Page 93 of Humility

“Not often, but it happens.”

“Hmm. If they call again, maybe you should answer it. If it’s a salesperson, you can always hang up. But what if it’s important?” Rising up on her toes, she kissed my cheek. “I’ll pay for this, and then I’m ready to explore with you.”

I glanced at the black screen to see if a message was left. Nothing appeared, but now I couldn’t help worrying. Stuffing the phone into my pocket, I ran my hand over my hidden guns and took a deep breath to steady the uneasy feeling before joining Jasmine.

If anything happened, I would die to keep her safe.

Chapter Forty-Two

JASMINE

I hadn’t forgotten what it was like to spend time with Dario, but the memories had faded around the edges. His ability to make me smile and blush was at the top of the list. How he still knew all of my favorite things was endearing and unnerving at the same time. If I remembered half the things about him that he knew about me, I would be pleased.

We had lunch under a large tree that I knew would, in the fall, look like it was on fire with its leaves changing. He recited pieces of his favorite poetry from memory as we ate from the same dishes. The man was an enigma to me, yet I didn’t want him any other way.

He never let go of my hand, and unlike Angelo, who glared at everyone we passed, Dario’s presence moved the tide. Like the parting of the Red Sea, people in our way stepped aside at the sight of him, yet he never spared them a glance.

“Do you like this?” Dario lifted a scarf that beautifully mixed all the blues of the ocean.

“It’s stunning. It reminds me of home.”

“Me too.” He held it out to the man selling. “I’ll take this.” Turning to me, he draped it over my shoulders, and I rubbed the soft material along my cheek.

“Thank you, it’s amazing.”

Dario opened his mouth to answer when a commotion across the way drew our attention. As soon as I saw what was going on, I was on the move, marching across the open court to the man who had just dragged a boy into his shop.

“Let me go,” the boy yelled. “Help, help. Let me go, Mister.”

I stepped into the store as the man raised his hand to slap the boy. He looked no more than eight or nine and very obviously lived on the street or in an impoverished part of town. The bare feet, shabby clothes, and dirty complexion gave it away. A small bag was at his feet with a few apples inside.

“Don’t you dare,” I said, and the man, who I assumed was the manager or owner, whipped his head in our direction. Dario’s shadow loomed in the doorway behind me, but I appreciated that he wasn’t interfering.

“He’s a thief,” the guy said.

“He’s also a child.”

Marching forward, I picked up the bag and looked inside before quickly grabbing other items to add until it was full. “I will pay for what’s in the bag, but you will never strike him, or I will call the authorities on you.”

“He and his friends are always in here stealing things. They are going to make me go broke. They are the ones that should be in jail.”

“Ow,” the boy said as the man shook his arm.

“Or you could offer him a job. Sweeping your storeroom or being a greeter at your door.” I got close to the man and looked down at his hand. “Unhand him right now.” Giving orders had never been my thing, but using any power I may hold for something like this felt right. “Or my boyfriend will ask you, and he won’t be as nice as I am about it.”

I heard Dario’s phone buzz but kept my focus on the store owner, who seemed to be weighing his options.

“Hello,” Dario’s deep voice said from behind me.

“This works for this time, but what about all the other items he and his hooligan friends stole?”

There was a flicker of red light like a laser that cats played with, and then everything erupted into chaos.

“Get down,” Dario yelled as he tackled me to the floor, his big body covering me and the boy as the window shattered. The gunfire outside the shop was loud, and I cringed and covered my ears. There was a loud thump, and I stifled a scream as the store owner fell in front of my face, blood dripping from the hole through his eye. It was like we’d been thrust into a horror movie.

There was yelling and the sound of more gunfire, but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Blood seeped toward me on the floor like a red oil slick, and I lay there frozen and horrified.

“Let’s go,” Dario said, yanking me to my feet and pushing me ahead of him. There was a break in the noise, but my ears were still ringing as I ran toward the back of the building, guided by his hand.