Protettore.

Chapter 22.

Nora's POV

"It's rude to eavesdrop Nora."

It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on me. My blood ran cold at the sound of his voice. I wasted no time tearing myself from his grip and taking off down the hallway, back the way I came. I looked over my shoulder in time to see Raffaelo vault over the staircase railing.

I ran faster than I thought possible. Just thinking of what my life used to be pushed me to run harder than I ever had before. I had to get back to Enzo. He kept me safe. If I could just get back to Enzo, everything would be fine again.

I could hear Raffaelo's dress shoes slapping against the linoleum floors. I could tell his footsteps were getting closer until he was right on my heels. I was about to round the next corner when he grabbed a fistful of my hair.

I cried out in pain when he yanked me down to the floor and began dragging me by my hair back towards the stairs.

We didn't get far before a mass of growling fur launched himself at my assailant. Raffaelo's grip on me loosened enough for me to pull myself from his clutches. I heard strands of my hair being ripped from my scalp and I grimaced in pain.

Raffaelo's shouts of pain echoed through the halls. Tank had the man's arm between his teeth in a vice like grip. I saw blood dripping down his fingertips, and he was doing his damnedest to pry the dog from his person, but Tank wasn't letting up.

I got to my feet and stumbled forward.

Get back to Enzo.

The sound of a gunshot stopped me in my tracks. I turned to see Tank slumping to the floor. He let out a single whine in pain and then was silent.

No. No. NO!

Raffaelo was standing above the dog, holding a gun in his non-injured hand.

I could see a pool of blood slowly growing around Tank's form and I was frozen to the spot.

Tank, who I had shared snacks with, who always shadowed me, who laid in my bed to keep away the nightmares; my Tank had gotten shot because of me.

Time seemed to be moving slower. The gunshot had left my ears ringing. I could faintly hear screams of fear from adjacent halls, and a woman on the overhead speaker said something I couldn't quite make out. The sound of Raffaelo's footsteps cut through all of this as he approached.

"Now I have someone who's been dying to see you again." He smirked before grabbing my arm and yanking me towards the main entrance.

Varlam.

Coming back to my senses, I pulled and thrashed trying to get free, but it seemed Raffaelo's fury had given him a surge of strength.

"Enzo!" I screamed in one last attempt to get back to him.

Please hear me. I need you.

Raffaelo spun me around and slapped me across the face so hard, clouds of black rolled in across my vision.

"Shut up you stupid bitch." He snarled, dragging me towards the exit.

My head was spinning from his attack and I could feel myself becoming nauseous at the reality of what was happening. I was getting kidnapped by a man I trusted and I was being taken back to Varlam. Worst of all, I was getting taken away from my Enzo.

A car was waiting for us in the parking lot. Raffaelo took another fistful of my hair and threw me into the back seat before climbing in himself. I yanked at the door handle, but they had thought ahead and put the child safety locks on, so I couldn't open them from the inside. The black SUV peeled out of the parking lot, leaving a dust trail in our wake.