NOTE: Sorry it's been so long between updates. I haven't had a lot of free time, but I was finally able to whip this up. I hope you like it! Let me know what you think, I enjoy reading your thoughts!

Chapter 15: Save Me Tonight

Three days after the gala, at a political rally, Shaundi and her agents were keeping tabs on the crowd. The Boss had finished a speech and opened the floor to questions.

"Mr. President!" screamed a reporter. "People are saying that we should take 'One nation under God' out of the Pledge of Allegiance. What is your response?"

"Please, stick the responses I prepared," Kinzie muttered to herself. She nervously brought her fingers to her mouth and started to bite her nails, waiting for The Boss to respond. Shaundi stood next to her and raised an eyebrow in anticipation of what he would say.

The Boss curled his brow and thought for a moment, looking at the list of prepared statements Kinzie had written for him. He looked up and addressed the crowd, "Well, seeing as how I'm the patron Saint of America, we should probably change the pledge of allegiance from one nation under God, to one nation under Me. That should make things easier."

"Oh no," said Kinzie, putting her head in her hands as several boos left the crowd. Shaundi grinned and leaned close to her.

"Good luck cleaning that up," she said, nudging Kinzie's arm.

"I swear, he does this shit on purpose just to piss me off," huffed Kinzie.

Shaundi shook her head and smiled as The Boss threw up a piece sign and a left the stage. The crowd roared trying to get more questions answered as he walked down the steps toward Kinzie who was glaring at him with intense anger.

"That went better than anticipated," he said, ignoring the look she was giving him.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Kinzie asked, throwing her arms down to her side. "Do you not hear the uproar you've caused? Why didn't you stick to what I gave you?"

"I gave them an honest answer, that's what the people want out of their president, right?"

"You don't get the pleasure of being honest. If your approval rating drops any lower-"

"Kinzie, relax. Everything will be fine," said The Boss, cutting her short while he signed an autograph.

"You're not making my job any easier, you know that right?" asked Kinzie, furiously. The Boss turned to her and smiled.

"Don't worry, Miss Press Secretary. I'm sure you'll think of something," he said, secretly pinching her ass as he walked away. Kinzie jumped a little and blushed, hoping no one saw him. She tried to fight a smile when the crowd's yelling reminded her of what she was about to face. She pursed her lips together instead.

"I hate him," she said, watching him get into his limo. Shaundi crossed her arms and gave her a skeptical stare.

"No you don't," said Shaundi with a smirk. Kinzie glanced at her and tried to fight another smile, but lost. Shaundi let out a light chuckle and nudged her shoulder, "See you back at the house?"

"Yeah," Kinzie sighed, before walking onto the stage to address the crowd. They screamed her name eager to get answers about The Boss' statements. She put her hands up and got them to calm down before calling on Jane Valderamma for the first question.

Shaundi walked to a black car, ready to escort The Boss back to the house. An agent held the door open for her as she climbed inside before following her into the backseat. Once they were situated, she used her communicator to talk to the car up front, "Okay, lead us out."

"Yes, mam."

The car started to move as several motorcycle cops escorted them down the road, sirens blaring and lights flashing. They'd driven a few blocks from the rally when Shaundi's phone alerted her of a text message. She looked at the number, but didn't recognize it. Whoever it was had sent her a video along with the words "YOU CAN'T SAVE HIM". Shaundi used her communicator again trying to reach one of her agents in the limo with The Boss.

"Alpha team, what's your situation?" she asked, still looking at her phone.

"Everything's fine, mam," they replied. "The President is safe."

"Jesus, Shaundi," said The Boss over the comm. "We just left and you're already worried about me?"

"Just checking," she said, continuing to stare at her phone, her thumb resting over the play button for the video. She took a deep breath and pressed it.

The video filled the screen and her eyes grew wide. It was a video of Ethan's apartment and she could see a hand holding a gun, pointing it toward his bedroom. Whoever was holding the camera was breathing heavily into the receiver.

"Who's there?" asked Ethan, stepping out into the hallway.

She saw the cameraman pull back the hammer on the gun before the screen went black. Her heart stopped and she forgot to breath, the reality of what she saw hitting her hard. She looked up and gestured to her driver.

"Turn the car around."

"But, what about the others?" he asked, continuing to drive forward.

"They have their orders, they'll be fine," she told him, her patience wearing thin. "Now, turn the car around."

"Mam, I-"

"Turn the fucking car around now!" she screamed, her voice filled with rage and worry. The driver nodded and quickly turned the steering wheel causing the car to drift along the pavement as he performed a u-turn. He sped off in the opposite direction, he tires smoking on the road to gain traction.

The car pulled up to Ethan's apartment building and Shaundi jumped out before it even stopped moving. She grabbed her gun and ran up the front steps, her agent following close behind her. Kicking down the door, she rushed inside and up to Ethan's floor. As she neared his apartment, she noticed his door had been jimmied. She put her hand up to signal her agent and readied her weapon. She pushed the door open and cautiously made her way inside, preparing herself for the worst.

Ethan's apartment was trashed, all of his belongings scattered on the floor. Shaundi slowly stepped over them as she continued forward, her gun at the ready. She checked each room she passed until her agent signaled to her. He pointed to a small pool of blood on the floor next to a broken lamp. Shaundi swallowed hard and took a deep breath in an effort to keep her composure. There were blood drops leading toward the hallway. As she continued forward, she saw a bullet hole in the wall where Ethan had been standing in the video. With each step she took toward his bedroom, the feeling of dread began to overwhelm her. She was worried about what she'd find on the other side of his door, as that was where the blood drops ended. Taking a few deep breaths, she didn't hesitate and kicked the door down, rushing into his bedroom.

Nothing. There was no sign of the Ethan, or the shooter. Her chest began to feel heavy and she found it hard to breath, knowing she was too late. A small rustle came from behind her and she turned around, her gun still raised. Ethan was standing in front of her, tilting his ear in her direction. Shaundi's bottom lip started to quiver as she continued to point her gun in his direction, unsure if it was really him.

"Shaundi?" he asked, quietly. She didn't answer, unable to hold back the lump in her throat. "Shaundi, I know that's you. I can smell your perfume."

Shaundi still didn't answer him and instead, lowered her gun as she ran toward him. Almost knocking him off balance, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, before placing a hard kiss on his lips. She gripped his face for dear life as she kissed him and closed her eyes causing a single tear to fall down her cheek.

"Oh my God, Ethan, I was so scared," she said, holding him close. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he told her, returning her embrace.

"We found blood," she said, pulling away to frantically look him over. "Are you hurt?"

"I cut my hand on some broken glass," he said, lifting his hand up, revealing a deep gash in his palm. Shaundi gently took his hand in hers.

"That looks bad," she said, leading him into the bathroom. She ran his hand under some cold water while her agent finished clearing the apartment. She grabbed a wash cloth and had him apply pressure to his wound. "Hold it there."

He did as he was told and held the cloth to his hand, "How did you know I was in trouble?"

"Someone sent me a video looking like they were going to shoot you. I was so scared, I came as quick as I could," she told him, holding his hand. "Do you have any idea who would want to hurt you?"

"No."

"Did they say anything to you?"

"They were mumbling and I couldn't understand them. All I could catch were them saying 'I can't do it' before hearing a gun go off. That's all I remember."

Shaundi's agent returned to the bedroom and gave her the all clear. She nodded and turned back to Ethan.

"Whoever it was, I think they were using you to try and get to me. For now, I think it would be best if you stayed at The White House while we try to figure all this out. Your apartment is now a crime scene."

"Okay," he nodded, trusting her judgement.

Shaundi turned to her agent, "Radio dispatch and get a hold of Kinzie. We're going to need her help on this."

"Yes, mam," her agent respond, rushing out of the room.

"I'm so happy that you're okay," she said, turning back to Ethan, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. "Come on, let's finish cleaning you up."