Chapter 15: The assassination attempt

Santino had just stepped out of the adjoining bathroom in a black silk night robe when he heard the gunshot booming right from his bedroom, followed by Soraya’s scream.

Throwing off the towel on the floor, he ran outside, kicked open the door before barging in.

"Soraya!"

He lunged at her side, drawing her away from the open window. He pressed her against the wall adjacent to the window and used his own broad frame as a human shield to completely cover her body.

"I am right here. Don’t be afraid," Santino whispered, placing a hand on her cheek.

On a tall hill nearly half a mile away, a hidden sniper peered through his thermal scope, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"Damn it!" the assassin cursed under his breath, adjusting his rifle setup. "I missed the mark."

Inside the mansion, loud alarms rang up, alerting everyone. Red emergency lights flashed across the halls and gardens, while hurried footsteps thundered up the grand staircase.

"Santino!" Marco’s voice roared from the hallway, his weapon already drawn as he kicked through the ruined doorway, followed closely by Leo and six armed guards carrying their rifles. "Are you and madam alright? We’ve got a sniper on the east ridge."

"Yes, we are fine. Get the perimeter locked down." Santino orders over the sirens. He didn’t take his eyes off Soraya for a single second. "I want that shooter alive, or don’t bother coming back!"

"On it, boss!" Leo replied, motioning for the guards to fan out across the grounds as they rushed back down the corridor.

Soraya stood pinned against the wall, her heart hammering against her ribs, her breath coming in fast gasps. Tears streamed down her cheeks, thinking she was about to die. Her eyes remained fixed on the shattered vase and the bullet that had pierced into the wall.

"Are you hurt?" Santino asked softly. He held her cheek with his rough hand and gently moved a lock of hair away from her face. His voice turned soft only for her, but his eyes were filled with rage at whoever had dared to attack his wife.

"I’m... I’m fine," she stammered, her lips shaking. She tried to step back, but Santino’s arm stayed tight around her waist, keeping her safely out of the window’s view.

"Let’s get out of her," Santino murmured, relieved that she wasn’t injured.

Marco rushed into the room with a bluetooth device attached to his ear. Outside, rapid gunshots echoed through the night air.

"Boss, Leo caught the shooter near the east fence," Marco said quickly. "The guy got shot twice, but he’s still breathing. We’re dragging him to the basement."

"Keep him awake," Santino ordered in an intimidating voice. "I’ll be down in five minutes."

Marco nodded. "We are still not sure if there are more so please be careful," he said and quickly ran back out to give orders to the guards in the hallway.

Santino looked down at Soraya again. Her eyes were still wide with fear, but she was glaring at him now, even as her body trembled.

"The danger is over," Santino said. Before she could protest, he scooped her up into his arms.

"Put me down. I can walk," Soraya snapped, clutching his shoulders. She was still scared, but she didn’t leave that reluctant attitude to be close to him

"The floor is covered in broken glass, and you’re bare-footed," Santino said calmly.

Knowing there could easily be a second shooter waiting out in the dark, Santino didn’t risk staying near any exterior walls. He carried her quickly down a secure inner hallway to a room deep inside the mansion completely devoid of windows.

He set her down gently on the edge of the large bed. The moment her feet touched the mattress, Soraya exploded.

SLAP!

Soraya’s palm hit his cheek with everything she had. Meanwhile, Santino’s head turned slightly, but he didn’t flinch. He slowly turned his face back to look at her, his dark eyes intense.

Her tears spilling over her lashes as she fought for breath. "Look at what have you dragged me in. Is this what my life is going to be like now? Assassins trying to blow my head off on my very first day here. I didn’t want this. I am a simple woman yet you forced me to marry you only to put me in danger."

"I am sorry," Santino apologized, the sting of the slap still burned his cheek. "Nothing will happen to you."

"Are you sure?" she almost yelled. "The bullet was a few inches from my head, Santino. A few inches and I’d be dead."

"And who asked you to lock me out of the main room?" Santino shot back. "Who asked you to walk around open windows in the middle of the night?"

"How was I supposed to know you have an endless list of enemies trying to murder you?" Soraya retorted, crying profusely as her body shook violently. "I just opened the window for fresh air. I didn’t know a sniper would be sitting there, waiting to kill me."

Santino realized the terrifying reality of what had just happened. He lunged forward, his knees hitting the carpet as he pulled her against him in a tight, protective embrace. Her face buried in his bare chest as her weeping intensified.

"Forgive me, Soraya. It’s my fault," he said, his voice laced with rare panic. "I promise you, nothing like this will ever happen again." His hand moved to the back of her head, stroking her hair as he tried to steady her breathing.

Leaning back slightly, he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks and pressed a soft kiss to the crown of her head. "Why don’t you try to get some sleep?"

"I–I can’t," Soraya murmured, sniffling. "You can go. I just want to be alone for a while." She looked away from him.

Santino didn’t say anything and stood up before stepping out of the room.

"Her slap still hurts," he murmured and headed for the basement.