Page 54 of Savage Prince

“No,” I hiss. Then with a big push that has his eyes snapping open, I manage to roll him over onto his back.

A sharp groan purses his lips.

“Who did this?”

“I’m not sure…”

“Look at me!” I shout, clapping my hands on his cheeks, and I can’t help my gaze from drifting to his mouth. My thoughts fly back to that kiss… Dark, unfocused eyes finally latch onto mine, and I force the traitorous thoughts away. “Okay, who doesn’t really matter right now, but Idoneed you to stand up. Hell, I don’t care if you crawl, but we need to get out of here now.” The heat of the fire licks up my back as the shrubbery to our right is consumed in flames.

“Go,” he rasps out again, clutching his left shoulder. Blood trickles from between his fingers.

“Not without you.”

He blinks slowly as if he can’t quite follow what I’m saying.

“Whoever did this is coming after me, too, youstronzo. They’re already headed to the town center to find me. I won’t get out of this by myself, and you won’t get what you want fromPapàwithout me.”

His brows furrow as he regards me, and his chest heaves from the effort of lifting his head up. “It’s over,” he whispers. “You’re free.”

“I am not free, you stubborn asshole. This is all your fault, and you are the one that’s going to get me out of this mess. Now pick your ass up off the ground, and let’s get out of here.”

That half smile reappears for only an instant before he winces through another pang.

My gaze runs down the length of his jeans. Some blood splatter but looks minimal. “Are your legs okay?”

He nods, then lifts his hand off the wound right below his collarbone, just shy of his heart. “The bullet went through here. It’s clean, in and out.”

“Good, then you should be able to walk just fine.”

His dark eyes settle over my shoulder on the blazing inferno behind me. “It’s over. Just let me die here.”

“No,” I grit out.

“Why not? It’s what I deserve, isn’t it?”

I shake my head. “No one deserves to be burnt alive, Antonio, regardless of the sins you keep on some mental list to torture yourself. We all have them. Now, let’s get the hell out of here and if we survive this and you still want to die, I’d be more than happy to put a bullet in your head.” I throw him a smirk. “Clean and easy.”

A rueful smile curls the corners of his lips, igniting a spark in those dark eyes more brilliant than the starry sky. “What’s your escape plan,tesoro?”

“Let’s just get to the boat, and then I’ll fill you in.”

With a frustrated, or maybe pained, sigh, he rolls over again, then pushes himself up to stand. A groan slides through his clenched teeth as he straightens. With my bum ankle, I’m not exactly any help. He grits through the pain, clutching the wound, and we stagger toward the lake and away from the ever-expanding inferno.

“Mariuccia and Fabi?” I whisper once the heat of the flames on my back lessens to a more tolerable level.

“Dead,” he whispers.

The pain is sharp and quick. I swallow it down just as fast. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” he mutters.

We stagger through the foliage on the east side of the estate, the part that has miraculously avoided the brunt of the destruction. I lead the way, limping along through the underbrush, the pain in my ankle starting to rush back. Not that the crutches would have been an option in this terrain. At least I still have the bandage keeping the joint in place.

“The boat is secure?” he huffs out once we’re clear of the house.

“Yeah. They came to check it out, but luckily, they left me and it alone.”

“They who?” He whirls at me, eyes suddenly wide.

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