Page 51 of That Time I Accidentally Took Over the Mafia

Enzo lobs the explosives, the mesh bag of bombs arcing through the air. His gun fills his empty hand, and he reaches for me with the other.

It’s a hard push toward the windows, and I focus on them as we race forward.

Enzo’s soldiers hurl their own grenades, and they explode around us, forcing the attackers to take cover and giving us the best chance of making it out. I only hope they survive and can help the bystanders escape.

Enzo raises his gun, shooting the window until his clip empties. He throws the gun through the window, shattering it just before we leap into the air.

Enzo turns his shoulder into it and yanks me to him as we jump from the building. He takes the impact of the window at the same time the bombs detonate, sending us free-falling three stories to the water below.

The explosion is huge.

It races out of every window, shattering the glass. The blast feels like a punch to the gut, but Enzo took the brunt of it, shielding me from everything he could.

I feel his arms go slack, and I panic.

No. Fuck you, don’t you dare.

He slips away from me, and I reach for him. It’s too dark to see, but I know he’s unconscious. I just pray he’s still breathing.

The water is like needles on my skin as we crash hard into the river. It is not graceful. Unable to control our descent, the water feels like cement.

Immediately, I push everything down and start reaching for Enzo, but I can’t find him. I can’t breathe. I can’t see.

The current carries us downstream in an instant. I kick myself to the surface, sputtering and opening my eyes to look for Enzo. Thank God, he’s close, but he’s facedown, and my heart crumbles.

He can’t be dead. He fucking can’t be.

I kick toward him and wrap my arms around his wide chest. It takes everything I have to hurl him around so he’s facing the sky.

“Enzo!” I call out, grabbing his face and trying to wake him, trying to see if he’s still alive. “Enzo! Wake up.”

It’s a struggle to keep both of us above water, and the river churns around us. I hear the zip of bullets racing by, followed by the sharp bursts of automatic gunfire aimed at us.

“If you can hear me, take a deep breath!” I inhale a big gulp of air and pull us beneath the surface, kicking hard with the current to carry us downstream quickly. I push aside the horrifying observation that he didn’t react at all.

I can’t hear any more bullets, and I’m not even sure if I would feel them pass us in the water, so I stay submerged as long as I can. This feels like an action movie playing out in a real-life nightmare.

It’s nearly impossible trying to hold onto Enzo. He’s a fucking giant, and it’s exhausting me. My lungs burn, and the frigid water stabs at my limbs, stealing what little strength I have left.

The light above the water’s surface darkens briefly, then brightens again. I think that means we’ve passed under a bridge. If so, the shooters can’t possibly reach us now.

I push myself to the surface, gasping for air as I haul my lifeless Enzo with me.

My Enzo.

He’s dragging me down with every kick. Every muscle screams against the biting cold, and I’m having a harder time keeping my grip on him.

He’s going to fucking drown, and it’s going to be my fault.

The thought crushes me, acting like an anchor pulling me under. But I fight against it. I kick, push, and swim, trying to reach the opposite shore, but the current is carrying us too fast.

I try to get on my back and hold Enzo so we can float, but it’s no use.

I’m coughing and sputtering on the water I’m ingesting as my vision darkens. I can’t take a full breath, and it feels like gravity is increasing tenfold.

Blinking furiously, refusing to stop, I fight against unconsciousness and keep swimming. Maybe the river will slow soon, and I can make it to shore. I cling to that hope, forcing myself to hang on just a second longer.

A bright light shines in my eyes, forcing me to shut them tight against its intensity. It’s gone in an instant, and I frantically look for the source. Terror competes with the chill of the river as I think our attackers have found us again.

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