Page 113 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“I love you. I love you so much. I really love you. And if something happens, I really hope we can be together in another life,” he whispers, his hands shaking harder as each moment passes.
“Don’t talk like that,” I say. “Come on, don’t talk like that.”
Arturo turns quiet, and I see the ocean far in the distance as we race against the clouds rolling in.
“I can see the harbor,” I say.
“I don’t see his ship.”
“The ship we’re meant to get on?” I ask, but then I realize what he means. “Louis’s ship?”
“Yes.”
“He didn’t make it here yet. And even if he did, he can’t get out, right? There’s still enough light…”
“Right. Right. We’re going to make it,” he says, sounding hopeful for the first time since we left.
Thunder rumbles through the sky while the rain beats down harder, making it more difficult to see and making me fear that they’re not going to leave port with a storm brewing. If they decide they can’t leave… what the fuck are we going to do? I don’t bother asking Arturo this; we’ll face it when it happens.
Valley is winded and covered in sweat, but she’s not slowing down. She’s determined to do anything I ask of her, and she’s not going to disappoint me.
“Is the man you know going to be on the ship?”
“No. He said his crew knows, though. They’re going to get us out. There! There, they see us. I think they see us.”
“Come on, Valley,” I say as a cart moves out in front of us. Valley crashes into it and stumbles while the woman wheelingit screams. Arturo’s grip on me tightens but he stays seated. Valley regains her footing and I give her a second before I aim her toward the wooden ramp and onto the ship.
“Louis’s ship was seen moments ago,” a woman shouts, yanking Arturo off. “Go. Hide NOW!”
Valley is heaving as I’m ripped off by someone trying to shove me toward cover. The weight on my bad leg makes me stumble, and Arturo grabs me.
“Come on, come on, it’s okay,” he says as someone tries to drag Valley out of sight. She’s exhausted and confused why some random person is suddenly hauling on her bridle, but the ship is moving and we’re going to get away.
Arturo pats her. “Come on, girl. It’s okay.”
This time, she’s tired enough to comply.
“It’s going, it’s going,” Arturo says, excitedly grabbing me. “It’s really going.” He gives me a smile as the lightning cracks behind him and rain forces his hair to stick to his forehead. “We’re going to do this. We’re really going to do this.”
“Yes, we are,” I agree, wrapping him up in my arms as he’s pulled toward cover.
We’re going to get away from the monster who has haunted us for so long. We’re finally going to get the life we’ve dreamed of. I’m finally free to love him.
Pain digs into my chest, and I jerk back from Arturo out of reflex. I look at the blood blooming from my chest while Arturo stumbles. Glancing up, I see that the blade that pierced my chest didn’t go all the way through because it was driven through Arturo’s back, pinning him to me.
“No! No, no, no!” I scream, moving toward Arturo who stands there in shock, looking down at the blade protruding from him. Even so, he still reaches for me, like he’s more worried about my wound than his mortal one.
“You think I wouldn’t find out what was planned?” Louis asks as he tears the sword out of Arturo’s back. “I did have to cut off both of your ‘savior’s’ arms and legs before he talked, but he did talk. I kept him alive in case he was lying, but I suppose I’ll cut his head off when I get home.”
Arturo drops hard as I grab him, panic filling his eyes while blood runs from the hole in his chest.
“No, no,” I sob while I clamp my hand over the wound in the hope of keeping the blood from running out of him, like there’s some way I can stop it.
Louis grabs Arturo and flings him to the ground, and because I’d been holding on to him so tightly, I hit the ground with him.
“Ezio… Ezio… I’m scared,” he whispers.
“No, no,” I plead as I clutch him desperately, but he’s bleeding so much, and his eyes can’t even seem to find mine. He seems frantic when he reaches for me, but he doesn’t know where to reach. “I’m right here. It’s okay. I’m right here.” Another sob escapes me as his hand drops. “No, no. I love you. I love you so much. I love you.”
