Love you too. Be careful.
I smiled at my phone. He worried. But not in the controlling way my father had. In the protective way someone worried when they loved you and wanted you safe.
I was putting my phone away when I noticed them.
Three men. Moving purposefully down the sidewalk. Not looking at me directly but trajectory aimed right at where I was standing.
Something felt wrong. Off. Predatory.
"Julian Bianchi?"
I looked up. They were closer now. Two steps away. Moving fast.
Before I could respond, they raised their hands. Small guns. Not normal guns. Tranquilizer guns.
Everything happened in seconds.
My security detail moved. Reached for their weapons. Shouted warnings.
The men fired. Quick succession. Pfft. Pfft. Pfft. Pfft.
Both my guards dropped. Didn't even get their guns drawn. Just collapsed like puppets with cut strings.
I ran. Or tried to. Turned toward the coffee shop entrance. Toward Stefan. Toward safety.
Felt a sting in my neck. Sharp. Burning.
No. No no no. This wasn't happening.
I reached for the dart. Pulled it out. Threw it down.
But the damage was done. Whatever was in it was already spreading through my system.
My legs went weak. Knees buckled. I grabbed the building to stay upright.
One of the men caught me. Strong arms around my chest. Lifting me.
"Got him. Move."
I tried to fight. Tried to scream for Stefan. Tried to do anything.
But my body wasn't responding. Muscles going slack. Vision blurring. Sounds becoming distant and muffled.
Elio. I needed to tell Elio. Needed to—
The world tilted. Sideways. Then gray. Then black.
My last conscious thought was his name.
Elio.
Then nothing.
***
Darkness.
Complete darkness.
