Page 284 of Vicious Saint
Carlo.
I run over to where he’s hiding in the shadows, my heart leaping out of my chest for, I don’t know, like the millionth time tonight.
But at least now it’s for the best of reasons.
The second I collide with Carlo my arms fling around his neck, breathing in his musky scent and squeezing so hard I’m sure to be cutting off oxygen.
He backs us up into the darkness of the shadows.
“It’s okay,signorina. You’re okay…”
“I-I don’t know what happened…that guy came out of nowhere and tried to kidnap me. Why?”
“Shhhhhhhh…” he lulls me, rubbing soothing circles along my back, even though his heart is beating almost as fast as mine. “It’s all-ehgonna be…A-Okay.”
I breathe a chuckle of relief. “Hey, I taught you that.”
He chuckles too, but it’s muddled with grief. “Mi dispiace, signorina. I’m-ehso sorry.”
“You donothave to apologize, Carlo. This isn’t your fault.”
Whether he understands me or not, he chooses silence.
The completeoppositeof Saint as he bashes my would-be kidnapper’s skull repeatedly into the ground.
I demand Carlo to step in, but he shakes his head, telling me it’s more important for him to get me out of here.
“Saintwillkill that guy.”
Or at least theotherhim will.
Carlo shrugs, like it wouldn’t matter to him either way.
Ugh. Why do homicidal men have to be so damn stubborn?
Guess I’m taking matters into my own hands.
Without warning, I march out of the shadows and over to Saint, who’s got a whole lot of blood, but a dangerously low amount of expression left on his face.
“Hey, Letterman,” I gently call out, and although the bashing stops, Saint doesn’t so much as blink my way.
Or even blink at all.
Shit.
Carlo reaches my side, eyes widening as he takes in the bloody man and vacant boyfriend staring down at him like a predator slowly tilting his head. “Signorina…” he mutters, and I can tell the unease in his voice has nothing to do with the former.
Carlo may have seen Saint’s nasty side, but he sure as hell has never seen his Vicious side.
In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, I lower myself slowly, hoping some eye-to-eye with Saint will help keep him with me.
I’m halfway to my haunches when Carlo snatches me upright by my pained arms, making me wince—and Saint’s lack of response is all the confirmation of how far gone he either is or is about to be.
I shrug Carlo off me, ordering him to stand down and let me deal with Saint. “He won’t hurt me,” I reassure him, the fact undeniable no matter which version I’m about to face.
This time when I kneel down, Carlo’s at my side gun in hand, but doesn’t try to stop me.
“Hey,” I call out to Saint again, debating on using the catch phrase I’ve heard Theory use before, but for some reason it doesn’t feel right. So, like the last time I watched Saint losing himself in his dorm room, I reach out my hand inch by inch until I’m covering his.
