It took longer than I remembered to make my way through the old tunnel. Several times I scraped my arms and legs on the uneven rock walls. And just when I was sure Marco had lied to me and this tunnel went nowhere, I spotted a faint light ahead.
I moved out of the tunnel and into the forest around me. Dusk had already darkened, and stars twinkled above. Voices echoed ahead through the trees. Squinting, I was almost sure I saw a flashlight.
I pushed the brush aside and stumbled into the clearing. Marco whipped around when he heard me, slowing his pacing near the ritual rock. But my eyes focused on Natalie, wrapped in a blanket, shaking as she sat on a log.
I moved toward her, my heart in my throat, afraid of what I’d see. “Angioletto.”
Her head came up. Her gaze locked on mine. Even in the low light I could see her eyes were swollen and red-rimmed, her cheek bruised and her lip split. And there was dried blood splattered across her face and clothing.
“Luc...” She jerked off the log and threw her arms around me, holding on with a death grip as she shook against me.
“I’ve got you,” I managed, pushing the words past my suddenly tight throat as I held her close and brushed a hand down her tangled hair, trying to be gentle because I knew she was in pain. “I’m here.”
She tightened her arms around me and pressed her face to my throat, her muffled sobs echoing in my ears.
My heart cracked. I fought my own tears as I held her closer, trying to comfort her, trying to hold it together so I could be strong for her just as she’d been strong for me so many times.
“I’ve got you,” I said again. “You’re safe. No one’s ever going to hurt you again. I promise.”
Marco crossed behind her, lifted the blanket from the ground, and gently laid it over her shoulders. I took it from him and carefully pulled it around her, then closed my arms over the blanket at her back to hold it in place.
“She’s okay,” Marco whispered to me as I held her. “They didn’t rape her. Just roughed her up. A lot.”
I sucked in a relieved breath and closed my eyes as I pressed my lips to her hair. It was a small consolation, but I’d take it.
“Your father?” Marco asked.
“Gone.”
“About damn time.”
But in his eyes, I saw what else he was thinking. The same damn thing I was thinking. All that would come next.
Footsteps sounded on the path. Marco stepped in front of Natalie where I held her and reached for his knife. But as soon as he saw the four men, each dressed in black, he returned the blade to the sheath at his hip and relaxed.
“How did it go?” Marco asked as they drew close.
The leader of the four, the one with white hair tied at his nape who didn’t look nearly young enough for this kind of activity, stopped in front of us and rested his hands on his hips. “The church is burning. The two guards and one that came up from below were neutralized. We left them inside.”
“Good,” Marco said.
“Wait.” I looked from face to face as the other three men from the Seventh Sanctum, all younger than the first, and eager to join our fight when Felicity had called on them, stopped beside him. “There were two that went up from below.”
“The short-haired one was killed,” the leader said. “The long-haired one who attacked Signora Salvatici earlier today in Florence charged one of my men, knocked him to the ground, then raced out of the church. We couldn’t catch up with him in time to stop him.”
My jaw clenched, and I looked toward Marco. “Giovanni.”
“A coward like always. He won’t risk showing his face anytime soon. He knows what this means.”
No, but this changed things dramatically.
Natalie sniffled and pushed back from me. “G-Gio got away?”
“It’s okay, vita mia. We’ll find him. There aren’t many places he can hide. He can’t hurt us again.”
She turned damp and red-rimmed eyes up to me. “I know he can’t,” she whispered. “Because we are unbreakable.”
In the middle of what had to be the most traumatic moment of her life, my Natalie was still solid strength. Even after everything they’d done to her. I hadn’t thought it was possible to love her more than I already did, but I fell even harder for her in the one place in the world I never thought we’d visit again.
“Ti amo,” I choked out, grabbing her and holding her close. “Sei la vita mia. Forever and ever.”
“I love you too,” she whispered against me.
Someone cleared their throat. Then the white haired man said, “We all need to leave.”
Marco and I thanked each of the men while Natalie clutched the blanket around her and waited. Just before they left, she moved toward the white-haired man and said, “Signore Vecellio, thank you.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you for everything.”
She pushed up on her bare toes and kissed his cheek. As she lowered to her heels in the dirt, he smirked and looked my way.
“Prove me wrong, giovane selvaggio. Don’t make us regret this alliance.”
The four disappeared into the darkness. In the distance, I heard sirens, telling me the fire had finally been noticed.
“Come on.” I reached for Natalie and gently lifted her into my arms. “Let’s get you home.”
She didn’t make any move to walk on her own, just wrapped her arms around my shoulders and let me be her strength. But very softly, she said, “What did he call you?”
“Young savage.”
She smiled up at me then rested her head on my shoulder. “Fitting.”
“Bloody hell,” Felicity exclaimed, meeting us at the front door as I carried Natalie into the main house.
“I’m fine,” Natalie said to her. “And I can walk perfectly well, this young savage just refuses to let me.”
Damn right I wasn’t letting her walk. Not until Felicity had a chance to make sure she really was all right.
“Take her upstairs,” Felicity said to me. “Second door on the left.”
I hefted Natalie higher in my arms and moved up the steps. Below I could hear Marco and Felicity talking quietly about what had happened as the front door shut.
“Everyone can stop worrying about me.” Natalie laid her head on my shoulder again. “I really am fine.”
I wasn’t so sure. Yes, she was arguing—like normal—but she hadn’t let go of me once since we’d left those woods. In the car, she’d sat curled against my lap as Marco drove, her arms wrapped around my neck, holding on with a death grip. And when I’d lifted her from the car and headed toward the house, she hadn’t made a single move to stand on her own.
“Just let us take care of you. You’ve been taking care of everyone else long enough.”
She cringed as I set her carefully on the mattress in the suite that held an old stone fireplace, a small sitting area with a couch and several chairs, and three arched glass doors that opened to a long balcony.
“Where does it hurt?” I asked her.
“Everywhere.”
She must have seen my jaw clench in reaction because she squeezed my arms. “I’m kidding. It doesn’t hurt that bad at all.”
She struggled to smile up at me, and I could see just tipping her head back a tiny bit caused her pain. My stomach pitched, and I fought to hold it together. I could handle my own pain, but not Natalie’s.