Page 31 of His Forever Princess

The guard behind her peeled away at a look from François. Gideon pushed her into a run.

"This floor is supposed to be completely empty," he whispered fiercely.

"Where's the backup?" she demanded of François.

Another appreciative glance from Gideon. She didn't have time to soak in his praise that she'd asked for reinforcements.

They reached the end of the hallway as sounds of a scuffle then a pop like a muffled gunshot sounded.

Terror smothered her in an instant. Her brain wanted to spiral back to the moments at the gala, or further, to thirty years ago when an assassin had nearly killed her.

Gideon seemed to know it, and his arm came around her waist. He steadied her and put himself between her and whatever was happening behind them at the same time. There was only one doorway at this end of the building. A stairwell.

The bodyguard ahead yanked it open and went inside with gun drawn.

"It's clear—"

He didn't even get the word out before Gideon pushed her inside.

The stairwell was well-lit, white fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. Was that good or bad?

"Down," Gideon said decisively.

One of the guards stayed behind at the door, which meant that only one remained with Gideon and Alessandra.

She started down the stairs between the two men. She had a stitch in her side from the short run and now the stairs. Her husband wasn't even breathing hard. But she hadn't forgotten he was injured.

"Your side," she panted.

"Ssh."

She sent him a scathing look. He grinned at her, though she saw the worry behind his easy expression.

He was trying to keep her from spiraling into that place of fear and frozenness.

"I'm fine," he mouthed when they reached the next landing.

She didn't know whether to believe him, didn't have a choice as he motioned the guard to keep going.

They'd started on the tenth floor. Surely this stairwell wasn't the best place to be—

A shot rang out from above them.

She flinched even as Gideon pushed her into a ducking position near the wall and covered her body with his own.

She half-stumbled, half-ran down the next flight of stairs.

Another shot rang out. Gideon dove for the exit that would lead them out onto the fifth floor.

She scurried through, trying not to make any noise. She hadn't dared look. Had the gunman been on the tenth floor? Had he somehow seen them exit?

The hallway was empty except for a young mother and her toddler at the far end, who looked startled to see them.

"Police are at the lobby level," François said. "They're locking down the hotel."

But the gunman was still behind them.

Gideon looked into her eyes. "Can you run some more?"

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