Page 51 of Forbidden Noble
In that moment, Max cocked his gun. “Because if he doesn’t the whole house will blow up.”
His men moved closer and aimed at Max's head. Astorre didn’t blink though his skin was warm as Clara asked, “Why in the world? You wanted to die too?”
Astorre’s mind quieted. A bomb was different. He needed to think.
Max said, “I intended to get lost in the rain, but if I die, everyone is coming with me it seems.”
Clara said, “That doesn’t seem logical, Max.”
No more. He ensured he wasn’t on kill mode and met Primal’s gaze, giving him their prearranged signal as Max said, “Because nobodies aren’t supposed to get-”
His men fired and Max slumped to the floor. Primal and the men put their guns away. Clara said, “What did you do? Astorre, are you all right?”
No blood was on the ground. Montelino Bay would deliver Max to the Avce police as was their custom. He called up the stairs, “We stunned him. Now I need to find his bomb.”
Instead of running out of the house, she came down the stairs as he and his men searched the four corners of the basement. His gaze fell on a red duffle bag stuffed behind some barrels of wine. Clara rushed over and asked, “You know how to stop one?”
He snapped his fingers to signal that he'd found the bomb and studied the rudimentary design. This wasn’t sophisticated at all. Primal handed him a dagger that had a dragon on its side that he used to cut the material an inch and reached inside. “Yeah, every child in Montelino Bay does…” He then pulled the wire and stood. “Okay, you and your friend are safe now.”
Primal checked his work, and nodded that he'd done it.
His grandfather had insisted he’d learn as a boy.
The other men all left, grabbing the bomb and Max with them as their prisoner, and now alone, Clara stood in front of him. “Thanks to you."
The door to the basement closed. His pulse quickened. “I’ll go and take Max with me to face charges.”
He took a step to walk around the sweetest girl in the world, but she reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Astorre, one minute.”
If he could give her more, he would. She was sweet and kind. “What?”
She pressed her lips together and then hugged him. “You had the chance to kill Max and you didn’t.”
“He’s not worth it,” he said fast. Max was clearly not used to being dismissed. Jail would kill him slower and be more painful than a bullet.
Her entire face turned red as she said, “Look, I love you. And I know you’ll never hurt me. If you need proof, look at what you just did. You knocked him out and didn’t once lose your temper.”
His lips tingled to have her again, but it was more than physical. He lifted her hands. “I… I love you, Clara. With Max, it's different. I can live with myself if something happens to him, but I won’t be able to live if something happens to you.”
She went onto her tiptoes and her eyelids fluttered closed.
And he was undone. Astorre pulled her toward him and claimed her lips as his. She was right. As always. And this time he'd choose love.
Chapter 18
Clara stepped onto the castle grounds of Montelino Bay as the storm lessened in intensity.
This time she let Astorre cover her head with an umbrella because they actually worked to keep her dry and it was his way to show he cared. Her sneakers smacked against the damp cobblestones.
Home had never seemed so perfect.
In a million years she’d never thought Astorre might love her too. It was like she walked in the clouds as she waved off Rossie’s limo driver that would bring her best friend back to her husband at home.
Once Rossie's taillights were out of sight, Astorre hugged her side and they turned toward the outer walls of the town. She said, “It’s nice to be home.”
The huge gate opened for them fully and he escorted her inside. “At least the storm calmed down enough to allow your friend’s driver to take her home.”
Clara hadn’t seen Rossie so conflicted in a while. She'd wanted her husband just as much as she wanted to hover over Clara to make sure she was truly fine.
