Chapter 3 - The Getaway
The shockwave rattled my teeth and sent a shower of flaming debris raining down into the alley.
The two gunmen were thrown violently against their SUV, knocked unconscious by the blast.
Julian scrambled to his feet, pulling a set of keys from his pocket.
"My armored car is three blocks down," Julian coughed, waving through the thick black smoke.
I lifted Aria again, her tiny hands gripping my ruined suit jacket with terrified strength.
"It is okay, piccola," I whispered, though my own blood was now soaking through my shirt.
Elena ran beside me, her ivory dress stained with ash and rainwater.
"You are bleeding," she cried out, her eyes locking onto my shoulder.
"Keep moving!" I ordered, pushing the pain deep down where I kept everything else.
We sprinted through the labyrinth of Manhattan alleys, the wailing of police sirens growing louder in the distance.
Vincenzo’s men would not care about the police; they would burn the whole city down to find us.
We finally reached a heavy, reinforced Mercedes parked in a subterranean garage.
Julian unlocked it remotely, and we threw ourselves into the back seat.
The engine roared to life, and Julian tore out of the garage, crushing the parking barrier into splinters.
I slumped against the leather seat, my vision beginning to blur around the edges.
Elena immediately ripped the fabric of her designer dress, pressing the cloth hard against my gunshot wound.
"Do not close your eyes, Dominic," she pleaded, her hands trembling against my skin.
I looked at her, truly looking at the woman I had discarded for the sake of a lie.
"I am so sorry, Elena," I gasped, the words tearing out of my soul.
She shook her head, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks.
"Save your apologies for when you survive this," she said fiercely.
Aria reached out, her small fingers lightly touching my scarred cheek.
"Are you my real daddy?" the little girl asked softly.
May you like
The question shattered whatever remained of my hardened heart.
Before I could answer her, a massive armored truck slammed into the passenger side of our vehicle.
