Chapter 2 - The Hidden Vault
Damon reacted with the terrifying speed of a man raised in pure violence.
He lunged across the expensive rug and tackled Alina hard to the floor.
A second bullet buried itself deeply into the leather armchair where he had just been sitting.
Damon covered her fragile body with his heavy, muscular frame to shield her from the flying glass.
"Stay completely down," he growled against her ear, his breath hot against her skin.
He pulled a silver pistol from a hidden holster strapped beneath his desk.
The mansion's emergency alarms instantly began screaming through the dark corridors.
Damon grabbed Alina's hand and dragged her toward a towering bookshelf in the corner.
He pressed a hidden button disguised as a thick, leather-bound encyclopedia.
The heavy bookcase silently swung open to reveal a dark, narrow concrete tunnel.
He shoved her inside the secret passage just as armed men kicked the bedroom door open.
Damon fired three precise shots into the darkness, dropping the first wave of assassins.
He slammed the bookshelf shut, locking them safely inside the hidden walls of the estate.
Alina was trembling violently, realizing she was trapped in a tiny space with the most dangerous man in the city.
He turned on a small tactical flashlight, illuminating the blood dripping down his muscular arm.
A piece of shrapnel from the window had sliced deeply into his bicep.
Alina did not hesitate to rip the crisp white fabric of her maid uniform apron.
She stepped close to him and firmly wrapped the cloth around his bleeding arm to apply pressure.
Damon stared down at her, his intense gaze softening for just a fraction of a second.
"You are surprisingly brave for a maid," he whispered, his face inches from hers.
Alina looked up into his dark eyes, feeling that undeniable, dangerous spark ignite between them again.
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Before she could reply, the heavy steel door at the end of the tunnel suddenly began to hiss open.
Someone on the inside of the mansion had just completely bypassed Damon's ultimate security system.
