“Man, am I glad to see you!” Lo chimed in, a grin breaking across his face.
“Sir, we need to movenow,” Miguel replied.
“What happened?” I demanded.
“We took out the men firing at you and I had the team sweep the perimeter. We cleared the area. It’s safe for now but I don’t know for how long.”
“Okay, let’s get the hell out of here,” I said.
“Sir, just so you know, Miss Valarie is alive,” Miguel announced.
Alphonse jerked his head toward Miguel, his eyes wide with disbelief. “She's alive? How is that possible?” he asked, desperation seeping through his words.
“Let’s go,” I said. We didn’t have time for questions right now.
Matteo crouched down, helping Luca to his feet, while I reached for Gigi, lifting her into my arms and cradling her against me as we made our way toward the exit. I caught Miguel’s eye as he draped his coat over Gigi.
“Thank you,” I said.
He nodded, and we stepped back into the biting, cold night air.
When we finally arrived at the car, I carefully laid Gigi in the back seat before climbing in beside her and pulling her onto my lap.
Luca sat in the front passenger seat, with Lo and Alphonse sitting in the back. Matteo drove, the engine roaring to life, but all I could focus on was the angel in my arms.
Then Alphonse slid closer to me, fury radiating from him. “Give me my daughter.” His eyes glowed dangerously like a demon’s, but beneath that rage, I could see the pain.
“No,” I snapped back, desperate not to startle Gigi.
“She’s my daughter,” Alphonse growled.
“She belongs to me,” I declared, my arms tightening protectively around her. “I am not letting her go. I need you to back off,” I warned.
“Give. Her. To. Me.” Each word dripped with anger, but then he faltered, his fury evaporating into something far more haunting as he glanced down at Gigi in my arms.
“My baby,” he cried. He let out a roar of agony, a father’s heartbreak laid bare. His hand trembled as he gently swiped her bruised cheek.
“You can hold her when she’s safe at the hospital,” I promised.
He wiped his tears and gave me a curt nod.
I turned my attention to Lo. “Contact Jacobi and have him reserve a private room,” I instructed him. “I want the entire floor reserved for Gigi, with several guards at each entrance and exit, including snipers positioned on the roof.”
“You got it.”
I paused, swallowing hard, the weight of this fucked-up situation pressing down on me. “And I need you to call Emillia and ask her to meet us at the hospital, and to bring clothes and toiletries for Gigi.”
As we sped down the road, I glanced down at Gigi, who was still unconscious. I brushed the greasy strands of hair away from her beautiful, pale face, my fingers trembling with fear and desperation. Tears blurred my vision, spilling over like a dam about to burst.
“I thought I lost you,” I choked out.
“She’s going to be okay,” Luca tried to reassure me.
“She has to be okay,” Lo repeated like a mantra.
The road ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear: Gigi was alive, and together, we would face whatever came next.
The king had come for his queen, and no one would ever take her from me again. Gigi was my heart, and I would fight until my last breath to keep her safe.
