Dinner’s some weird soup, but I’m starving, so I don’t care and finish it quickly.
Now, I lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling, willing myself to wake up from this never-ending nightmare.
Has the world forgotten about me?
Why has no one come for me?
My thoughts flick back to Lauren—she must be beside herself with worry. She better not do something stupid and try to rescue me. The problem is I wouldn’t put it past her. Even though I know how dangerous this thought is, it still makes me smile.
I wonder if Luca’s concerned. We have been getting closer since that day in Brindisi. Little by little, we were overcoming the shitstorm Rob created between us.
A fresh start.
God, I miss him so much.
A single tear falls down my cheek remembering his beautiful face.
If I ever get out of here, I’ll never let him go again.
32
Lilly
A cold, leather hand wraps around my mouth in the darkness, pulling me from my sleep. I’m unable to scream as I’m lifted off the bed.
What the hell is going on?
Whoever has me, I attempt to kick and land a good one on his shin.
“Stop it,” the man grunts. “I’m trying to fucking save you.” I still at his coarse tone.
Save me?
“She’s going to freeze out there,” another male voice speaks.
I can’t tell how many people are in my room because of how dark it is, but I notice the red light at the tip of their guns.
Guns!
“Shit,” the man holding me curses. “Lilly Simpson….” He knows my name. “If I let go of your mouth, do you promise not to scream?” I nod my head. “We’re friends of Luca Fiorenzo.”
My eyes widen with surprise. Luca. They have been sent by Luca.
Nodding my head furiously now, the man lets go of me. I hurry over to my bare closet, grabbing my socks and shoes and quickly putting them on. Then I grab a sweater and pop it over my head.
Luca.
Luca has come to save me.
“Come, we have to go, now! We have a window of maybe ten minutes before shit is about to go down.”
You don’t have to tell me twice. I follow their lead out the front door of my apartment.
Weird. There is no…
That’s when I see it, my two guards are laid out on the floor.
We carefully creep along the corridor, then down the stairs. The front door opens easily, and I see another two guards on the floor.
“We came through the forest. It’s going to be rough going for a bit, but I promise you, you’re safe.”
“Okay.”
The guys make a couple of hand gestures, and then we’re off through the forest. I can’t see a thing, but I follow eagerly behind the person in front of me. It feels like forever to get to the road where I can see a van waiting for us. The door swings open, and we all jump in.
“Go, go, go…” one of them screams.
The van takes off while someone shuts the door mid-escape.
“You’re safe now, Lilly.” The passenger turns, taking off her ski mask. A beautiful blonde woman smiles warmly at me. “I’m Sophie, and we’re taking you home.”
A sob falls from my lips as the stress of the past week catches up with me.
The man dressed in dark military gear beside me places his arm around my shoulders as I break down. I must fall asleep at some point because I wake up at the jolt of the van stopping.
How long have I been out for?
The sun is rising as I slowly sit up and look out the tinted windows, and the first thing I see is an airplane.
“We’re here.” Sophie turns around grins. “You better go because there’s someone very eager to see you.”
The sliding door of the van opens, the smell of jet fuel fills my nostrils, and then I see him, dressed in dark jeans and a white woolen sweater standing at the top of the stairs of a private plane.
“Lilly.” Hearing my name on his lips again is too much, and tears begin to fall as he rushes down the stairs toward me.
I should never have given him up.
“Lilly.” He pulls me into his arms, and it feels right.
Why was I so stupid?
Wrapping his strong arms around me, he holds me tightly, and never in my life have I ever felt this safe. Luca sucks in a deep breath in my hair. “I never thought I was going to see you again.”
I must be honest, neither did I.
Moving my head from his chest, I look up into his tear-soaked chocolate eyes.
I’m home.
“Time to roll out, guys.” Sophie makes a hand gesture.
Luca grabs my hand tightly as if he never wants to let it go again and heads up the stairs, and we step into the plush cabin. He pulls me to the back where there are two oversized seats hidden from the view of the rest of the cabin. He sits and pulls me into his side.
“I’ve been going crazy.” His entire body is tense. “Fuck, I thought I’d lost you.” Luca looks down at me, tears are flowing freely down his cheeks. “I prayed every night that I’d see you again.”
This man. Why was I so stupid to push him away?
His eyes widen then narrow. He reaches out and touches my neck. Oh shit, the bruises. “Did someone do this to you?” That look he’s giving me is pure devastation.
“I’m okay. No one touched me.”
“This looks like someone had their hand around your neck.”
“I’m okay, Luca. Really,” I try to reassure him.
“I’m sorry, Lilly.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about.”
Luca cups my cheek, his thumb moving my tears away. “I do. I pushed you away. My ego got the better of me.”
“That doesn’t matter anymore. I’m home now, and I am safe,” I reply, reassuring
