Page 53 of Ruined By Protection (Feretti Syndicate #5)
Lucrezia
T he orchestra hits a crescendo, strings vibrating the air as champagne glasses clink around me. I'm looking around for an opportune moment to escape this excruciating conversation with the police chief's wife about her charity for "troubled youth" when the first shot cracks through the music.
For a heartbeat, everything freezes. My mind refuses to process the sound.
Then the second shot comes. And the third.
Glass shatters somewhere to my left. A woman screams—high and terrified—the sound cutting through the sudden chaos like a knife. The elegant crowd transforms in an instant, from poised socialites to panicking animals.
I can't move. My feet feel cemented to the floor, my red dress suddenly too tight, too visible. A target.
More gunshots—I lose count. The explosions bounce off the high ceilings and crystal chandeliers, making it impossible to tell where they're coming from. People rush past me, shoulders bumping me, drinks spilling across the floor. Someone's heels crunch over broken glass.
Through the stampeding crowd I spot men in black suits drawing weapons. Not our security. Their movements are too precise, too coordinated. Three of them fan out across the room, firing with chilling accuracy.
One of Damiano's men falls near the bar, blood blooming across his white shirt like spilled wine. Another exchange of gunfire erupts by the main entrance. Our security team is returning fire now, but guests are caught in the crossfire, crawling under tables or running blindly toward exits.
I should run. I should hide. But my body won't respond to the screaming commands in my head.
"Get down!" someone shouts nearby, but I remain standing, a statue in red silk amid the chaos.
A crystal chandelier explodes overhead, raining shards of light. The tiny cuts on my bare shoulders barely register.
Across the room I see Enzo dragging Sienna behind an overturned table. Damiano is nowhere in sight.
One of the gunmen turns in my direction, his eyes locking with mine. His expression doesn't change as he raises his weapon and aims.
I should feel fear. Instead, a strange calm washes over me. Is this how it ends? After everything?
"LUCREZIA!"
The voice breaks through my frozen state, but still I can't move. The gunman's finger tightens on the trigger. I watch it happen in slow motion, fascinated by the mechanical precision of it.
A large dark shape hurtles toward me from the side. The impact knocks the air from my lungs as I'm tackled to the ground. The bullet meant for me shatters the mirror right behind where I stood. I was nanoseconds from being killed.
Pain shoots through my elbow as I hit the floor, the weight of a solidly muscular torso pinning me. Warm breath against my ear, the scent of sandalwood and propellant.
"Stay down," a deep voice commands.
As soon as I gather myself enough to focus I see Daniel hovering above me, now supporting his weight on one elbow, his body still entirely shielding mine.
His gun in his free hand is ready to fire, his eyes constantly scanning for threats.
A thin line of blood trickles from his temple but thank god it’s just a graze, not a bullet.
The gunman who shot at me is repositioning for another attempt. His cold eyes find me cowering beneath Daniel's protective form. He angles his weapon and it looks like his aim is pretty damn expert.
Daniel fires first. The man staggers back, clutching his shoulder, but doesn't fall. He steadies himself against a column, aiming again.
Another shot rings out, but not from Daniel or the wounded gunman. This one comes from someone behind us. My attacker's head snaps back, a spray of red misting the air. He crumples to the floor.
"Are you hurt?" Daniel asks, rasping but steady despite the chaos. I shake my head no, my lips trembling too much to utter a word. I realise I’m clinging to his torso like a sloth to a tree branch. "Don’t be afraid, I’ve got you. And I’m getting you out of here right now."
Lucrezia’s story continues in Ruined By Ravishment
The wedding is tomorrow. And I'm done playing by their rules.