Page 75 of The Roman's Woman (A Singular Obsession)

“Cazzo. Sophia! Can you hear me?”

By now, the water had risen above her ears. He could still see her mouth at the gap, desperately spitting out water. Her face was almost completely covered. She didn’t answer them.

Gio sucked in a big gulp of air and stuck his face into the gap. Covering her lips with his own, he breathed into her, holding her hand the whole time.

“Gio, you have to move her back or we’ll slam this thing into her face. There must be an air pocket at the other side. That back edge is still above the surface.”

Madre di Dio. He broke off and moved back

“Sophia, baby, we need you to move!” he shouted, but with her ears submerged he couldn’t be sure she heard them.

“Gio, we have to do this!” Enzo ordered.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” He squeezed Sophia’s hand hard, and she squeezed it back.

His heart was threatening to burst open in his chest. Shaking, he took another breath and bent to give it to Sophia, expelling everything he had in his lungs before reaching into the trunk and taking hold of her shoulders.

Roaring in pain, he pushed her hard towards the back of the trunk.

He was almost blind with fear and rage, but he did what Enzo was yelling at him to do. Together, they rocked the seat back and forth while the other two men braced the car as best they could.

It was inevitable that the car slid farther down the slope. The water rose and submerged the opening. Every second that passed was like a dagger to his heart.

And then it got worse.

Ominous bubbles rose up in front of him from the gap. It was taking too long. Sophia was losing air. She was drowning.

“Pull, pull harder!” Enzo was yelling himself hoarse, but there was no point.

Gio was already at his limit, the muscles in his arms tearing as they pried the seat wider. It gave suddenly, sending his head slamming into the back of the front seat. Ignoring the flash of pain, he lunged forward, reaching into the water-filled space.

He caught hold of something and pulled Sophia out by the leg. He gathered her to him, positioning her head above the water, but she didn’t move.

“Gio, let’s go! Give her to me,” Enzo shouted at him.

Twisting around, he held her out, forcing himself to let her go. Enzo picked up Sophia’s limp body, moving away so he could climb out of the back seat. Behind them, the two other guys let go and the car slid deep into the water.

The front end went over the hidden edge below, upending the back like the Titanic before the whole thing slid down with a huge gurgle of escaping air.

The four of them turned and started for the shore. The freezing air filled Gio’s burning lungs as he struggled to reach the water’s edge.

Enzo laid Sophia down on the gravel bank, and Gio fell down next to her, working off his sodden coat so he could move better. Bending, he opened her mouth and breathed into it, but the cold had weakened him and he started coughing.

“Let me,” Enzo said, gently pushing him aside.

Nodding, Gio let the more experienced man work while he took Sophia’s cold still hand in his.

“Please, baby, please wake up,” he whispered.

Linetti and the other junior security guy crowded around them. He sat helplessly, watching another man try to save the love of his life.

Please, God, please let him save her!

If he lost Sophia, he couldn’t go on. He’d spend the rest of his days reliving the moment where he pushed her away, drowning her in that water-filled trunk.

Sophia hadn’t moved in all this time. She lay there unconscious, her caramel skin pale yellow in the moonlight. Enzo continued chest compressions, periodically breaking off to administer air. Long minutes passed with no change.

There was no hint of movement, no rise and fall of her chest outside of what Enzo was forcing her body to do.

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