My Perfect Marriage

Chapter 14

Sophia ducks her head and dodges the flailing arms of her security team wrestling with the protestors. She scoots by with a confident walk until she's around them and on the other side of their human wall. She starts looking for the car that she requested to be brought to the front door. Many vehicles are abandoned on the sidewalk haphazardly, of all makes, colors, and models, and it irritates her that they have congested the road. She guesses most are from the protestors and clenches her fists in anger while looking around to try and locate her car.

"Sophia, move." The raspy and urgent male shout comes at her from her left side, and before she can turn around and see who or where it came from, she's yanked backward, spun into a warm body, and hugged in tight as she's pulled sideways. A hand reaches over the top of her head, pushing her down in a crushing manner into the cocoon of his body, and covers her skull. At the same time, the black wool coat of her protector is pulled around her to conceal as much of her body as possible. Debris rains down on them from further back, and she squeals as she realizes what is happening.

Bottles, boulders, cans, and a manner of hard and heavy objects fly around, over, and at them from all angles. Coming for people and the building, she's overwhelmed in panic mode to find they're right in the epicenter, like a cyclone of weapons flicking around and smashing at their feet.

She clings onto her bodyguard, ducking her head, and closes her eyes tight as he steers her and turns her to take the brunt of everything hitting them. Jerking with him and feeling the repercussions through him, he takes a battering and pushes her into further terror. Her body shakes, and her legs turn weak as she doesn't know what else to do, allowing him to move her in whatever direction he deems safest and trusting he'll protect her.

Her fingers dig into his under jacket and shirt, feeling hot body temperature and firm muscles, and she blinks up, unsure who this even is. He's tall and using every inch of him to keep her shielded and safe while moving them around and dodging the worst of it. She can't see anything because of her forced position, facing him, and hunched over inside his dark clothes.

He pushes her head back down and yanks his jacket back over her like a fabric roof before pulling them into a run, and she becomes disorientated at not being able to see where she's going, stumbling, but he has her held fast and takes her weight. Her nose ends up pressed to his chest, and it's then as she inhales his body scent and aftershave that it hits her that she does know this body. She should have known it from a single touch, yet she was too shocked by what was going on that she didn't even realize it. She should have recognized his voice.

Leon hauls her as fast as he can into the side end door of the main building, as security flanks them and gets them inside of the doors before locking it behind them. He stops and turns to bark orders at those standing in the hallway watching without relinquishing his vice-like grip on her.

"Get the police out here and tell them they're throwing things. Call security from all floors and get them outside to deal with this. Keep all regular employees away from the glass in case they smash it."

"Yes, President Hale." A male voice answers in urgency, and Sophia lifts her chin to try and take a glimpse of Leon, scared that he's hurt after enduring everything she felt pounding them. Her entire focus was on his body, and she starts scrambling inside his clothes, her heart hitching up that he was being assaulted all over. It hurts her soul to think about what he just endured while protecting her.

"Leon? Are you okay?" Sophia reaches up for his face to turn him to her, catching his jaw in her fingers and pulling him down. Her insides are aching, and genuine fear is gripping her soul as she tries to inspect him for wounds. Her body shakes all over as adrenaline kicks in, and he pulls her with him away from the doors at speed.

"Are you hurt? Did anything hit you? Are you cut anywhere?" Leon slices through her question with his own. Pulling her into the elevator and letting go of her before sliding his hands over her head, brushing back her hair, searching through her scalp with his fingertips, and frantically searching over her body and face for any damage. His eyes narrow, and his breathing labors as he pulls her jacket open and skims every inch of her shoulders and neck and face to see if she has even a tiny scratch. His warm, firm hands skim her skin, leaving a burning path wherever they touch, even through the fabric of her clothes.

"Leon?" Sophia utters again, breathless and overcome with emotion as she too searches out his face and body with her eyes and can't see anything obvious. She doesn't know what she would do if anything happened to him.

"Are you hurt? Is there pain anywhere?" his tone is serious and urgent, his face tense, and he turns her around and does the same thing with his hands on her back. Skimming her body and pulling her clothes around to check her over. She can only stand there like a limp puppet, too shocked to react.

"What just happened?" Sophia utters breathlessly as he turns her back, and she's rendered mute as he yanks her into his arms and hugs her tight. Bruising her with the force of his crushing hold as he puts everything into holding her and she can feel his labored heaving of breath, his heart pounding erratically in his chest. Exhaling with relief, and almost breaks her bones with the intensity of what he's doing.

"You scared the hell out of me. What were you doing going out there alone to face them? Why would you confront them? Are you out of your mind? Do you know how hurt you could have gotten if I hadn't pulled up and seen what was coming? Jesus Christ, Sophia. You can't be that reckless." He pushes her away from him, shoves her jacket fully off her shoulders, and hauls it off. Seemingly unconvinced he's done a thorough job of checking her, and she places a hand on his arm to stop him. Her jacket hangs by her elbows, and she pulls it back on.

"Nothing hit me. Only you got hit. Leon, please, you have to be hurt. Let me look." Her voice wavers and her eyes mist over as she tries to push his jacket off, but he catches her hands and holds them both tight. Pushing them together and gripping her.

"I'm fine. My clothes are thick enough that I might have a few bruises, but nothing else, and nothing hit my head. I'm fine, Sophia. Trust me. I would tell you if it was otherwise." He lifts his palms and does a little mocking turn as if to prove there isn't a scratch or a cut on him. Her hand flies to her mouth as she smothers a sob that slips out involuntarily, with utter relief that he's okay, and her eyes fill with moisture.

"We're okay. You're okay. We're safe, and it's over." He catches her by the shoulders, pulls her back against him, hugging her close with less force, and starts rubbing her back and shoulders to calm her down. Wrapping her up in his arms and nuzzling her face against his neck. The way he always used to when she was an upset kid. She's in a state of numbness and disbelief, and she's trembling all over, feeling like her legs might give out. The door pings and slides open to alert them that they are on their top floor once more.

"Come on. You need to calm down." He slides his arm around her shoulder and pulls her with him into the foyer. Keeping her tight against him and still rubs his fingers in her hair, above her right ear, so her face is pressed against his shoulder. Soothing her, calming her in ways he always did.

"Two strong coffees, make one extra sweet, and head of security to my office right now." He's in charge, he's taking control of her, and she trusts that she's safe as long as he's got her. He barks at whatever assistant is standing there, and her vision is too blurry even to tell. She clings to him, unable to clear the chaos of her brain, and it's like she's transported back to the feeling of helpless dependency when she lost her parents.

"Johnny's waiting for me. He might come looking... they might.."