Page 49 of His to Claim

My gaze lifts, focusing in on the final minutes I have left and I think about Damon and our time together. There’s nothing left I can do to save myself; all I can do is find peace with my situation. And, if I’m going out of this world, it will be with thoughts of Damon on my mind.

I love him.

Pure, bright, beautiful love fills me, and the revelation hits me. I knew that I was falling for him, but the realization is strong and unwavering. Yes, it all happened fast, but I don’t regret one moment we spent together. He showed me what it’s like to be desired, protected, cared for, and I will be forever grateful for those amazing moments we shared together up at his cabin. He made me feel like a true woman for the first time in my life and I will embrace that feeling forever.

I’m never going to forget Damon Archer. But I’m so incredibly sad that I can’t tell him how much he means to me.

I watch the seconds fall away through blurry, tear-filled eyes. There’s no point in crying.Head up, Carlotta,I tell myself.Face your fate with as much grace and dignity as you can muster.

I’d give anything to see Damon one last time, but it’s impossible. And even though I was naively hoping for a future with him that won’t happen, I can still surround myself with the precious and few memories that we made in our short time together. Ones that have ingrained themselves onto my very heart and soul.

With a soft, shaky sigh, I resign myself to whatever will happen. A strange sort of peace flows over me, assuring me that everything will be okay. But I’m not sure where it comes from or how that can be.

I look up and see the timer turn to five minutes.

4:59.

4:58.

4:57.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I pray that it will happen fast and be over quickly.

20

ARCHER

Miceli parks the Range Rover in a clump of trees and bushes, obscuring it from the road. Meanwhile, Angelo, Vin and Enzo are driving around and parking in the back part of the property. They will sneak up in a rear attack and take down any guards they find. And the third part of our plan involves the other four families; I just pray they follow through and don’t let us down.

As if in answer, a parade of luxury vehicles suddenly drives past us and they boldly pull into the driveway right in front of Gallo’s farmhouse which I can see through the trees in the distance.

“Here comes the calvary,” Miceli murmurs.

“I think we’re the calvary,” I say and start jogging toward the barn. “C’mon, let’s get my girl.”

Miceli catches up and is looking over at me, but I don’t pay him any attention or give him an explanation. There’s no time and what little time there is left, it’s running out fast. There are a lot of moving pieces in this plan, all happening right now, and we need to stay ahead of Gallo if we have a chance of pulling this off and rescuing Carlotta.

“Remind me to pick up this conversation later,” he says, but he almost sounds amused. Not angry or upset in the least which is very reassuring. Definitely a good sign that he doesn’t want to kick my ass for sleeping with his sister. Hell, it’s more than that. For loving his sister.

Time to shelve those thoughts for later, though. Now, it’s time to finish this and save Lottie.

“Sure thing.” I pull my gun from its holster, and he does the same as we close in on the barn. Gallo had said Carlotta may have an hour or only forty-five minutes before the trap door opens. If we’re working with the latter, then we need to haul ass because it’s damn close to the forty-five minute mark.

Please, please, please let her be alright,I think. There is so much I want to tell her, so many things I still want to do with her. She has to be okay. I refuse to accept the alternative. Fucking refuse.

We circle around the dilapidated barn and I spot a back door facing the fields.

“There,” I whisper and run forward. As quietly as possible, I push the door open and we sweep into the lower level of the barn. Moving my gun from one side to the other, I clear the main area and keep moving.

I know Carlotta is on the second level somewhere and I’m looking for stairs or a ladder. Something that will get me up there.

“No one’s here,” Miceli states and I nod. No guards, no Gallo, no nothing. But that works in our favor.

Unless we’re already too late.

Where the hell is she?

“Carlotta?” I whisper-hiss, searching for access to the upper level. As we approach the other side of the dim barn, I finally find what I’m looking for. “There!”

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