Page 140 of Carnal

Goose bumps pop out on my skin. I glance at the ring and then back at him. "This was your mamma's?"

He nods. "She loved you like a daughter."

I wipe my cheek, choking up. Tristano's mom was an amazing woman. She used to take me aside and give me pointers on how to deal with Dante when I first started. "And I loved her."

He confesses, "I didn't know what I would ever do with this when Papà gave it to me. The moment I knew I wanted to marry you, I thought of this gem. I had it redesigned, but it was her sapphire."

I kiss him again then state, "I love it. And you. Thank you. This means a lot to me."

A soft smile fills his lips. He tugs me close to him and spins me. The sun rises, and we stand in silence until it's fully visible.

His stomach growls, and I laugh. He kisses the top of my head. "Let's get going. Papà has a big breakfast planned this morning."

Nerves reappear, but I push them away. Nothing is going to stop me from marrying Tristano. I'll have to live with whatever happens between Dante and me.

We get back to the bike, and he groans.

"What's wrong? Regretting asking to marry me already?" I tease.

He chuckles. "Fat chance. I left my phone at your place. Do you mind if we stop back and get it?"

"Sure."

We get on the bike, go to my place, and get his phone. We get back on the bike and take off toward the Marino compound.

Halfway there, Tristano yells, "Hold on, Pina. I think someone is following us."

The hairs on my neck rise. "Who?" I fret and glance behind us at a black van. My anxiety grows. It looks like the same van that's always on my street.

"Not sure," Tristano booms, then guns the bike and turns down a side street.

I hold on to him as tightly as possible. He weaves in and out of the traffic for ten minutes then finally slows down. "I think we lost whoever it was," he claims, veering onto another street.

We ride in silence for a few more minutes. I almost relax when the black van appears in his mirror. I shout, "He's back!"

Tristano guns it but so does the van. We run a red light, but a truck pulls in front of us. Tristano has no choice but to slow. The van accelerates as Tristano races between the truck and another car.

Horns blare, and the morning light becomes blinding. Tristano veers left, and my gut sinks when the van moves closer.

"They're right on us," I scream.

"Hold on!" he orders, and the bike shoots forward.

We zoom up a hill, and the van gets smaller in his mirror. I yell, "We're losing them!"

He speeds up even more, and the van disappears as we streak down the hill. We're almost to the bottom when another black van comes barreling off a side street and rams into us.

Our bodies fly off the motorcycle and it skids across the pavement. I scream as gravity increases my descent back toward the ground, and my limbs flail in the air. I barely hear the noise around me. Tristano falls to the ground first before my body slams into it. Then everything turns black.

23

Tristano

Two Weeks Later

A beeping soundgrows louder in my ears. I attempt to open my eyes, but it's too bright. Then pain sears through my body. I groan, but my throat is so dry, it feels like it's cracking.

"Easy, son," Papà's voice orders. Warmth hits my arm, and I realize he's squeezing it.

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