Page 6 of Stolen Union

I readjust Gabriella and take off running toward the right exit. My men are waiting outside for me. I just need to get there.

Of course, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.

“Let her go, Dante,” Massimo says, standing in my way, pointing his gun at me.

“You can shoot. But then you might end up hitting Gabriella. Can you risk that?”

Massimo’s eyes flick to Gabriella and back to me. “You know I can’t. But I’m not letting you leave with my sister.”

“Then I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I am leaving with her.”

“No, you’re not,” Gabriella says, hitting the back of my head. She’s wiggling like crazy.

Then someone slams into my back, knocking Gabriella out of my arms. She falls onto the ground.

“Got him!” It’s Emilio.

I aim my gun down and fire. Emilio cries out and backs away with his foot bleeding. Massimo runs at me, but I reach Gabriella before he can get to me and use her body as a shield.

Massimo stops. Emilio is bent over, breathing hard from his foot injury. And there’s Rocco, charging forward.

“You’re seriously using me as a shield?” Gabriella asks. “Coward.”

“Not a coward,” I murmur into her ear. I can feel her shiver. “Genius. Your brothers won’t fire at me with you in front of me.”

“You can fire!” she shouts to her brothers. “It’s ok.”

Rocco growls. “You know we’re not going to do that. Dante, let Gabriella go.”

“I don’t feel like it.” I nod at my other men in the room, who come running forward. They aim their guns at all three De Luca brothers. “You’re outmatched this time. If you don’t want to die, don’t come after me. I’m taking Gabriella. I promise to take real good care of her.”

I slowly back up to the exit, dragging Gabriella with me. She’s trying to fight against me, but I’m stronger. I stick my gun into her back. “Stop struggling.”

“Never,” she snarls.

“Don’t make me shoot you.”

“You won’t do that. If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already. You want me alive.”

Damn it. She’s right.

Still, this would be easier if she’d stop fighting me. So, I bring the butt of my gun and hit her in the head. She slumps into my arms. I didn’t want to hurt her, but I need to get out of here with her, and I can’t have her fighting me.

The pain in Rocco’s eyes as he watches me take his sister away is so sweet; I’ll be able to survive on it for days. With one last smile at the De Luca brothers, I take Gabriella through the exit and into the parking lot. The black van is waiting for me.

I quickly get Gabriella inside and motion for my driver, Jared, to take off. I glimpse Rocco bursting through the doors and trying to run after the van, but he’s only human. Eventually, we drive away, leaving the hotel behind until it’s a speck and Rocco can’t even be seen anymore.

I stare down at Gabriella, who has passed out in my van. I did it. I captured her again.

Now, I just need to make her mine, which will torture Rocco in the process, and all will be well in the world.

Gabriella wakes up after a few minutes, gasping as she sits up. “What the hell did you do to me?”

I lean back against the van wall as I look at her. God, she’s fucking gorgeous. Her hair is messed up and her dress winkled, but she still appears elegant. “I hit you in the head,” I tell her.

“How can you say that so casually?”

“Because you wouldn’t stop fighting me while I was trying to get you out of there.”

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