Page 558 of Reign

She grips me harder. “Luciano—”

“If they see me, they’ll follow me. If they see you, they’ll come here.” I keep my voice controlled even as footsteps disturb the brush above us. “I cannot fight them while they know where you are.”

Her breathing breaks.

I pull my phone from my pocket and press it into her hand.

“Call Rafael. Tell him to track the phone. He’s less than five minutes away.”

“Luciano, don’t—”

“I’m coming back.”

She shakes her head hard enough that tears spill down her cheeks.

I wipe one away with my thumb.

“You have to let me protect you, mi vida.”

“I need you to come back,” her shaky voice almost breaks me.

“I will.”

“Promise me.”

I pull her forward and kiss her.

There is no time to make it gentle. My mouth closes over hers once, hard enough that she feels the promise even if she can’t believe it yet.

“I will always come back to you.”

A branch snaps above us.

I press my forehead to hers.

“Call Rafael. Keep the light off after he answers. Stay inside until you hear my voice or his.”

Her fingers loosen one at a time.

Leaving her takes more strength than anything waiting for me out there.

I rise and walk away before I can look back.

The phone begins dialing behind me as I leave the culvert.

I move toward the wreck, drawing my gun from beneath my jacket.

Light passes between the trees above.

Four men descend the embankment in a broken line, weapons already raised. They believe the crash injured us badly enough to make this easy.

I step far enough from the culvert to make myself visible.

One of them sees me.

He raises his gun.

I fire first.