Chapter 6 - Blood and Ice
The sound echoed off the high ceilings like thunder.
Harper squeezed her eyes shut, instinctively bracing for the searing pain she had felt so many times in her life.
Ma, pain didn't come.
Instead, a heavy weight slammed into her, knocking her back against the open safe. Strong, solid arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her down to the floor behind the heavy wooden desk.
She opened her eyes, gasping.
Enzo was lying over her, his massive frame shielding her entirely from the room. His breathing was heavy, fast, and raspy.
"Enzo!" she cried out, her hands flying to his shoulders.
Behind them, a flurry of rapid gunshots tore through the air as Marco and two other guards fired back. Preston let out a horrible, strangled gurgle before his body hit the floor with a heavy, final thud.
"Boss! Boss, are you hit?" Marco shouted, rushing around the desk, his weapon lowered.
Enzo pushed himself up slowly with a low grunt. He winced sharply, his hand reaching down to clutch his left side, just below his ribs. Blood was already blooming through his white dress shirt and dark vest, bright red and heavy.
"I'm fine," Enzo growled through gritted teeth, though his face was rapidly draining of color. "The bastard got off a lucky shot."
"Enzo!" Harper cried, her hands instinctively pressing against his wound to stem the bleeding. Warm blood oozed between her fingers. She panicked, tears instantly blurring her vision. "No, no, no! Enzo, look at me!"
Enzo looked down at her, a pale, weak smile touching his lips despite the agonizing pain in his torso. "I told you... nothing touches you tonight."
"You idiot!" she sobbed, pressing harder against the wound. "You took a bullet for me!"
"I'd take ten more," Enzo rasped, his eyes fluttering slightly as shock began to settle in. "Marco... secure the drives. Get her... out of here."
"I'm not leaving you!" Harper screamed, turning her head toward Marco. "Get the car! We need to get him to Dr. Vance right now!"
Marco was already on his radio, yelling orders to the team outside. Together, Marco and two men lifted Enzo’s heavy frame, carrying him out of the destroyed library. Harper ran beside them, her hands holding a folded cloth tightly against Enzo’s bleeding side, her tears dripping onto his jacket.
The ride back to the DeLuca estate was a blur of flashing lights, roaring engines, and absolute terror.
Harper sat on the floor of the SUV, holding Enzo’s head in her lap. He was barely conscious, his hand weakly holding hers, his thumb tracing faint circles on her knuckles.
"Don't you dare die on me, Enzo DeLuca," she whispered fiercely, pressing her forehead against his bloody chest. "Do you hear me? You promised to protect me. You can't leave me alone!"
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Enzo’s dark eyes opened just a fraction, looking up at her face bathed in the passing city lights. "I'm not... going anywhere... wife," he whispered weakly, before his eyes closed and his head rolled back.
"Drive faster!" Harper roared at the driver, her voice shaking the heavy glass windows of the vehicle. "Drive faster!"
