Chapter 6 - THE GHOST OF A MOTHER
The bullet struck Mark in the leg,
and he let out a howl of pain,
dropping the shotgun.
He collapsed to the floor,
clutching his thigh,
his face contorted in agony.
I didn't stop to watch him suffer,
though a part of me wanted to.
I ran past him,
my eyes fixed on the exit at the end of the tunnel.
The tunnel led out to the gardens,
where the night air was thick with the scent of rain.
I burst through the door,
stumbling onto the wet grass.
The mansion was lit up like a Christmas tree,
searchlights cutting through the darkness.
I could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance,
the police finally arriving.
But I knew the police wouldn't save us in time.
Rossi’s enemies would have the perimeter covered.
I saw a black SUV parked near the gate,
its engine idling.
I ducked behind a row of hedges,
moving toward the back of the estate.
I knew there was a small boathouse near the lake,
a place where the Rossi family kept a private launch.
If I could reach it,
I could get Leo across the water to the neighboring town.
I felt a sudden hand on my shoulder,
spinning me around.
I raised the gun,
but a familiar voice stopped me.
“It’s me,”
Lorenzo rasped.
He was covered in blood,
his shirt torn to ribbons,
his face bruised and battered.
He looked like a man who had crawled out of hell.
“You’re alive,”
I breathed,
relief washing through me.
“Barely,”
he said,
leaning on me for support.
“The baby?”
I showed him Leo,
who was still sleeping peacefully in the makeshift sling.
Lorenzo’s eyes softened for a brief second,
a flash of the father I had seen in the nursery.
“The boathouse,”
he said,
coughing up blood.
“We have to reach the boat.”
We moved through the shadows,
Lorenzo’s weight heavy against me.
He was fading fast,
his strength spent in the fight.
We reached the boathouse,
a small wooden structure hanging over the dark water.
I helped him into the boat,
a sleek,
high-speed craft.
“Can you drive this?”
I asked,
looking at the complex dashboard.
“Key is under the seat,”
he whispered,
closing his eyes.
I found the key and started the engine,
the roar feeling too loud in the quiet night.
I pulled out of the slip,
heading for the center of the lake.
But behind us,
May you like
the headlights of several cars appeared on the shoreline.
The chase was far from over.
