Page 103 of Mafia King's Forbidden Obsession

“Let’s check this floor again,” I whisper to my men as worry starts to get the best of me. Did Matteo focus his guards outside, leaving the inside exposed?

The hallway bursts into a shorter corridor. I point to four men and motion for them to go ahead. “You with me,” I instruct the one man remaining, and we walk down the short stretch of plain gray walls.

My jaw clenches in frustration until we come to a bright red door. It’s different. I try the handle and it opens without a sound, revealing a narrow stairway leading to what must be a basement.

“No one gets past here, you hear me?” I warn the man, and he nods.

Suddenly, three loud gunshots echo in the distance.

“Elio,” I push the flashlight to my other hand and grab the walkie-talkie. “Qualcosa da parte tua(Anything on your end)?” I murmur into the device.

“Nothing yet,” comes the reply, his voice urgent. “Still searching, Boss.”

“Heading down to the basement now,” I say, gritting my teeth.

“Copiato, Capo(Copy that, Boss).”

I motion to the men behind me, and we begin our descent. The old wooden steps creak under our weight, my heartbeat resonating with each groan.

We finally get to the bottom of the stairs and find a long, narrow hallway with musty brown walls, dimly lit by recessed lights in the ceiling.

Without hesitation, I move forward, the sound of our footsteps echoing softly against the stone floors of the quiet hallway. We walk for a few minutes before the hall splits to the right.

I pause, assessing the path ahead and the new direction. Instincts kick in, and I turn, choosing the right. The narrow corridor feels suffocating as we march deeper into the mansion's belly.

At the end of the hall, a heavy door looms, its surface worn and thick. I take a deep breath, bracing myself as I reach for the handle. I can hear my pulse in my ears, louder now, almost drowning out everything else.

I twist the knob and push the door open, the stale air hitting me like a wall.

I take one look around, and my blood runs cold at the sight.

Chapter thirty-three

Raven

Thank goodness the guard didn’t return with the rope or tell Matteo about my little escape attempt. I’m sure the devil’s spawn would’ve been here already to wreak havoc.

Nevertheless, the rope digging into my wrists makes my muscles ache as I lay there, trying to ignore the pain. I’ve lost track of time— how long have I been tied up?

Surely the deadline given to Ezra hasn’t passed.Has it?

Just as doubt creeps in, I hear gunshots, sharp and loud, cutting through the air. My heart stops for a second, and I jump as the loud bangs reverberate through the silent night.

What’s happening?

I sit up, straining to hear anything, my mind racing with worry.

Suddenly, the door bursts open, and Matteo storms in, slamming it shut with a force that rattles the room. His eyes are wild and bloodshot. He’s completely unhinged, like he’s lost every bit of control.

I hold my breath as he advances; his fury is evident with each step. My throat goes dry. “Matteo—”

Before I can finish, he roughly pulls me off the bed, yanking me close, his hand around my arm in a vice grip. I feel the cold metal of a gun pressing against my skin, the barrel digging into my neck.

I freeze, my heart pounding loudly against my chest.

Panic surges as my hands instinctively move to my belly, shielding the one thing I care about most. My pulse races beneath Matteo’s crushing grip, sweat slicking my skin. I don’t dare move; the gun’s a cruel reminder that one wrong move could end everything.

The door swings open, and the guard, the one who switched sides, rushes in agitated. “They've got us surrounded.”