I bite my lip to hide my smirk and promise him, even though I know I will break that promise.
eighteen
Gabriel
I have a bad feeling.
The only problem is that I can’t detect whether that feeling is connected to Isabella’s kidnapping or because Valentina is joining the search.
Maybe she's safer here by my side for now. But what if something happens? Then she also will be in danger.
Valentina peers at me through her lashes. Her voice urges me to trust her. “You know I’m not made of glass, right? I can handle whatever happens. You don’t need to worry about me.”
I hide a smirk, remembering that she can actually handle anything. “I know very well how you can handle things, but I don’t want you to. I don’t want you to have to handle anything.”
She locks her eyes with mine, her voice strong. “I get that. I really do, but I’m here of my own free will. I need you to understand this. I want to be here for you and help to find Isabella.”
I exhale. I can’t argue with her right now. I need my head clear, and I tell myself that’s the reason I agree to Valentina tagging along.
We take off on her bike while she wraps her hands around my waist and her legs embrace me from my sides while we ride against the wind toward the first destination to look for Isabella. But my mind isn’t on her; it’s on the woman behind me and what I would do if anything happened to her. I have a duty toward her, a vow I took, and a promise I intend to keep. There is no love between us, not that I ever want there to be, but I’m content. That’s why I agreed to this marriage, but my duty is to protect her.
Thus far, our search has not been successful. I just hope at this last place, an old manufacturing building, we will have more luck.
“Like before, in groups of two.” I look at ten of my men. “Split p and search every corner. Be careful.”
I take Valentina and take the turn around the house. Just around the corner, the air snaps beside me as a bullet passes me. My breath steals and the rush of heat floods me, but I don’t have time think.
“Shit.” I embrace Valentina and throw us onto the floor just as another bullet hits the wall behind where we were standing.
“Stay down,” I tell her. I raise my head to see two men approaching us. I pull out my gun and shoot back. When no fire is returned, I get to my feet, ready to move from the line of fire. “We need to stay low.”
I take a step and stop when another bullet misses me by an inch.
“Are you sure this is the right approach? Valentina pulls at my hand.
“Shit! I can’t see them.” I take Valentina’s hand, and with my gun in the other, I shoot as I run toward the safety of the trees. With our backs to the trees, I check my gun. Only two bullets left. I peek around and see two men approaching. My eyes search for a way out of this, and I catch sight of the dumpster toward the exit. I need to get Valentina to safety.
“I need you to run as fast as you can toward that dumpster when I say.”
She looks from the dumpster to me with furrowed brows. “No…”
Shots fire from the inside of the factory, and I can see two men approaching us. I shouldn’t have brought her with me, but it’s too late for regrets.
I close my eyes, inhale, then turn to her. “Stay here. I’m going to distract them, and when you're in the clear, run and don’t look back.” Before she can argue, I crush my mouth to hers. If I die tonight, at least I will know I did so to keep her safe. Her lips part, and our tongues clash with fear, adrenaline, and want.
I pull back. Her confused eyes meet mine. I give her a quick smile before I turn away.
“Wait,” she calls just as I aim and fire at the first guy. He doesn’t drop. I fire again, praying she listened and ran. The bullet hits him in his neck, and he finally falls. I run toward him to take his gun, but a shot has been fired at me. I duck down.
I scan the area. No sign of Valentina. The bullet struck behind my head, and I scramble to my feet in search of a hideout. I’m just a step into my run when something slams my face. The pain registers in my brain, and I lose my orientation for a second, but it’s enough for whoever hit me to have me at gunpoint.
“Make it easy for me and move so I can spill your brains, you son of a bitch.”
Fucking Albanians.
“What do we have here?” A man with a heavy accent speaks from behind me.
“Should we kill him?”
