Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 84324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
His arm around me loosens enough for me to wrench myself away from him.
Go!Go!Go!
I let out a panicked shriek, but instead of blowing my brains out, Marco aims his gun at Adriano.
“Noooo!” I cry, the sound pure desperation from the very depths of my soul as I dart forward.
I’ve never moved as fast as I do in this horrific moment, and when gunshots fill the air, I throw my body in front of Adriano’s.
Pain rips through my upper arm, and something burns along the side of my neck before warmth spills down my skin.
“Laurie!” Tori shrieks.
I slam into Adriano, his arm instantly wrapping around me while rage twists his face into something ferocious, making my stomach clench.
Not sure if it’s from shock or because I’m dying, my body loses all feeling.
Tiny tackles Marco off his feet, and it has Adriano shoving me so hard behind him, I stumble and fall near the bed. Leaning against the side, my arm pressing into the covers, I watch with wide eyes as the horrific scene unfolds.
Even though Marco was shot in the knee and thigh, he fights like a rabid dog, his blood smearing all over the floor.
When he manages to drive his fist hard enough into Tiny, he’s able to get free and lunge for a gun lying near the corner of the bed.
Adriano is on him within a second, and the sound of his fist slamming into Marco’s face is sickening.
“You fucking betrayed me!” Adriano roars before another punch snaps Marco’s head violently sideways. “You pointed a fucking gun at my wife? You thought you could take what’s mine?”
Marco tries to shield himself, but Adriano keeps punching him with a level of violence that turns the entire room silent except for the sound of his fist connecting with Marco’s face.
Tiny steps back, breathing heavily while he grabs hold of Tori, who’s sobbing from the shock she’s just been dealt.
Angelo hurries toward Adriano and grabs his shoulder. “He’s out, son.”
My husband drives another punch into Marco’s bloody face before he climbs to his feet, his chest rising and falling with harsh breaths.
When he turns and his eyes lock on me, the violence drains from his face and is quickly replaced by something akin to fear.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, using the bed to pull myself up, but my head spins, and I sink down again.
“Oh my God, Laurie,” Tori gasps as Adriano hurries toward me, dropping to his knees in front of me.
“Christ, Laurie,” he groans, his voice filled with unbearable pain, which confuses me.
My eyes scour his body, and not seeing any blood except for what’s coating his knuckles, I feel intense relief.
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!” Adriano’s hand wraps tightly around my arm, and it makes pain flare through every nerve ending.
Everyone is frozen in place, looks of horror on their faces.
A whimper escapes me as I glance down, and seeing all the blood on my shirt, arm, and the floor, it only sinks in then that I’ve been shot.
Adriano presses his other hand to the side of my neck and roars, “Bring the fucking first aid kit and call the doctor!”
Everyone moves at once.
Feeling a little delirious, I stare at his face. “You’re okay.”
His jaw clenches hard. “Stop talking.”
Tori sinks down beside us and wraps a towel around my arm before her worried gaze meets mine. “You’re going to be okay.” A sob sputters from her, then she brushes her palm over my hair and leans forward to kiss my temple where I can still feel the barrel pressing into it. “Mom’s here. I’m going to take good care of you.”
Tears flood my eyes while my lips curve into a smile. “Mom. I like that.”
“The two of you can bond later,” Adriano snaps angrily. “Give me that fucking bag.”
I notice Little Ricky handing him a first aid kit, but then my sight blurs.
“Laurie!” Adriano snaps angrily, ripping me back to the here and now while he presses gauze to the side of my neck. “Stay with me.”
“Uh-huh,” I mumble, my vision going spotty.
“Keep it there, Ma. Press hard.”
Tori does as he says, then he pulls the towel away from my arm, and when I see blood flowing freely from the hole in my arm, I feel nauseated and even more dizzy.
Everything keeps going from blurry images to black as Adriano tightly wraps a white bandage around my arm, my blood seeping through it everytime a new layer is added.
It feels as if my body turns weightless.
“No, Laurie!” I feel Adriano holding me. “Where the fuck is the doctor!”
“Let me take over. We can’t wait,” I hear Big Ricky snap, his tone tight with worry. “Lay her down on the bed for me.”
The whoosy sensation lifts, and Adriano’s gravely worried face comes back into focus as he picks me up.
“You’re okay,” I mumble.