My heart skipped a beat when one of them looked up and spotted me watching the invasion.
“Hey!” one of the guards called out, firing a shot that killed the previous assailant in an instant.
Next thing I heard was more gunshots—loud, rapid, and terrifying. The entire compound transformed into a war zone in just a few seconds. Gunfire echoed through the air, alongside screams and heartrending bellows.
By now, I’d already bolted away from the window and was standing in the middle of the room. My palms were sweaty, my pulse quickening by the second as I thought about what to do.
The mansion was plunged into chaos, confusion, and disarray. Frozen in place, I covered my ears with my palms, but even that did little to drown the noise.
“Take cover!” someone yelled through the corridor. “They’re in the building!”
Without thinking twice, I dropped to the floor and crawled under a table for safety. A second later, the door of the library was kicked open by a powerful force.
My hand flew to my mouth, and I held my breath, refusing to make any sound. Someone marched in, their footsteps heavy and menacing. From under the table, I could see their boots as they moved around the space.
This was a terrible place to hide!
What was I thinking?
I should’ve hidden behind one of the towering bookshelves. Not this low table. But in my defense, I didn’t have the time to think.
The assailant received a call on his radio, and when he answered, he spoke Italian. That’s when it dawned on me that this was an attack from a rival gang.
However, that was the least of my problems right now. Under this table, I felt exposed because all it would take for this man to spot my stupid ass was for him to look down.
I closed my eyes, hoping and praying he would just leave since there was no one here. My heart was pounding like a drum,even threatening to explode out of my chest. Yet I stayed calm with my palm over my mouth.
Sweat dampened my forehead and other awkward places. I’d never been this afraid in my entire life; in fact, I was so scared tears were already streaming down my cheeks.
From under that table, it seemed like these men had taken control of the mansion. I wasn’t sure of anything, but that’s what I thought. The rapid gunfire outside was getting louder and more intense.
With my eyes closed, I prayed silently while listening to his footsteps. I tracked the sound—every move, every corner it turned around the space. What the hell was he looking for in a bloody library anyway?
Just leave already!
Then it dawned on me.
The ledger.
What if he were here looking for the same ledger that had gotten me into this situation?
That would explain why he was moving around the library while the others were outside fighting. But if he was truly searching for the book, he was doing a very poor job at it.
The man was just moving and scanning the shelves with his eyes. He wasn’t turning the place upside down, looking for what he was there for.
Idiot.
Then I noticed it. The silence in the room.
I couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore.
Had he left already?
Was I safe for now?
Just before I could let out a sigh of relief, the table was yanked off by a powerful force. Exposed in the open, I screamed, eyes wide with fear.
“Got you!” the man growled, his voice deep and raucous.