01:
Lana gripped the door handle as the vehicle sped down the dirt road, her heart pounding in sync with the roaring engine. The dense forest surrounded them like a looming shadow, but she forced herself to stay focused. Freedom was within reach—but she knew better than to let relief wash over her too soon. Dean Menapoulis would not take her escape lightly. He would come for her.
Beside her, Marcus—her contact and former security detail for the Vincenza Mafia—kept his eyes on the road. His jaw was tense, his knuckles white against the steering wheel.
“You did well back there,” he muttered, not taking his eyes off the winding road. “But we don’t have long before he realizes you’re gone.”
Lana exhaled sharply. “I know.”
They had planned this for weeks, counting every second, mapping eve
