Page 30 of Blossom in Shadows

I have so many questions, but I can’t ask a single one. The longer I don’t answer O’Brien, the more agitated he gets and the more the tension grows in the room.

He screams in frustration, “What the fuck does church have to do with anything?”

My eyes snap to O’Brien, unable to look into Zinnia’s eyes for this and hoping she doesn’t look at me differently after. “I just wanted to know if you’ve made peace with God, yet.”

Before he can even process the words, before they’re even really out of my mouth, I raise the gun in my hand and shoot. As he starts to drop, surprise written across his features even with the bullet between his eyes, Sergio lunges and yanks O’Brien’s arm forward so the knife he’s holding doesn’t touch my queen’s skin again.

In that single action, he has earned redemption and his life.

I rush forward and haul Zinnia into my arms. The world dissolves around me as she buries her face in my chest. There weren’t tear tracks on her face before; she was so strong. But now she’s sobbing, letting herself go, letting everything out.

“I knew you’d come for me, my king,” she sobs into my chest.

All I can do is hold her against me. It’s enough. For right this moment it’s far more than I had been willing to hope for.

CHAPTER 14

ZINNIA

I feel like I’m floating, but this time I’m not afraid. I feel solid, like nothing can touch me. I feel safe.

I know I shouldn’t. Part of my mind is screaming at me to continue to fight, to continue to be stuck in the place I was the entire time that man had me shackled to a fucking cot. Hell, I thought it was all over when we started hearing thundering footsteps above us and he grabbed me.

He had already been taunting me with his knife after I woke up from the punches he landed. The cuts stung and made me want to cry out, to beg, to try and reason with him.

I didn’t.

I glared at him, only allowing myself to flinch. It’s not like pain is something I’m not used to. I channeled it instead of giving into it. There was no fucking way I was going to give into the pain and hand that man any power.

No fucking way.

I kept hearing Elio in my head, calling me his queen and telling me to be strong. I could hear his frantic voice searching for me and not finding me. I could feel his fucking panic and knew he wouldn’t rest until I was back in his arms.

I was right.

I’ve never been one for violence, but seeing my man walk into the moldy room like a dark angel hellbent on vengeance, I knew what the outcome would be. The man who was holding me as if I were some bargaining tool was going to die. The only thing I wasn’t sure about was if I would be going right along with him.

It hurt to look into Elio’s eyes and know, if I died in the struggle, he would never be the same because he would blame himself. I was ready to go down, as much as I hated it, but I wasn’t ready to leave him behind.

I put my faith in him, in the way his hazel eyes flashed with the promise of death.

“Reginetta,” a husky voice whispers in my ear, and I snuggle farther into Elio’s chest. “We’re home.”

My eyes flutter as the car door opens and I’m met with the house I’ve come to love because it’s where I fell in love with a man who many would say doesn’t deserve such a feeling of devotion. They can continue to believe that because I know the truth. He is the man who deserves love most in the world, my love. Everyone else can assume the worst in him, it only proves he’s mine.

I reach my hand up and cup Elio’s face as he clutches me to his chest and steps out of the SUV. When he looks down at me, there’s still an edge of panic in his eyes. I smile at him, relief filling me. Not only did he come for me, but I’m home.

“Will you put me down, please? Just for a moment?” I can tell he doesn’t want to, and I push just a little bit more, “Please. Then you can scoop me up again.”

He nods and rests me on my feet, not letting go until he’s sure I’m steady. When I am, I walk straight up to Sergio and wrap my arms around his waist. I feel him suck in a startled breath and look over my head at Elio before he wraps his arms around me.

I give him a squeeze and step back. My voice is thick with emotion, “I’m really glad you’re okay. I was worried and seeing you on the ground was one of the last things I remembered before waking up again. Thank you for coming and helping to get me out.”

Sergio swallows hard, his eyes flashing up to Elio who comes to stand next to me and tuck me into his side. “I’m sorry he got the drop on me and,” I can tell he wants to say more, but his lips thin into a hard line.

Elio’s voice washes over us, “You redeemed yourself in my eyes, Sergio.” I glance up at the man I love, and my eyebrows pull together. “I know where your loyalty lies, and you can keep your life.”

I gasp and wheel around to lay into Elio, but before I can, he picks me up again and strides into the house. My voice is full of suspicion, “You weren’t going to kill him because I got taken, were you?”

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