“I’m here, cara mio,” I whisper, stroking a hand down her long, dark hair. I’m completely aware of the guns now pointing at us from nearby guards and I tighten my arms around her. “No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want.” My accusing gaze Moves over to Matthais Volkanov who steps forward, his face lined with fury.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he demands. “Get your hands off my daughter.”
Trish turns in my arms, but still stays pressed against me.
“It’s over, Volkanov,” I tell him.
“The only one who’s going to marry your daughter is me. I’m taking her away from here, making her my wife and we’re going to raise our baby together.”
A couple of shocked gasps fill the air after I reveal she’s pregnant, but I really don’t care. “Don’t you touch my daughter,” he warns in a low voice.
“A little late for that,” Roberto mumbles dryly beside me and Volkanov turns a deep shade of angry crimson. He looks ready to blow and the more I think about this situation, the more ridiculous it is. Ludicrous, actually.
Anna Volkanov, Trish’s mother, finally speaks up. “Do you love this man, Trish?”
“I do,” she says passionately. “With all of my heart.”
“And you’re carrying his child?”
“Yes,” she says and a wave of empathy passes over her mother’s face. Our fingers lace and we present a united front. “There’s no one else I love more than Connor Mennetti and I’m sorry if that upsets people. But it’s the truth. And, Dad, if you so much as touch a single hair on his head, I will never forgive you. He is the father of my child and the love of my life. And it isn’t our fault that you’re all so hung up on something so silly as a last name.”
“She’s right,” I say, backing her up. “Our names shouldn’t matter. Only our love for each other. We’re done with this ridiculous rivalry and we want to bury the hatchet. Shots were fired on both sides and my father paid the ultimate price. Luckily, Trish didn’t.”
“No thanks to you and your people,” her father snarls. “She almost bled out on that sidewalk!”
“Matthais,” Anna murmurs and moves closer to her enraged husband.
“No order was issued on our side to hurt Trish or anyone in your family,” I tell them. I have no idea who attempted it, but if I find out, they will be severely punished.”
“Like I was?” Antonio asks, finally speaking up. His dark eyes blaze with barely-concealed fury as he holds up his left hand, letting everyone in the room see where I cut off the top of his pinky.
Regret washes over me and I lower the gun and, instead, hold up my opposite hand, showing the matching scar. “I acted out of spite and revenge for what was done to me. I should have restrained myself and handled the situation differently.” My gaze moves back to Matthais. “We both should have.”
Matthais scoffs. “I regret nothing.”
“Dad!” Trish reprimands him.
“We’re ending this rivalry. Right here, right now. Please.”
But Matthais only shakes his head. “It runs too deep. It’ll never end.”
“I disagree,” I say evenly. “Trish and I are the first step. Things can and will get better. There’s no need for so much hate. And for what? Why do our families hate each other? Because of some crazy stuff that happened 100 years ago? It makes no sense. We should work together instead of trying to sabotage each other.”
“You have no loyalty to your father or your family,” Matthais hisses.
“That’s not true,” I say firmly. “We’re just learning to see beyond what we’ve always accepted as truth. What we’ve been taught and have had drilled into our heads since childhood. My family has welcomed Trish with open arms. It’s time to move past our differences and to finally let go of the past. Sir,” I say, showing Matthais Volkanov more respect than he deserves, “I love your daughter more than anything in this world. I’m going to marry her and care for our child. I’d give my life for her.”
The moment I finish my impassioned speech and declare my love, Antonio snaps. He moves fast, grabs a gun from a nearby guard and spins around. He pulls the trigger and bullet shots fire out. It sounds deafening in the enclosed space and a fear like I’ve never felt before tears through me. A stinging sensation rips across my upper arm and I know I’ve been hit, but I’m too worried about Trish to care. Turning, pulling her against my body, I yell to Roberto. “Go!”
The entire room erupts in chaos and screams. Pulling Trish with me, I run after Roberto who leads the way out of the living room and through a hallway where I’m leaving a trail of blood across the fancy parquet floor.
“This way!” Roberto calls and I follow him through an entranceway and over to the front door, Trish tucked under my good arm. My wounded one trails low and throbs like a bitch.
We burst out the front door and our feet pound against the sidewalk as we race up the block and back to the car. Roberto jumps into the driver’s seat and Trish and I climb into the back. With a
grimace, I look over at my arm.
“Oh, my God, you’re bleeding,” Trish cries.
“I’m okay,” I mutter.
“No, you’re not!” she exclaims.
“Roberto, we need to go to the hospital now.”
Roberto meets my gaze in the rear-view mirror, and I shake my head. “It’s just a graze,” I tell him.
“Take us back to the compound.”
“But Connor” Trish argues.
“I’ll be fine. I promise. “We need to get you back where it’s safe first.”
Trish finally acquiesces with an unhappy frown, but not before she shrugs out of her light, button down sweater, wraps it around my upper arm and applies pressure. I try not to flinch, but the sting is turning into a sharp pain that’s starting to hit full force now. But I don’t want her to worry, So I put on a brave face.
“Drive faster,” I urge Roberto. The sooner I get Trish back to my house, safely behind the compound’s gate, the better I will feel.