Page 18 of The Forever One

“Oh, Marco.” She concentrates on the knot and no sooner than it’s loose enough to allow me to move, I’m pushing her off and grabbing her by the neck, pulling her into my chest. On the other side, Enzo slides his legs beneath the men’s feet, sending them pummeling to the ground. Quick as a viper, he grabs the gun that slides across the ground and shoots both men, one bullet in each head.

Elizabeth screams but I cut off her air, squeezing her throat hard enough to kill her. I ignore the burn in my shoulder, push past the searing pain traveling down my arm, and whisper in her ear.

“Where. The fuck. Is. My. Wife?” I loosen my grip just enough to allow her to speak. Elizabeth turns her eyes to mine, the gentle light in them gone, replaced now by evil.

“She’s right here.” We all turn to the door as it slams open like a fucking Shakespeare play with all the dramatic entrances, and there she is, the love of my life.

River’s eyes search me out, scanning me from head to toe as I do the same to her. She’s bleeding, cut up, and looking worse for the wear, but when our eyes meet, I know. She’s perfect. A warrior ready to go to battle or die trying.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.So much violence. Did you have to kill my men?” Ugo’s voice grates on my every nerve, so I squeeze his sister’s pulse point with the little strength that’s left in me.

“Let her go, Ugo, or I swear, as God is my witness, I will end your sister.” Ugo laughs and it doesn’t bode well for me. Or anyone else for that matter.

“Eleanor, I think your presence is requested,” Ugo calls out behind him, and not a second later, Nathaniel’s mom steps in, a gun in her hand, raised just high enough to point at the back of River’s head.

“I was going to make her suffer. Record it so my baby boy could see that I always have his back, but you’re all annoying me and I’m bored of this whole situation.”

Wait, did she just…

Blinking in disbelief, it’s all the distraction they need to turn a nightmare into a horror scene.

“Say goodbye to your precious River.”

The echo of a gun firing is the last thing I hear before all Hell breaks loose.

CHAPTERTEN

RIVER

The click of the gun sets off a barrage of sounds all around me. I can pinpoint where each one is coming from, the people I love are so ingrained into my soul that they’re right here with me in my last moments.

An ear-piercing scream shreds through the air from Lina, Marco’s throaty howl rocks me to my very core, and Enzo’s silent, wide eyes are like laser beams through my body as he raises his arms, gun in hand. In the back of my mind, I also hear Everest, Petal, and Kai, their voices like comforting whispers as I accept my fate. There’s nothing more I can do now, and I mouth ‘I love you’ to Marco, my vision blurred through unshed tears as I lock eyes with my husband for the final time.

His face is the image of pain and vengeance as he pushes Elizabeth to the side by her throat and charges toward me in slow motion. More shouts and yells come from the others around the room, followed by gunshots, and I watch as Marco practically flies through the air as he jumps over fuck knows what to get to me.

Wait a minute…

Gunshots…

All this,afterthe click of the gun at my head…

“What is wrong with this—” Eleanor’s voice is clear behind me and as soon as her frustrated tone begins, a surge of hope shoots up from the pit of my stomach and I spin around. My fist connects with her nose and blood spurts everywhere with the sound of her bone cracking. I quickly pull my arm back and go in again, this time aiming for her throat—which is open wide as she tilts her head back and holds her face.

She goes down like a sack of bricks, but I don’t have time to bask in the fact this bitch finally got what she deserves.

“Ugo, three o clock!”

A heavy weight pushes me down beside her before I can figure out what’s going on and a hint of vanilla tickles my senses. Gunshots are going off all around us, but all I can concentrate on is Marco above me. The relief in his eyes is like a drug and I never want to leave the safety of their warmth as he takes in every inch of my face, as if he’s cataloging each and every new mark.

“Amore mio.” The word is whispered over my lips, and my heart soars.

Marco makes me feel indestructible but I know we can’t keep lying here and ignoring the chaos surrounding us. Itfeelslike a small lifetime, in reality it’s only a few short seconds before Marco’s lips are on mine. It’s not a soft and sensual kiss, either. It’s hard, rough, and he’s giving us what we both need to get through this together.

“Ti amo, River.”

“Ti amo, Marco.” And I do, with all my heart. I’m never going to let my fear of the unknown stop me from saying what I feel for this man again.

His eyes light up like the shine of a thousand moons and his growl vibrates through me before he rolls off, grabbing Eleanor’s gun from her still body.

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