Chaos ensued as gunshots rang throughout the air behind her. Screaming people ran as fast as their legs could take them to the exit at the back of the food court.
Nero protected Elle, running toward the exit, while Maria’s bodyguard protected her, also heading toward the exit.
Unable to find her legs, she felt like everything was going in slow motion as people ran past her.
Or it’ll just hurt worse.
“Chloe!” Amo’s voice boomed as he tried to move forward to get to her, but the running people were coming at him, making it impossible.
Her heart thudded once in her ear as she took a step toward Amo.
“Chloe, move,” Lucca demanded from the other side, fighting against the flood of people, trying to reach her.
Her heart thudded again, and she took another step forward, this time toward Lucca.
“This way, Chloe,” Amo pleaded.
“To me, Chloe!” Lucca demanded.
Time stood still before her as she looked at the two men desperately trying to fight their way to her. They both stood equal distances apart from her. Her mind felt pulled to the right toward Amo, yet her body felt pulled to the left toward Lucca.
As she looked at Amo, memories flashed before her …
Smiling proudly, he took his seat. “You thought I wasn’t going to actually sit beside you, didn’t you?”
Chloe’s answer was scooting her chair over to the very edge, though it didn’t give her much more room because he practically took up the whole table.
By his smirk disappearing, she could tell he didn’t like her answer very much …
… When a tray was extended to her, she looked up to see Amo holding it out for her. It was the first time she could see something that almost seemed nice under his rough exterior.
Slowly, she took it from him, having to look away as she did. She had grown almost used to the roughness of him, and seeing him differently for once seemed weird …
… “You know why they’re staring like that, don’t you?”
She looked to the floor. “Because they think I’m a fre—”
“No, you’re not a freak,” Amo snapped. He paused for just an instant before he said, “It’s because they’ve never seen me walk a girl to class before.” …
… “Place your hands on the table,” he whispered over to her.
She quickly shook her head and started to press her nails into the skin.
“Please, Chloe, I can’t take you doing that to yourself,” he pleaded.
When she glanced at him, it was the first time she really looked at him, like really looked into his eyes. They weren’t the black abyss staring back at her like she had always thought. They might have been dark, but they also had a lightness to them. Almost like a sparkle of silver running through giving them life. They were dark yet light, reminding her of yin and yang.
Taking a breath, she placed her hands on the table …
… The next song was louder than the last, making Amo lean down to whisper in her ear. “Will you dance with me, then?”
His breath was warm as it touched her skin, his body just a few inches away. It was the closest he had ever been to her, making the hairs stand up on the back of her neck.
“When you’re sitting in California, and I’m missing you, I’ll regret that I didn’t get to dance with you once.”
She now turned her eyes to Lucca, the memory of when they first met flashing …
“Hey, darlin’,” a deep voice sounded behind her.
Chloe jumped at the sound. A second later, a man appeared on the other side of the rails. He was terrifyingly beautiful and scared the hell out of her, regardless of how handsome he was. She didn’t think a man that good-looking should even exist, or a man that chilling.
Chloe didn’t move a muscle, completely frozen in place.
He kept walking toward the entrance of the gazebo and went up the step. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She had no idea how she hadn’t heard him. She didn’t even know where he had come from.
She watched him lean up on a pillar, blocking her exit. After every hair had managed to stand up on her body at one look of his eyes, Chloe darted her gaze down to her lap and started fiddling with her hands.
“I’m Nero’s brother, Lucca. I would shake your hand, but you wouldn’t shake it, anyway.”
Chloe quickly glanced back up at him before looking down again. How did he know that?
Lucca read her eyes. “I overheard that you’re apparently germaphobic.”
Chloe glanced back up at him again. Apparently? He was really starting to freak her out now.
Chloe attempted to decide if she should honestly be afraid and try to run away. Yes, I should. However, Lucca was blocking the only exit, and she was not going anywhere near him.