Twenty surgeons, millions of dollars, and every antibiotic money could buy had failed to save Gabriel Falcone, the most feared mafia boss in New York. Then I noticed something buried inside his rotting shoulder that none of them had seen—and when Gabriel ordered, “Give her the scissors,” every armed man in that room watched a twenty-two-year-old maid decide whether their boss lived or died.

We plummeted into the darkness as the hidden trapdoor snapped shut above our heads.

I hit a smooth metal slide, tumbling downward until I crashed into Gabriel's solid chest.

We landed heavily on a cold dirt floor, entirely surrounded by pitch-black shadows.

Muffled gunfire and shouting echoed from the library far above us.

"Are you hurt?" Gabriel asked, his breathing ragged and labored.

"I am okay," I whispered, trembling as I tried to stand up.

Gabriel flicked on a small silver lighter, casting a faint, flickering orange glow around us.

We were standing in a narrow, damp tunnel built of old bricks.

"My grandfather built these prohibition tunnels eighty years ago," Gabriel explained, leaning heavily against the curved wall.

"Only the head of the family knows they exist."

He pressed a hand against his shoulder, groaning as fresh blood seeped between his fingers.

The adrenaline of the fall was wearing off, and his body was shutting down again.

"You need a hospital," I said, stepping closer to support his massive weight.

"If I go to a hospital, Julian's men will finish the job," he replied stubbornly.

We began walking slowly through the claustrophobic passage, the air smelling of wet earth and rust.

Every step seemed to drain more life from the most feared man in New York.

I kept my arm wrapped tightly around his waist, guiding him through the darkness.

"Why didn't you let them kill me?" I asked quietly.

Gabriel stopped walking and looked down at me in the flickering light.

"You saved my life when everyone else stood by and watched me die," he said softly.

"I protect those who protect me, Elena."

We finally reached a heavy iron door at the end of the tunnel.

Gabriel handed me a brass key from his pocket.

"Turn it twice to the left," he instructed, leaning heavily against the brick wall.

I inserted the key, turned it twice, and pushed with all my strength.

The door creaked open, revealing the damp interior of an abandoned subway station.

But we were not alone.

The Clumsy Maid Bathed His Dog—Then The Mafia Boss Said She Wasn’t Leavi...

She found her husband with another woman and walked away so quietly that...

The Mafia Boss Asked a Disabled Widow If She Was Okay

Standing on the rusted platform were three men wearing the Falcone family crest.

They raised their weapons the moment they saw Gabriel's face.

Chapter 5 - The Hidden Tunnels