Neil walked up to Marco and they moved a bit away from everyone, talking low to each other. Rome pulled out his phone, his heart squeezing painfully when he found the feed of Juno. As much as he hated looking at it, he needed to see what they were dealing with. How little time they had left.
Juno was awake now, struggling against something under the water. Chains, Rome realized.
“We need bolt cutters,” Rome yelled.
“What do you take us for?” someone said while walking past Rome.
Rome glanced up, a frown on his forehead when his eyes landed on Stiletto.
She turned, walking backwards as she cocked a brow at Rome and said, “They’re in the cage.”
“Cage?”
“Car,” Auggie yelled and pointed at the one Rome had driven there in.
Rome didn’t want to waste a second, so he started toward the car.
“Rome,” Marco called after him, but Rome ignored him.
He heard Marco catch up with him and when a hand landed on his shoulder, he whirled around and slammed his palm against Marco’s chest, sending the man a step backwards.
“Don’t,” Rome growled.
“Come on, Rome. What was I supposed to do? He would’ve killed you.”
“At least he’d be alive to tell us where Juno is.”
Marco snorted derisively. “You don’t mean that.”
Rome’s jaw ticked as anger filled him. He stepped into Marco’s space. Marco, of course, didn’t budge, but Rome didn’t care.
“Yes, I do mean that. I don’t matter. Juno does. He’s all that matters to me.”
Marco blinked at him, shock flashing across his face. Rome pushed past Marco, leaving the man speechless. He walked to the car and tried to take a deep breath but the weight of it all, the thoughts of Juno only getting closer to drowning, of Juno suffering, it made it impossible.
“I’ve got it,” Auggie yelled and began running toward Rome’s car.
Rome’s heart did a little jolt as hope began to spread through him. He opened the car door and got behind the wheel, barely patient enough to wait for Auggie to get in before he took off.
“Left here,” Auggie said.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed the Kings on their bikes, right behind them. He followed Auggie’s instructions with a steel grip on the wheel and his heart in his throat.
“Almost there,” Auggie said, the tension in his voice matching how Rome felt to a T.
He turned into what looked like a dumping ground with all the shit spread around it. He pulled the handbrake and was out of the car, grabbing the bolt cutters the next second. Then he pulled his gun and made his way along the row of old shit while calling Juno’s name.
A low, “Help,” came from Rome’s left, making him freeze for a moment before he turned and started running toward it.
“There. In the water tower,” Auggie yelled and pointed at it.
There was a small water tower to his left, a water hose connected to it through the top. Rome ran to it and climbed the ladder, grateful it was made of steel because he was sure the damned thing was old enough to collapse under his weight if it’d been tree. There was a padlock on the hatch which he cut off. He threw open the hatch, Juno’s green gaze the first thing he saw. He didn’t waste a second, jumping straight into the water. It was cold but clear, making it easy for him to find the chain. He got the blades of the bolt cutters around the ring holding the chain to the bottom and fought against the water to get it cut. The second the ring was broken, Rome let go of the bolt cutters and swam up, getting a hold of Juno under his arms. He got them both to the surface where he found Hawk and Bones waiting, ready to grab Juno. While they pulled Juno out of the water, Rome pushed himself up, his clothes heavy.
Hawk and Bones carried Juno down the ladder and Rome was quick to follow. They laid Juno on the ground and Bones slammed a fist to Juno’s chest. Juno spat up water and Hawk turned him onto his side to get it all out. Rome got off the ladder and slid to the ground. He crawled his way over to Juno and once he was done coughing up water, Rome pulled the man into his lap, holding on tight as he tried to calm his racing heart. Juno was alive. Juno was safe.
“Rome,” Juno said, his voice croaky and weak.
“I’m so sorry. I was wrong.”
Juno leaned back to meet Rome’s gaze, confusion written all over his face.
“I was wrong, il mio re. In not putting you first,” Rome said with a shake of his head. “I will never do that again.”
Juno’s eyes softened and the hand he put against Rome’s cheek was cold but carried a warmth Rome had only ever experienced from Juno. The love he felt for the man was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. It seemed almost unreal.
He pulled Juno close and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He held onto his man as tight as he could without hurting him. He was never letting go. Never letting anything or anyone come between them. Not Marco. Not anyone.
Chapter Sixteen
Juno
THREE DAYS he’d been waking up next to Rome. Three days Rome had spoiled him with amazing food from Serrano’s and cuddles on the couch. Three days Rome had avoided talking about what had happened. Juno felt it hanging over his head like a dark cloud that only got darker with each day.
When Nash had shown up, he’d yelled at them and promptly ordered Juno to the hospital. He’d gone through tons of tests over the day he’d stayed there and, fortunately, the doctors
