The Counterfeit Lover (War of Sins Book 3)

She notices me and she finally lowers the gun.

‘He was going to use the knife,’ she simply says, fluttering her lashes at me.

‘You…’

‘It was a fluke…’ she smiles timorously, her entire body shaking lightly. ‘But I couldn’t not…’

‘Damn it, Noelle,’ I curse just as I take her in my arms, holding her while I meticulously assess our surroundings.

The screeching sound of a tire resounds through the air as a Jeep bursts inside, more bullets raining down on us. And just as reinforcements are about to arrive, the Jeep crashing into another car and sending it flying right in front of the exit, jamming it and making it so no one can come into the parking lot from that route.

 Chaos ensues. I can’t even tell how many more people appear, but more and more bullets start flying around, the Jeep driving at full speed inside the parking lot and using another machine gun to shoot at the row of cars.

My eyes go wide as I realize we need to move. Fast. Instinctively, I push Noelle under one of the cars just as I roll in after her.

The bullets rain on the pavement next to us. If we’d been there…

Her hand grasps mine as she squeezes.

‘We’ll get through this,’ she whispers.

‘Of course we’ll get through this,’ I assure her. ‘I’m not going to let anything happen to you, pretty girl.’

‘What about the others?’

‘I’m sure Vlad can handle it. Sisi, too. It’s just…’

‘Venezia that could be in danger,’ she completes my thought.

I nod grimly.

‘She’s pregnant, Raf,’ she tells me, her voice filled with pain. ‘She’s going to have your brother’s child.’

Though my body is already in fight mode, I can’t help but tense at that piece of news.

‘Are you sure?’

She nods.

‘Nothing’s going to happen to her—to them,’ I promise her. Somehow, I’ll make sure of that.

‘She doesn’t deserve any of this. She—they are innocent in everything,’ she speaks fervently, her eyes begging me to do something—protect them too.

And by God, I don’t think I could deny her anything.

So I simply move closer—as close as I can considering my big frame and the small space we’re currently inhabiting. Tilting my head, I bring my lips to her forehead.

‘Stay put, please. You’re safe here.’

She’s quiet for a moment before she reaches for my sleeve, gripping it tightly.

‘Don’t you dare die on me, Rafaelo Guerra. I could never forgive you,’ she adds in a low voice.

‘I promise you,’ I kiss her again, taking her mind off the vagueness of my words. Yes, I promise, but I never tell her what.

Handing me her gun, she gives me a tender look before she lets go of my hand. I quickly roll over, knowing that if I don’t do it now, I’ll never be able to leave her side.

As I stand up, I see Vlad on one side engaged in a shoot off with one of the guys, while Sisi is doing the same a few cars down. I don’t spot Venezia, though, so I have to hope she’s hiding under a car like Noelle.

This time, though, I know I can’t just sit around waiting for them to make the first move.

The Jeep is rounding the corner and before they can spot me, I run at full speed towards it. Just as one man notices me, aiming his gun towards me, I jump, landing on the hood, my hand on the barrel of his gun as I point it in the other direction when he shoots.

Immediately, his foot connects with my shoulder as he tries to push me off. Holding on even tighter, I concentrate all my strength in my arm as I pull on the gun, the man losing his balance and falling off the car. I have a hard time holding on, especially since the surface is slippery from the water. But just as I push myself up, I find myself face to face with the guy wielding the machine gun from the roof of the car.

He gives me a wolfish smile as his finger tightens over the trigger.

In a split of a second, I swing myself off the car and to the side. But it’s not enough. Compared to the first gun, this one has a tripod that makes it easier for him to change direction as he wants.

To avoid the incoming path of bullets, I grasp on to the bumper, lowering myself slightly but without touching the ground. It’s a struggle as the moisture on the surface of the car makes me lose my grasp again and again, my fingers red from the pressure I apply to keep my balance.

Fuck!

Unless I can get back up I won’t be able to get a clear shot at him.

As the car continues to drive in circles around the parking lot, I get a better perspective of what’s happening to everyone else.

The man with the other machine gun is out, and Vlad is currently shooting it at some of the men on foot. And as I look around, I realize there are still ten or more people, with the ones in the car about twelve or thirteen.

The odds are decidedly not in our favor.

Just as I swing myself back on the car, the machine gun points at me again. Ready to avoid a direct hit, I gawk in shock as the man slumps down over the roof before he has the chance to pull the trigger. Blood pours down, signaling he’d been hit.

A quick glance around and I can’t figure out where the shot came from. Not one to question my good luck—at least not in this moment—I climb up the car, pulling at the ammo and quickly disabling the machine gun.

Something of this caliber… I think we’re safer if no one uses it for now. After all, one of my first lessons about weapons had been that a powerful weapon can always be taken from you and turned against you. As such, you must be a powerful weapon in itself.

Satisfied that the gun is now in pieces, I throw parts of it around before I turn my attention to the roof window.

I pull on the man’s body until I can throw him out of the way, all the while trying to maintain my equilibrium when the car does some serious drifts.

Finally finding my footing, I grasp the edge of the trapdoor and I lower myself inside the car. Ready to get on the defensive, I see there are only two men. One is driving while the other is in the other seat, his gun out as he shoots out the window.

Removing one hand to grab my gun, I hold myself off the roof with my other hand, concentrating all my strength in that arm. Once I grasp my gun properly, I aim and fire before the man can turn and cock his gun towards me.

Another one out and then I simply lower myself to the backseat.

The man driving takes a gun out and tries to shoot back, but with his attention at the wheel, his aim is very much off. Taking advantage of that, I propel myself feet forward towards the front of the car. My elbow makes contact with his side as I kick him until he drops the gun. With my other hand, I swipe the lock on the door, kicking it open and dumping the body while holding on to the top handles when the driver decides to make a few dangerous moves in order to get me out too.

A few failed attempts but I eventually manage to close to door. Right at that moment, the driver tries to shoot at me again so I lean back, grabbing his arm and making him repeatedly pull the trigger until he empties his barrel. Then it’s just a matter of seconds as I aim my own gun towards him, a bullet making contact with his temple.

Disposing of the body, I take control of the car as I try to stabilize my breathing, my adrenaline out of control.

Looking around, I see there are a few more men left. Vlad and Sisi had taken the majority out. So I do the only thing that crosses my mind. I drive at full speed towards one of the men currently aiming a gun at them, crashing into him and sending him flying.

‘Not bad, posh boy,’ Vlad chuckles from the side.

I wink at him, putting the car in reverse as I spot another person in the back and heading towards the place I’d left Noelle.

Pushing at full speed, I catch him with the back of the car, not only hitting him, but dragging him with me as the car continues to move backwards. I can hear the bones crunching as they get mangled under the tire, but I don’t stop until I spot the next target.

Yet just as I’m about the repeat the action from before, something else happens.

Venezia.

She’s out of her hiding place, looking entirely disoriented as she limps in the middle of the driving lane. Her expression is one of pure terror as she looks right and left, not knowing where to go. At the same moment, another man turns his focus towards her, his gun angled and ready to fire.

Shit. No. No. No.

I hit the gas pedal, rushing at full speed even as I know I might not make it.

Her eyes widen as she spots the gun aimed in her direction, and I swallow painfully as the seconds trickle down.

Yet just as I’m sure no one will be able to help, a motorbike flies past the jammed entrance, a biker draped in all black and sporting an equally black helmet skillfully squeezing through the narrow spot. Before the man can pull the trigger on Venezia, the biker stops in front of her, his hand around her waist as he does an impressive U-turn before opening direct fire on the other man, killing him on the spot.

There are two more left, and both of them meet the same fate in rapid succession as they focus their attention on the biker and Venezia.

When everyone’s dead, I stop the car, getting out but keeping my gun with me as we haven’t ascertained yet if he’s friend or foe.

Just as Vlad and I rush towards them, though, he drops Venezia to the ground before making his exit just like he came—at the speed of light.

‘Are you alright?’ Both Vlad and I ask at the same time, our gazes colliding before I shake my head and a smile pulls at his lips.

Still a little shaken, Venezia slowly nods.

Sisi rushes towards her, dropping her gun to the ground and hugging her sister.

Seeing that they are ok, I turn to where I’d left Noelle, calling out her name and telling her it’s ok to come out.

She gives a small yelp as she tries to disentangle herself from under the car, and worried as I am, I dash to her side to help her up. We’re both wet from head to toe, but somehow the situation turns amusing as we both smile at each other.

‘It’s done?’

‘Yup,’ I nod. ‘I think we might need to leave the area before the cops arrive.’

‘You were quite dashing, you know,’ Noelle slips her hand through my arm, gluing herself to my side. ‘I saw some of those stunts you pulled and if I wasn’t already flat on the ground I would have swooned anyway,’ she adds playfully.

‘Happy to serve, my lady,’ I mimic a bow.

She giggles, hugging my arm tighter.

‘I had full confidence in you, Raf. I always do. It’s just that…’ she trails off, the humorous mood from before all but gone.

‘It’s just that?’ I ask, frowning.

‘I know you. And I know that you’re always willing to put yourself at risk to save others. And that I don’t like.’

‘Pretty girl…’

‘I don’t like you taking unnecessary risks. Your first instinct is to save people. But I wish your first instinct was to survive no matter what—to come back to me no matter what.’

I stop abruptly as I realize how serious she is.

Gazing down at her, it’s to find her deep in contemplation, hints of worry marring her expression.

‘I didn’t know that worried you so much,’ I add carefully.

‘I don’t know,’ she shrugs, forcing a smile. ‘Maybe I’m selfish, but I don’t want you to risk your life for anyone else. I don’t want you to get hurt from some random act of kindness…’ she trails off, almost afraid she said too much.

“Noelle…”

‘I love you, Raf. And it’s quite funny since I love you because of that. Because you’re so selfless when I’m not. Because you’re always ready to help. Yet at the same time… I hate it,’ the last words are spoken on a whisper.

I tip her chin up with my thumb, my eyes meeting hers as I see all the turmoil inside of her.

‘Is it weird? That the very thing I love about you is making me hate it so bad? And it’s all because I know you could be taken from me. That something could happen and…’

‘I promise you,’ I say solemnly, interrupting her. Her eyes go wide, her lashes fluttering in surprise.

‘I promise you I won’t ever take unnecessary risks, or put myself in danger when I can avoid it.’

‘Raf…’

‘I don’t ever want you to stress or worry about me, pretty girl. It’s why I’ve been so hands off with the entire business. It’s why I’ve tried to stay out of dangerous situations. But I’ll strive to be better. That… I promise you,’ I give her the words.

Before I know it, she jumps in my arms, her legs going around my waist as she wraps her arms around my neck.

‘Thank you. Thank you so much, Raf. You just… You really have no idea how much I love you,’ she confesses poignantly.

‘I love you just as much, Noelle, if not more, pretty girl. I just know that the love I have for you today will double tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow would be twice as much as tomorrow. All the way to infinity. I love you so much that I never want to see you sad, you get me?’

She tightens her arms over my neck, but I feel her nod.

‘And I want you to always share your worries with me. I’ll always strive to do better—no, I will do better.’

‘You’re the best man I know, Rafaelo Guerra,’ she whispers lovingly, her hand in my hair as she plays with a few strands. ‘You’re the best human I’ve ever met.’

‘I’m not,’ a sad smile pulls at my lips. ‘But for your sake, I’ll try to be.’

We hug for a few more moments, swaying from side to side as I whisper all the things she makes me feel, and the way my love for her simply has no bounds. Only when I feel her more relaxed do I move to meet the others.

Regrouping, we manage to get back inside the restaurant just as Enzo and his crew arrive to get a read on the situation.

‘We already evacuated the restaurant. Just go and I’ll handle things on this end.’

Nodding, we all make to leave.

Noelle, however, stops by Enzo’s side.

‘What are you going to tell them?’ She asks with a knowing smile.

‘Same old, same old. A gas leak that turned into an explosion.’

‘But there’s no explosion,’ she counters with a raised brow.

‘Yet.‘ He just smiles, winking at us before instructing his men to start their work.

As we’re led out of the restaurant through another back exit, we say our goodbyes as Sisi and Vlad take Venezia home. She’s still very much shaken, and hasn’t said a word since the shooting, which could be worrying in her condition.

But just as I move to say something, Noelle’s hand tightens over my arm. She shakes her head at me.

‘Let’s go,’ she whispers.

With a bit more coaxing, I relent and let the matter go—for now.

But as we’re on our way back in a cab, I grimly realize that someone wants me dead. Carlos might have been right that it could be Ortega. But with those weapons? I’m more inclined to believe someone else is involved.

Someone like Damiano Marchesi.

There’s also the matter of the mysterious biker, which I could wager a guess on his identity.

And that complicates things.

I only know that I can’t afford to put Noelle in danger—in any shape or form. And for that, I need to put my guard up—and add a few new security measures.