“I found something on Rian’s Aspen case. I want to run over there during my lunch hour and tell him what it is. I need to borrow a vehicle. May I take yours? I’ll be back as soon as I can. If you need anything, call or text. Are they still out?”

“They are. As for finding something, I’m happy to hear that. I bet Rian will be, too. Go. Take your time. Here’s the key. Maybe the two of you can have lunch together.” I caught his key as he tossed it to me.

“Maybe. See you later.”

“Goodbye. Drive safe.” He raised his voice since I was on the move.

“I WILL,” I shouted back.

I waved at Maria as I left. Massimo opened the door, but he didn’t say anything.

I gave him a chin lift. Hurrying to Papà’s car, I was glad it was parked in the back and no one knew I was leaving, just in case.

After yesterday’s announcement, Rian had insisted that I shouldn’t drive myself to work.

When I asked why, he said I’d see. I did.

When we left the estate, more people were outside the gate, and several cars followed us.

However, somehow, Reign was able to lose them.

I was dropped off at the office, and they continued to Rian’s work.

I didn’t call or text to let him know I was coming.

For one thing, I wanted to surprise him.

For another, he’d insist I wait for Reign to come get me.

I was too excited to do that. As I drove around the building, I scanned to see if I saw any of the paparazzi.

There wasn’t any. With Rian only sharing my first name, the paparazzi had to work on finding out who I was.

Rian said it shouldn’t take them more than a couple of days.

I wondered when he’d mention the need for a bodyguard.

The drive shouldn’t take more than half an hour or a smidge more, and that was primarily due to midday traffic.

Between Hastings and St. Augustine, the number of cars and buildings thinned out.

In no time, I’d passed Elkton on the 207 but was still not at Vermont Heights.

There was a mere speck of a car behind me, and no one was in front or coming from the opposite direction.

I was listening to a favorite song on the radio when my side window exploded.

As it did, the pings of hits to the metal registered.

The steering wheel jerked to the side on its own, heading for the road’s edge.

There was a steep decline in that direction.

I tried to correct myself, but the steering wheel was fighting me.

I knew that meant a tire or two had been hit.

More shots hit the SUV. I tried to scoot down in the seat and make myself smaller, but it was hard to do when you were trying to steer and see where you were going.

My heart was almost pounding out of my chest. I heard myself swearing and screaming.

I knew what was about to happen. I tried to brace myself without stiffening.

Just as the SUV hit the decline and tipped over, there was a final barrage of bullets.

Yes, I was being shot at, and I had no damn idea why.

I couldn’t help but scream as I rolled down the embankment.

The SUV went head over wheels three times before it came to rest upright.

The roof was caved in above me. I was huddled down in the seat as far as I could go.

My whole body and head hurt, but I didn’t have time to sit there and cry or rest. Whoever shot at me could be converging on me right this second, which meant staying inside the SUV made me a sitting duck.

I needed to be out where I could see who was coming at me and use the wrecked vehicle for coverage, not a coffin.

There was no way I could get out the side doors, so I took the quickest exit—the windshield.

I undid my seat belt and raised my leg enough to kick with my steel-toed boots.

It took several hard kicks before the cracked glass came out of its frame.

I got to my knees and shoved it. When it fell onto the hood, I wiggled out of the vehicle.

Despite the chaos, I had my gun with me.

I kept it strapped to me at all times. I had no idea where my purse was with my cell phone.

Making calls would have to wait. First, survive, then call.

I landed on the hood and then rolled off, landing in a crouch on the ground.

I edged over to the front tire. Yep, it was flat.

I’d use the front end of the SUV so the engine block would help protect me from more bullets.

Taking a deep breath, I took out my gun and checked it out of habit.

Once I was assured it was loaded, I went flat on my stomach and then slithered to where I could see around the front of the SUV.

At first, I saw nothing. Then I heard more gunshots, the roar of an engine, followed by the squeal of tires.

What the hell? Please tell me they didn’t shoot at the car that had been way behind me.

I inched further in front of the vehicle.

There was the sound of another engine shutting off and the slam of doors.

Christ, they were coming for me. I brought my gun up and peered through the optics on it.

When you did what I did, you ensured you had the best accessories that offered you the best chance of survival. I sighted in and waited.

I saw a head coming up over the edge of the road.

A head shot at this distance with a handgun was almost impossible.

I needed to let him expose his body, get closer, and make it a center mass shot.

Before he did, another head appeared. Their guns were out and raised.

I was sighting in to take the first shot when my name was yelled.

“GIANNA, ARE YOU OKAY? CAN YOU HEAR ME? GIANNA!”

I didn’t want to believe it. For several seconds, I thought my brain was playing a trick on me. I sagged in relief as I used the optics to see their faces. My hands began to shake, so I lowered my arms and rested my head on the ground.

“GIANNA!”

I lifted and hoarsely yelled back, “I-I’m right here. In front of the SUV.” I barely finished before running feet were heard hurtling my way.

“Where are you hurt?” I heard him ask anxiously moments later. I raised my head. I had never been so relieved to see someone in my life. I gave him a weak smile. “Hi, Reign. What’re you doing here? Who is your friend?” I babbled.

“I’ll answer those questions once you tell me where and how badly you’re hurt,” he said tersely.

“It’s not bad, some bumps, bruises, and scrapes,” I told him. As I went to roll over, agony shot through my leg and side. I groaned, then muttered, “Fuck.”

He dropped to his knees next to me. After five seconds of perusal, he barked at the man with him. “Call it. Tell them we need a helo at these coordinates and a surgical team on standby at the hospital. You’d better call Darragh after you do. He’ll keep Rian from losing his shit.”

“Why do we need a helo?” I asked weakly. Along with the pain, I was feeling nauseous. Reign was pressing on my side and thigh.

“Goddamn, that hurts, Reign. Stop it.” I smacked at his hands.

“Gia, stop it. I’m trying to slow down the fucking bleeding.

Bumps, scrapes, and bruises my ass. You’ve been shot twice, G.

And you’re bleeding like crazy. That’s why we need the helo.

You lie still and let me do this. I’m not letting you die alongside the goddamn road.

Rian would kill me, and I’d never forgive myself. ”

His speech shocked me. I tried to lift my head, but it felt too heavy for my body. “I’ve been shot? But I never felt it, Reign.”

“I’m not surprised you didn’t. You were in survival mode. Just breathe and talk to me. I need you to stay alert without moving. Where the hell were you headed?”

The other guy was in the background explaining what he needed and why over the phone.

“I was going to see Rian at the office. I had something to show him.”

“Why didn’t you call? He could’ve come to you or sent someone to escort you.”

“Because I didn’t want to wait for you to come get me, then drive me there. Hey, what are you doing here? Where did you come from? And who is he?”

“His name is Marco. He works for Aegis Security. They’re a company we use when we need extra bodyguards and stuff like that.”

“Why is he with you? And you never answered me. Where did you come from?” I was pushing for answers in the hope that it would distract me enough to ignore the pain, but it wasn’t about to happen. It was growing worse.

“I was showing him where you worked. Rian has asked Aegis to provide a bodyguard for you until we get one of ours assigned and here. It shouldn’t take long.

I was driving him around to see the surrounding neighborhood when we saw you leave.

I decided to follow you. It’s a good thing we did.

Who the hell was that? You sure pissed them off. ”

“I, uhm, I don’t know. I never saw them. Did you?” I asked.

My voice sounded hoarse. I squinted up at him. He was hovering over me, putting his weight on my wounds. It was hard to see him, and his voice sounded farther away. I tried to focus my eyes.

“No, we didn’t see who it was. Goddamn it, Marco. ETA?” he yelled.

“Three minutes.”

“Tell them to hurry the fuck up,” Reign snarled.

The pain was peaking, but my sight was darkening. My heart jumped. I weakly stretched out my hand until I touched his arm.

“T-tell Rian I love him,” I whispered.

It was too much to talk. All I wanted to do was rest and escape the pain. I knew I was sliding into unconsciousness, and the way Reign was acting, I knew I was in trouble. There was no guarantee I’d wake up. He leaned closer.

“You listen to me, Gianna DeSantis. You’re not leaving Rian like this.

You’re a tough bitch. Nothing scares you.

You’re not letting a fucker ambushing you beat you.

You show that bastard he messed with the wrong woman.

I want you to concentrate on my voice and stay awake.

Talk to me. Tell me about the wedding. How fast do you think the ladies can get it together?

I say a month unless you turn into a bridezilla and want a fancy fairytale bash with a dress that takes a year to find. ”

I tried to laugh, but all that came out was a faint groan. “That’s me, bridezilla. I want the dress, and I’ll force all of you to wear pink and purple tuxes.”

“The hell you will. But I don’t have to worry about that. I’m not in the wedding party,” he said smugly.

I threatened, “I’ll insist Rian make you a groomsman so I can put you in pink.”

A loud whirring sound grew louder. As it did, I recognized the sound of helicopter blades. The wind picked up, blowing dirt and debris around us. I saw Reign’s look of relief. He smiled at me. And then I faded away to utter darkness and silence.