She removed her shoe and tossed it at the shadowy figure. It hit them squarely on the shoulder with a light thud. The slight hesitation and change in speed of the thief glancing over their shoulder gave Sabrina an opening. She seized it by extending her arms and making a diving grab for the violin case. The force of Sabrina’s gallant act of heroism sent the shadowy figure sailing sideways and into the bushes.
Sabrina wrapped her arms around the precious object, tucked the case to her body, and rolled. Breathing rapidly, she sent up a silent prayer, hoping the violin hadn’t broken and would manage to survive another three hundred years. For a few horrid seconds, the world blurred. She heard muffled sounds and felt a series of sharp prickling sensations against her skin.
When her body finally settled, she lay still for several long moments.
What people say about adrenaline and the fight-or-flight response is true. But on the flip side, now that the adrenaline is fading, everything hurts. My bruises are going to have bruises.
Turning her head to the side, she tasted dirt. Every muscle in her body burned. Her ears rang. Sabrina judged that lying in the mud wasn’t conducive to helping her sore and battered body. She wanted a long, hot bath. As she was about to try sitting up, a beam of bright light shined directly into her face. She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Too bright.”
“Sabrina, that was a spectacular display of acrobatics,” said the bass voice of the one person she’d hoped to avoid. Lorenzo’s callused thumb brushed against her forehead. She breathed sharply. Her body melted into the touch. “Are you all right?”
Sabrina opened her eyes. She made out the form of Lorenzo kneeling next to her, his brow creased, damp with perspiration. His cheeks were tinged with uneven red patches. His hair stuck out wildly at a variety of different angles.
“As you can see, this seemed like the perfect place for a mud bath. Thanks for asking, but I’m fine. How’s Nora?”
“Leonora is rattled, but otherwise unharmed.” He gestured to his left. “She’s speaking to the Carabinieri, or police, as you might call them in English.”
She noted the flashing red and blue lights, a Carabinieri office taking down a report from Nora, and a second officer handcuffing a man.
Sabrina breathed a sigh of relief. “I saw you leave the concert. I didn’t think you’d still be nearby.”
Lorenzo scratched his chin. “I was halfway to the car park when I realized that my keys were missing and must have fallen out of my trouser pockets. I found them underneath the chair where I was sitting. When I was departing the second time, I saw Nora on the ground, and you in hot pursuit of someone. So naturally, I followed. What possessed you to do so? What if the man had been armed?”
Sabrina winced. “I wasn’t thinking. It just happened, and at the time, retrieving the violin was all that mattered.”
Lorenzo mumbled under his breath. Sabrina recognized the Italian words for “reckless” and “worried.” He maneuvered himself closer to her. His body was a giant furnace. She shivered, not realizing how chilled her limbs had grown.
“I understand this may be a violation of your personal space, but do I have your permission to assist you in sitting up? We need to ascertain the extent of your injuries.” His eyes, a shade of molten butterscotch, darted back and forth over her body.
“By all means. Anything to get out of the mud quicker.”
He’s taking the words straight out of Mr. Willoughby’s mouth. I’d laugh, but it would hurt.
Lorenzo unbuttoned the cuffs of his dress shirt and rolled them up to his elbows. He positioned one hand around her neck, and the second hand behind her back. “On the count of three. Uno, due, tre.”
Sabrina felt as if her body was constructed from concrete blocks, so she was grateful for the assistance. Everything was exceedingly heavy and stiff. Lorenzo’s hands reassured her that she wouldn’t topple back over.
“Any dizziness, blurriness, or ringing sounds?”
Sabrina bit her lip. “No to all three. I did hear some ringing when I first landed in the mud, but it dissipated.”
Lorenzo’s lips thinned. “You may have a mild concussion. I’ll ring a doctor once I see you and my sister safely home. Are you in any pain?”
Sabrina ran through an assessment of her body. “For now, I’m achy and stiff.”
Nora joined them. Though her face was pale, she appeared to be, as Lorenzo had said, unharmed. “Sabrina! You poor thing, are you all right?”
“Rock solid. It will take more than dogs, a rogue wave, an unplanned swim in a freezing cave, and now a thief to get rid of me.” She couldn’t hold back a giggle at the utter ridiculousness of every encounter she seemed to have with Nora’s brother. “You should charge interest on the number of rescues you’ll be required to perform on me before I leave Italy.”
Nora covered her mouth with her hand. “I’ll do you one better. Would you care to have a personal bodyguard attached to your side?”
“Very funny.” Lorenzo crossed his arms. “Speaking of which, Leonora, where is your detail? Wasn’t it a part of the agreement with Father that anytime you are out at night you—”
Nora waved her hands. “Yes, we’ll discuss it when we’re in private. For the record, Ididhave Gerardo present backstage. I sent him home after the concert.”
Sabrina opened and closed her mouth several times. “I think I’d rather be wrapped in a suit of bubble wrap than have a permanent shadow attached to me.”
