Page 22 of Dario

"I'll take Gemma to your apartment. Rosie and Rhodes will follow in their car." Dodge sighs. "When you're ready to go, I'll get them moving."

"I'm going with you," I say.

“I’d planned on you being with us.” He hands me the key fob for the car. "SUV, parked near the north exit. Ellison Security badge on the windshield. Meet us there."

I nod and leave without talking to anyone. I'm angry that I couldn't go into that room and claim Gemma as mine. That will change. I have kept my distance from her for a couple of months, not wanting to mess things up for her. Then I have her in myarms and I refuse to give her up. I'm not a possessive type. At least I wasn't until Gemma came along.

Walking down the concrete walkway, I spot Dodge's vehicle. I open the trunk, throw in my gear, then climb in the back. And wait.

My ears pick up a scraping sound. Is that the car? I don't know what I'm hearing. No one is around. My eyes focus outside the vehicle, but I don't see anyone. There's that noise again! Having enough, I open the car door and as I step out, I see a dark figure to my right. "Hey!" I call.

The figure takes off running. I give chase. Is that the bastard who is after Gemma? I start to catch up when I'm knocked off my feet as a huge explosion lights up the night sky. My hands take the brunt of the landing, along with my knees. I roll as the heat sears my skin. Pain shoots through my right knee. Debris rains down around me as I struggle to my feet, searching for any sign of the figure. The flames illuminate the area, revealing a twisted piece of metal where the car used to be.

Too shocked to move, I stand and stare. If I hadn't left the car when I did, I'd be dead. The realization of how close I came to disaster hits me hard and makes me shudder.

A scream reaches my ears. Gemma! I run towards the ramp as fast as I can, my knee banged up. When I get around the flames, I see Dodge holding my girl back. Rhodes looks helplessly at the burning SUV while Rosie stands next to him, shock clearly on her face.

I limp over to Dodge, who stops as soon as he sees me. Then I realize they think I was in the vehicle. "Gemma!" I call. Dodge turns her around. Her eyes go wide when she sees me. In the next breath, I push past Dodge and reach Gemma. She throws herself into my arms. I pick her up and hold on tight. "I'm okay," I whisper. I breathe in her scent and close my eyes; thankful she wasn't in the car.

"Dodge said you were waiting for us in the car."

I pull her face out of my neck and hold her gaze. "I was. I heard a noise and got out to see what it was. I went after the bastard, but the explosion knocked me off my feet."

Crying, she clings to me and climbs up my body. "I'm sorry. This is my fault."

"It's not your fault, Gemma," Dodge says.

"He's right." I press her closer.

"That's for sure." Rhodes puts a hand on my shoulder. "You need to sit down and wait for the paramedics."

CHAPTER TWELVE

GEMMA

It’s onlyas I hear Rhodes’ words that I really look at Dario. I wiggle out of his arms and grab his bloody hands. His navy-blue pants are torn and covered in blood. He even has a scratched chin.

I cup his face between my shaking hands and kiss his lips lightly. He winces. "You're really hurt," I whisper.

"I'm okay."

"Your definition of okay is not mine," Dodge says, taking Dario's arm. "You need to sit down before you fall."

"I'm fine," he grumbles, becoming irritated.

"I could sit," I admit, noticing Dario's focus on me. "It's been a long few days."

"I really need to sit down," he admits sheepishly.

Dodge leads us over to some steps.

Dario catches his breath and sits. I sit on a lower step, but between his legs. I rest my cheek on one of his thighs and close my eyes. A shuddering breath escapes me, and I give in to more tears. I've cried more in the last few days than I have in years.

Dario wraps his body around mine and uses his arms to hold me. His palms are cut and bloody and they must hurt like hell.

We're still huddled together when sirens wail across the parking lot, arriving on the scene.

Shouts echo in my head, and it's only when someone gently touches my hand that I look up. "The paramedics are here to check on Dario," Rosie says quietly.