Page 70 of His Vow
She shakes her head furiously.
“Luce, you and the baby need to stay safe.” At my words, her eyes shine bright with unshed tears. “Okay?”
This time, she nods.
“Real quiet, okay?”
She nods again, then slowly shifts to the edge of the mattress and disappears off the side. I watch her crawl the short distanceto the safety of the bathroom and silently close the door. The snick of the lock being engaged barely audible.
I roll off the bed the same way, and by the side of the bed, hidden from the window, I check my phone. Instantly, a message from Will pops up saying he’s outside the bedroom door. I reply, and the door silently opens at the same time I hear the handle of the balcony door being turned.
Holding my breath, I wait for the lock to catch, knowing I secured it just before I climbed into bed. The handle turns again and again. The fucker is pissed he can’t get in. Good.
Will signals that he’s going to the side of the door and for me to stay. And he’s just about there when all hell breaks loose.
A small iron chair from the balcony smashes through the glass, and Bruno barrels through the broken shards into the room, the stench of stale alcohol and sweat wafting off him in nauseating waves. “Where is that bitch?” he shouts.
Will is on him immediately but staggers backward just as quickly. “Knife,” he roars.
And that’s when I see it, too, the sharp steel blade glinting as Bruno raises it, preparing to lunge at Will again.
I jump up from behind the bed. “What the fuck do you want, Bruno?” I shout, hoping to distract him.
His head swivels my way, and that’s all it takes for Will to land a single blow to Bruno that knocks him out cold.
Parker rushes in from the balcony, rolling a still-unconscious Bruno onto his front and zip-tying his hands behind his back.
“You okay, Will?” Parker shouts over his shoulder.
“The fucker got me.” Will groans.
I flick the light on. “Oh fuck, man.” Thick red blood seeps through the denim of his jeans. I grab a sheet from the bed and rush to help Parker, who’s already tying a tourniquet high on Will’s thigh before using the same knife to cut the denim away from the wound.
“Fuck, those are my favorite jeans,” Will complains, and I stare at him. How the fuck is he not crying like a baby with that much blood.
“Will, lie the fuck down and shut up,” Parker says before turning to me. “Ant, call an ambulance,” he adds in the same calm way as he applies pressure to the wound.
And by the time the carabinieri arrives, I’m downstairs, with Lucia tucked under my arm, to let them in. Sirens blare, and the ambulance pulls up soon after.
Leaving the professionals to it, I take Lucia into the kitchen and sit her on a stool at the island. She’s still trembling as I hand her an extra-sweet hot chocolate.
“Thank you,” she murmurs after she’s taken a few sips and looks up at me. “It’s over. They’ve arrested him.”
“Well, he might have to be conscious before he can be arrested, but yep. It’s over.”
“That’s good.” She takes a sip of the drink, held tightly between both hands. “I guess this isn’t going to stay out of the media now.”
“I guess not. I’ve spoken to Gio, and he said he’ll handle it.” It’s going to be a fucking mess. “I’ve also spoken to your father and told him what happened. He has asked us to stay with them after we finish with the carabinieri. Is that okay?”
“Sì, and thank you.” She places her mug on the counter and stands, sliding into my open arms. “Thank you for keeping us safe,” she mutters into my chest.
Lucia might not have seen what happened, but she heard it all from behind the locked bathroom door.
“Protecting you has become part of my DNA, as essential as taking my next breath.”
“I love you.”
“And I love you too.”
