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I rub et out of this ured if I didn’t talk about it, it wouldn’t exist But ht that if I told him, he’d tell me he didn’t wanton earth he’d ever want

“I was afraid,” I say I don’t like to say out loud that I felt weak

He grabs my chin and makes me look up at him “Never be afraid of me”

He inches closer and closer until I can feel his breath on ly slow kiss onto oose bumps scatter on my skin and my heart flutter in my chest

When his ly and swollen and yearning forwhen I just adnancy even when I kneas going on

“So you’re not mad at me?” I ask

His brow rises playfully “Mad? No But you will be punished for not tellingin there Mine”

I giggle when he drags ainst ht in front of anyone ould dare to come between us And even if I hate to ad completely and utterly in love withviscerally attractive about ato lay down his life as well as others for the sake of yours

But before our lips collide, his eyes suddenly flick away as he looks over my shoulder In an instant, they widen and narrow, and he clutches ht the breath is squeezed out of me

BANG!

I hear the sound before I feel the bullet graze right past my arm

I don’t even knohat’s going on, but Marcello swiftly lunges in front of me and shields me with his body Another bullet flies past us, and I shriek as he throws us both into a bush Only when I look up do I spot the les

“It’s the Irish,” Marcello growls “They’ve come for you”

Bullets ricochet on the ground, and I cover my ears with my hands so I don’t have to hear the sound of death Marcello peeks over the bushes and grabs his gun fro my heart do a double jump

“No, Marcello, you can’t—”