Chapter 8 - The Tunnel and the Betrayal
The underground tunnel was cool, damp, and smelled of wet earth and river water.
We moved fast down the concrete corridor, Natalia leading the way with her flashlight while Dominic kept his hand firmly locked in mine, his weapon raised to guard our rear.
"How did Voronin find the estate so fast?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest. "You said this place was completely off the grid."
Dominic’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening into dangerous black pits. "Someone leaked the location. Someone inside my inner circle."
We reached the end of the tunnel, emerging into a hidden boathouse built into the rocky cliffs of the Hudson River. A sleek, blacked-out high-speed tactical boat sat floating in the water.
Standing beside the boat, holding a suppressed pistol, was Victor.
Natalia froze, raising her weapon. "Victor... what are you doing?"
Victor let out a soft, sad sigh, adjusting his glasses with his free hand. "I'm sorry, Dominic. Voronin offered me twenty percent of the port profits once you were eliminated. A man in my position can't ignore numbers like that."
Dominic stepped in front of me slowly, his voice dropping into a chillingly quiet tone. "I trusted you for ten years, Victor. I gave you a seat at my table."
"And you gave it all up for a waitress you met five hours ago!" Victor shouted, his voice echoing off the damp rock walls. "You went soft the moment she corrected your Russian!"
"She wasn't just a waitress," Dominic growled softly. "She was the best thing that ever walked into my miserable life."
Before Victor could pull his trigger, I dropped to one knee, pulled the small pistol Dominic had given me, and fired a single, precise shot through Victor's right knee.
Victor screamed in agony, dropping his gun and falling backward into the cold river water with a heavy splash.
Natalia instantly secured the dock, while Dominic turned to me, his mouth slightly open in utter astonishment.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side," he murmured, picking me up by my waist and lifting me onto the speedboat.
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"You're paying my father's medical bills," I smirked, catching my breath. "I couldn't let him shoot my employer."
"Employer?" Dominic whispered, leaning down until his lips brushed against mine, sending an electric shock straight through my spine. "We're way past employer, Elena."
