Page 30 of Sweet Union
As Romeo aims again, I lift the gun in my hands and fire.
I miss.
But it’s enough to make Romeo duck back behind the car.
“Come on, Natalya,” Dad says. “Give me the gun.”
As I hand it over, expecting my dad to grab it, another gunshot goes off, and my dad jerks back. A bullet has landed in his stomach. The gun in my hands falls to the ground.
“Dad!”
Romeo runs over from his hiding spot and grabs me around the waist. Dad falls to the ground, holding his stomach. Romeo drags me to his car. “Let me go!” I struggle, but I’m still weak from my wound. Romeo throws me into his car and takes off. Everything happened so fast that the police haven’t even arrived yet.
All I can do is watch as my father’s body gets smaller and smaller as we drive away.
* * *
Romeo takesus to a ranch style house in the suburbs, an area I’m not familiar with. “Where are we?”
“Like I’m going to tell you that.” He drags me out of the car.
As we approach the house, I notice armed men surrounding it. Romeo is prepared to go to war. It dawns on me that neither Luca nor I may survive this.
There’s a real chance we both die because of this war with Romeo.
Inside, he drags me down into the basement, where a dog’s kennel resides. “You’re getting in here.” He pushes me inside. I have to contort my body at strange angles to fit. Fortunately, the kennel is for a larger dog, but still, it’s cramped.
“You’re staying in there until I’ve dealt with Luca. Once he’s dead, I’ll play with you all I like.”
My stomach rolls at the thought. Luca better find me and save me. He better survive himself. I told Luca that we’re stronger together, but now, we’re each on our own.
Romeo laughs as he shuts the kennel door and locks it.
CHAPTER16
Luca
Thirty minutes into my search for Romeo, I get a call. It’s from Alek. I frown as I answer it. Why would my father-in-law be calling me?
“Alek?”
“Luca. I need your help.” He sounds winded, and his voice is strained. It’s like he’s in … pain.
“Ok.”
“I’ve been shot. I’m a few blocks from my house. Romeo attacked us. He took Natalya.”
“Wait. What? How did that happen?”
“I’ll explain later. But I need you to get me and bring me back to my house. I have a doctor on the way.”
“Why me? Why not one of your men?”
“Because you’re Natalya’s husband, and I know she’d want you to be the one.”
As I approach Alek’s house, I see wreckage. The street is chaos. Alek’s car tipped over. Glass shards everywhere. Alek is lying on the street, a pool of blood surrounding him.
I rush over to him and kneel, checking for his pulse. It’s there but weak. His eyes flutter open.
