His Stolen Bride - MINK Page 0,35

as I raise my hand before bringing it back down as hard as I can, the blade embedding in his thigh. He lets out a scream. I drop to the floor, then the sound of the gunshot rings in my ear. Then Renzo is gone. I hear the loud thump before the warm spray of blood hits my neck and back. I turn to look at Renzo, the gunshot right in the center of his forehead.

“Blessed Virgin, that was a good shot.” I smirk at Gianna.

“You taught me well.” She drops her arm down to her side, and I rush over to the bed and grab my gun.

We can hug later. Right now, I need to do my part to protect my family. Because I hear something barreling down the hallway coming right for us. We’ve won this first round, but whatever is coming sounds as though it’s a force to be reckoned with.

23

Santino

I burst through the shattered doors and find my bride and her sister. I can’t stop, not until I taste her lips. When I kiss her, the bloodshed of the last few minutes washes away, and she’s all that’s left. My heart, my soul.

Pulling back, I cup her cheek with one hand and glance at the body on the floor. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

“I killed him,” Giana adds in a helpful tone.

“I heard the shot, and I just—” I shake my head. “I just lost my fucking mind.” I kiss Bella again.

More shots ring out behind the villa, and I hear Lucenzo yelling orders.

“Stay here.” I back away, then yank the dresser toward the shattered doors. “Hide in the closet.”

“I want to fight.” Bella follows.

“I know you do.” I can’t believe the love I feel for her right now. “But you are my strength. As long as you are safe, I can do anything you wish. Kill, hurt, grant mercy—but I need you safe. You and your sister.”

“Is Leo okay?” Gianna asks.

“Fine. He’s turned out to be useful.” I give Bella one last look. “I love you, beautiful.”

“I love you,” she says as I close the doors and head back down the hall.

“We’re outnumbered.” Leo meets me at the foot of the stairs.

“How bad?”

“Bad.” Lucenzo hurries down the hall. “Seven of our men are down, three dead. Fernando and his guys are hiding in the vineyard and picking us off.”

“The vineyard?” I pull my phone out and send another quick message, then stow it. “Tell the men to hunker down.” I point, and Lucenzo takes off. “Leo, with me.”

Leo follows as I head to the library and through the secret entrance I had our contractor add behind one of the bookcases. Bella said it was all very “Clue” to have it installed. Opening the door, I’m greeted by the night and the wall of our garden. Nothing moves, though cries of pain tear across the landscape.

I motion for Leo to follow me as I creep along the side of the house, then dart to the garden wall. I follow it toward the front of the estate where the lush flowers and showy vines of experimental grapes are grown.

Ducking low, we keep quiet, and I breathe a sigh of relief when we reach the .50 cal location undetected.

“How will we move it?” Leo whispers.

“Wheels.” I reach down and grab the fake grass and burlap that covers the machine and toss it back. The power’s been cut to the whole house, so the mechanism for raising it won’t work. A design flaw, to be sure, and one that I’ll remedy. There’s a crank set into concrete beside it to raise it manually, and I start working it. But it’s squeaky as all hell.

I stop. “Shit.”

“I’ll cover you.” Leo creeps to the next row of vines, then disappears.

I keep turning the crank until the .50 cal flips into place. Hunching down, I start loosening wheel locks that keep it in place. The gun is large, the locks heavy duty, so it takes strength. I almost have it ready when a shot ricochets off the metal and nearly takes my head off.

Dropping to the ground, I scurry around the metal and flip into a prone position. In the dark, everything seems to bleed into one, but there’s movement. Somewhere, there’s an enemy. I just have to stay still and wait him out. But the gunfire from the back of the villa tells me I don’t have a lot of time.

“Fuck,” I curse under my breath. Waiting is taking its toll, and my