***
The next morning, after an exhausting round of convincing Carlo that pregnancy wasn’t some illness that meant I had to be locked up at home, I finally made it to work. Staying active made me feel alive, positive, and I intended to keep working for as long as I had the energy.
As soon as I stepped into my office, that same strange scent hit me again, the one that had been bothering me for days. It was faint but persistent, clinging to the air around the fresh roses on my table. But I knew roses didn’t smell like that. I meant to ask my assistant about it, but before I could, the managers’ meeting started, and the thought slipped away.
On the drive home, the odd smell seemed to follow me, so much that I started to wonder if someone had spilled perfume all over my jacket. But the moment we pulled into the driveway, all thoughts of the scent vanished.
Carlo was outside, playing with Diablo. The sight of them together, Diablo practically nuzzling into Carlo like some overgrown lapdog, was almost funny. The second I stepped out of the car, Carlo let go of Diablo and started walking toward me, smiling.
Then a strong gust of wind swept across the yard. Everything changed in an instant. Carlo’s grin vanished from his face. Panic flashed in his eyes, and then he turned on his heel, fast and sharp.
“Diablo, NO!” Carlo’s voice cracked like a gunshot—
But it was too late.
Diablo darted past Carlo with terrifying speed, closing the distance between us in two massive leaps. Before I could react, his powerful body slammed into mine, knocking me to the ground. Pain exploded through me as his jaws clamped down on my shoulder.
I screamed, the sound sharp and raw, but it was swallowed by Diablo’s savage growling.His teeth tore through my jacket and sank straight into bone. Agony like I’d never known shot through me.
Carlo grabbed Diablo’s head, shouting, “Let go! Let her go!” But the dog wouldn’t release me. His massive jaws dragged me along the ground, shredding my shoulder and pulling another cry from deep inside me.
A voice I didn’t recognize shouted, “His jaw’s locked! He won’t let go!”
Before the words fully registered, a gunshot cracked the airand the pressure vanished. I collapsed to the ground, gasping, my lungs clawing for air.
Through the haze, I saw Diablo’s body hit the dirt, lifeless, silent. My heart shattered as much as my flesh when I saw Carlo gripping the gun, frozen in place, staring at the dog he’d loved so deeply.
I whimpered, torn between the searing pain and the horror of what had happened.
Carlo snapped out of it. He rushed to me, his hands trembling as he scooped me into his arms. I’d never seen him like that, his face twisted in panic, pure terror. He carried me to the car and climbed into the back with me, holding me against his chest. Blood soaked my clothes.The moment he sat down, the car screeched to life and peeled out.
He pressed a cloth to my shoulder, but his hands wouldn’t stop shaking. “Stay with me, baby,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Please. Just hold on.”
I placed a weak hand on my stomach. My voice barely made it out. “Our baby, Carlo...”
His whole body went rigid. “Everything will be fine. Our little doll’s going to be safe. You’ll be safe too. I promise. I swear. It’s all going to be fine, okay?”
He kissed my cheek over and over, every touch desperate and frantic. Then he barked at the driver, “Drive faster!”
The car lurched forward, but I could feel my strength slipping. I was losing too much blood. My vision blurred. My shoulder throbbed, the pain spreading through every nerve.
Carlo noticed instantly. He shook me gently, his voice trembling. “Hey, hey! Don’t close your eyes. You hear me? Baby, look at me. Stay with me.”
I forced my eyes open, locking on his damp gaze. And in that moment, I needed to comforthim.
“Don’t be scared, Carlo,” I whispered. “Everything’s going to be fine. The baby and I… we’ll be okay.”
He brushed my hair back from my forehead, nodding like he believed me, but I could see the fear written all over him. “Yeah. Everything’s going to be fine. Stay awake for me, baby. Just keep your eyes on me.”
I wanted to. God, I wanted to. But the pain, the exhaustion, it was too much. My eyelids grew heavier. I fought, but I couldn’t hold on. The last thing I felt was Carlo’s head pressed to my chest. His warm breath. His quiet sobs. Then everything went dark.
THIRTY-THREE
Carlo
I laid my head on Emily’s chest, straining to hear her heartbeat, my hands trembling like hell. The car screeched to a stop, and Maxim jumped out, returning seconds later with a stretcher. A team of nurses rushed over, lifted her, and disappeared inside the clinic.
I followed but one of the nurses blocked me at the operating room door. “You can’t go any further. She needs surgery immediately.”
