of bullets firing and men yelling ring out and ricochet off the wall.
She screams and cries. She tries to push away from me to fight. But I can’t move, or she’ll be in danger. She’ll die. I have to protect her. I can’t let her die. Not her. If I do anything good with my life, it’ll be keeping her safe and alive. I need to get her through this. Even if I die, at least she’ll know what I felt for her.
My body flinches with impact of a bullet, this one at close range. I feel a radiating pain throughout my shoulder as the bullet comes out the other side. The vest can only cover so much. I duck my head and tell her to stay down. I hear her crying and the thud of bodies hitting the floor. I lift my head for only a moment to look into her eyes and she looks wretched with guilt. I push my lips to hers to try to take the pain away. And as another bullet rips into my back, I do everything I can not to let her know.
I just want one more moment with her. One real moment where she can see the real me and what we really had.
The pain expands inside of me. I’ve been shot before, and more than once, but fuck it hurts. My body loses its strength and I fall onto her body, unable to brace myself any longer. I hear a few more shots and then silence. I don’t look. I can’t move. I can’t risk her. It hurts. Fuck, it hurts. I cough and blood spills from my mouth. Men yell, “Take those three.” Fists are smashing against flesh. I recognize the voices. We won. It’s over.
“Anthony!” Vince calls out.
“Anthony,” she cries out. Her grip on me is strong. She’s okay. She’s safe.
Vince pulls my body off of her and I lie flat on the ground. A pounding ache in my chest makes it hard to breathe.
“Anthony,” she says as she holds on to me as she frantically searches my chest for the wounds. She’s okay. She’s on her knees, hovering over my body. Tommy comes up behind her.
“Take her away!” Vince yells.
I use the last of my strength and grip onto his shirt, pulling him close to me.
“Promise me she’ll be safe, Vince.” I hold his stare and make him promise me. “Promise me.”
“I swear on my life, Anthony. But I don’t need to tell you shit.” He’s bullshitting me. I know he is. Blood fills my mouth and it’s hard to breathe. I should’ve died a long time ago. It’s alright with me, as long as she’s safe.
“You’re gonna be fine. You’ll make it through this,” he says. I shake my head and let my head fall back.
“I love her, Vince. I don’t deserve her, but I love her.” I have to tell him. He has to believe me and take care of her when I’m gone.
“You can tell her yourself.” Vince looks down at me as my vision starts to spin and darkness fades. “I promise I’ll keep her safe for you.”
The last words I hear come from her mouth as she pushes Tommy away and runs for me. “Anthony,” she cries out. But I can’t answer her. My world fades and I dream of her touch. Of her love.
Catherine
“No!” I scream while shaking my head in denial. They try to pry me away from Anthony. My hands grip onto his shoulders and my tears fall onto his chest. I feel numb everywhere, but my heart is aching.
Blood’s soaks into Anthony’s shirt and pools around his back as he lies still on the ground. “Help him!” I frantically scream out. They need to do something. He can’t die. No! He can’t leave me like this. He can’t die because of me. Please, God, save him. I pray as I watch Vince rip off his shirt. Anthony doesn’t move. His limp body sways as Vince looks over the bullet wound in his back.
I vaguely hear the grunting of men as they haul off dead and limp bodies. I hear the smash of a fist pounding into tender flesh and threats being made. They took prisoners, but most of the men are surrounding their own man, the only Valetti to fall. My Anthony.
“Get her out of here,” Vince yells back. He looks directly past my shoulder at Tommy who’s holding me back.
“I can’t leave him,” I say. I search for