The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 436

Franco moved swiftly up the mountain path, heading straight for Hans and Petty. Each step he took made his boots scrape loudly against the loose gravel, the sound echoing in the quiet night. Blood ran from between his fingers and spattered the stones at his feet.

Bodyguards stood all around, guns at the ready. Above them, a helicopter hovered near the mountain peak, shining under a pale half-moon, caught in a violent firefight. It was obvious by now—Abbot’s people were losing. The end was close.

Petty took advantage of the chaos to wrench herself free from Hans’s grip. She shoved him behind her, her eyes red and burning as she stared Franco down. Just moments before, she’d genuinely wanted to end Hans’s life.

“What do you want from us?” She spat the words, furious and sharp.

Hans, still protective, tried to step in front of her again. He caught her arm, but as soon as his hand met her sleeve, he felt her muscles tighten and shake. That one touch made him stop.

Twenty years together—they didn’t need words to know what the other was thinking. This time, he understood: he couldn’t help her, not now.

He let go but stayed right there, refusing to leave her side.

Franco’s voice was low and rough. “Come here,” he told Petty.

His eyes looked deeper than midnight, so dark that even the moonlight couldn’t reach them. He didn’t spare a single glance at anyone else. Every step he took was for her, his stare never leaving her face.

His words were quiet, but they sent a chill through her. Even the soft light from the moon felt icy on her skin.

Seeing him like this made old memories rush back. She couldn’t stop recalling the moments after they’d both fallen off that cliff—the promises he’d made, swearing he’d never leave her, the way he’d given up his jacket without a thought, how his broad back had carried her through the worst.

She swallowed hard, hiding the ache in her chest. “You want me to just go back to you… to this never-ending mess?”

Franco had saved her at sea. Now he was here again, doing everything he could for her. Twice already, she’d been so close to dying—and both times, Franco had shown up when she needed him most.

She shook her head, a bitter smile on her face. “What will it take for you to let me go?”

Franco swallowed, his throat moving as he stared at her stubborn profile. His voice was rough, almost pleading. “Don’t say stupid things like that again.”

A cold wind slipped through the stones. He shifted his foot slightly, just enough to shield her from the wind.

Instantly, every bodyguard’s gun followed his movement, ready to fire at the slightest threat. The guard closest to Franco slipped another gun from his belt, bracing for a fight he wasn’t sure he could win.

But Franco didn’t make another move. He just stood in front of Petty, blocking the wind, not doing anything but that.

He looked down at her, his voice still hard and unyielding. “Come back with me. This place isn’t safe. Abbot’s men could be anywhere in these woods.”