The sound of police sirens is loud in the air.
“We have to go,” Dimitri says, storming over to the car and practically dragging Luca with him. After a beat, Alek follows. He knows that he can’t save me from inside a prison cell.
So he has to walk away to help save me later.
But I don’t want to be saved.
Gabriel takes my hand and tugs me in the opposite direction.
“Where are we going?” I ask, trying not to look back. Trying not to get another glimpse of Alek.
“We need a car. I don’t want to talk to the police.”
“But we were the ones who were shot at.”
“Yes. But I am a well-known mafia man. It won’t look good. Come on.” He pulls me along towards the nearest parking garage. It’s easy for Gabriel to find a nondescript car and break into it by picking the lock.
“Do you just keep a lock pick on you at all times?” I ask.
He gives me a sly grin and that tells me everything I need to know. We get into the car and he easily hotwires it.
“Is there anything you can’t do?”
“I can do pretty much anything.” There’s a sexual innuendo in his tone that makes a heat rise to my face.
We get out of the parking lot with no problems.
“What do we do about the car?” I ask. My heart is pounding from the thrill of everything. This is the most excitement I’ve had in a long time.
“We ditch it and move on. We’re not far from my house. I’ll call one of my guys to come pick it up and deal with it.”
Just like a dead body. Like all the dead bodies Gabriel has left in his wake.
“How many people have you killed?” I ask.
He does a double take before turning back to the road. “You’ve never asked me that before.”
“I never cared to. You used to scare me.”
“Now I don’t?”
“You know you don’t. I wouldn’t have let you touch me otherwise if you did. But I don’t even know how many lives you’ve taken. What kind of man I’m married to.”
“All you need to worry about is whether I’ll protect you and I will. You’re mine now, Susanna. I will keep you safe from anyone who would do you harm.”
“Even if that person is yourself?”
He hesitates. “I wouldn’t go that far. But from everyone else, yes. I will. I won’t let any one of my men hurt you ever again.”
“So no more locking me up in a cage?”
“You agreed to marry me. So yes, no more locking you up in a cage. You’ll stand at my side. You already chose me when you stood in front of me and almost took a bullet for me. Why did you do that anyway? I never thought you were the selfless type.”
I stare out the window, unable to look at him. There’s too much knowing in Gabriel’s eyes. “You like me for me. That’s the reason I did it. So it was a selfish decision. I’m not sure I’ll ever find anyone who will accept me like you have.”
“So, you settled for me then, is that it?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I just know that… I don’t want to live in this world that you don’t live in. That doesn’t mean I’m still not conflicted. I miss my family. But they were always going to see me the same way. You’ve given me the chance to grow and change and I want to take it.”
