Page 74 of The Roman's Woman (A Singular Obsession)

“Sophia, he doesn’t have the key on him.”

“Richard’s still out there?”

“Yes, but he’s unconscious. Where is this wire? We have to undo it.”

She stuck her hand out and put it over the catch. Gio reached back behind him to the roof and flicked on the overhead light. Able to see his outline more clearly, she cried out in relief.

“This thing is too taut. I need to put the seat up a little to give it some slack.”

“Okay,” she said, drawing back her hand and pushing away.

The trunk grew darker as the gap narrowed, but she could hear splashing as his hands loosened the restraint.

“I got it! I got it!” he yelled, pulling the seat towards him.

Her relief was short-lived. The seat didn’t go down all the way. But the gap was bigger, and Gio’s strong arms reached inside to wrap around her head before he retreated and took hold of the top of the seat.

Metal creaked as he pushed and pulled at the seat to try and free it. His movements rocked the entire car and then she felt something else.

“It’s moving!” The car slid forward, as if it was resting on an incline.

It was sinking deeper into the water, taking the both of them with it.

Chapter 29

Gio froze as the car began to slide farther into the lake. His effort to pry the seat open wider had started a slow glide down the slope the vehicle was resting on.

Gasping, he jumped out and braced against the doorframe, using all his strength to stop its momentum. His feet slipped in the mud. Desperately, he pushed while the distant sound of another car registered.

Had Richard regained consciousness? Was he escaping?

“Hold on, Sophia,” he called to her when he heard Enzo shouting. “I’m over here!”

Flashlight beams swept over him, and multiple male voices called out as they ran into the water. “They’re coming,mi amore.”

“Hurry!” she cried, but it sounded garbled.

Despite his best efforts, the car had sunk more and the water level nearly covered the gap. Sophia had her face stuck in the opening, but there were little waves lapping up higher, and she was swallowing some water.

“Help me!” he cried when Enzo reached him. “He locked her in and threw away the key.”

Enzo ran to the other side and opened the door while two other men moved to the front of the car to try and stop it from submerging further.

A shout went up and one of the men, Linetti, splashed into view.

“We’re on a drop-off and the front wheels are over the edge!” he reported. “I almost fell in. If the car goes any farther, we won’t be able to stop it. It’s deep. Too deep.”

Fuck!

“Brace it!” Enzo snapped.

Behind them, Linetti called the police and updated them on their situation.

“It’s going to be okay, Sophia,” Gio said, reaching into the gap to grab her hands.

He prayed he wasn’t lying. Beside him, Enzo moved up and down, looking for the obstruction that was keeping the seat up.

“There’s nothing blocking it,” he said. “It’s just stuck. We have to work it back and forth.”

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