Page 137 of Beneath the Shadows

My heart pounds, my body coiled, ready to strike. But I can’t. Not yet. Instead, I grit my teeth, my eyes darting between Draco and Salazar. He hasn’t spoken yet. He’s watching, a predator in the shadows, waiting for the right moment. If I make a move too soon, if I slip even once, they’ll kill her before I can do a damn thing about it.

“You’re wrong,” I say, the words low and dangerous. “About everything. You’ll never touch her again.”

“Oh, I already have, Antonio. What’s it like to see the person you claim tolovesuffer because of your mistakes? You could’ve stopped all this if you’d given her back to me like I asked. But you didn’t. And now look what you made me do.” He moves his foot toward Alessia, nudging her limp body with casual cruelty. “She’s already broken. There’s nothing left to save.”

Draco’s words hang in the air like a death sentence, but I don’t take his bait. I refuse to let him see the fire raging inside me. I need to survive long enough to rip these bastards apart and get Alessia out of here alive.

“Any last words?” Draco taunts, his smile widening.

Salazar shifts slightly, eyes narrowing. Draco’s poise falters just for a moment. And then I hear it—the sharp crack of gunfire, echoing through the tunnels like a death knell.

Draco flinches, his bravado vanishing as he turns to the kingpin, frantic. “I delivered her, just like we agreed. She’s yours. But I’m done here.”

Without another word, Draco bolts, a coward to the very last second.

Salazar’s eyes lock with mine. There’s no more time. It’s him or me.

I lunge.

A savage growl rips from my throat as we collide. The force sends both of us crashing to the ground in a brutal tangle of fists and fury. He’s bigger and stronger, but rage fuels me. I slam my fists into his face, each punch connecting with sickening cracks of bone and flesh. Blood sprays from his mouth enraging him.

His fist smashes into my ribs, a blow so hard it drives the air from my lungs. I grunt, pain radiating through my chest, but I don’t stop. I can’t. He swings again, catching me across the jaw. Stars dance at the edge of my vision, but I force myself to stay conscious. His next punch splits my lip, the coppery taste of blood filling my mouth.

He’s a brute, but I’m faster. My rage doesn’t care about the pain. I spit blood and launch myself at him, my fists hammering into his gut. Every hit lands with a brutal thud, driving him back.

Salazar knows the stakes as well as I do. Only one of us is leaving here alive. He throws a wild punch, catching me on the side of the head. The world tilts, my balance slipping. He seizes the opportunity, slamming his elbow into my back and forcing me to the ground. My head spins. The taste of blood is thick on my tongue.

Before he can finish me, I roll to the side just in time to avoid his boot slamming down where my head had been. I kick his leg out from under him, sending him stumbling, giving me the opening I need. My fists fly again, crashing into his ribs. The sharp crack of bone echoes in the small room.

He swings wildly, landing a blow to my cheek. Pain flares through my skull, but it only fuels me on. I roar and slam my knuckles into his face. This time, his nose shatters under the force. Blood gushes down his face as he staggers.

Grabbing him by the throat, I slam his head against the crude stone wall. The wet, sickening crunch of his skull against the jagged rock is like music. Over and over, I drive his head into the stones, relishing the sound of breaking bone, the feel of his body growing weaker with every blow.

His groans turn to gurgles as blood fills his throat, but I don’t stop. His fists flail weakly, desperate slaps that have no power left behind them. His legs give out, and still, I keep going.

Finally, his body slumps, limp and broken, blood pooling around the unrecognizable mess. I kneel over what’s left of his body and raise my fist one last time, bringing it down to end his worthless life.

Without another thought, I’m at Alessia’s side, my hands trembling as I press my fingers to her neck searching for a pulse. It’s faint, but it’s there.

"Alessia," I whisper, my voice cracking as I brush her blood-matted hair away from her bruised face. She doesn’t stir. My hands shake as I work frantically at the knots, freeing her hands. "You have to keep fighting. Don’t you dare leave me,tesoro."

I pull out my cell to call for help, but there's no service. Panic claws at the edges of my mind, but I shove it down. There’s no time for fear. I have to get her out of here.

Scooping her fragile body into my arms, I cradle her against me as if she might shatter with a single wrong move. Her head lolls against my chest. For a moment, I close my eyes, focusing on the sound of her breath. She’s still alive. Barely.

As I step back into the labyrinth of tunnels, the beam from my flashlight sweeps over the stone walls, casting twisted shadows that seem to warp and close in with every step. I pause, blinking as my eyes try to adjust, but the walls seem to shift. Everything feels disorienting, distorted.

Gunshots. Distant, echoing through the maze of tunnels, but impossible to pinpoint. Left, right—somewhere between.

Clutching Alessia against me, I move quickly. My boots slam against the wet stone, each step reverberating through the narrow passageways. Every second is stolen, a race against time.

Each tunnel looks the same, every corner a potential dead end. My breathing grows ragged, not just from the effort of carrying her, but from the dread crawling up my spine. I’m making too many mistakes.

“Stay with me, Alessia,” I murmur. “I’m getting you out of here. Just hold on.”

She doesn’t stir, doesn’t respond. Panic fuels my steps, driving me faster. I have to keep moving.

The gunshots grow louder, bouncing off the walls, leading me like a cruel beacon. I turn another corner, praying this one doesn’t lead to a dead end.

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