Page 94 of Keeping My Bride

“See you in hell,” I tell him before I roll to my back, groaning in pain.

“Luca!” Verona cries, collapsing to her knees on the wooden floor beside me.

I reach up with my good arm and cradle her beautiful face in my palm. “I’ll be okay,” I tell her. I don’t know that for sure, but I don’t want her to worry about me, especially in her condition.

Benito rushes inside. “Where?” he asks.

“Shoulder and forearm,” I tell him.

“How bad is it?”

“Hurts like hell,” I tell him with a dark chuckle. I try to lift my arm but fail miserably. Benito is quick to realize what I’m trying to do and carefully checks me out. “Exit wounds?” I ask, hopeful.

“We need to get you the fuck out of here,” he says instead of answering me, so I’m assuming the answer is no to my question.

Fuck.

Benito motions for the men to help me while he speaks in Italian over the phone to who I’m assuming is the doctor we keep on staff for emergencies such as this.

Verona moves away from me as two of my men haul me up to a standing position. The quick movement coupled with the fact that I’ve lost a lot of blood already has my head spinning. I reach for my wife, but the world around me is already turning black.

“I love you,” I tell her before I tumble headfirst into the darkness.

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