Devil (The Marchesi Family 3)

I heard the squeal of a rolling door again.

Was Swain coming back? Would he expect a decision? Was there a way to buy more time?

I wasn’t sure time would help. I was only going to get weaker. Forcing myself to ignore the pain, I took the scissors in my hand and crouched. I’d have one shot at this, but if I was going to die anyway, I might as well take it.

I listened closely. One step. Another. Then glass shattered, something heavy hit the floor, and there were no more footsteps.

I held my breath. My legs shook. My wrist throbbed. I wasn’t going to be able to hold the scissors much longer. I wasn’t even sure they were sharp enough to do serious damage. I’d have to use a hell of a lot of force.

I heard more footsteps, but they were fast. There had to be at least four or five men out there. More sounds. Silenced shots, maybe? Then someone yelled my name. I didn’t recognize the voice, so I stayed quiet.

A few seconds later, I heard my name again. This time it was Devil calling me.

“I’m in here.” I tried to shout, but my voice was so weak I wasn’t sure anyone could hear me.

“Joe. I’m here.” I’d never been more thankful for his lock-picking skills. The door burst open. I dropped the scissors, and Devil pulled me into his arms.

“You’re alive,” he murmured into my neck. “I was so scared.”

“Me too.” Tears ran down my cheeks as I leaned against him.

He realized I wasn’t hugging him back and pulled away. When he looked down at my hands, he snarled. “Did Swain do this to you?”

“Someone broke into my house. Not Swain. Swain told me…” I swayed on my feet as the room started to go dark. Devil scooped me into his arms and set me on the desk.

He pulled a knife from his boot and cut the tie that bound my wrists then the one around my ankles. When he cradled my injured hand, I winced.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you, but I need to figure out how bad the damage is.”

“Are we… are we safe now? Is Swain…”

“Yes. Swain is dead. Everything is fine now.” Devil took my face in his hands, and I flinched.

“Baby, what is it?” he asked as he wiped the tears from my cheeks.

“Hit my head. I don’t remember how exactly.”

Devil looked worried. I wanted to tell him I would be fine, but my headache made it hard to think.

“I’m going to take care of you. I promise.”

“Who’s with you?”

“Lucien, Angelo, and a few other friends.”

“You… you told them?”

“I did. Come on. I need to get you out of here. You need a doctor.”

31

Devil

I scooped Joe into my arms.

“So fucking strong,” he murmured.

“I would carry you anywhere. I’m just so damn glad you’re all right.”

“I’m thirsty.”

I looked down at him. “When was the last time you had something to drink?”

“Don’t know. How long have I been here?”

“All day.”

“Last night. Before bed.”

“I’ve got water in the car, okay?”

“Mmmhmm.” He let his head rest against my shoulder as I talked to Giorgio and my cousins. I had so many questions for Joe, but he needed medical care first. Once I knew the others had the situation under control, I carried him to one of the cars we’d brought.

“If I put you on your feet, are you going to fall over?”

“Maybe,” he said, but at least he was smiling. Would Swain have killed him when he came back? What if we’d been too late? I shuddered at the thought.

By the time I got Joe into the car, he was barely conscious. I grabbed a bottle of water from the backseat, thankful Giorgio had insisted we bring supplies.

“Drink this slowly,” I said when I handed it to Joe. He took a few sips, then set the bottle in the cup holder. I grabbed one of the blankets we’d brought and laid it over him. Before we left, Lucien had made sure the doctor who tended to us in these situations was on alert. I gave her a call as I drove, and she was waiting at her office when we arrived. I stayed with Joe while she examined him.

She x-rayed his wrist and determined it wasn’t broken, but she said he’d likely torn some ligaments. He would need to ice it, wrap it, keep it elevated, and take anti-inflammatories for the pain.

Based on her examination, she didn’t feel his concussion was severe. She advised him to rest as much as possible and said he would likely have headaches and trouble focusing for at least a week. If he pushed himself and tried to go back to work too fast or spent too much time looking at screens, he’d cause his symptoms to return and prolong the time it took to heal.