Maid for the Mafia

**ROMANY**

The sensor lights that run along the walls in this five by ten tunnel are the only reason why I haven't become the victim of cardiac arrest. God bless Alex for having them installed in this place, because I've had quite a few nightmares in my life and the ominous dark ahead of me has starred in quite a few.

Sweat pours from my brow as I jog, but not because I'm tired - oddly enough, I'm not - it's because every time I think I'm close to the end of this godforsaken labyrinth, I shine my flashlight ahead and cannot see a damned thing but distance. There are different openings, and different turns every few hundred feet, but I know the only way out is straight ahead of me, so I soldier on. However, I've been running so long that I'm starting to wonder if I accidentally headed down one of the archways when I wasn't paying attention. It's entirely possible, I suppose. My mind *has* been wandering a bit, but I don't *actually* remember making any turns. Thoughts of good old fashioned monsters, like hell hounds and Bogeymen, are never far from my mind whenever I pass one of the hollows on my left or right and as ridiculous as it sounds, I can swear I hear growling every so often.

The watch on my wrist chirps and I raise it to my face without breaking my stride. Eleven forty-five!? Holy shit, time flies when you're on the road to nowhere. The message that flashes has my insides twisting.

*UNKNOWN: You've done well so far. In a moment you are going to see a shaft of light and a ladder along the wall to the right. The hatch is open and waiting. Climb up and step out of the bushes.*

*Step out of the bushes? What the fuck?*

My heart begins to thud more heavily and I begin to second guess every little thing I've done to this point.

*Maybe I should have confided in Alex!*

*Or Mickey! Or Tiny! Damien...*

"Have faith, Ro. They are going to come for you. And if they don't? Ruby will," I say to myself, wondering for the first time if there is someone else in these tunnels. Someone who has been watching and listening and reporting back.

*Shake it off. None of that is important. It's too late to turn back now.*

The sacréscunrur Err¿retsa fishy ears artiny steps sititer. Corming traitant; pun" out my flashlight and flip it on, illuminating the darkness in front of me and gasping when I see that it does in fact end. A wall of black brick stands just a couple hundred feet ahead of me which explains why I never could see the end of it.

As promised, a square of moonlight quivers along the floor and I move toward it, more than ready to take a big fat gulp of fresh air. Once I reach it, I gaze up into a black sky, open air only a heartbeat away. This hatch is cut differently. It's round like a manhole and I wonder for a moment if it used to be one.

My watch chirps. Eleven fifty-five.

Nearly midnight.

"Up you go, Ro," I tell myself, grabbing the rungs on the ladder and climbing ten feet up and onto a bed of leaves and grass.

Mammoth sized bushes surround me in a circle, and I can't see shit beyond them. *Fuck.*

I take a moment to inhale deep and my body begins shaking with exhaustion, my stomach turns, making me feel nauseous as the pump of adrenaline dies down.

My watch chirps. Eleven fifty-eight.

*UNKNOWN: Now drop your phone in the hole and close the hatch.*

*Damn it.*

I knew this was coming, but I kind of sort of was hoping Santos might forget this part. *Oh come on Ro! Has he forgotten anything else?*

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Without another thought I drop it, cringing when I hear it hit the stone floor below. Reaching for the round steel handle that stands erect next to the open tunnel, I pull it, leaping back when it automatically shuts itself and melts into the ground to blend into the grass and leaves.

*Well that's fucken cool.*

My watch chirps. Twelve O'clock.

*UNKNOWN: Step out and get in the backseat. We will meet each other soon.*

Suddenly I hear it. The sound of a car idling nearby. Was it always there? Yes. I think it

was.

Stepping toward the sound cautiously, I squeeze through about five feet of brush and pray to high heaven there aren't spiders in my hair when I emerge.

Finally I step through and see that I am surrounded by thick woods on all sides, the only break in the trees being what looks like a gravel driveway with a sleek black car parked in the center, the back door open and waiting, practically calling my name.

"Think of Ruby. And of Tiny and Damien," I say to myself as I close the final distance between the woods and the road. Santos' threats were clear and if I didn't get in that car I knew I would regret it.

I slide in easily, closing the door behind me and yelping when the vehicle shoots into motion. The sound of gravel flying becoming something I'm sure I'll never forget. There's a pitch black divider separating me and the driver up front and a flatscreen monitor mounted behind the front passenger seat. Suddenly, I wonder if I tapped on the glass if I would get an answer, but the thought tumbles from my head when a sharp right sends me rolling toward the other end of the car.

"Jesus Christ!" I scream, scrambling around the warm black leather leather seats in search of something to hold onto. The overhead light is off and I feel like I'm still in the tunnels for a moment, when my phone suddenly chirps again illuminating the space.

Hey there! Just a friendly reminder that if you're not reading this book on nel5s.com, you might be missing out on the complete story. Head over there to dive into the next chapter-it's all free!

*UNKNOWN: Pull the center console down in the center of the backseat. When you do, the light will come on overhead and you will find a small bottle of juice in the cupholder. Before you drink it you MUST PUT YOUR SEATBELT ON. Then we will meet.* *Oh fuck! Okay...*

I do as instructed, releasing a shuddering breath of relief when the overhead light shines down on me and I clip myself in *just* as we hit another wild turn. "Fuck Andretti, can you chill a little bit?!" I shout at the divider when I almost go rolling into the door.

That's when I notice.

There are no door handles.

*Fuck, fuck, fuck.*noveldrama

*Oh come on, Ro. Did you think your abduction was going to be fun?*

I spy the bottle of juice in the cupholder and know right away that it has to be

drugged. Staring at it for longer than I probably should, I finally give in and down the whole goddamned thing.

Immediately my vision swims.

*Fuck this shit is strong.*

Everything goes black.