Page 30 of Stolen Union

“Who sent you?” I ask, sticking my gun against his jaw.

He only smiles and laughs.

“Who sent you?”

“Rocco is coming for you. I told him where this cabin is. He’ll find his sister soon.”

I shoot him through the jaw, killing him instantly. Then I let his body drop to the ground before running inside to see Gabriella sitting at the kitchen table, looking alert.

“I heard gunshots,” she says.

“Come on.” I grab her hand and pull her up. “We’re leaving.”

“Why?” Then her eyes widen. “My brother knows where I am, doesn’t he?”

“Yes. So, let’s go now.”

She pulls away from me, staring me down. “Is this my choice? To leave with you?”

“Fine. You want a choice? Ok. I’ll leave you here. I’ll make my escape. But then we’ll never be together again. Is that what you want? Because if it is, I’ll leave right now without you. But if you want to be with me, Gabriella, then we need to leave. Right now.”

Her eyes flick back and forth over my face before she nods. “Ok. I’ll go with you.”

She grabs my hand.

CHAPTER 15

Gabriella

This is crazy. I can’t believe I’m about to run away with Dante to avoid my brothers finding me. I should want to be found. Dante kidnapped me.

And yet, I don’t feel like a prisoner.

I feel free to do whatever I want, and what I want is to be with Dante.

He nods at my dress. “You have to change first. You stand out too much.” He tosses a bag full of clothes in my direction.

I pull out a simple cotton shirt and jeans and slip them on right before Dante. He eyes me over as I take off my wedding dress and throw it across the room. There’s no need for it anymore. I quickly change into my new clothes, and then we head off.

I stop in the driveway when I see the dead body of a man. “Who’s that?”

“Someone your brothers sent to look for you. He knows you were here. I’m betting he told your brothers before I could kill him.” He reaches down and grabs a phone out of the dead man’s pocket, then smashes it onto the ground. “There. Hopefully, they won’t be able to track that.”

I know I should be disturbed by the sight of the dead man, but I’ve seen my fair share of death. It’s nothing new to me.

“Where are we going to go?” I ask once we’re in the van and leaving the cabin behind.

“Well, first, I need to find a new car for us. Your brothers will be looking for a van.”

“And then what? Where will we go after that?”

“I have another safe house we can go to. It’s just a matter of getting to it before your brothers find us.”

My heart skips a beat. “So, we’re really doing this. We’re on the run.”

“I can’t believe you’re coming with me willingly and not kicking and screaming.”

“That’s because I don’t want to be a doll locked away forever. That’s what will happen if Rocco finds me. He’ll never let me out of his sight again, and all I want is freedom. Freedom to do whatever I want.” I pause. “Whoever I want.”

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