Page 106 of Hidden By His Side

Pain slammed into his middle even as a second shot came, hitting his chest, breaking his momentum. Ramiro’s vision dimmed. His body fell against the wall, sliding down, no longer obeying his need to keep moving, to get to Summer.

The room faded around him, becoming the garbled sounds of a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from. He screamed from the clear, sharp terror of knowing he was going to fail.

“Goddammit!” Ovidio snarled. “He’s supposed to suffer!”

Flesh hit flesh, and Summer’s pained cry mixed with Ramiro’s own.

“Is he still alive?” Ovidio’s voice sounded calmer now. “Check him.”

Hands dragged his body upright, and Ramiro tried to open his eyes, tried to see Summer one last time.

Her sobs dragged his gaze to her. Ovidio pulled her head back. She was still naked, vulnerable. “Let him see you, sweetheart.” He yanked on her hair, making her cry out again.

Ramiro tried to shout but all that came out was a gurgle of sound.

Ovidio’s satisfaction fell. “Fucking hell.” He released her, and Summer sprawled to the bed, but she only stayed there for a second before she ran to Ramiro, throwing her body over his.

“Don’t hurt him! I’ll do anything.” The last came out as a broken gasp. Summer shook against him, and the pain inside Ramiro spiked.

Ovidio crouched behind her, gripping her throat to haul her back, making her words choke off. “You’ll do anything either way. Take her.”

Ramiro’s body slumped to the floor, but he got his hands to claw into the carpet and dragged himself just a little closer to her.

A hand closed around his jaw in a painful squeeze, lifting his head. He struggled to shift his eyes to Summer, wanting to see her. She needed to be the last thing he saw.

Ovidio filled his vision instead. “You look like shit, Rodriguez. You’re going to die, but you’ll die knowing exactly what I’m going to do to her.” He leaned forward, whispering right into Ramiro’s ear. “I’m going to rape her. I’ll rape her in every hole she has, as many times as I want. Once I’m tired of her, I’ll carve her open and rip out that baby she’s growing. Don’t think I didn’t notice. You killed my son. I’ll kill your child and then send the broken pieces of your woman to join you both down in hell.”

Ramiro’s gaze found Summer’s. She was being dragged away. Her sobs shredded him inside.

Ovidio was in front of him. Ovidio had shot him. He was probably still holding that damn gun. Ramiro scrambled for it. His hands, slick with blood, nearly slid off.

Ovidio laughed, and the next bullet went through Ramiro’s hand. He was too numb now to feel it. Summer screamed, her voice fading into the darkness that had taken over his mind.

Chapter 32

The men had dragged Summer out of the room by the time she heard the last shot.

“Ramiro!” she screamed.

The pain ripping her open inside was so much worse when he didn’t cry out. His silence was terrifying, and her voice broke on her next scream.

Pain bloomed across her face, whipping her head to the side. The shock of it chased her voice away, and her body went limp.

She was naked, and the hands on her were making her skin crawl.

Ramiro was gone. No, he couldn’t be gone. He said he’d always protect her.

“Get her in the damn car.” It was the voice from before. The voice of the older man who had used her to hurt Ramiro. Ovidio Guzman.

The door to their home stood wide open. Only it wasn’t their home anymore, was it? It couldn’t be if Ramiro was dead.

She got a glimpse of the gate beyond the car she was shoved inside. The gate was bent and broken, just as she would be soon.

Summer let the thought skitter away. Ovidio Guzman got into the car with her. He didn’t reach for her. He sat staring out the window, barely looking at her at all.

She lashed out, scraping her nails down his face. The slap she earned in return made her fall back to the seats. A hand gripped her throat, and she couldn’t breathe.

“You’re fucking worthless to me now. He’s already dead.”

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