Page 60 of Enzo's Vow
De Luca positioned himself behind me as he stood in front of his car, his gun pointed in Enzo’s direction. The other henchman took up position, aiming their weapons as well. The cool night air raised goosebumps on my skin, a stark contrast to the burning fear in my gut.
“Let her go, De Luca.” Enzo’s voice was tight, controlled, but a tremor betrayed his rage.
“Pipe down, Cammarata. No one has harmed your bride.” De Luca snickered, the sound echoing in the night. Close to my ear, he whispered, “Yet.”
A twig snapped.
All heads whipped toward the bushes. The older man raised his weapon. “Someone’s hiding back there.” A deafening blast shattered the silence as he shot at the darkness. Dust and pine needles exploded as he hit a tree.
Another swift blast sounded, this time coming from within the darkened shrubbery.
Sidekick gargled, collapsing onto the road, his body convulsing. Whoever made the shot, their aim… perfect.
De Luca released me in the sudden turmoil. “Zio!” His shout ripped through the night, a raw, animalistic sound making my stomach churn. The coppery tang of blood, sharp and metallic, filled the air, mixing with the acrid scent of gunpowder and the rising bile in my throat.
Lucio emerged from the bushes, a smoking gun clutched in his hand. So, he’d been the one hiding. Enzo hadn’t lied about their childhood gun training; years of practice had turned him into a deadly shot. I backed away toward Enzo, my legs trembling.
The other man, enraged, fired at Lucio, but his gun jammed with a resounding click. Lucio, fueled by adrenaline, charged and punched him in the face, the sickening crunch of bone punctuating the night. The two men rolled and wrestled to the asphalt, a tangle of limbs and curses.
De Luca, his face contorted with fury, aimed his gun at the brawling duo on the floor.
“Lucio!” Gun raised, Enzo ran toward his brother.
De Luca, finally registering my absence, swiveled, his gaze locking onto Enzo charging to his brother’s aid. He leveled his gun at him.
No! I dived at Enzo, propelled by pure instinct, and shoved him out of the way. A deafening bang resounded, followed by a searing pain ripping across my shoulder. I met the rough asphalt with a crashing thump. The acrid taste of blood filled my mouth as I drowned in a pool of pain and darkness.
Chapter 22
Enzo
“Gemma!” I crashed to my knees at her lifeless form on the ground. “You stupid, stupid, girl. What were you thinking?” Burning tears stung as they trailed my face.
“Andiamo, adesso!”De Luca’s distant voice muffled through the buzzing in my ears.
“Wake up, Gemma.” I patted her cheek, blood smearing on my hand. “Wake up, little wife.” Blood oozed from her shoulder and soaked her white blouse.
Nicolo De Luca and his accomplice sped away with their dead relative in tow. I seethed and lurched to my feet. Gun in hand, I fired at their getaway vehicle.
“Enough, Enzo.” My brother grabbed my arm, nodding to my wife on the ground. “Emergency room. Let’s go.”
I lifted her in my arms and raced to the car, hopping in the backseat. Laying her across my lap, I stroked my fingers through her hair. “Please be okay. Please.” Her blood seeped into my pants, warming my knees. I stripped my shirt and applied the bunched cotton to compress her wound.
Lucio floored it the entire drive, getting us there in ten minutes. Even so, those ten minutes dragged on forever. We parked outside the emergency.
I hurried out of the vehicle and cradled her through the automatic doors. “Help us! Someone help us!Per favore!”
Doctors rushed to our side, wheeling a gurney and helped me lower her onto the bed. They rolled her through the long corridor. I followed, but one male nurse ordered me not to go any farther.
Lucio patted my back. “Come on, let’s sit and wait for news.”
We stalked back down the hallway, and I sank into a chair, burying my head in my hands. If only I awakened from this nightmare.
Lucio answered his ringing phone and rushed outside.
My hands clenched into fists at my temples. She saved me. The realization slammed into me with brutal force, echoing the gun shot. I rose to my feet, pacing. Back and forth. She rejected me as her husband, wanted nothing to do with me… so why the sacrifice? Was it an accident? No. Her gaze had met mine for a split second before diving, a spark of... something. Protectiveness? It had to be.
Lucio returned from his phone call, his face grim. He spoke, but the muffled words didn’t penetrate the pounding in my head.
