Chapter 2 - The Bulletproof Ride
The terrifying sound of shattering glass and screaming pedestrians echoed through the chaotic street.
Mateo’s heavy weight pressed me firmly against the cold concrete, completely shielding me from the deadly hail of bullets.
I could hear the sickening thud of lead striking the armored plating of the Vitiello family vehicles.
"Get her in the car," Salvatore roared over the gunfire, his old age vanishing behind a mask of pure, lethal authority.
Mateo hauled me up by my waist, throwing me roughly into the backseat of the nearest armored SUV.
He dove in right behind me, slamming the heavy bulletproof door shut just as another volley of bullets sparked against the metal.
The driver slammed his foot on the gas pedal, tearing away from the curb with a violent screech of burning rubber.
I pressed my back against the leather seat, gasping for air as my hands shook uncontrollably.
Mateo sat beside me, his chest heaving as he pulled a sleek black handgun from his shoulder holster.
"Are you hit?" Mateo demanded, his gray eyes scanning my body with terrifying intensity.
"No," I choked out, wrapping my arms around myself to stop my violent shivering.
Mateo let out a harsh breath, leaning back against the seat before wincing in sudden, sharp pain.
I looked down and saw a massive patch of dark blood soaking through the sleeve of his expensive charcoal suit.
"You are bleeding," I said, my nursing instincts instantly overriding my paralyzing fear.
"It is just a graze," Mateo muttered, waving me off with a stubborn clench of his jaw.
"If it hits an artery, you will bleed out before we reach a hospital," I fired back, completely ignoring his intimidating aura.
I did not wait for his permission.
I grabbed the emergency medical kit secured to the back of the driver's seat and ripped it open with shaking hands.
Mateo watched me in absolute silence as I unbuttoned his ruined shirt and pressed a thick gauze pad against the jagged bullet wound.
His skin was burning hot, and the hard muscles of his bicep jumped under my gentle touch.
"You have a very steady hand for a waitress," Mateo observed softly, his face inches from mine in the dark cabin.
"I am in nursing school," I replied quietly, securing the bandage with tight medical tape.
Salvatore sat in the front passenger seat, turning his head slowly to look at me through the rearview mirror.
"Your great-grandmother was a nurse too, before she stole the most valuable thing my family ever owned," Salvatore said cryptically.
I froze, my blood running completely cold as I realized they knew intimate details about my family history.
"I do not know anything about a theft," I defended myself, clutching my silver necklace tightly.
"The iron key around your neck opens the Romano family vault, Tessa," Salvatore explained, his voice dripping with ancient hatred.
"You are the last surviving heir of the Romano crime syndicate, our oldest and deadliest enemies."
My mind spun rapidly, trying to process the impossible truth that my struggling, impoverished family was tied to the mafia.
The armored SUV suddenly swerved off the main highway, tearing down a dark, abandoned industrial road.
"Where are we going?" I asked, noticing the distinct lack of streetlights and civilization.
Mateo reloaded his weapon with a sharp, metallic click, his expression turning completely ruthless.
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"We are not going to a safehouse, Tessa," Mateo said, aiming his gun toward the tinted window.
"We are driving straight into the enemy headquarters to end this war tonight."
