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Corrado barges onto the terrace with guns in each hand, his face twisted in an animalistic snarl. He takes a single look around and points one piece at me, the other at the body on the floor.
“Crawl to me now!” Severio shouts, and in fear for my life, I do as he says.
Corrado shouts as he empties both weapons. I cover my ears and scream silently now because I have no more voice while Severio tucks me against him as much as he can. Not for the first time in my life, I wish I were smaller. Smaller women make smaller targets.
Silence descends.
“You’re fine,” Severio says into my temple. I’ve tucked my face into the crook of his neck as if he was sand for my ostrich head. I inhale the cologne I associate with him, but now I also inhale dirt, blood, and gunpowder.
“Where are you hit?” Corrado asks from right next to me.
My body freezes again, and Severio tucks me even closer, if that’s possible.
“Take it easy,” Severio says. “I’ll live.”
“Iamtaking it easy,” Corrado says, clearly enraged. “I let the girl live. My uncle is dead. And the only reason Gordon is breathing is because he’s my wife’s brother.”
“He shot down the drone.” Severio tries to reason with his brother.
“But not before they got you.”
“Corrado,” Severio says in that same tone he used on me. The one that makes me want to do whatever he asks. His shoulder moves, and I lift up and off him so he can reposition his arm.
I sit beside Severio with my knees folded. When Corrado scoots closer, our knees touch as he leans toward his brother. Severio cups Corrado’s face, and the brothers touch foreheads for a moment. Their closeness makes my heart settle into a regular rhythm again. I can finally take a deep breath and exhale.
“Tell me,” Severio says.
“Everyone is fine,” Corrado answers. “The drone must’ve used silencers because we didn’t hear anything down there on the beach. I happened to have been strolling Rosa when I saw the drone crashing.”
“Where are our girls now?”
“I’m sure on their way up since they saw me running.”
“Paulina can’t see me like this. Gordon, find her and stay with her.”
Gordon salutes him as one would their general. “On it.” He turns to Corrado. “He’s hit in the thigh and the calf. The one in the calf has no exit wound.”
Corrado tucks his weapons into the back of his pants, which draws my gaze to the bullet holes in the terrace floor where, only minutes ago, my body lay covered by Severio’s. Those are Corrado’s bullets. He would’ve killed me like he killed… I swallow, trying not to think about the man’s body on the floor.
Gio. It’s Gio. Oh my God, I was going to marry the man just yesterday.
Renewed tears stream down my cheeks. I’m trying my best to suppress them, wiping my face, my snot, inhaling, but nothing works.
“We need to get you to the hospital,” Corrado says.
Severio shakes his head. “Bring the staff to me.”
“You might need surgery.”
“I know. It’s why I asked for staff.”
“Severio, please,” I beg. “Let them treat you.”
He’s not even looking at me. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Corrado grinds his teeth so hard, it’s audible. “Fine. I’ve sent Jesse out, and we’re investigating. Once you’re cleared and our plane departs, I’ll interrogate everyone personally.” Hazel-green eyes meet mine. “Starting with you, princess.”
I’m suspect number one.
