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“Down!” I shouted, grabbing Sofia, and pulling her behind a crate just as the gunfire erupted. Bullets whizzed past us, slamming into the metal walls with deafening cracks. The warehouse exploded into chaos, men shouting, gunfire echoing from every direction.
“Ambush!” Leo shouted, firing back, his voice barely audible over the noise.
I rolled, pulling my gun from its holster, and returning fire, hitting one of Raffaele’s men right between the eyes and turning on another in an instant.
“They were waiting for us,” Sofia muttered. “It’s Raffaele’s men!”
I gritted my teeth. “Bastard set us up,” I growled. “We need to get out of here.”
I scanned the room, looking for a way out. The main entrance was blocked—two men standing to either side of the door armed to the teeth. But there was a side door, half-hidden in the shadows, a possible escape route if we could get to it.
“Side door,” I shouted to Leo and Stefano, pointing. “Cover us!”
They nodded, moving to provide cover fire as I grabbed Sofia’s arm. “Stay close,” I barked, pulling her up and moving toward the door.
We sprinted across the warehouse floor, bullets flying past us, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel the heat of the gunfire, hear the shouts of the men behind us, but I pushed forward, adrenaline pumping through my veins.
We reached the side door, and I kicked it open, shoving Sofia through first. “Go, go!” I shouted, following right behind her.
We burst out into the open air, the cold wind hitting my face like a slap. I could hear the sounds of more footsteps behind us, Raffaele’s men giving chase. I turned, firing a few shots to slow them down, then grabbed Sofia’s hand and pulled her into a run.
“This way!” I shouted, leading her toward the docks, where the fog was thicker, offering some cover.
“We need to lose them!” she yelled, her voice tight with urgency.
“I know,” I replied, glancing back over my shoulder. “Keep moving!”
My eyes scanned the area, heart pounding, and I spotted our car parked in the shadows where we’d left it.
“There!” I grabbed Sofia’s hand, pulling her along as we sprinted toward it.
Shots rang out behind us, the crack of gunfire tearing through the air. I ducked low, keeping Sofia close, feeling the heat of the bullets whizzing past us.
“Move, move!” I barked.
We reached the car, and I yanked the door open, pushing Sofia into the passenger seat before diving in myself. The moment my door slammed shut, I turned the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life.
“Hold on,” I muttered, slamming the gearshift into reverse and flooring the gas pedal.
The tires screeched as we shot backward, Raffaele’s men closing in from all sides. I could see them out of the corner of my eye, rifles raised.
“Get down!” I shouted to Sofia, jerking the wheel hard to the left to avoid the hail of bullets that shattered the rear window.
I slammed the gearshift into drive and floored the accelerator, the car lurching forward with a burst of speed. We shot out of the alley and onto the main road, tires squealing as I took a sharp corner. In the rearview mirror, I saw the headlights of two black SUVs following close behind, their engines roaring like angry beasts.
“They’re gaining on us!” Sofia called out, her voice tight with adrenaline.
“I see them,” I muttered, my grip tightening on the wheel. “Hold on!”
I pressed down harder on the gas, weaving through traffic, the city lights blurring past us in a dizzying whirl. Horns blared as I cut in front of a taxi, narrowly missing a truck that slammed on its brakes just in time. The SUVs were right behind us, relentless, their headlights flashing in my mirror.
“There’s a construction zone up ahead!” Sofia urged, her eyes darting between the side mirrors.
I nodded, spotting the orange barricades and warning signs in the distance. “Good eye,” I replied. “That’s our exit.”
I yanked the wheel hard to the right, steering us toward the narrow opening between two construction barriers. The car bounced violently over a patch of uneven pavement, but I held it steady, maneuvering through the maze of debris and equipment.
The SUVs followed, barreling through the barriers with reckless speed, their drivers determined not to let us out of their sight. I could hear the crash of metal as they tore through obstacles behind us, the sound of engines roaring, the squeal of tires skidding on loose gravel.