Divided (Unguarded #2) - Ivy Stone Page 0,56
a bullet wound to his skull. Adriana and Lindsey are fighting off Giuseppe and Lucio’s men, one by one. Another man comes from nowhere, shooting off bullets into the air and my panic deepens until I recognize the deep brown eyes behind his murderous stare. No. It couldn’t be.
My eyes must deceive me. I blink again and my stomach flutters because I wasn’t imagining the madness I thought I saw. Lorenzo Baccarelli, Adriana’s childhood crush. Prince of the Baccarelli crime family. A boy whose death broke my best friend’s heart. A boy we mourned when his life was taken in retribution for the sins of his family. There he stands over a sight I’ve dreamt of since I was fifteen years old.
Giuseppe Marino.
Cold.
Lifeless.
And so very dead.
He’s gone.
Relief floods me like a tsunami until the waves pull me down when Lucio comes marching toward me. I scramble to my feet just in time for his gun to kiss my cheek and hand to grab my hair.
He yanks me into his chest and two gunshots ring out. I twist around to see where they came from but I’m not fast enough.
His hands bruise my neck as he yanks me around. His lips descend, too close to my ear. “Walk now. Scream, and I pull the trigger.”
Like hell, I won’t scream.
I open my mouth and Lucio realizes what I’m about to do. His hand clamps down over my mouth, muffling my cry for help.
“Lindsey!”
It’s barely audible but catches her attention. It takes her all but a second to run in my direction, her feet pounding the pavement. Lucio hooks an arm under my chest and drags me away. I kick at his legs. I punch him as hard as I can, but it’s as successful as hitting a brick wall. He’s too strong. Too built. Like the man who rips Lindsey back by her hair. The light at the end of the tunnel dims the further Lucio drags me away from my sister.
“Ali!” she yells, fighting off her attackers, but it’s not enough. The man pins her to the ground with his body and hits her across the face.
Blow after blow.
I gasp. My hands fly to my mouth but a cry still racks through. My lungs constrict, the pain—stabbing. And not just from Lucio holding me tight. What I’m witnessing twists up my insides far worse than Lucio’s body strength ever could. Sirens grow louder in the distance, but my hope remains fragile as we drift further away from Lindsey and the others, and closer to my last moments of freedom.
“Ahh.” I stub my toe on the concrete as Lucio forces me to run down the street at gunpoint. We flee the quiet main road turning at the first corner, and as we do, blue and red flashing lights fly toward us. Police officers jump out and Lucio wastes no time shooting open the door of the closest building. I stumble on my feet on the way into another abandoned factory, nearly face-planting the floor. My hands save me on the way down. They sting from smacking the ground.
“Get up,” Lucio grunts. I try to stand, but I’m slow. My legs are weak. He yanks me up by the arm and we’re off again. Movement comes from behind us, followed by a voice I don’t recognize.
“NYPD. Stop where you are and put down the weapon.”
Lucio and I look back at the same time and find Elias gaining on us and Roamyn not far behind him. Relief springs from my heavy chest. This is it. Freedom is close, so close, but an enormous risk away. If I can slow Lucio down, the guys will get to us. Roamyn will save me. If I can break away I can save myself or, at least, die trying. At least, I could go with pride and my dignity intact.
I take a deep breath and channel my anger. My hope. I imagine my dreams. My love and when I draw in that strength pulling free of Lucio’s hold. My chest rises and falls fast as I try to catch my breath, but time is running out. I make myself run in the opposite direction and within a few steps, I fly into Roamyn’s big arms. He tightens them around me. His hand caresses the back of my head, the other bunches around the back of my tank top.
He murmurs into my hair. “Thank God you’re okay.”
“I’m okay,” I rasp out.
I’m okay.
I’m okay.
He sets me back with a kiss