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Connor fires back but Matteo dives behind the bed before he’s hit. With a grunt, Connor enters the room, holding onto his bleeding shoulder. He doesn’t even glance in my direction. His eyes are firmly planted on Matteo. He’s the one Connor wants dead.

It gives me an idea. A plastic plate is on a chair near me. It’s used for food but right now, I can use it for something else.

I pick it up and tiptoe towards Connor. He’s starting to round the bed, getting closer and closer to Matteo. If I don’t act now, there’s a good chance he’ll kill Matteo right in this very room.

I don’t hesitate.

The plastic tray slams into Connor’s head, startling him. It clearly doesn’t hurt him but it does the trick. Matteo is able to lunge forward and slam his body into Connor’s, knocking them both to the ground.

Matteo lands punch after punch to Connor’s face, which is still bloody and bruised from hours earlier when Matteo first hit him.

“Matteo,” I say, grabbing his shoulder. “He’s down. Let’s go. Before he gets back up.”

“I need to kill him.”

“Not here. Not in a hospital full of people. I can’t lose you.”

Connor groans, then laughs. “She has you whipped, fucker. When she’s mine, I’m going to fuck her bloody.”

I can see the moment pure anger takes over Matteo and he punches Connor all over again. This has to stop. We have to get out of here.

“Matteo!” I scream. “We have to go.”

I pick up both of their guns that have fallen on the floor. “Come on.”

That seems to shock Matteo out of it and he grabs the guns from me. “All right. Come on.” He drags Connor out into the hallway and leaves him there. “So the police can find him.”

“You can’t stop me,” Connor calls out as we run down the hallway. Well, Matteo runs. I try to keep up but my body is weak from the surgery I underwent.

We make it to the elevators and get inside. Matteo makes sure to hide both guns in his jacket. Before we can make it to the ground floor, the elevators open and two security guards run inside.

“Are you looking for the shooter?” I ask. They nod. “He’s on the fifth floor. We saw him.”

“Thank you.” The push the button for the fifth floor, but the elevator is going down.

One of the security guards eyes Matteo over. “Are you ok?”

Matteo frowns. “Why wouldn’t I be ok?”

“You have a bruised cheek.” And then he nods at me. “And she’s in a hospital gown.”

“That tends to happen when you’re in the hospital.”

“You guys are heading to the main lobby. Why isn’t she dressed?”

“Why do you have to ask so many fucking questions?”

I gasp. I know what Matteo just said was the wrong thing. It draws more attention from the guards, who look at us more closely.

“We’re just scared,” I say. “We saw the shooter.”

This seems to calm the guards down. “We understand this is a scary situation. This hospital is going on lockdown until the shooter can be found. Just get somewhere safe.”

We finally reach the lobby floor and get off, leaving the guards behind us. When we reach the main doors, a security guard steps forward and tells us that we can’t leave just yet. They’re searching for a shooter.

I glance at Matteo. What happens when they find Connor with no gun? He’ll tell them about Matteo.

“You have to get rid of those guns,” I murmur so only he can hear.

He nods, completely understanding me without me having to explain it all to him. “In the bathroom.”

We both go into the men’s bathroom, even though a man leaving the room gives me a weird look. I ignore him.

The bathroom is disgusting. Pee stains all the urinals and some of the wall.

“Why are men so gross?”

Matteo smiles slightly. “Because we just are.” He pushes open the last stall. “In here.” Opening the top lid of the toilet, he wipes down each gun and stuffs them into the dirty water, then shuts the toilet lid. “Those might be found but hopefully not for a while. Let’s go.”

We make it back into the lobby where people are converging. Murmured conversations can be heard all around the room. People talking of a shooter. Some not believing it while others are already panicking.

Matteo gets a text. “Dante is outside, waiting for us. He’ll get us somewhere safe.”

“But we can’t get to him.”

“I know.” He texts Dante, telling him everything that has happened. “This is causing too much commotion. There’s a chance your brother will find us here.”

I shiver. Viktor won’t hurt me but will he shoot Matteo on sight?

Will he force me to marry Connor when that’s the last thing I want on this earth?

Will my brother understand my feelings? I doubt it.

He’s never understood how I’ve felt. His mission in life was just to protect me; not worry about my feelings.

“We have to leave,” I say.

“I know. But all the exits are closed off. They don’t want the shooter escaping.”

“Can Dante help?”

A light enters Matteo’s eyes. “Yes, he can.” He calls Dante. “I need you to cause a distraction. We have to get out of here.” He pauses, listening to Dante. “Whatever you can think of. Just get the guards by the front door to leave so we can leave. Thanks.”

“What did he say?” I ask after Matteo hangs up.

“He says I owe him for this.”

A few seconds later, gunshots can be heard outside.

It causes the guards to run out into the night, giving me and Matteo the chance to escape, along with the other people in the lobby.

We all rush out into the night. The guards try telling people to stay inside but no one listens and there’s too many people for them to control.

Matteo never lets go of my hand, silently telling me that he’s got me. Never have I felt more safe with anyone than him.

We round the corner, away from the hospital, and take a moment to breathe. We made it out. We did that.

I laugh and wrap my arms around Matteo’s neck. It doesn’t even bother me that my one arm screams in pain. None of that matters right now.

“I have to text Dante. Tell him where we are.” He pulls back to do that and that’s when I see a familiar car coming down the street. Viktor’s car.

He must have been alerted to the commotion at the hospital and is hoping to find me. I watch him park the car down the street and get out, his eyes searching all around him.

I know I should hide but I can’t seem to. My brother is right there. The sight of him fills me with warmth and ice at the same time. He was the one to comfort me my entire life and yet, he’s also the one hurting me without him even realizing it.

Viktor’s eyes catch mine across the road. I know this is a mistake. I know I’m being na?ve.

But if I could just explain to him then…

His eyes widen before they narrow and he starts to cross the street.

Crap.

I turn to Matteo. “Viktor is here and he’s coming right for us.”

“Dante should be here any second.”

“You need to get behind me. If you are, Viktor won’t shoot.”

“I don’t want to hide behind you forever, Julia. It’s my job to protect you now.”

“And as your wife, it’s also my job to protect you. So get behind me. Please.”

He looks like he wants to object before he nods. “Ok.”

I stand in front of Matteo as Viktor approaches us. “Don’t shoot.”

Viktor stops. “Why would I shoot you? You’re my sister. Even though you have betrayed me.”

I flinch. So, Viktor feels exactly how I worried he’d feel.

Matteo wraps his hands around my arms. “She didn’t betray you.”

“You stay out of this,” he growls. “This is between me and my sister. Who you kidnapped, by the fucking way.”

There’s so much I want to say to Viktor. How I never meant to hurt him. How I just wanted to be happy. And most importantly, how I love Matteo.

But I don’t get that chance because Dante pulls up next to us at that very moment. “Get in!”

Viktor withdraws his gun. “Don’t. Nobody fucking move.”

“You’re going to shoot your own sister?” Matteo asks.

“Of course not. But I will shoot you.” He turns to Dante. “And I will definitely shoot you.”

“Let me explain,” I say to Viktor. “I love you. Please. I never betrayed you. I love Matteo.”

His eyes widen. “You did betray me. Inessa told me that you told Matteo about my plans. Connor told me the same thing. So, did you? Tell Matteo about my plans so he could thwart them?”

I hesitate then nod. “Yes. I did tell Matteo things.”

He looks like I just punched him as he stumbles back. “So, you really did betray me.”

“But I only told him things to protect you. And to protect me. And to protect him.”

He scoffs. “You never wanted to protect me or yourself. Now you’re aligned with the fucking enemy, Julia! Matteo will hurt you. Men like him only know violence.”

“And what about you?” Matteo asks. “Do you think you’re not the same?”

“I know that I’ve never kidnapped a woman. Let my sister go.”

“She doesn’t want to go with you.”

“Stop talking like I’m not here,” I snap, making both men look at me.

“I’m married to Matteo now. And I love him.

It might not be what you want to hear but it’s the truth.

So accept it please. And of course I want to return home with you.

I want to be in your life still. But you’re not going to let me be with Matteo and so for that reason, I can’t go with you.

Now, if you’re not going to shoot me, I’m going to get in that car so I can actually enjoy the evening with my husband. ”

I motion for Matteo to get in. Slowly, he does. He knows that Viktor won’t shoot me.

“I’m sorry,” I tell Viktor. It’s the most I can give him right now. His eyes tighten. I know he’s in pain and there’s no way I can change that. Because if I go with him and heal his pain, I’ll only be causing myself immense pain and for once, I want to be selfish in life.

“You’re really choosing this?”

“I’m choosing Matteo.”

“Answer me this before you go. Was Matteo the one who hurt you?” He nods at my bandaged arm. “Or was it Connor?”

“The fact you’re asking tells me you already know who really did this to me. But to answer, it was Connor.”

Viktor doesn’t look surprised. Only dejected.

I get into the car and Dante quickly drives away before Viktor can do anything else. I keep my eyes on my brother for as long as I can until Dante turns the corner and Viktor is gone from my sight.

“What the fuck were you two thinking?” Dante scolds us like me and Matteo are two small children in the backseat.

“We didn’t ask for Connor to show up and start a shootout at the hospital,” Matteo grumbles. “I only wanted to save Julia’s life.”

“I killed the priest and I have Aiden on top of it taking care of the police report. He’ll make sure that Connor’s shooting does not come back onto you.”

Matteo rubs the back of his neck. “Well, you might need Aiden to deal with the shootout at the hospital too.”

Dante only sighs. “Tell me Connor is dead at least.”

“I didn’t kill him.”

“God damn it.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and one of the officers at the hospital right now will kill him.”

If only we could be so lucky but all of us know that luck does not run in our favor.

Dante doesn’t scold us anymore as he drives us somewhere safe. Matteo takes my hand and I relax into the seat, knowing I least have my husband with me.

“It’s still our wedding night,” I say softly to him.

He gives me a smile. “I know. How are you feeling?”

“Tired.”

“Just rest, baby. You know I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.”

I trust this man more than I trust anyone else in this world. Who knew I would fall in love with the enemy?

But even though I feel safe with Matteo and allow myself to relax on the ride, all I can see is Viktor’s face in my mind. The betrayal in his eyes. And how I might never get to see my brother again.