I hear the shots inside the house. Nothing else matters but getting to Elisa. While Leno and Massimo took the front of the house, Raffaele, Aris, and I moved to the back. Even though the curtains are drawn, there’s a slit that reveals Ruggero getting to his feet, cupping his private parts, and staggering down the hallway. I can hear him slamming into a door and swearing profusely.
I grab a large rock from the garden and slam it through the window of the French door, then stick my hand through it to open and unlatch the lock. Ruggero hears the noise and starts shooting. Raffaele shoves me to the side and gets off a shot of his own. Just then, Massimo rushes into the room and sees Ruggero taking aim and fires a shot. The bullet hits Ruggero’s hand, and he drops his gun. He lunges for his fallen pistol, but Leno is on him fast and pounds his fist into his face.
All I want to do is find Elisa. I call out her name and run in the same direction that Ruggero emerged from.
“Elisa, baby! Elisa! Elisa!”
I wrench open the first two doors but find no sign of Elisa. I yank at the third door to find it locked. I rattle the knob, stopping when I hear Elisa’s soft voice.
“Here.” Her voice is faint. “Ivo.”
“Baby, can you open the door?” I hear her groaning, but the door remains locked.
“I…I can’t,” she winces audibly, clearly in pain.
“I’m coming, Elisa. I’ll get you out.”
“Ivo,” she moans. Her breathing sounds heavy, more labored. “I love you.” Then, nothing but complete silence. I call her over and over, and nothing.
I ram my shoulder into the door several times, but it doesn’t budge. Raffaele pushes me aside. He’s thinking much more clearly than I am. “We’ve got to find another way in.”
Then suddenly, I hear the lock give. I open the door to find Elisa slumped against the wall, her face beaten and bloody.
“Shit!” I yell, scooping her up in my arms. She moans in pain. Raffaele gets on the phone with the doc to tell him to meet us at our house. I carry Elisa through the living room to find Ruggero on the floor. “Don’t kill him,” I tell Leno. “That’s my job.”
He sees Elisa, and his face grows hard. “I’m coming with you,” he says.
“Massimo, take Ruggero to the Underground,” Raffaele says, and precedes me out the door. Once we get in the car, Raffaele takes off his jacket and puts pressure on her wound, while Leno drives like a Formula One race car driver.
I hold Elisa tightly to my chest, kissing the top of her head. “Stay with me, regina,” I murmur in her ear. “Elisa, look at me.” Her eyes are already swelling shut, but she manages to open them ever so slightly. “I love you too. Do you hear me?”
“Hear you.” She can hardly be heard, and she passes out in my arms.
“Jesus Christ, this can’t be happening,” I say.
“Hold tight, brother. Elisa is a tough woman, and she loves you. She’s going to hold on with all she has,” Raffaele replies, attempting to console me.