“Anything else?” he asked, pressing the barrel right into my skin. The metal of the gun was cold.
“No.” I kept my voice stern, knowing Bosco’s men would make it inside the building any second. It’d been nearly three minutes since the robbery began. The police hadn’t even arrived. The men would probably take off any minute now if they wanted to get away.
“Then what’s this?” He reached into my sweater and yanked on the chain, revealing the rose made out of diamonds. “Bitch, you want to die?”
I wasn’t giving up my necklace, not when my father gave it to me on my brother’s wedding day. “Fuck you.” I kicked him hard in the knee, making him fall back and shoot his gun by mistake. He shattered a light in the ceiling.
My instincts kicked in, and I lunged for the gun.
“I don’t think so, bitch.” He grabbed me by the shoulder and yanked me back. He pulled his arm back and punched me hard in the face.
It was a powerful hit, but I had enough adrenaline to keep me going. I punched him in the throat and forced the air from his windpipe.
“What the fuck?” One of his comrades finally came to his aid and pointed the gun at me. “If you don’t want to die, I suggest you sit still.” He nodded to his accomplice. “Get the necklace and let’s go.”
“Just shoot her.”
“Nah, she’s too sexy. We’ve got her wallet, so I’ll hunt her down later.”
Why were all men such pigs?
The man moved on top of me and grabbed my necklace.
Now there was nothing I could do but let him take it.
An explosion sounded behind me, accompanied by breaking glass and the sound of shards hitting the bank floor.
I knew exactly who it was. “Thank god.”
The man abandoned my necklace and ran for his gun.
I kicked it away. “Take that, bitch.”
Men rushed in, firing weapons right away, shooting three of them but leaving the fourth one alive.
Then Bosco arrived, his face red and the cords in his neck twitching. In jeans and a t-shirt, he was dressed casually, but he somehow carried all the power befitting his persona. A pistol was in his right hand. “Which one?”
Two of his men grabbed the man who had punched me in the face.
The guy struggled at first, but then stopped when he realized he was outnumbered, his comrades lifeless behind him.
“Him?” Bosco tossed his gun to one of his guys then pulled out a knife.
Oh my god.
“Shit! No!” The guy tried to twist away.
Bosco was on him fast, stabbing him over and over, hitting him in the chest, neck, and stomach. “You fucking touched my woman.”
It was so violent, I had to look away. I didn’t get a sense of revenge out of the sight. I felt weak and sick. I lay down, trying to tune out the horrifying sounds the man was making as he was being stabbed to death.
I kept my eyes closed until it was finally over.
Bosco dropped the knife then came to me next, not a drop of blood on him. “Beautiful.” His powerful arms surrounded me, and he brought me close, examining the black eye that was already forming on my face. He sighed in despair, his eyes full of heartbreak. “I’m so sorry.” He pulled me into his chest then kissed my neck and cheeks, giving me kisses and love everywhere. “Fuck, I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough.”
I rested my face against his shoulder and closed my eyes. “Babe, I’m okay.”
His arms shook as he held me. “No, you aren’t. I promised no one would ever touch you.”
“It’s my fault. He tried to take my necklace, and I fought him.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He kissed my forehead then ran his fingers through my hair. “The men couldn’t make it through the doors, so we had to bring in an explosive. If the windows weren’t bulletproof—”
“Babe, I’m fine.” I pulled away so I could look him in the eye. “It takes more than a black eye to slow me down.” I cupped his cheek, seeing the harsh pain in his eyes. If he hadn’t come to my rescue, I would be dead right now. On top of that, those men would have come back for me with worse intentions. “You saved my life.”
His fingers felt the swelling and the bruising around my eye before he kissed it.
It was the third time Bosco had saved my life. I went to this bank on a daily basis to deposit my profits. Not once had anything like this happened, and if it happened some other time, I probably wouldn’t have survived. There were a lot of things I wouldn’t have survived if this man weren’t looking out for me, constantly protecting me. Maybe it was the adrenaline or maybe it was the gratitude, but the words came out of my mouth. “I love you.”