"Can you walk?" I ask her.
She nods against my neck.
It's not safe not holding a gun.
I set her down carefully. Keep my arm around her waist. She sways. Her legs shake.
"I've got you." I pull her closer. Take her weight.
Nico moves ahead of us. His gun raised. Checking corners.
I lift my gun from the ground.
We make our way back through the warehouse. Vittoria leans heavily against me. Each step is slow. Careful.
My men wait outside. Weapons drawn. Scanning the area.
Pietro's SUV pulls up. He gets out. His face is stone.
Then he sees Vittoria.
"Are you hurt Vee?" he demands.
"My head." Her voice is small. Broken. "They hit me. When they grabbed me."
White-hot rage floods through me.
Someone hit her. Someone put their hands on her. Someone made her cry.
I'm going to find them. I'm going to make them beg for death.
"We need to get her to a hospital," Nico says.
"No." Vittoria grips my jacket. "No hospitals. Please. I just want to go home."
Pietro steps closer. His hand touches her shoulder. Gentle. "Vittoria?—"
"Please." She looks at him. Tears still streaming down her face. "I just want to go home."
He studies her. Then nods. "Okay. We'll take you home."
I lift her again. She doesn't protest. Just curls against my chest.
"My car," I tell Yuri.
He brings the SUV around.
I slide into the back seat with Vittoria still in my arms. She won't let go. Won't stop shaking.
Nico gets in on the other side.
The SUV pulls away from the warehouse.
I hold Vittoria. Stroke her hair. Whisper in Russian that she's safe. That I have her. That no one will hurt her again.
She cries against my chest. Her tears soak through my shirt.
And I make a silent vow.
