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“One,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper as the chaos erupted outside. From the corner of my eye, I saw figures darting around in the limited visibility, their voices distorted by the distance.
“Two,” I continued, ignoring the sharp sting of my grazed rib as I tightened our linked hands. Adriana looked at me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears but also burning with a fierce determination that made my chest twist with pride.
Her lips moved silently with mine as we counted together, “Three. Wait. Let me break the glass first.”
“I almost jimmied it open.”
I shook my head. “No need for that.”
I released her hand to draw back my elbow, then sent it crashing through the pane of glass before us. It shattered into a thousand glittering fragments, falling away into the night. She flinched at the sound but didn’t falter, her gaze locked onto mine as she nodded.
“Okay,” she breathed out, her voice barely audible over the escalating chaos outside. I reached for her hand again, my fingers curling around hers as we backed up a few steps from the shattered window.
“Will we both fit?” she asked.
“I’ll make sure we do,” I assured her, our eyes meeting in a moment of silent understanding. It was crazy, reckless even. Jumping from a second-floor window into a dark alley was not part of the plan. But here we were, seconds away from doing just that.
Before I could second guess myself, I pulled Adriana into me, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Hold on tight,” I commanded, my voice barely above a whisper in the mounting chaos outside. Her arms wound tightly around my neck, her body pressed against mine. My heart pounded in anticipation and worry for what was about to happen.
I took one last look around the room that had served as Adriana’s prison before turning back towards the shattered window. We had no time to spare.
Nodding once more at Adriana, I charged towards the window with all the strength I could muster. The cool night air hit us as we sailed through it, gravity pulling us down into the darkness of night. We landed on the grass hard, rolling to dissipate the force of the fall. I took most of the impact, shielding Adriana with my body.
Her arms clung tighter around me as a gasp escaped her lips. “Tristan,” she whispered, her breath warm against my ear.
“I’ve got you,” I spoke in return, tightening my hold on her as I tried to find purchase on the ground beneath us.
We were sitting ducks out here in the open, and I knew we had to move before anyone inside noticed our escape. Struggling to my feet, I helped Adriana up, pulling her close to my side as we limped away from the house.
I stole a glance back at the house where Gio and Nick were probably still firing at Kieran. Hopefully, he’d managed to escape or at least found cover by now.
“Where are we going?” Adriana asked, sounding more exhausted than scared now.
“Car. We can decide the rest later.”
She nodded, her face tightening with resolve as we stumbled towards the waiting vehicle. In the distance, the house was ablaze with activity, flashes of gunfire illuminating the night. Our escape had been noticed.
I helped Adriana into the backseat of the car before slipping into the driver’s seat myself. My hands shook on the steering wheel as I scanned the area for any threats. It was strange; I had been in this situation or something like it a thousand times before, but I’d never had something to lose…and I was scared. I was really fucking scared.
But there was no time to process everything; no time for fear or doubts. I peeled out of there, tires squealing and gravel crunching under our hurried departure.
Despite the adrenaline pounding in my veins, it felt incredibly still inside the car. For a split second, time seemed to have slowed down and I looked over at Adriana. Her dark eyes met mine, filled with determination more than fear now. Her strength was inspiring.
The scene in front of us was chaotic. Cars screeched to a halt and men scrambled out with weapons drawn, shooting blindly into the night. “Stay down!” I told Adriana.
The whole thing was illuminated by the headlights of the car. The scene was gruesome, and it only took me a few seconds to scan for my father. Why was he there? He normally left ops like these to his men, so I had no idea what he was doing here.
“Is that Malachy?” Adriana asked, clearly not staying down.
“Yes,” I found myself whispering, my throat tight with fear. “Stay down, Ade.”
She complied this time, her frightened eyes locking onto mine for a moment before she ducked her head beneath the window. I was relieved to see her taking cover but the worry for my father had my heart pounding in my chest like a drum.
I shifted the car into drive, my knuckles white against the steering wheel. My instincts screamed at me to get away but my eyes were glued to the scene unfolding ahead. It was a horrific dance, men darting in and out of sight as they fired at each other.
The flashes of gunshots lit up Malachy’s face for split seconds at a time, revealing his hardened expression. Even caught in this deadly chaos, he held his ground like a true kingpin.
And then, it happened. A shot rang louder than the rest. The world blurred for a moment as if torn apart by the sound. Then, in the eerie silence that followed, Malachy crumpled to the ground. Shock coursed through my veins, leaving me cold and numb.
