Page 86 of Runaway Queen

“No, prom queen, it’s nothing to do with that. This is more personal than that.”

Horror dawned through me.

“It’s Antonio, isn’t it? It’s my father. He’s making good on his threat.” My face was going numb. My entire body was following. Only Nikolai’s hold on me kept me upright.

Nikolai nodded. “It’s time for me to go back to Casa Nera, Sofia. It’s time to finish what we started seven years ago.”

“He’ll kill you. He’ll kill Leo, and then you, too.” I was babbling.

“No, he won’t. He won’t get the chance. Do you trust me?”

His question broke through the screaming chaos in my head.

“Yes.”

I knew the answer without having to think about it.

“I’ll get our son back, unharmed. Antonio doesn’t want him, he wants me.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Whatever I have to.”

“You’ll die. He’ll kill you.”

He pulled me close and kissed my cheeks. “Don’t forget, prom queen. It’s better to die than do nothing.”

* * *

I wentin the ambulance with Bran. Nikolai followed behind us. The paramedic in charge didn’t like my rapid breathing and paleness. He was checking my blood pressure when I passed out. I couldn’t help it. I hadn’t seen someone hurt, really hurt, in a long time. Bran’s face was pale and bloodless, and his abdomen was a mess. He’d been shot in the stomach. I could only guess that it had been with a silencer, since Nikolai and I hadn’t heard anything. We’d only been feet away in the garage, and we’d missed it all.

Guilt choked me, and the sight of Bran’s dark blood welling up and dripping to the floor of the ambulance made me think of Leo. I fell into the darkness gratefully.

When I woke up, a stranger was sitting beside my bed. I shot up, and he flinched.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Andrei. I work for your husband,” he said, voice gravelly.

Worked for Nikolai? He only got to town a week ago.

“Where is he?”

Andrei was silent, a muscle ticking in his jaw. Alarm pushed me upright.

“Where is he?” I demanded.

“He has gone to take care of the problem.”

Cold dread struck me. Nikolai, and probably Angelo, had both gone and left me here. They were pursuing the men who’d taken Leo and Chiara. They were on their way to Casa Nera.

I pushed back the covers. “I have to go.”

“No, you’re to stay here. The doctor said.”

“I don’t care what the doctor said!”

“Fine, but thepalachsaid the same. I can’t let you leave.”

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