“I’m so sorry, baby.” She keeps shaking her head, panting like she is about to hyperventilate.
“Tell me who did it, Kat? What did you see? Where is the boss?” Julian asks, and I catch a glimpse of some emotion in his eyes that I can’t pin.
“I-I.. don’t know. They were wearing police uniforms. Mateo, h-he mentioned your name… before he.. Before they....” She looks up at me, eyes welling with tears as if they’re searching for something, anything to put her out of her misery.
I don’t like that look at all, and I want it gone.
“Fuck!” Julian curses before pulling out his phone and walking out, barking orders at it. “I need backup. I need people at the boss’s place NOW, everyone we’ve got!” He shouts into his phone.
“We need to go,” I tell Gio, and I try to help Katarina up, but she winces in pain.
“What hurts? Are you shot?” I ask, and she says, “No. My shoulder, I think I broke it.”
“That’s it, you are coming with me.” I grab her cheeks so she can look at me when I say it.
“You’re safe now.” She looks up, biting her lips, trying to hold back her sobs before nodding. I reach behind her and pick her up.
Gio rushes before us, and Julian watches our backs as we take the elevator to the basement.
“Take us to my place.” Gio nods and opens the SUV's door. I settle Kat in the backseat and notice she has passed out, probably from the pain.
“Call a doctor, I need someone to check on her.”
Julian settles on the front seat and pulls out his phone to call someone.
“Any news?” I ask, looking at Julian through the rearview mirror.
His features darken as he says, “The guys are on their way to their penthouse.”
When we’re on the road, I take a deep breath. I look at the woman beside me as she lays her bloodied face on my chest and try to keep the manic rage I feel in control.
These fuckers don’t know what’s coming for them.
Chapter 7
Katarina
“Kat! Kat, come here.” The voice of a little boy echoes in the distance as I whip around.
“Mateo?” I call out, but I don’t hear my voice. Instead, I hear a little girl's voice.
“Come here! I’ll show you something!” My heart warms at the realization it’s my big brother calling me: my best friend, my hero.
“What is it?!” I shout and run towards his voice. I could only see the ocean and the sand on the beach that lay before me.
“I found a crab!” he shouts back with excitement in his voice.
I run faster until I see a pyramid of sand, the top of his head peeking above it. His long, brown hair dances as the wind blows.
“Where?” I halt and stare while he’s busy digging in the sand. “Careful, it might bite you, Mateo!” I warn him.
“Look!” He raises his hands, holding two sticks together, clamping a baby crab in them. I squeal, and he bursts out laughing.
“Don’t worry, it doesn’t bite!” he says, then places the crace on the sand. We watch it crawl sideways, and Mateo imitates its movements. I start laughing and join him. We laugh and hold hands following the crab as it makes its way to the water.
We stop when the water reaches our feet.
“This is as far as we go!” he says, pulling my hand.
