Page 50 of The Taker

“I’ll need you to let go of them. I don’t want either of them blocking the bullet when I shoot you this time. You’re going to die tonight, Rocco.”

Maybe I will, but it’s worth it to know my Lionheart is safe. The day he moved in, I set up a trust fund for him and each of his sisters. They’ll be provided for if I die tonight.

“I want both of you to leave through the front door, now. No arguments,” I order them. Julia leaves, but Leo stands tall with his hand on his hip. I can tell he’s going to be stubborn about this.

“No. We leave together or not at all.”

“Leo, be smart. Who’s going to care for your sisters if you die? Get the fuck out of here, NOW!”

“No!” he says again.

“Fuck it, I’ll just kill both of you. But you’ll go first, Rocco. I want to see the pain in Leo’s eyes as you meet your untimely fate.” Ronan aims his gun right at my heart and pulls the trigger.

I fall from the impact of the bullet, and hit my head on the hardwood floor. Leo starts screaming, and I hear another bullet. It all happens so fast, I don’t realize what’s happening until I gather enough strength to sit up.

There’s a bullet hole in Ronan’s forehead and a splatter of blood on the wallpaper behind him. A smoking gun in Leo’s hand. Where did he even get a gun?

He raises the gun, and puts another bullet in Ronan’s chest.

“He’s dead, come on, let’s go,” I shout as I grab his hand and run toward the front door.

“How are you able to walk right now?” Leo asks.

We make it to my SUV, and I pick him up and fasten him into the passenger’s side back seat next to his sister. I knock my fist on my chest and smile at him. “Bullet proof vest. I like knives, but I know to bring a bullet proof vest to a gunfight.”

I climb into the passenger seat, and catch him rolling his eyes in disbelief in the rearview mirror. Giuseppe pulls away, speeding toward my penthouse.

17

LEO

The ride back to the penthouse is silent, apart from Rocco and Giuseppe talking and sending text messages. They’re easy enough to tune out as I watch the dashes on the road pass and get lost in my thoughts.

Rocco Vettore took a bullet for me.He stood in front of a loaded gun and risked his life to save Julia and me.Even after I escaped his penthouse against his wishes, put myself in danger, and handed over his laptop and hard drive to the enemy. Despite the fact that I blamed him for her being taken in the first place.

He told me I was his and that I’d never be able to escape him, and he kept his word.

When I saw his body hit the floor, I lost it. I shot that piece of shit dead and didn’t even care if I got caught. I thought he took the only man I loved away, and the thought of a life without him drove me insane.

The yellow dashes on the road pass by me and I stare out the window and think about what this means for us. Thank fuck he’s still alive. The question is, will he still want me? Can we still be together after everything that happened?

Rocco and Julia walk to the elevator, leaving me with Giuseppe. He doesn’t say a word to me as we make our way back up.

“Girl, that duct tape isn’t a good look. Not sure how the doc is going to take that off,” he teases her.

Instead of glaring at him or cursing at him under her duct tape, she hugs him. My barbed-tongue baby sister hugs the man who she said—and I quote—is ruining our lives.

He pats her on the back, then nudges her off. Once we get inside, I find the open-concept living space is filled with people. His cousins, father, soldiers, and a beautiful curvy woman with the most luscious, shiny hair I’ve ever seen. She’s sitting with Lulu doing arts and crafts at the kitchen island. They’re both laughing and smiling as they paint a canvas together.

Rocco looks at Julia, and says “Go into your room, Doctor Caruso said he’d try to take the duct tape off.”

She’s so desperate to get that shit off her face that she runs down the hallway. Lucy pops off her island stool and follows her.

“Are you Leo Costa?” the woman asks me, with a touch of amusement in her husky voice.

“Um…yes.” I say.

She gives me a huge hug, and instead of being caught off guard, it’s one of the most comforting things I’ve ever experienced.

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