LIFE BEFORE DAMAGED VOL. 10 (THE FERRO FAMILY) Read Online Free PDF Page A

sharp with adrenaline. I hear a metallic clinking sound next to me, as my attacker drops the blood-covered knife to the ground. He grabs the ring from my hand and disappears into the shadows.
    I can’t move. The pain in my side is crippling, and my muscles won’t follow orders from my brain. My now empty hands go to my side and put pressure on the gash. I need to protect Gina. There are two men left. I can take them both. One of them is standing between Gina and me, blocking my view of her. He’s talking quietly, saying things I can’t hear, and she's shaking her head frantically, her eyes filled with fear. The other man stands next to them, watching over the exchange underway.
    Ignoring the intense pain in my side, I stand and step toward Gina, but I stagger and almost fall. When she sees me stumble, Gina gasps and takes a running step toward me. "PETER!"
    The guy in front of her stops her and her eyes go wide. The fucking coward glances over his shoulder at me, his eyes filling with fear. Gina looks like she's in shock, her face white and her mouth gaping open. The attacker backs away from her and runs off.
    Anger. Pure rage courses through my limbs as I watch him disappear into the distance. I can’t catch the son of a bitch. The cut in my side will bring me down if I try to run after him, but I can get to the third guy who hasn’t bolted yet. I round on him, going in for the punch, but he points a knife straight at my throat. I don’t flinch.
    Instinct takes over, and rage obliterates all thought and reason. I fake a move to the left, and he stabs the air. Grabbing his arm, I twist it so that his hand is behind his back. Taking the knife from his hand is easy and I hold it firmly by the handle. I let go of his arm and point the knife toward him. He reaches behind his back then lunges toward me, another knife in hand. I lower my blade close to my hip, and grip the handle tighter. He’s too focused on my throat and doesn’t protect the lower half of his body.
    I avoid the slash at the very last second and jab the knife into the front of his hip. The force of his incoming lunge makes the blade go in deeper. I pull up and in with one forceful tug and feel the blade tearing flesh and snapping tendons.
    Gina screams. Her cries are laced with panic. “Pete! No! Stop!”
    Those three words snap me from my fit of rage. I pull my hand back, leaving the knife still lodged in the guy’s hip. I take a step back, hands shaking with the realization of what I’ve just done. The attacker crumples to the ground clutching at the knife, pulling it out but unable to get back up. He’s not dead, but he’s losing a lot of blood fast. It comes out in rhythmic gushes with every heartbeat. It’s a deadly wound and I caused it.
    “Pete.” Gina’s voice sounds scared and weak. Something’s wrong. My Gina is never weak. She should be yelling at me, her arms folded over her chest, her foot tapping, and ready to give me shit for what I’ve done. I turn around.
    Instead of seeing her tough-as-nails stance, she’s kneeling on the ground, hands on her stomach, blood seeping through her fingers. So much blood. Her hands are covered. The blood seeps through her winter coat, running down the length of her skirt and covering the ground below. She turns her glassy eyes toward me.
    No.
    No, this can’t be happening.
    I’m frozen. My body can’t move.
    When her eyes drift to my side, her face pales even more and a panicked expression takes over her delicate features.
    “Oh, God. Pete, you’re hurt.” She struggles to get up. I can't feel myself move, but somehow I end up kneeling by her side on the cold, hard sidewalk. The pain in my side is excruciating, but it’s nothing compared to seeing her like this.
    “Gina, baby, keep still. I’ll get help. Don’t move.” I place a kiss on her forehead and try to get up, but she pulls me back down to her.
    “N-no. Don’t go, Pete. S-stay with me. I’m s-s-so cold.” Her whole body is