Page 104 of A Madness of Crows

“Keep going.” Stefano stops and turns, his gun still raised. “I’ll keep them back.”

She whirls, her face furious. “Don’t youfucking dare.”

He only looks at us. “Carry her if you have to.”

“No.” She glances back down that hall. The numbers are growing. Where the fuck are they all coming from? “We all run, or we all stay. Fucking hell – it’s like none of you have everseena horror movie.”

I eye Stefano Asante again at her tone. “We all go.”

He jerks a nod. “We can’t outrun them for long.”

“Then let’s hope we can run into some friends.”

Cat’s footsteps are faster this time, her breath heaving as we take different turns, following Stefano’s directions. Gio takes her other side, Stefano bringing up the rear.

In case he has to stop.

“Faster.” I snap the words at her, pushing her. “Faster,tentazione.”

We skid to a stop. More men move toward us from the far end, dozens of them, and we look between them and the group behind.

Fuck.

But Cat gasps. And she doesn’t move – she fuckingsprints. Sprints up that hallway, the three of us racing after her as she runs straight toward that new group.

Gio bites out a curse of realization. “Took their fucking time.”

My limbs threaten to collapse with relief as Nico races past us with a nod, the Morelli contingent following. Cat launches herself at the man standing still in the middle of the hall, his eyes locked on her face.

Domenico Rossi sinks to his knees, his face buried in Cat’s neck.

He doesn’t say anything.

He just… breathes.

Breathes her in as if she’s oxygen and he’s starving for it.

Day 100 – Caterina

With the Morelli men sweeping in as a second wave, the rest of the fight doesn’t last long.

My feet, aching and bleeding, tread through the halls until I find him again.

Dom kneels beside me. “How did it happen?”

I swallow, staring down at Danny. “He pushed me out of the way.”

Dom reaches out, closing his eyes. Gio, Dante and Stefano all look at me when I straighten. I take a moment to drink in the sight of them. Tired, bloodied, butalive.

Dom’s hand slips back into mine, gripping it tightly. My own hold is just as tight.

“I…,” I swallow. “I don’t know what to do now.”

There is somuch.

Gio’s voice is gentle. “Everyone else is in the main hall.”

The party room. Slowly, I nod.