Page 84 of Depths of Obsession
I whirl around, my vision blurring with pain and fury. “She’s up there with Vittoria. We have to get up there now.” My voice breaks, the desperation seeping through.
Nico’s smile fades instantly, his gaze sharpening, his body tensing. He looks around, assessing the situation. “The only fast way up is if we run,” he says, his voice calm but urgent.
Renzo starts to argue, but one look at my face and he nods. He pulls me and Nico further into the shadows, away from prying eyes. “We’re gonna have to be quick. Can you handle it?” he asks, his eyes meeting mine.
Nico looks at me, assessing my injuries. “He can’t,” he says flatly.
I open my mouth to argue, but the pain is too much, my legs barely able to hold me up. Renzo nods, determination in his eyes. “You go on that side, Nico, and I’ll take this side. On the count of three, we’ll run up to where you broke the wall.” I nod, the words barely registering through the fog of pain. “One…two…three.”
The three of us are up the wall and back on the walkway in seconds, the cold night air biting into my skin. The sight that greets us makes my heart stop.
Vittoria whirls around, her eyes widening in shock, but before she can react, Renzo moves like a blur, his fist connecting with her jaw. The force snaps her head back, and she crumples to the ground, banging her head on the stone, the resulting thud reminiscent of a pumpkin smashing on the ground. There’s no need to check, she’s dead.
Frantically, I pivot, looking for Pippa.
“No!” The word rips from my throat, raw and desperate. I fall to my knees beside her, my hands trembling as I reach out. “Pippa! Oh God. Pippa!” My voice cracks, and I press my fingers to her neck, feeling for a pulse. The world seems to hold its breath. “She’s alive,” I whisper, relief flooding through me. “Barely.”
The sight of her—pale and still, a pool of blood spreading beneath her—rips at my heart. The deep gash across her chest is still oozing, her skin is cold under my touch. I pull off my jacket, pressing it against the wound, trying to stem the flow, but the blood keeps coming. It’s too much. The cut is too deep. Panic claws at my chest, tightening around my lungs, making it hard to breathe.
“Call an ambulance!” I bark, my voice raw with fear. “Pippa,cara, stay with me.”
Renzo puts his hand on my shoulder, his grip firm but gentle, trying to pull me back. “Let go,” I snarl, my fangs extending, the predator in me rising, desperate to protect what’s mine.
“Luca,” Renzo says, his voice steady but filled with sorrow. “She’s not going to make it. You have to move.”
“I will not leave her here,” I say, my voice breaking. The agony in my chest is unbearable, like my heart is being ripped apart. “She… she can’t die. Not like this.” Tears blur my vision, my hands shaking as I press harder against the wound. “She pushed me off the roof so Vittoria wouldn’t hurt me. Stupid… Jesus, Pippa,” I groan, my throat tight with emotion.
Nico squats down beside me, his face filled with both determination and sadness. “Move back so we can help.”
I stare at him, the world around me fading, swallowed by the fear of losing my true love. “Help how?” My voice is barely a whisper, the words trembling on my lips.
Nico’s gaze is unwavering as he reaches for the knife. He slits his wrist without hesitation, the dark blood wells up instantly. He hands the knife to Renzo, who follows suit, his expression grim. I take the knife, my own hand steady for the first time since I found Pippa. I quickly slice across my wrist, the pain sharp but distant compared to the fear gripping my heart.
The three of us pour our blood into Pippa’s wounds, the dark crimson mingling with her own. My hands are slick, the smell of blood thick in the air, metallic and raw. I watch her face, her unnaturally still features, and I pray—pray to whatever deity will listen—that we’re not too late. My heart pounds, every beat echoing with a desperate plea.
“Come on, Pippa,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “Stay with me. Please.”
EPILOGUE
“She really has no idea?” Renzo asks, his voice filling the Porsche through the sound system, carrying a mix of curiosity and amusement.
“No. She’s sitting right here next to me, blindfolded,” I reply, squeezing Pippa's hand gently. Her fingers curl around mine in response, her trust evident in the way she leans slightly toward me, her body relaxed despite the unknown.
Nico's laughter crackles over the speakers. “That’s a hell of a lot of trust, Pippa. You’re braver than I am,” he says, and there's an edge of admiration in his voice.
“Don’t even think about it, Renzo,” Mia chimes in, her tone playful but with a hint of warning. “Pippa has always been braver than I am.”
“Not really,” Pippa argues, a smile playing on her lips. “Maybe I’m just a bit more of a ‘leap before you look’ kind of person. But we had some fun times in high school, didn’t we? Remember when we?—”
“Stop talking, Pippa,” Mia interrupts, her voice laced with a mix of laughter and embarrassment. “We are not sharing those stories.”
Renzo chuckles, his voice full of teasing promise. “Pippa, we’ll talk later,” he says, his laughter echoing through the car.
The Porsche hums along the road, the cityscape blending into a blur of lights outside the window. Pippa shifts in her seat, her excitement palpable despite the blindfold covering her eyes.
“So,” Nico’s voice comes through, more serious this time. “Sorry to wreck the fun, but I heard back from Esme. No word yet on the necklace. None. She’ll keep asking, but if it went to someone in the magick realm, they’re not talking.”
“What about Natalia?” I ask, my eyes flicking briefly toward Pippa, who remains silent, her head tilted slightly, listening.
