Chapter 6 - The Underground Maze
"Run!" Vincent roared, shoving me forward into the darkness.
I sprinted down the damp concrete tunnel, pushing my exhausted body past its breaking point.
Vincent stayed right behind me, shielding my back as we dove behind a massive steel water pipe.
The explosion ripped through the basement, shaking the earth above us.
A wall of heat and dust washed over us, deafening my ears with a high-pitched ring.
Concrete chunks rained down, but the thick steel pipe saved our lives.
I coughed uncontrollably, struggling to breathe in the thick, gray smoke.
Vincent pulled me up, his strong hands surprisingly gentle as he checked me for injuries.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, his deep voice cutting through my panic.
"I am okay," I lied, ignoring the throbbing pain in my cast.
We continued deeper into the subterranean maze beneath the city streets.
The damp air smelled like rust and old rainwater.
For a brief moment, we paused in the shadows to let a patrol of Romano thugs pass above a grate.
Vincent pressed me against the brick wall, his body caging mine in the cramped space.
I could feel the steady, powerful beating of his heart against my chest.
"I am not going to let him touch you again," Vincent whispered softly.
I looked up into his dark eyes, realizing I felt safer with this mob boss than I ever did with my husband.
We found a rusty iron ladder leading up to a forgotten subway maintenance exit.
Vincent climbed up first, pushing the heavy iron cover aside.
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As he peeked over the edge, a suppressed gunshot echoed through the alleyway.
Vincent grunted heavily, falling backward off the ladder and crashing to the tunnel floor.
