Page 39 of His to Claim

“Why? What’s the big hur?—”

The rest of the sentence gets stuck in my throat when I hear a loud crash from the other room. It sounds like someone just broke the door down with a battering ram. I jump a mile and my stomach sinks sickeningly like I’m tipping over the first gigantic hill of a rollercoaster as Damon pulls his gun.

“Shut the door!” he hisses, rushing back toward the living room.

I wish I could say I listen well, but I don’t. Instead, I hurry after him, but it’s only because I’m scared for him and I want to help. I refuse to be a helpless female who runs and hides in the closet, hoping the bad guys don’t find her.

No way.That’s not me. As I run after Damon, I grab the racquet from my closet that I use when Angelo and I play racquetball every week, and I get ready to bash some assholes. Because I am not going down without a fight. If I’ve learned anything from my brothers, it’s to never show fear or back down in the face of a threat whether it’s in business or my personal life.

I’m not stupid, either. I know I’m probably smaller than most men and I’m not carrying a gun. Tightening my grip on the racquet’s handle, I skid to a halt in the archway leading out to the living room and momentarily freeze.

Three men are fighting Damon and in no world is that a fair fight. He’s doing a great job, swinging punches and launching kicks, but where the hell is his gun? I step forward, my gaze scanning the floor and then I see it. It lays near the couch, part of it hidden beneath, and must’ve gotten knocked out of his hands.

While Damon fights the thugs off, I sprint over to the couch. Just as I bend down to grab the gun, someone moves up behind me and shoves something into my back.

“Don’t move,” a deep voice growls.

Terror fills me because I know it must be the barrel of a gun. I automatically lift my hands in the air as Damon gives a pained shout.

Oh, God.

Glancing over my shoulder, I see him fall to the floor. His body twitches and I realize one of the thugs has taken him down with a stun gun. Panic threatens to consume me and all I can think about is his safety. If they shoot him while he’s immobilized, I will never forgive myself. Never get over it.

“Stop!” I yell. “Leave him alone!”

All eyes turn to me and I swallow hard.

“It’s me you want, not him. Don’t touch him and I’ll go with you. But if you lay one hand on him, I will fight and scream and you’ll have to shoot me dead first.”

I wave the racquet in front of me for good emphasis because I am not messing around. My gut knows Damon’s life is on the line and I need to protect him.

“Why’re you just standing there gawking? Let’s go, you idiots. Take me to Carmine Gallo like the good little thugs you are,” I taunt.

A strong hand wraps around my upper arm, squeezing it tightly. “You heard the bitch,” he growls. “The sooner we take her to Gallo, the sooner we get paid.”

“What about him?” the big guy asks, nudging a boot against Damon. Blood drips from the thug’s nose and I’m glad Damon managed to get a good hit in before the stun gun took him down.

“Leave him. He’s not our problem,” the other man responds then rips the racquet from my hands and throws it across the room. “But juice him again.”

As Gallo’s man drags me out of the apartment, I see the big guy stun Damon again then kick him hard in his side and my heart cries out. But at least I convinced them to leave him alone.He’s going to be okay,I tell myself. He has to be.

Me, though?Well, I have my doubts. Gallo is hellbent on revenge and it looks like he’s determined to take me out first.

But you better believe I will give him a piece of my mind before he does it. And I will not go out without a fight.

16

ARCHER

Lying on the floor, I am aware of everything happening around me, but I can’t move. The stun gun temporarily scrambled my neural signals. Immobilized and helpless, I hear Carlotta yell at them to leave me alone, but I prepare myself to get a bullet in the head. Miraculously, it doesn’t happen. After another jolt, they leave me breathing and take Carlotta.

Big mistake. Big fucking mistake.

My mind reels as my muscles contract, trying to work, but failing miserably. I should’ve known it was a mistake to come here. I started getting antsy after Carlotta went into her bedroom. Those thugs must’ve been keeping an eye on her apartment.

But I’m still breathing which means I’m going to save my woman. Because, yeah, at some point Carlotta Rossi became mine. Maybe she belonged to me the moment we kissed at the masquerade party. I don’t know. All I do know is I’m going to have to do some serious groveling and hope she’ll forgive me because I was a fool.

A total and utter fool to push her away.

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