He didn’t meet my eyes. “I have to go out there and kill as many of them as I can. I won’t let them get to you, Nora.”
“But you need a vest.” Why wasn’t he looking at me?
“I’ll get one from the armory.”
My heart twisted. “You promised you’d never lie to me,” I accused. “You always keep your promises, Dante. Look at me!” I shrieked the last, fear for him tearing at my insides.
His emerald eyes pierced my soul, glittering with a fervent, desperate light. He cupped my cheeks in both hands.
“I swore to protect you, Nora. That’s the only promise that matters now. You’re all that matters to me.”
I grabbed his wrists as though I possessed the strength to tether him to me.
“Don’t go,” I begged.
“I would die for you,” he vowed.
“No one is dying!” Tears made my voice break. “I already told you that. I’m not going to allow it.”
He surged toward me, sealing my lips with a fierce, desperate kiss. I wrapped myself around him, as though I could anchor him to me forever.
It lasted only a few seconds. He easily broke free from my hold and turned to Luca.
“Don’t let her follow me.”
“I won’t.”
Luca’s brawny arms closed around me in a protective cage.
“You’ll come back to me,” I demanded. “Promise me you’ll come back.”
Dante pressed one final kiss to the top of my head and murmured in my ear. “Goodbye, little bird.”
Then he was striding away from me, storming toward the men who might hurt me with murderous intent.
“Dante!” I twisted against the iron shackles of Luca’s arms. “Let me go!”
“No, Nora,” he said, gentle but firm. “He’s made his choice. You’ll be safe here with me.”
“No!” I protested, furious. “That’s not a choice he gets to make.”
“He’ll come back to you if he can,” Luca said, trying to soothe me. “He’s a cunning, ruthless bastard. He’s hard to kill.”
“But he?—”
“He would kill me slowly if I allowed you to go after him.” Luca cut me off with the blunt truth. “And I won’t allow it. We’re staying right here.”
A distant scream pierced my chest, even though it was barely audible at this distance.
“Giana!” I tried to go to my sister, but Luca held me in that unbreakable grip.
“I won’t risk you,” he growled. “You’re not going anywhere.”
I twisted to face him, so that he could see the stark truth shining from my eyes. “I will never forgive you if anything happens to her. I love you, but she’s my sister. Without her, my world is meaningless. I can’t lose her.”
I’d spent my whole life protecting my fragile, sweet-natured sister. If I didn’t have her to defend, I didn’t know how I’d exist. The need to protect her gave me strength I never would’ve possessed otherwise. Without her, I’d shatter into a million pieces, and even Luca and Dante wouldn’t be able to put me back together again.
Dante. My heart ached for him. He’d lost his brother. For a terrible moment, I understood the full, devastating horror of his loss.
