Page 109 of High Stakes and Soulmates
I look back at the road I should take out of here before turning Valley toward the estate.
“Don’t!”
I freeze and look back at the tree where I realize I was wrong. I wasn’t alone because Arturo is leaning against the far side of the trunk, just out of my sight…
“Don’t, don’t. Please,” he begs.
“Why…” Why what? Why didn’t you come to me? Why didn’t you run with me? Why won’t you let me kill him?
He runs to me as he lets out a sob. “Don’t. Please just turn around and go. Please go.”
“I want to go with you,” I say.
Arturo grabs my leg and buries his face against it. I can feel the way his fingers shake where they grip desperately on to my pants. “I’m not worth it, Ezio. I’m not worth the death of your brother. The death of your unit. I’m not worth it.”
I reach down, my fingers sliding into his hair. “I love you so much. I have nothing if I don’t have you. But I’m not going to risk your life.”
“It’s your life, Ezio! It’s your life I’m afraid of losing. I don’t give a shit about mine,” he says as he looks up at me, tears flowing down his cheeks. I swipe one off. “We could both die. But if you’re prepared to try… then take my hand.”
“I don’t want to lose you,” I tell him. “And if I take your hand… am I being selfish?”
“Care about yourself.”
“I only started caring about myself since you came into my life. I had nothing before you. I was so sick of my horrible life.”
“You could pretend to have died with your brother. You could start again. The man I told you about, he has an escape set for you. He’s prepared to take you. Go to him.”
“Will you be with me?” I ask. “Or will I be alone again?”
“Fuck,” Arturo cries before giving me his hand. “Fast. We have to move quickly. I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. I couldn’t get out, and when I saw you coming, I panicked and hid behind the tree as I realized how selfish I was for running to you. But if you’re prepared, we have to go.”
My stomach flutters as I realize what he’s saying. “You’ll go with me?”
“We have to move. There’s no time to delay. He can’t travel in the daylight, but he has his ways to move by carriage or boat. We have until darkness descends upon us before he can reach us, and I’m not sure we can make it.”
“We’ll be ahead of him,” I say.
“That’s my hope,” he whispers as he lets me pull him up onto Valley’s back with my one good hand. I debate whether we should find another horse, but I’ve never met another horse that could keep up with Valley’s stamina. She’s a big mare and Arturo doesn’t weigh much.
“Drop the weight from the saddlebags. We don’t need it,” I say, grabbing the one bag that has my necessities in it, along with money and a pocket watch that was my brother’s. I hope to give it to his daughter who will never get the chance to meet him.
As Valley moves, Arturo unties the saddlebag and drops it to the ground before sliding up into its place. He wraps his arms around me. “Head south. The port here is ruled by Louis. The ones you met last night aren’t the only monsters about. There are monsters that can walk in the daylight and they guard his port, so we have to go to another. If we can’t make it before nightfall… we’re probably not going to make it at all.”
“If he can’t move during the day, how do you think he’d reach us?”
“He could leave from his port and beat us there,” he says, anxiety filling his words. “We have to move.”
His arms wrap around my torso when Valley bolts, hooves striking off cobblestone as she carries us away from the town and toward freedom.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispers, his grip crushingly tight. “Your brother is dead because of me. I’m so sorry.”
“How is it your fault?”
“I should have pushed you away. I should have kept you away. I knew the risk, and still, I was so fucking selfish.”
“You told me the risk again and again; you can’t blame yourself.” Dropping the reins for a moment, I reach down and pull his hand free from where his fingers dig into my shirt until his knuckles have turned white. I pull his hand up and kiss his fingers.
“It was all a trap. Who knows how long he was planning this. To him, it was more fun for him to wait until I loved you so much I’d do anything for you before he’d rip you from my life. His punishments weren’t enough. He could hit me, beat me,break my bones, but he knew nothing would hurt worse than killing you.” His hand squeezes tightly over mine. “I love you so much. But if I die, please promise me that you will keep moving. You will fight to get away from him. You’ll find a new home, a new life. Promise that you will love again and find yourself a reason to live.”
