Page 49

The seconds felt like hours, each one stretched out by the tension that seemed to thicken the air around us. Finally, I saw her hand reach for the lever. I braced myself, holding my breath.
She pulled it.
A blaring siren shattered the silence, piercing through the darkness. The men jumped, their heads snapping around in confusion. I saw them hesitate, their hands still on the detonators, but I didn’t.
“Move!” I shouted to Sofia, grabbing her arm as she sprinted back toward me. Together, we ran, my hand gripping hers tightly as we raced down the hallway, the alarm echoing around us, warning everyone inside of the impending dangers.
We had to get everyone out before the explosives went off. I would not let anyone die tonight—not while I still had breath in my body.
As we neared the ballroom doors, I could hear the sound of frantic voices as people began to move. I glanced at Sofia, her face set with grim resolve.
“You did good,” I said, my voice low, my gaze locked on hers.
The fire alarm blared through the ballroom, its shrill cry cutting through the panicked murmurs and shouts. Guests were moving toward the exits, but the atmosphere was quickly shifting from confusion to outright fear. I kept Sofia close to me, guiding her through the chaos.
I needed to avoid a stampede.
“Everyone, stay calm!” I called out, my voice authoritative and commanding. “Move to the nearest exit in an orderly fashion. There’s no danger if we act quickly.”
I could see the fear in people’s eyes, their movements hurried and growing increasingly anxious. The lights flickered back on for a moment, but it only seemed to add to the confusion. Iglanced back at Sofia, who was helping to guide an elderly couple toward the main exit.
“Keep going,” I urged her. “We need to clear this place out fast.”
I looked around.
Something wasn’t right. This was going too smoothly.
Raffaele’s men wouldn’t just give up because we pulled the fire alarm. They had a plan, and I was certain that they were going to stick to it, whatever it was.
There had to be something I was missing.
I scanned the room, looking for any signs of trouble. That’s when I noticed something—a group of men in security uniforms, standing by the side exits. There were four of them, spread out along the periphery of the ballroom, their postures too stiff, their eyes darting back and forth as if they were looking for something—or someone.
My blood ran cold. I knew those faces. They weren’t part of the regular security detail. Raffaele’s men had to have disguised themselves as security to blend in. I was familiar with the layout of this place. The closer I watched them, the more it became clear what they were doing. They were trying to redirect the guests, subtly blocking some of the exits and guiding people away from others.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath. “Sofia!” I called out, motioning for her to come back to me.
She hurried over, worry etched on her face. “What is it?”
“Raffaele’s men,” I said, keeping my voice low as I nodded toward the fake security guards. “They’re trying to control the crowd, keep people from leaving.”
Her eyes widened as she followed my gaze. “What do we do?”
“Stay close to me,” I said, taking her hand. “We’re going to have to force them out into the open.”
I pushed through the crowd, moving toward the closest exit where one of Raffaele’s men was positioned. As we approached, he turned to us, his expression wary.
“Sir, this exit is closed,” he said firmly. “Please use one of the other?—”
Before he could finish, I grabbed him by the collar, slamming him against the wall with a force that made him grunt in surprise. “Closed, my ass,” I growled. “Who are you working for?”
The man’s eyes widened in panic, but he didn’t have time to respond before one of his companions noticed and shouted, “Hey!”
Sofia and I turned to see the other security imposters converging on us, their hands moving toward their concealed weapons. The ballroom was too crowded for a shootout—we needed to get everyone out of here, now.
“Get to the main exit!” I shouted to the crowd. “Now! Go!”
The fake security guards moved in, trying to regain control of the crowd. I pushed the man I’d grabbed to the floor, turning just in time to block a punch from one of the others. I slammed my elbow into his jaw, sending him staggering back.