“Bianca, Pia, no! Come back this way!” Nicoletta shouted. Neither even looked back. She doubted they heard her over the loud screams and the pounding beat of the music.
She made a grab for Clariss, who chose a different aisle to do the same thing, making her way toward the middle, where the three women hoped to run back toward the entrance doors.
Nicoletta had to make a choice: follow them, or make her way to the exit and get to Taviano. She inserted her shoulder between two women who seemed to be glued together and pushed between them, ignoring their angry outburst at her. She felt someone grab at her arm, but she pulled it through, keeping the two women between her and the men following her as she tried to get between several more women bunched together. They were jumping up and down, clutching one another and having fun, just as she’d been doing up front.
These women were much more aggressive, not wanting to move and angry that she would try to invade their space. She tried several different ways around them, and none would relent and give ground. She glanced back, and not only had the two men gotten past the first two women, but Armando was with them and he had a gun out. One of the women spotted the gun and his evil smile.
“What the hell? What do you think you’re doing with that? He after you, honey?” She waved behind her, stepping forward a few inches to give Nicoletta enough room to slip by her. Just like that, she’d gone from angry to protective. She was probably at a Kain concert because his music spoke to her—a survivor of some horrendous event as well.
Nicoletta could see the west exit sign. There were only a few people between her and where she needed to go. She didn’t see how it was possible for Taviano to reach the venue before she could reach that exit. The temptation to do as her friends had done and go toward the middle was huge, but she believed in the Ferraros. If Taviano said he’d be there, somehow, he would.
She threaded her way through the next group, this time two men and three women. She heard the gun go off and more screams. Her heart thudded, and she prayed Armando hadn’t shot the woman who had stood up for her. She didn’t look back. She pushed harder, shoving her way past the men and nearly knocking down one of the women. Just as she reached the shadow the light was throwing across the floor, Armando grabbed her by her hair, yanking her head back, and she immediately reached back to stab at his eyes with her thumbs, but he turned his head to the side.
“You little bitch. You’re going to pay for that,” he snarled.
She raked the heel of her boot down his shin and, at the same time, slapped both hands over his to force the hand holding her hair flat on her scalp. She dropped low and spun around and then stood up fast, hoping to break his wrist. He howled and let go of her hair. She tried kicking him in the groin but he jerked his body to the side.
“Behind me,” Taviano ordered, coming out of nowhere.
She didn’t hesitate. She leapt to get behind his body. As she did so, two guns fired almost simultaneously. Something hot buzzed past her head and hit the wall behind her. Gasping, she caught at the back of Taviano’s shirt as he staggered back.
“Are you crazy? Benito will kill you if you touch that girl,” Armando snapped. “Get her friends. Get the other bitches. She’ll come with us, won’t you, Nicoletta? When we cut them into pieces, she’ll beg to come with us.”
Taviano smashed his fist into Armando’s face and dropped him like a stone. Before either of the other two men could turn their guns on him again, Nicoletta stepped in front of him.
“Go ahead and shoot me. Benito will skin you alive and you know it. And then he’ll kill your families.”
Taviano’s arm snaked around her waist and he dragged her back toward the glaring light of the exit sign.
The men left Armando struggling to stand and took off after Pia, Bianca and Clariss. Nicoletta caught at Taviano and started toward the door. He stopped her.
“Not that way, piccolo. You’re my woman. You’re about to find out what it is to be a Ferraro. Step into the shadow and keep your body behind mine.”
She’d never liked the feeling of being in the shadows, and yet she’d always been drawn to them. They’d always made her feel as if her body were being torn apart, but she knew she could hide in them; she’d done so on several occasions, just not always successfully. “You’ve been shot, Taviano. You need help. We have to get you to one of the medical facilities.”