Chapter 4 - Escape in the Dark
Sparks showered from the electronic keypad as a blowtorch melted the locking mechanism.
"They are cutting through," Lorenzo gritted out, checking his ammunition.
He pressed a hidden button beneath his mahogany desk, and a bookshelf slid open to reveal a dark, narrow tunnel.
"Get in, now," he ordered, ushering me and Leo toward the gaping hole.
I didn't hesitate, carrying Leo into the damp, cold darkness.
Lorenzo followed right behind us, pulling the bookshelf shut just as the steel door blew off its hinges.
Gunfire echoed above us, muffled by the thick stone walls.
"Hold my hand, Leo," Lorenzo said, switching on a small tactical flashlight.
My son reached out, his tiny hand wrapping around two of the mafia boss's large, calloused fingers.
We ran through the catacombs beneath Palermo for what felt like hours.
The air smelled of old dirt and seawater.
"Where does this lead?" I gasped, my lungs burning from the exertion.
"To the docks," Lorenzo replied, his eyes scanning the shadows.
"I have a private boat waiting for emergencies."
We finally reached a rusted iron grate that opened up to the crashing waves of the Mediterranean Sea.
A sleek black speedboat was tied to an old wooden pier.
Lorenzo lifted Leo effortlessly, tossing him gently into the boat.
He grabbed my waist to help me down, his touch sending a strange, electric shock through my body.
For a man who killed without mercy, his hands were incredibly gentle.
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"We need to disappear until I find out who staged this coup," he said, firing up the engine.
As we sped off into the black waters, I looked back to see the Palazzo Rossi glowing with fire.
