Page 83 of Depths of Obsession
Ria’s cheeks flush with anger, her eyes narrowing to slits. “What would you know about it? What would you know about my life?”
“Nothing,” I admit, taking a shaky breath. “But the way I see it, wasting it on getting revenge on Luca means that he kind of wins again. He wasn’t even playing the game, and you let him win.” I take a step forward, coming even with Luca, my eyes locked on Ria.
“Pippa, what are you doing?” Luca’s voice is barely a whisper, his eyes wide with concern. He grabs my arm, trying to pull me behind him again.
But I can’t let him. I won’t. Lifting my gaze to his, I tell him, “Snowman, yeah?”
If he recognizes the safe word he doesn’t let on. His brow is furrowed, and fear and confusion darken his eyes. If only I could communicate with him telepathically, to let him know I had this. I can only pray at this point.
I refocus on our adversary. “You really screwed up, didn’t you, Ria?” I press on, my voice gaining strength. “You lost him once, and then spent many lifetimes pining away for him. It’s the height of stupidity, if you ask me.”
I take another breath, steadying myself. Calaba had mentioned the walls—how even with the plywood, they could break with one good hit. I pray that he was right. I just need everything to line up perfectly.
“You little bitch,” Ria snarls, her face twisting with rage. She steps forward, raising the gun.
Without hesitation, I turn and slam my high heel into Luca’s knee. He buckles, his eyes widening in shock, and I shove him with all my strength. Off balance, he crashes into the boarded wall, the plywood splintering under his weight. He disappears from sight, falling down to the piazza below.
Ria’s mouth falls open in shock, and then she starts to laugh—an unhinged, hysterical sound that sends chills racing down my spine. “Oh, that was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.” She grins at me, her eyes glinting with something almost like admiration. “You and I could have been friends in another lifetime.”
She tilts her head, giving me a rueful smile. “Unfortunately, my time on earth is done. Even with the magick, my body is failing.” She turns slightly, posing as if for an invisible audience, her chin held high. “I don’t look bad for being over two hundred years old, do I?”
I can’t breathe. My chest feels tight, my heart pounding painfully.Please, God, let Luca be okay. He said vampires can’t die unless they lose their heads.Please don’t let him be decapitated. Please let him be alive.
Ria’s eyes are on me again, her smile fading. “You’re worried. Is he alive, or isn’t he? It’s interesting, isn’t it, how quickly we become accustomed to the idea of immortality.” She steps closer, her expression turning cold. “Ah, well.”
Suddenly, her face twists into a snarl, and before I can react, she lunges. The knife slashes across my shoulder, cutting deep down my chest to my waist. Pain explodes through me, white-hot and blinding. I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. My knees buckle, and I collapse to the cold stone floor, gasping for air. The world blurs around me, the edges darkening.
Ria stands over me, her face a mask of triumph. “I guess I didn’t need the necklace to do the job after all.” Her laughter echoes in my ears, cruel and victorious, as the world fades to black.
CHAPTER 29
“Jesus, are you okay?” Renzo and Nico are standing over me, their faces filled with worry as pain radiates through every inch of my body. My bones feel like they've been shattered into pieces, my muscles screaming with each attempt to move.
It takes a minute for me to draw a deep breath, the searing pain slowly giving way to the dull throb of my aching limbs. Vampires can’t die from a big fall, but it hurts like a son of a bitch. “No, I’m not okay,” I growl, my voice rough. The metallic taste of blood lingers on my tongue, and I can hear the footsteps and the murmur of a gathering crowd.
“You gotta get up or we’re going to have trouble,” Nico says, his voice tense as he reaches down, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. The world spins around me, the edges blurring as I fight for balance. My legs wobble like jelly, unable to hold me up, and Nico wraps an arm around my waist, practically dragging me toward the back of the Duomo. Each step sends sharp jolts of pain through my body, but I grit my teeth, forcing myself to keep moving.
“Is he okay?” someone calls out from the crowd, their voice tinged with concern.
“Sure,” Renzo says, slipping into a thick Italian accent. “He is fine. Too much to drink.” His voice is calm, but his eyes are scanning the crowd, wary.
“But he fell,” a woman insists, her voice rising with confusion.
“Yeah, he drunk and fall down,” Renzo says, waving her off dismissively.
“No, from up there!” she points, her voice wavering, her eyes wide with shock.
Renzo looks at me and snorts, his expression incredulous. “If he fell from up there, he be dead.” He grabs my chin, his eyes glinting with urgency. “Are you dead?” he asks, his tone filled with dark humor, trying to deflect the crowd’s attention.
Everything still hurts, a deep, bone-crushing ache, but I force a smile, my lips twitching. “Do I looksh dead?” I slur, leaning heavily against Nico. The woman stares at me, uncertainty flickering across her face, then she shakes her head. The crowd slowly disperses, murmurs fading into the distance.
“We have to get upstairs,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper, my eyes filled with determination as I start limping toward the side door. The pain is unbearable, but the thought of Pippa keeps me moving.
“What the hell happened?” Renzo demands, his voice low, but there is an unmistakable edge of panic beneath his words.
“Pippa pushed me off the roof,” I say, my emotions flashing with both disbelief and something bordering on pride.
Nico stares at me, his eyes widening before he bursts into laughter, the sound harsh against the night air. “The tarot reader was right. She made you have a big fall.”
