Chapter 33

THIRTY-THREE

Laura

P eople still stared at Phoenix in the street. Instead of hiding, he smiled his scarred smile and held his head up high. Pride flourished in me as I watched him.

He'd come so far from the angry child in his diaries.

It had been two weeks since he'd cut open his mouth, and happiness bubbled inside me. The thick muscles of his left arm bulged under the weight of the shopping bags, while his other hand held mine. I trailed him, dawdling at the shop windows.

We'd lasted as long as we could in our lust-filled haven, but with the two of us eating, our supplies had soon diminished and we braved a village shop.

A light rain smattered us as we walked, but it couldn't steal the smile from my face. I'd spent so many years wishing to be free of my family's expectations, and despite the trauma and heartbreak, I'd found myself there. Phoenix spent every day making me feel seen. Adored. Desired. The way we had met had been the biggest of red flags, but after all was said and done, he'd saved me. From the fire, from the bullet, and from my depressing future.

‘Come on, slow coach,' Phoenix said, smiling over his shoulder at me.

‘You could drop my hand and I could take some of those bags.' His one arm looked ready to burst, thick veins coating the rippling muscle.

‘Not a chance.'

A familiar face flashed on the TV mounted inside the newsagents. I froze, terror gripping me in its vice. My blood ran cold as Massimo filled the screen.

Phoenix stopped, turning to see what held my attention.

Subtitles danced along the bottom of the screen.

‘I'm appealing for information on the whereabouts of my fiancée. She was taken from her home by a known associate of criminals, who killed her family and set fire to the building.'

His words reached through the screen and wrapped around my lungs, squeezing them until I couldn't breath.

‘Darling, Laura, if you see this, know that I am looking for you. That I will find you and bring you home.' Massimo touched a perfectly folded tissue to the corner of his eye, making a great show of his mock grief. ‘I still love you.'

Phoenix was by me in a second, pulling me into his arms as my pulse seemed to stutter to a stop.

‘He knows,' I whispered.

‘It's okay. He won't find you,' Phoenix's voice quavered, but he held me firmly in his arms, not caring as the rain picked up and soaked us both. Placing the shopping bags on the ground, he took both hands and cupped my face, turning it up toward his. Tears mingled with rain on my cheeks. Massimo tried to kill me. If he found me, he'd succeed.

‘We're in a village. People will see us.'

‘And we'll get back to the boat and disappear. We have enough food here to last us a few weeks. I can arrange for more to be delivered directly to the island and we'll pick it up there. I know some guys who owe me a favour or two.' When I glanced back at the TV screen through the window, he pulled my attention back to him. ‘Laura, I will protect you. I promise.'

‘Every day I'm going to be searching the horizon, fearing the day he comes for me. Massimo isn't the kind of guy who gives up.' My teeth began to chatter as the rain soaked us through.

‘Neither am I,' Phoenix said with a growl. ‘And I'll lay his goddamned head at your feet before I let him touch a single hair on your head.'

I wanted to believe him.