CHAPTER 34
JULIA
The first thing I saw were red lasers coming through the windows of the building. Laser scopes. Oh, my gosh, Romeo didn’t come alone. I looked up at Stefano and watched his face fill with panic before he dove to the side a moment later. He crashed to the ground as the windows shattered inward, spraying glass all along the floor. Bullets dug into the concrete floors and slammed into the walls. I could hear Matteo screaming at the top of his lungs.
“Mommy!”
I tried to scoot myself over to my son as Romeo made a mad dash for us, but Stefano rose up once the rain of bullets was over, his gun aimed for Romeo’s head, square between his eyes as I continued to wiggle over to my son. Romeo’s eyes locked with my uncle’s as white-hot pain shot down my back, and I felt my forehead connect with my son’s leg.
“I’m right here, sweet boy. Close your eyes. Look away. Can you do that for me?” I asked.
“Mommy, is Daddy okay?”
My heart leaped in my chest at the word as tears brewed in my eyes.
“Just look away,” I said wincing. “Okay? If you do, I’ll take you out for ice cream. How does that sound.”
“Daddy too?” he asked.
“Please just do it. Okay? Be strong for Mommy one last time.”
Blue and red strobe lights filled the air around us as the deafening sound of sirens wailed in the air. I heard footfalls slamming into the dirt outside before they came crashing into the building. I looked up and saw Matteo’s eyes closed shut as tight as he could get them. My head darted over to Romeo, and I saw him looking at me, grinning that mischievous little grin he had when he has an ace up his sleeve.
“Stefano, drop the weapon.”
“It’s over.”
“You’re done.”
“Drop it! Now!”
Men were shouting with their guns aimed at my uncle. I watched him tighten his knuckle on the trigger and my jaw unhinged. I let out a piercing cry as tears filled my eyes, hoping and praying that Romeo would get out of the way in time.
“Duck!”
Romeo dove off to the side the moment before Stefano’s gun went off. Shots began to ring out around us as Romeo hit the floor then began army-crawling toward us. He brandished a knife and sawed through Matteo’s bonds around his feet, then turned him around and let loose his hands. Matteo scrambled off the chair and fell to the floor, cowering underneath a dusty desk with his hands covering his head. Romeo locked eyes with me before he set me free, releasing my hands and feet.
“My shoulder.”
“Come here,” Romeo said.
Bullets rained down around us as he grabbed my arm. I braced myself for the pain I knew I would feel as his hand came up behind my shoulder. I gritted my teeth as Romeo turned and pushed, locking my shoulder back into place.
I cried out in pain, falling to the floor as Romeo scooted me underneath the desk Matteo was occupying.
“Stefano!” Romeo screamed. “Stop this now!”
Then I watched his eyes grow wide as he fell to his hands.
I looked up from beyond the desk and saw Stefano standing above him. His eyes were wide with anger, his hair plastered with sweat. A knife was protruding from Romeo’s shoulder. I stopped, watching as blood trickled over the crest of his collarbone. I scooped Matteo in my arms, ignoring the searing pain rushing through my body. Romeo grunted. Coughed. Stumbled on his hands.
Then a moment later, the cops tackled Stefano to the ground.
Romeo’s eyes rose to look at me before he stood to his feet. He held out his hand for me. I slipped my hand into his, and he pulled me to my feet, my arm bringing Matteo with me. He wrapped his free arm around both of us and I slid my hands around his neck. Matteo shook against his father as tears freely flowed down his cheeks, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the knife in his shoulder.
“Romeo. You’re hurt.”
“I’m fine,” he said breathlessly. “I’m fine, and so are both of you.”