Page 115 of Blood Vows

“That sounds like exactly where people die in horror movies,” she whispered.

Marco looked at her. “Would you prefer the bullets?”

She rolled her eyes at him and went down the stairs. “Basement it is,” she grumbled. He followed, closing the door above them. Darkness swallowed everything, and Valentina froze. She couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. She could barely breathe before Marco’s hand settled against the middle of her back.

“Keep going,” he ordered.

“I can’t see,” she spat.

“I can,” he said. God, he sounded like he was bragging.

“Of course you can.” His hand pressed slightly harder against the curve of her back. He wasn’t hurting her, but trying to guide her, and for some ridiculous reason, that helped. She kept moving. At the bottom, Marco reached past her and something clicked. A thin red emergency light flickered to life, and Valentina looked around. There were concrete walls, storage shelves, a furnace, and another steel door hidden behind a cabinet.

She stared at it. “You people have escape tunnels?”

Marco moved the cabinet aside. “We prefer calling them contingency routes.”

“That’s an escape tunnel with better branding,” she said. His mouth twitched—actually twitched. Was he smiling right now while men were trying to kill them?

He unlocked the steel door. “Inside,” he ordered.

Valentina didn’t move. “What’s through there?”

“An exit,” he said.

“An exit to where?” she asked.

“Two houses over,” he explained.

She narrowed her eyes. “Why would we go two houses over?”

Marco looked at her like she’d asked why the sky was blue. “Because safe houses are useless if they only have one way out. Or if someone shoots holes in the current safehouse. So, we’re going two houses over to get the hell out of here.” That made irritating amounts of sense. There was another explosion that sounded upstairs, and Valentina jumped.

Marco’s expression changed instantly, and the amusement disappeared. “Move.” She did as he ordered. The passageway was made of narrow concrete walls, and it was cold.

Marco stayed close behind her, with his gun in one hand, and the other occasionally brushing her back to keep her moving. Valentina hated how much she noticed his every touch. That was insanity. Someone was trying to murder her, and this was not the time to notice Marco Camorra’s hands or his shoulders. Or the fact that he had thrown himself over her when the first bullets came through the window. She pushed the thought away as they reached another steel door.

Marco stopped her. “Stay here.”

Valentina turned to look at him. “Absolutely not.”

His brows lifted. “You’re arguing now?”

“You’re not leaving me alone in a tunnel,” she insisted.

“I’m checking the exit,” he said.

“And if you get shot?” she asked.

His expression went completely blank. Valentina realized what she’d said. Marco slowly tilted his head. “Worried about me already?”

“No,” she breathed.

“Sounded like it,” he said.

“I’m worried about being trapped underground with your corpse blocking the door,” she explained.

His mouth curved. “Heartwarming.”