Chapter 40 RACE OF HEARTS
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LUCIANO
I looked in my right direction to see Adeline was running toward me, her hair disheveled, her face streaked with tears, her expression a mixture of fear and desperation.
My heart felt a bit relieved finally able to see her as my heavy breathing begin to calm down.
“Adeline,”
I whispered, relief and anger battling for dominance as I rushed toward her.
She didn’t slow down, throwing herself into my arms as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I caught her, lifting her effortlessly as I held her close. Her body trembled against mine, and I could feel her uneven breaths as she buried her face in my shoulder.
I closed my eyes inhaling her scent to calm my throbbing veins that had wanted to feel her since she disappeared.
“Are you okay?”
I asked, my voice was low but urgent as I pulled back slightly to look at her tear-streaked face.
She shook her head, sobbing as she stuttered,
“I… I think I killed him.”
My eyes narrowed, confusion flashing across my face as I tried to process her words.
“What?”
I asked, his voice soft but firm. “What do you mean?”
Adeline clung to me tighter, her voice shaking as she explained, well tried ehr best to explain.
“Asher… he wouldn’t let me leave. He… he tried to stop me, and I… I pushed him. He fell, and there was blood. I didn’t mean to—I swear, Luciano, I didn’t mean to.”
I exhaled deeply, my grip on her tightening as I kissed the top of her head.
“It’s okay,”
I murmured, my voice soothing despite the storm of emotions swirling inside me.
“You’re safe now. That’s all that matters.”
She sobbed into my shoulder, her fingers clutching my jacket as if I were the only thing anchoring her to reality.
“He wouldn’t stop,” she whispered, her voice breaking and it broke my heart seeing her so broken and scared.
“He kept saying he wouldn’t let me go. I didn’t know what else to do.”
Before I could respond, a faint noise from outside the cabin caught my attention. My body tensed, and I instinctively pulled Adeline closer, my sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
There was danger lingering and we had to get away. I needed to get her out of here safely or else it could get messy.
“Stay quiet,”
I whispered, my tone dropping to one of icy calm.
Adeline froze in my arms, her eyes widening as fear gripped her once again. She moved closer and gripped the collar of my jacket as I kissed her eyes before carefully set her down but kept her close, my arm protectively wrapped around her waist as I began to back away from the cabin.
She whispered, her voice barely audible,
“Luciano… there are guns planted in the house. Asher said—”
“Shh,” i interrupted, shaking my head as my hand found hers. “He said that to scare you. There are no traps. He was bluffing.”
I had checked that when she shouted but Asher was not that smart. He did try to scare but I never feared anything. I did not care either when it comes to Adeline.
Adeline swallowed hard, tears streaming down her face as she clung to my hand.
“But what if he wasn’t?”
I didn’t answer immediately, my attention focused on the faint movements I could hear beyond the tree line. My other hand moved to the gun holstered at my side, raising it into a ready position.
“Stay behind me,”
I instructed firmly, my voice leaving no room for argument.
Adeline nodded, though her fear only grew as the sounds of footsteps and hushed voices became clearer. I could tell there was more than one person—maybe more than a few.
“They’re too many,”
I muttered under my breath, my jaw tightening as I assessed the situation. How was this even possible. Asher did came from a rich family but this much planning was not his game of mind.
Someone else was the mastermind.
Adeline panicked as she covered her mouth to not make any sound.
“What do we do?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I glanced down at her, my expression softening for just a moment.
“I’ll handle this,”
I said, my tone steady and unshaken.
“But you need to stay calm, okay? I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Adeline nodded again, though tears continued to fall from her eyes. She held onto my arm, her heart pounding as the sounds outside grew louder.
My grip on the gun tightened as I took a step forward, my eyes scanning for any movement. I could feel Adeline trembling behind me, her fear palpable.
“I’ll protect you,”
I said again, my voice low but filled with determination.
“No matter what.”
“We need to get out of here,”
I whispered. Adeline nodded, though her fear was evident in her wide, tear-filled eyes. I glanced toward the window across the room and narrowed my eyes. A plan began to form.
“Stay close and don’t make a sound,” I instructed.
Raising my gun, I aimed at the window and pulled the trigger. The sharp sound of shattering glass echoed through the cabin, followed by startled shouts from outside.
As expected, the men were drawn to the commotion, their footsteps moving toward the source of the noise.
Without hesitation, I grabbed Adeline’s hand.
“Now,” I hissed.
The cold night air hit us as we burst into the open. Suddenly, the sharp crack of a gunshot rang out behind us. I cursed under my breath but refused to back down and pulled Adeline close to Shield her.
Adeline let out a startled scream, her free hand flying to her chest in reflex, but there was no pain. She stumbled, realizing she hadn’t been hit. I yanked her forward, my voice urgent.
“Keep running!”
I barked, my tone leaving no room for argument.
“Into the woods,” I muttered, my words more to myself than to her.
“I can’t—” she gasped, her voice breaking.
“Luciano, I can’t—”
“Yes, you can,” I cut her off, my voice firm but gentle.
“We’re almost there. Just keep going.”
Adeline bit back her sobs, focusing all her energy on moving forward. I wanted her safe even if it costed me hurting her or it costed me my life.
Another gunshot rang out, the sound ricocheting through the forest. I cursed under my breath, my grip on Adeline tightening as a sharp pain ran through my left arm. I clenched my jaw holding back.
I knew I were outnumbered and outgunned. Facing them head-on wasn’t an option—not yet.
“We’re not stopping,”
I said, my voice low but resolute.
“No matter what, I won’t let them take you.”