“Jenna? Baby, open your eyes,” he ignored Ortiz and focused on Jenna.
She was starting to let her eyes fall shut, but at the sound of his voice, she lifted her lids and looked up at him. The spark of fire he loved so much was fading. Even the greens seemed somehow muted in color.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Keep those eyes open for me, okay? Please, baby. You’ve got to stay with me.”
“Now!” Ortiz pushed the barrel of his gun against the back of Adrian’s head. “The time has come for this to end.”
Yeah, asshole. It sure as fuck has.
Leaning down, Adrian made a show of hugging Jenna as if to say goodbye. God, heprayedthis was not goodbye.
He whispered words filled with encouragement and promises. Words he meant to the very depths of his soul.
While he spoke what he prayed were not the last words she’d ever hear him say, Adrian used the moment to his advantage, removing the smaller knife he’d returned to his left ankle earlier.
Expertly concealing the move, Adrian slid the weapon into his sleeve as he leaned down and pressed his lips to Jenna’s.
“L-love…y-you.” The feathered words barely reached his ears.
Tears burned the corners of his eyes, his heart racing frantically between his ribs. “I love you, too, Jenna.” Did she know that? He hadn’t actually told her that before now. “I love you so much.”
“On yourfeet!” Matais yelled, his patience clearly gone.
“Please hang on, baby. For me.” With another soft kiss, Adrian replaced his hands with hers and stood.
“It is time for justice to finally prevail, don’t you agree?” The man’s words were laced with excitement.
Adrian turned to face him, unprecedented fury smoldering just beneath the surface. “As a matter of fact, yes. I do.”
“The choice was yours, you know.” The man stared back at him with the same arrogance Cesar had. “The second you went after my father, you chose your fate. You chose her death.”
Ortiz glanced toward Jenna, giving him the perfect window to act.
Adrian surged forward. In one fluid motion, he used his left forearm to knock the bastard’s hand—the one holding the gun—to the side while simultaneously reaching over and transferring the knife into his right hand.
Eyes wide with shock, Matais fought to bring the gun back around. Adrian was much stronger.
With his fingers wrapped around the man’s wrist, he twisted hard, snapping the bones clean through.
“Ah!”Matais bellowed in pain.
Adrian shoved his knife into the man’s heart. “I warned you.” His tone was a low, lethal growl. “I told you I would kill you for touching her. Like I said”—he twisted the knife—“I’m a man of my word.”
“P-please,” Matais begged for his life.
But that life was already gone.
“Go to hell.” He pulled the blade free. “And tell your fuck of a father I said hello.”
Matais gasped his last breath, his blood pouring from his chest as Adrian let go of him. He crumbled to the ground in a lifeless heap.
Adrian didn’t waste another second on the dead man. Instead, he rushed to Jenna’s side.
Her eyes were closed, her head lolled to the side.
Baby, no!
He felt for a pulse, damn near bawling when he found one. It was faint and thready, but it was there, all the same.