Page 69 of Mafia Boss's Baby Surprise

He’ll be fine, but Julia...

I take a deep breath. I should think about my baby. About myself.

But as soon as I close my eyes, I see her. My beautiful friend. She doesn’t deserve to die. I could never live with myself if I knew I hadn’t done everything in my power to save her. I can be careful.

I break into a run and burst into the room where the cabinet with the weapons is. When I open it, I snatch the first gun I see. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it.

It’s a shame Luca didn’t teach me how to shoot, but there was no time for that. But maybe I’ll be able to do something.

Who knows what my father expects? I can surprise him, or at least I hope I can. Maybe I can pretend I can lead him straight to Luca. It depends on what he knows, but I should be able to convince him to spare my life, at least for long enough until I can do something.

Now all I have to do is sneak out of this building and find a car.

* * *

I stridethrough the woods and thick bushes. Every sound, no matter how innocuous, makes me jump, and this damn place is full of sounds. Birds, the cracking branches under my feet, the rustling of leaves...

It’s all going to drive me crazy, but I keep going. After I snuck out of the building—the guards seem to be more focused on not letting people in rather than not letting anyone out—I took a taxi.

It’s a surprise nothing happened to me on the way here, but now I hope I can sneak into the place where Julia is being held and get out with her without anyone noticing. I’m early anyway.

Maybe it gives me some kind of advantage.

A small house appears in the distance. Two guards are patrolling around it. I keep close to the trees, inching closer.

My pulse speeds up when one of the guards looks in my direction. I freeze on the spot, barely breathing and hoping he can’t see me peeking out from behind a thick tree trunk.

The guard’s gaze moves away and I keep going. Why would Julia be here? What if someone tricked me? But the guards are obviously keeping someone or something safe. I pull out my gun. The guards don’t have to know that I have no idea how to shoot. I can pretend.

Maybe I should just turn back. Call for help. If I don’t do it from Luca’s system, no one can know about it. Or can they?

How can there be such a big security breach without anyone figuring out how to stop it from happening over and over again?

The guards disappear from view. They must be on the other side of the house. Talking, maybe. Now’s my chance. I break into a run and rush for the door.

“What was that?” one of the men yells.

My heart thuds loudly as I press myself against the door. Are there more guards inside? Oh hell.

“My phone,” the other guard responds. “He’s coming back for some reason.”

Who’s coming back? Another guard?

I try the door, and it opens. Holding the gun up, I slowly inch down the dim hallway. No one’s in sight. I can’t hear anyone either... except what sounds like a muffled cry.

I follow it and enter a big room. The figure tied up on the bed catches my attention.

“Julia!” I rush to her, leaving the gun on the nightstand next to the bed.

Her wrists and ankles are tied up. Her clothes are dirty and bloody. Her face is puffy, one of her eyes swollen shut.

“Aurora!” She gasps. “You can’t... You can’t be here!”

I hurry to untie her, but the ropes are so tight that they chafe my fingers.

“No! Run! Aurora, run!” Julia says, her chapped lips moving quickly.

I struggle with the rope. The sound of a car engine comes from the outside. We don’t have much time.

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