Page 18 of Roped By Ryan

I type a quick reply, my fingers flying over the screen.

Me

Hurry up. I miss you like crazy.

I set the phone down and glance around the office. Knowing she’s on her way changes everything. The silence is no longer oppressive; it’s a prelude to her return. I start tidying up, not that there’s much to do, but it keeps my hands busy and my mind focused.

I’m finishing up the last of my reports, the final numbers lining up neatly on the screen, when my phone buzzes on the table. I glance at the caller ID and see Lorenzo’s name. My heart drops as I instantly know something isn’t right. I pick up the phone, but before I can even say hello, his frantic voice bursts through the speaker.

“Ryan, they’ve made a move on Michela.”

“What?” I ask, my heart dropping to my toes.

“The Grimaldis. They ran her car off the road. I can’t reach her bodyguards. I have a position on the car, and I’m on my way.”

My stomach clenches. I’m already out of my seat, grabbing my keys. “Text me the coordinates. I’m on my way.”

The text from him comes through before I finish speaking.

“I’m on my way,” I assure him, my voice steady even as fear grips me.

I rush out the door, sprinting to my car. The keys jingle in my hand, and I fumble for a moment before I can find the button to press that opens my door. I barely take a breath before the engine roars to life beneath my hands. One word echoes through my mind on a constant loop—Michela. She has to be okay. She has to. I punch the coordinates into the GPS as I tear out of the driveway.

I drive down the deserted back roads, and every second feels like an eternity. My heart nearly beats out of my chest as I race toward my girl.

“She was only three miles from your house,” Lorenzo’s voice crackles through the car’s speakers, and I realize I never hung up the phone. “Her car veered off near the old bridge.”

Images of Michela, scared and hurt, flash through my mind. I grip the wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white. She has to be okay. She has to. I can’t fucking survive without her.

I take the winding roads way too fucking fast. Finally, the GPS announces that I’m close. I slow down, scanning the area until I spot skid marks leading off the road, leading down a sharp embankment.

I see a black sports car pull up to the spot ahead of me. As I’m pulling over, Lorenzo and several huge men dressed in black hop out of the other car. I barely put the car in park before I hop out and run to the edge of the road, looking down at the wreckage. The black limousine is there, crumpled against a tree.

“Motherfucker,” Lorenzo roars as we slip and slide down the embankment, our feet slipping on the loose dirt. Driven by sheer adrenaline, I reach the car first. “Michela!” I shout, my pulse hammering in my ears as I pull the back door open. She’s lying against the far door, and I quickly take inventory of her, not finding any obvious injuries.

Her eyes flutter open, dazed but conscious. “Ryan?” When she lifts her head, I see a bruise next to her temple.

“Are you seriously hurt?” I ask as I lean into the car.

“Don’t lift her until we make sure she doesn’t have any internal injuries,” Lorenzo calls behind me.

“I didn’t hit that hard,” Michela assures me. “My purse flew up and hit me in the head, but the seatbelt kept me from getting injured.”

“Thank God.” I’m able to take a deep breath for the first time since Lorenzo called. “I’m here. It’s going to be okay.”

I unbuckle her seatbelt and lift her against my body, relaxing slightly when I feel her strong heartbeat against my chest. She snuggles into my hold. “They came out of nowhere.”

“I know, I know,” I say, my voice soothing as I run my hands over her sweet body. “We need to get you out of here.”

Lorenzo pushes his way past his two men, and I realize I’ve never seen my friend this frantic. “Are you okay?” He runs his fingerover the dark purple bruise at her left temple, and I can see the rage filling his eyes.

“I’m scared silly, but I’m not badly hurt.” Michela leans her head against my shoulder. “How are the driver and Andrew?”

My softhearted little kitten is worried about the driver and the bodyguard in the front seat.

“We’re checking on them now.” Lorenzo smiles at her. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“She needs medical attention.” I hold her closer and push my way back up the embankment. The adrenaline coursing through me makes the climb easier.

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