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“Get down,” I whispered, and she crouched. I shielded her with my body, and we scrambled to a corner. We huddled close, hearts pounding as we tried to stay quiet amidst the noise.
With a swift, calculated motion, I released the safety on my pistol and drew it from the snug holster on my hip. My fingers wrapped around the grip, finding the cold steel.
The world outside my peripheral vision blurred as adrenaline coursed through my veins. I took a deep breath, steadying my aim as I peered around the corner and began to shoot back.
Giselle tensed beside me, her breath heavy and her hands covering her ears. She shuddered with each shot that rang in the air.
Luckily, some of my men rushed to the corner just in time. Their arms were raised as they fired their guns. Some security guards and store workers obviously wanted to play hero. They helped guide people to hide in stores, but the gunshots kept going.
Windows in the stores broke, and the shattered pieces fell on the ground. The loud gun noises echoed throughout the mall and Giselle covered her ears.
“Hey,” I held her arm and cupped her cheeks. “Hey, we’re getting out of here, okay? I’m going to keep you safe.”
“Okay,” she said, her lips quivering.
“We’re going to hurry over to that corner and when I say run, you run, okay?”
“Okay,” her eyes teared up and she wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
I brushed a kiss on her forehead and clasped her hand tightly. We crouched—half-running and half-walking, from pillar to pillar.
“Boss, over here!” One of my men waved us over to the corner of a store beside an escalator. The path was clear to the exit, but the only problem was how to get there without being hit by a stray bullet.
The sound of police sirens grew louder as their cars arrived. But the gunshots and screams didn’t stop. Some police officers trooped into the mall with more firearms to stop the shootout.
Wrong move.
Three of them stepped into the line of fire, and bullets rained on them. They dropped down on their knees while the others scrambled for safety.
I spotted an opening. The police were just the distraction we needed. I grabbed Giselle’s hand, and we both started running. The path to the store by the corner was clear and we dashed towards it.
My men formed a temporary shield and we hurried to the exit.
“This way,” I guided her, and we hurried to the car urgently, desperate to escape the Italian threats.
Distant gunshots echoed and I tightly gripped Giselle’s hand as we raced towards the car in front of the emergency exit, our hearts racing in sync with our hurried steps.
The hot rays of sunlight cast shadows behind us as Denil got out of the car and handed me the car key. Giselle rounded to the passenger, and I got in the driver’s seat. Giselle’s hands shook as I started the ignition, her breath coming in rapid bursts.
My eyes darted around, scanning for any more signs of Italian scum. The engine roared to life, and I slammed the car into gear. The car peeled away, tires screeching as we left the gruesome scene behind.
I reached for Giselle’s hand to comfort her. She turned to me and I noticed the tear stains on her cheeks. My heart clenched.
“It’s okay. We’re out of there now. Everything is going to be...”
A bullet hit the rear windshield and we ducked our heads. From the rearview mirror, three cars were hot on our chase.
“Fucking Italians!”I reached for the glove compartment and withdrew my gun. “Hang on tight.”
I turned the wheel, and the tires screeched, leaving a smoke trail and burning rubber. I clenched the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white and my heart raced with adrenaline.
More bullets were fired at us as we approached the winding streets of the urban area. I skillfully navigated the car through narrow paths and sharp turns. I swerved around a fruit cart, sending apples and oranges rolling across the street. I made another turn and narrowly avoided a collision with a delivery truck.
Those filthy Italian pieces of shit were relentless. They coordinated their efforts to box us in. But I pumped the gears, the cityscape blurring as our speed increased. The car shot down a steep hill, theirs following closely behind, and the chase continued onto the freeway.
But I knew our escape routes were narrowing.
With one final burst of speed, I made a sharp turn into a narrow alleyway, narrowly squeezing between two buildings. As I emerged on the other side, a delivery truck was blocking the path.
