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“Interesting word choice, Mr. Billionaire. You know I was shot tonight. I’m not in the best mood. If I was a real asshole, I’d tell my guy to release her… into the water,” he says to a few chuckles from his men. “How about we do this? You put a please on it, and I’ll release her… safely onto the ground.”

This motherfucker.

The first chance I get, he’s dead. Him and his entire crew.

“Please put her down,” I say, forcing my tone to be calm. Forcing myself to be composed. “Please put her on the ground unharmed and let her go.”

“Hmmmmm,” Sergio hums.

He’s dragging it out. He’s savoring every second he has leverage over me.

But what he doesn’t know is that it’s his last second feeling victorious. I sense it before I hear it or see it. I whip around as suddenly headlights flood the scene and almost blind us all.

“Capo, levati di mezzo!”

I recognize the voice immediately.

Gavino comes out of nowhere, barreling toward us in a taxicab at full speed. Me and Adagio catch on before the others do. We leap out of the way at the last possible moment.

Sergio and most of his men aren’t so lucky.

Gavino’s slams into them like a bowling ball knocking over pins. A few try to open fire to stop him, but they’re not quick enough before being mowed down. He doesn’t even have time to brake before he crashes into the shipping container directly behind them.

“COCKSUCKER!” Sergio roars from the ground, blood trailing down the side of his face. He’s down on one knee, his other leg motionless from being struck by the car. “RELEASE HER! RELEASE THE CAR!”

His guy inside the operator cabin does what he says. He pulls the lever and the crane cranks into gear.

“NO!” I boom, breaking out into a sprint.

Adagio’s rushed toward what’s left of Sergio’s men while I bolt past them. I’m running straight for the edge of the dock.

The crane retracts the hook that’s loosely gripping the Escalade. It seems to fall in slow motion as I pump my legs and sprint toward it. I watch in a cold sweat as the vehicle flips upon its fall straight into the water, making a giant splash that drenches us all.

My hands fly to my suit jacket, wrenching it off. The same happens to my shoes. I kick them off as I leap from the docks and dive into the water after Portia and the Escalade.

Some would say it’s too dangerous.

It’s night, the water is deep and the currents are strong.

I’m not a particularly excellent swimmer… but I am a man infatuated with a woman, willing to do anything I need to in order to save her.

Risk my own life. Die in the process.

Move heaven and hell. Walk through fucking fire. Swim in the deepest fucking ocean.

The splash I make thunders in my ears. Ice cold water smacks into me like a wall.

The world turns black and blue as I break the surface. It’s a disorienting second that I fight through, searching for the Escalade.

I spot it immediately. It’s sinking into the deep, the murky water distorting the large dark shape of it. Portia’s still trapped in the front seat, slumped over the wheel.

I kick off hard and swim straight toward her, fishtailing a direct path. I make it as quick as humanly possible, coming up on the driver’s side and reaching for the door only to discover it’s locked.

Damn it!

Bubbles stream from her nostrils, her dark hair floating around her. She looks eerie sitting so still underwater, like she’s already gone.

I have to fucking hurry. There is no time to waste.