Page 35 of Bound to the Enforcer

The warehouse is chaos. Gunfire cracks from all directions, echoing off the metal walls like thunder. I keep low, my back pressed against a crate as splinters explode above me. Alessio is just ahead, his movements precise, his gun barking in short bursts as he takes down two men closing in on us.

"Move!" he shouts.

I don't hesitate. I dart forward, crouched low, my heart pounding so hard I can feel it in my ears. The air is thick with smoke, the acrid smell burning my nose. My foot slips slightly on shattered wood, but Alessio's hand finds my arm, steadying me for just a moment before he pulls me behind another crate.

"Are you hit?" he asks, his eyes scanning me quickly.

"No," I pant, clutching the gun tighter. "I'm fine."

"Stay close," he says, his tone sharp but controlled.

I nod, my fear simmering into something else—determination. I'm not going to let Domenico win. Not here. Not tonight.

Alessio signals for me to follow as he pushes forward again, his focus locked ahead. The gunfire slows slightly, a pause that feels more dangerous than the shooting. My fingers curl tighter around the grip of the gun as we move toward the side of the warehouse, where a broken exit door hangs open.

"We're almost there," Alessio mutters, just loud enough for me to hear.

I'm two steps behind him when the door slams shut with a loudclang.

A figure steps out from the shadows—one of Domenico's men, his gun raised. Alessio fires first, a single shot that drops him before he can pull the trigger. But the sound draws attention. A burst of gunfire erupts from the far side of the warehouse, cutting off our escape.

"Back!" Alessio yells, pushing me toward another stack of crates.

We drop behind cover as bullets tear through the air. My pulse races, my breaths shallow. I glance at Alessio, his face set like stone, his jaw clenched.

"This way's no good," I say, trying to keep the same steadiness. "We're trapped."

"Not yet," he growls. He scans the warehouse, his eyes narrowing as he spots something across the room.

"There." He points to an old maintenance ladder bolted to the far wall, leading up to a broken skylight. "We can get out through the roof."

I nod, my body already moving before he's done talking. Alessio fires a few more shots, covering our path as we sprint forthe ladder. The noise feels endless, gunfire and shouts blending into one constant roar.

"Go!" Alessio orders as we reach the base of the ladder.

I don't argue. I grab the rungs and start to climb, my muscles straining as I haul myself upward. The metal creaks beneath me, but I keep moving.

Below, Alessio fires at the men closing in on us. I hear him curse under his breath, followed by a grunt of pain. My heart stops.

"Alessio!"

"I'm fine," he barks. "Keep going!"

I force myself to move faster, my palms slick with sweat as I pull myself onto the roof. The night air hits me like a slap, sharp and cold, but I don't stop. I scramble to the edge, turning back just as Alessio appears at the top of the ladder. He pulls himself onto the roof, his face grim, a streak of blood visible on his arm.

"You're hurt," I say, moving toward him.

"It's nothing," he growls, brushing me off. "We need to keep moving."

He pulls me to my feet, and together we move across the rooftop, the gravel crunching faintly beneath our boots. Below us, I can hear Domenico's men shouting, their flashlights sweeping the area.

"We'll jump to the next building," Alessio says, eyeing the short gap between rooftops.

"You're kidding," I mutter, my chest still heaving.

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Before I can respond, he's already moving, sprinting across the roof and leaping over the gap. He lands hard but steady, rolling to absorb the impact. He stands quickly and turns, holding out his hand.

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