Chapter 67

We were both startled as the sound echoed through the night, and based on the way Russo was gazing, I could tell that he, too, had no idea what the sound was. Instantaneously, he wrapped his arms around me and planted a kiss on the top of my head. I forced myself to calm my pounding heart and made the conscious decision to block out the possibility of anything bad happening to me while I was here, fighting for my life.

"Stay here," his whispered demand reverberated, a deep rumbling that carried with it an underlying current of urgency. He jumped out of bed and quickly dressed himself before leaving the room. Before I went back under the covers, he stroked my leg and glanced at me in a way that seemed to be a reminder of his earlier warning. I gave him a nod in response. I waited for him to shut the door behind me before removing the sheets from the bed, at which point I got out of bed, dressed quickly, and left the room.

I cautiously opened the door and made my way out of the room. I