Bought by The Mafia Boss

Chapter 41

**Aedlin POV**

Tomasso's face fell in worry as another clang sounded outside the door. Muffled shouts reached my ears before a hand wrapped around my arm and I was dragged across the room. Tomasso limped after as Nico pulled open the door and shoved me out in front of him. We entered a small hallway that went to either my left or right.

Shouts and grunts could be heard to my left so Nico shoved me to the right and we began stumbling down the hallway. But I wasn't ready to go without a fight. So I dug in my heels and went deadweight. It startled him, knocking him off balance and I twisted my arm free from his grasp.

"HELP!" I screamed and scrambled to my feet, ready to bolt down the hallway opposite of his desired direction. Nico's hand clamped back around my ankle and pulled me to the ground. So I screamed and bellowed and kicked.

He grunted but began to drag me across the floor. The marble below me was cold, spotless as Tomasso now limped ahead of Nico and I. My hands squeaked across the ground, as I continued to fight. "LET GO!" I screeched and finally landed a well aimed kick to his face that hovered dangerously close to my legs.

He roared in anger, his hands flying to his nose that spewed blood. I didn't wait to see anything else and pushed myself to my feet as my family suddenly ran from the room. I screamed for help again as I found my footing and began running after the quickly fading figures. Not a single one of them had even turned to look in my direction. Help would not be coming from them.

Just as they reached the end of the hallway three looming bodies filled their pathway. Three bodies that I recognized. My family skidded to a halt as I continued to run. Closer and closer in their direction. Renzo shoved through my family, his light brown eyes catching my gaze and filling with relief until they glanced over my shoulder.

"Aedlin, duck!" He roared and I listened. Falling to my knees as quickly as I could, a shot rang out. Nico fired a single bullet at me that plunged into Renzo's chest instead of my head. He blinked, stumbling backwards as Nico and Tomasso's laughter filled the forlorn hallway.

I felt my breath catch. "No." I whispered and rushed towards him, crawling across the ground as he sat down on the hard marble flooring. His body was shaking, the reality of everything settled in "No." I said again as my mind went blank and I reached him. His eyes flickered to mine, the pain that was evident in his body caressing those handsome cheeks of his.

Red seeped out from the hole in his chest, staining the dark gray of his shirt. I shoved my hand against the wound, not ready to accept that he was dying. A trembling hand pressed against my cheek as Brick and James collapsed beside me. "Tesoro mio." He whispered and I pressed harder against his chest.

The stench of iron wafted to my noise as the sticky warmth beneath my hand became even more pungent. "You can't die. Not yet." I mumbled, still in shock. Renzo had just come and saved me, to die himself. I wouldn't allow it, wouldn't accept it. He was mine, the one person who chose me every time. Just as Liliana and Marcus had done, except he was different. He was so much different than them. No matter how terrifying he was, no matter what he had done, everything was done to protect me. Even this.

Renzo's chest began rising faster, his breaths more hollow as his eyes flashed over my shoulder to watch Tomasso and Nico disappear around a corner. And then he breathed out deeply and leaned back against the floor, away from my hand.

His body immediately stopped shaking and his breathing returned to normal. "What the he** is going on?" I asked as he pulled up his shirt to show me the wound. "You piece of sh**." I cursed and punched him against his arm. He weakly laughed and then coughed.

"It still hurt to get shot, you know." He said, before replacing his shirt over the bullet proof vest and sitting back up. It had been fake blood, a fake death.