That slow, sexy smile takes over. The one I love and adore. He sets his coffee mug aside and takes his hands in mine. “Yes, baby?”
I mirror his joy. This is something I’ve been thinking about and I truly do want it with Giulio.
He’s all I want.
“I would love to find a new home and become a family again.”
“Oh my god! Are you serious?”
“Yes! I want to make this work with us and our family.”
Giulio picks me up and I squeal as he twirls us around the kitchen. “You don’t know how happy that makes me.” He sets me down with a kiss. “Stay right there. Let me get my laptop and I’ll show you the house I was thinking of.”
Grinning, I cross my legs in my silk pajamas. “I’ve got nowhere to run off to, baby.”
“Good.” Giulio winks before heading down the hall.
I’m giddy as I take a sip of my coffee.
This is it.
This is exactly where I want to be.
This is a miracle.
Late night cravings have me opening the pantry to raid it with my coffee mug in hand. There’s nothing I want and so I settle for an apple in the fruit bowl. Peeling it, I hear Giulio’s footsteps approach from behind and can’t help but smile.
I have my back to him, but just from the presence alone I can imagine his heart exploding with the same thought as me—we’re in this together. I love him dearly and finding a new house with him is the best beautiful fresh start.
“Remember when we went to that apple picking farm with Oscar and Slonne last year?” I shake my head, laughing at the memory as I continue. “Remember what Oscar said? God, it’s been in my head ever since! We were laughing for days about it! I swear he gets his wildness from you…it’s a good thing though, because I’m crazy about you, baby.”
My brows furrow at the silence as I set down the peel in the sink. “Giulio?”
His firm body presses up behind me and bewilderment fades into a smile. That’s better. Shutting my eyes in pure bliss, I let the back of my head fall to his warm chest. “I love you, Giulio.”
But his cologne…I don’t smell it like I did earlier tonight.
This…This isn’t Giulio.
Oh my God.
A static tension crosses my frozen body as I flutter my eyes open to my gravest fear.
No. No. No.
My mug smashes to the ground in tiny little pieces, accompanying the spilled coffee. Then…I feel it. A cool metal viciously presses against my spinal cord.
A gun.
It’s a gun!
Panic festers inside me; it never wavers, not even when I grip the edge of the sink to stabilize myself.
“Quiet,” a voice grits, the pressure of the firearm deepening, “or it all ends right here.”
No.
My. Good. Lord.
What the hell is happening?
Valencia
I want to scream out or rush to the end of the house, but I’m numb and my throat is closed.
“Turn around, real slow. Hands up where I can see them.”
I have to be my own savior. It becomes a chant in my mind as I spin around with my trembling hands raised in surrender. The man wears all black. The solid color covers every inch of his skin and the balaclava only makes this a whole lot worse.
Delusion sinks my heart; I can’t believe I thought it was Giulio. Can’t believe it. How and when did the intruder enter? While Giulio and I were in the shower…? It must have been.
Why can’t I scream?
It doesn’t come out no matter how hard I try.
Move, Valencia! Move!
The intruder stares down at me, and even though I can’t see his eyes through the mesh piece covering them, I can just imagine how lethal they are. It’s too late. The barrel of a gun raises to my head as he steps back to create distance. All the while I’m shaking, unresponsive to the terror he is inflicting.
“ON YOUR KNEES! NOW!”
My throat opens to a weak whisper. “Please, don’t do this.”
“Do you need me to do this first to Addilyn? Huh? Or wait…did I already do it?” A cold mocking laugh escapes him.
Addilyn.
He has Addilyn!
Gun still aimed at my head, I make a small effort to stumble away around the counter, but it’s no use and only agitates him further as he catches up. I’m sure my heavy breaths are obvious to him. He’s playing mind games. Testing me.
Where is Giulio? He should be back by now.
“Oh my god!”
“LAST WARNING!” the man shouts, cocking his gun. He slams me against him when I don’t comply. The gun slides to the side of my head, digging deep into my skull. “I SAID ON YOUR KNEES!”
Something erupts within me.
My desperation for Addilyn.
My yearning for Giulio.
My continuous hope.
My anti-depressants…Maybe it is the fact that this time, I have no idea what my fate is. Adrenalin pumps through my veins and I decide I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I need to make a sacrifice. The moment has come. I’m so sick of being targeted. I’m sick of the constant fear and heartache. I’m sick of being dragged under.
No. Not anymore.
“Shoot me,” I snarl. My body shakes yet I keep my head high. Fierce. “You are a soulless human, this I already know. So, if this is what you intend to do, do it. Kill me. Then you will stop this game, huh? Will you? WILL YOU STOP THEN? I SAID SHOOT M—”
“SHUT UP!” the man roars and pins me to the floor where my kicks and clenched fists are met with an iron body.
If I scream now, the kids will hear.
I don’t want them to see this.
I need to call the police.
The man presses my face to the floorboards with one hand. The barrel of the gun slams to the back of my head with the other. Freeing myself proves no help and the tears begin to fall.
I realize my biggest mistake…
My heartbeat is
