Chapter 10: In Which He Protects

Isla gasped out in fear and horror as people started panicking and running shoving past one another to get to safety.

Isla felt helpless and blind in the pitch blackness, her mind in a frenzy. People had their phone lights on but she had left hers inside her clutch which was on the table they were seated at.

Isla felt the tears, wet and cold streaming down her cheeks as she searched for the familiar faces of her dad and Alexander in the pitch dark.

More gun shots were fired making her heart hammer so hard against her chest that she could hear her own heartbeat.

Alexander who has jumped into action as soon as the lights went out had headed for the direction Isla was in but it was so chaotic that he kept on losing her in the dark, however, with the aid of his flashlight he located Isla, smack dab in the middle of the hall looking scared as hell.

Without a second thought he ran towards her direction, with his gun in one hand and the flashlight in the other.

Once she was in reach he quickly yanked her towards him making her yelp as he crouched down and made her forcefully crouch down as well in order to avoid any flying bullets.

"Hey hey it's me, you'll be alright I got you" Isla's erratic heartbeat and over the top nerves only came to a little rest once she heard those words out of Alexander's mouth.

"Alex what's happening?" She asked her voice breaking with unshed tears as she crouched down even closer beside him, taking a hold of his strong bicep with both her hands.

"This whole place is filled with important people, probably one of their rivals found a way inside" Alexander explained his eyes kept scanning the surroundings for a way out as he kept her close.

"I am scared" she let out in a voice barely audible but he heard it taking a moment to look at her.

"It's going to be okay, I am not going to let them hurt you, trust me I have been in situations like this countless times and we'll find a way out of here soon" Alexander reassured her as calmly as he could looking her straight in the eyes.

"Okay" she mumbled out clutching his suit jacket in a fist.

In all honesty, the surroundings were too much of a risk to get up and let himself and her be exposed to gunshots until he had an exit door in mind.

Alexander tapped in the Bluetooth attached to his ear calling out for Richard's guess but no one was answering until after a few minutes there was commotion on the other line.

"Alexander, there is a door behind the auction stage, I've cleared it and gotten Mr. Gambino our safe, use that door to get Miss. Gambino our as well" Richard guard whose name Alexander had come to know as Faliq spoke on the other line before it went dead.

Now they had to move before it was too late.

"Hey Isla listen to me, we're gonna have to make a run for it across the hall to that stage, our escape door is behind the curtains. I need you to be brave and just run like hell, don't look elsewhere just take my hand and we'll dash out" Alexander explained even using her first name.

She looked hesitating at first but with one look at Alexander she nodded her head. They had to do this.

"Alright on 3" He said taking a hold of her dainty hand tightly as they readied themselves for the sprint.

Then as planned on three they made a run for it.

There was definitely blood and bodies of a few people on the floor but Isla thankfully didn't pay attention to her surroundings as she basically closed her eyes and ran like hell with Alexander tugging her towards the stage.

"Get down get down get down!" Alexander exclaimed out as they were only a few inches away from the stage but there were bullets aimed at them.

Isla let out a sob as the bullets merely missed their heads in the crouched down position they were in behind a table.

"They'll need to reload we move again then" Alexander said and true to his word there was a brief pause in their shooting a few moments later and yet again the sprinted towards the backstage, this time making it there.

"Here! Here!" A voice called out and Alexander quickly pulled Isla along with him to the wide opened door that Faliq was standing again waving them out.

The door apparently opened right out to the parking area which was pretty convenient for them as they ran exited the plaza and Faliq shut the door behind them bolting it shut.

There was finally light but it was hard, extremely hard for Isla to catch her breath. She felt like someone had squeezed the air out of her lungs.

"Mr. Fambino is safe in the car..." before Faliq could complete his sentence Isla's legs gave out on her as she gasped for breath.

Alexander barely held her up supporting her arms as she fell all of a sudden but he didn't waste a second after that before lifting her off the ground, an arm under her knees while the other supporting her body.

She had passed out.

"Fuck" Alexander cursed cradling her closer but there was no time to spare.

"Come on this way" Faliq said as they took quick long strides towards where the car was waiting for them, however, unlike before it wasn't the limo they had come in, it was an SUV instead with Mr. Gambino already waiting inside impatiently for his daughter.

"What in the worlds is she hurt!?" Richard asked, worry gnawing at him as he saw Isla limo in his arms.
The gunshots for nearing and so long ithout another thought or word Alexander got in eighth beside Mr. Gambino with Isla still in his arms as there was no spare seat to buckle her in while Faliq quickly got in the passenger seat barking at the driver to make haste.

"She's fine, just unconscious" Alexander told Richard who let out a sigh of relief, tenderly pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Keep a hold of her till we're home, I'll send a medic to check on her as soon as we're at the estate. You did a good job protecting her today" Richard praised and Alexander nodded in acknowledgement even though he didn't give a fuck if he got praised to protect her or not cause he would do it either ways.

Alexander restrained himself from bringing her closer and burying his face in the crook of her neck, shielding her away from everyone as she laid in his arms looking ethereal.

She'd had one hell of a day.