wrap around his throat. He didn’t deserve a quick death. And if anyone had a right to kill him, it was me.
She drew in a shuddering breath. “He was taking me to see Giana, and the Russians were waiting for us just a few miles down the road from the estate.”
I gnashed my teeth. “He was taking you to your father’s house? After yesterday?”
The bastard truly was heartless. He’d witnessed firsthand how terrified she was of her own family, but he was going to drag her back to that hell anyway.
“He promised he wouldn’t let my father see me,” she continued, as though that excused his rash actions somehow. “I’m desperate to talk to Giana. I would’ve faced Father just for the opportunity to hug her for a few seconds.”