My Scarlett.
My Scarlett. Not theirs.
“That’s them,” I growl just as the light turns green. And then her eyes meet mine, and from behind her leans a man who stares me down, his eyes growing wide. Then, I see him lean forward to the driver, and the car takes off, speeding maniacally down the road, blowing through a red light and making a left turn a few blocks up. We get Ave back on the phone.
“We’ll go down the next block and catch ‘em on the other side,” she says.
“Hurry, Giovanni,” I say, my voice getting louder. “Don’t you fucking lose them!”
He turns left as soon as we reach the same street, weaving back and forth and even jumping a curb to pass a car in front of us.” Up ahead, I see Avie’s car streaming down the road from the left just as we’re pulling up from behind them. As Johnny’s driver is about to turn right, I look at Gio.
“Hit the gas,” I tell him.
“What?”
“Go, Gio.”
“If I hit the gas, I will hit them,” he says.
“I know,” I tell him. “It’s the only way to stop them. Just aim for the driver’s side.”
He shakes his head, but he lifts his foot and stomps down. Avie pulls in front of Johnny’s car, causing it to swerve, and at that exact moment, Gio hits the gas, and our car plows into the driver’s side rear, sending both cars swirling around before they come to a stop. I take a moment to collect myself, punching my airbag down in front of me, then get out, making sure I still have my gun.
I look at Gio, who is also climbing out, then run to Johnny’s car. I grab for the back door handle, and when it doesn’t open, I shoot at the handle and then yank it open. She looks up at me, blood trickling down her head. The man is slumped over the seat in front of him, and the driver is slowly getting out of the car. People are starting to surround us now, and I can’t waste any more time.
“I got you, baby,” I whisper to her, reaching in and slowly pulling her from the car. When I get her to the edge of the seat, I bend down to pick her up. She stares at me, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re not going anywhere but home with me.” She nods slowly, then a sob escapes her lips. She curls up against me and rests her head in the crook of my neck. Gio and I jog to Avie’s car and slide in the backseat. Leo swiftly peels away from the scene as sirens grow closer. I cradle her against me, breathing her in. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that I will never lose her again.
24
Scarlett - Present
I open my eyes and blink a few times, looking slowly around the room. I have some pain in the side of my head, and my body feels a little stiff. But otherwise, I feel mostly okay. I’d know these walls anywhere. The smell of these sheets. The smell of him.
I close my eyes and breathe in slowly.
I’m home.
“There she is,” he says, and my heart skips a beat in my chest. I turn my head and see him sitting in the chair in the corner of his room, a book in his hand. He’s wearing a burgundy t-shirt and sweatpants, and despite all the perfectly tailored suits I’ve seen him in, I can’t think of a time when he’s ever looked sexier.
And as I smile at him, I think about Collin. About the fact that I almost exchanged vows, almost signed my fortune, my life away to someone else. All the while knowing that my heart would always be with the man sitting in front of me.
“Hi,” I whisper.
“Hi, baby,” he whispers back.
“What...what’s going on? Are you...is my dad––” I start to say, the panic of the last twenty-four hours seeping back in. He holds his hands up as he stands slowly, walking to the corner of the bed. He crawls across the bed until he gets to me, cupping my face in his hand as he strokes my cheek with his thumb. He leans forward, gently pressing his lips to the bandage on my head.
“Shh, shh,” he says. “Everything is okay. I promise.” He reaches up and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “For now, Johnny is paid off. Gio and I met with him last night.”
“Paid off? How is he paid off?”
His eyes drop down to our hands as he squeezes gently.
“Ave, Gio, and I have some money that Dad left us,” he says, and I shake my head.
“No, Dom,” I say, but he holds a hand up.
“Before you try and say anything,” he says, “it’s already done. And I’d do it all over again. We still have plenty of money left over, and it’s bought us some time. So just take a breath.”
I look up at him.
“How much time?”
He sighs.
“I don’t know, baby,” he says. “But I promise you, we’re going to be okay. Your dad, too. We’re going to take care of this.”
I take a breath in again as I lean back slightly against the pillow. I don’t have the energy to panic anymore. I don’t have the energy to care about anything else but him right now.
After another moment, I smile.
“I know it was only a day, but I missed you,” I whisper to him, and he smiles that beautiful, perfect, debilitating smile as he leans in for a long kiss.
“Never miss me again,” he says, pulling away from me and bringing his other hand to my cheek.
“What?”
He slides off the bed and reaches into his nightstand, pulling out a little black box.
He drops to one knee on the side of the bed and pulls my hand to spin me around and face him. My jaw drops when he opens it, revealing a beautiful teardrop engagement ring.
“I’ve decided that two devasting, life-altering letters from you is quite enough,” he says, and we both laugh and shake our heads. “I love you for trying to save me, but you can stop now. You saved me a long time ago. And it’s not when you leave me. It’s when you find me. I don’t have all the answers, but I know that you and I being apart doesn’t solve anything. I’m my best when I’m with you. I’ve known that since I was eighteen years old. So just stick around, okay?”
I smile through my tears, and he swipes them away.
“Will you marry me, Melucci?”
I nod like an idiot, falling into him and covering his lips with mine.
“Till the day I die, and then some.”
About the Author
Taylor Danae Colbert is a romance and women’s fiction author. When she’s not chasing her kids or hanging with her husband, she’s probably under her favorite blanket, either reading a book or writing one. Taylor lives in Maryland, where she was born and raised. For more information, visit www.taylordanaecolbert.com.
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