The Bodyguard

chapter 18

I ran. I didn't know where I was going. I just knew I couldn't stay there. My tears blurred everything in front of me as I crossed the yard.

"Hannah!" Alexander's voice echoed behind me.

I kept going. I couldn't face him. Not after everything that had just happened. Not after Camille had exposed the one part of my past I'd spent so long trying to leave behind. I reached the edge of the property and slowed down. My chest was tight. I wiped my face with the back of my hand. I needed to think. I needed to get somewhere quiet. Somewhere I could breathe.

I took another step. Then I heard something behind me. A branch snapped. I turned and nothing.

"Alexander?" My heart started pounding.

No answer. I took another step backward. Then a hand covered my mouth. I tried to scream. An arm wrapped tightly around my waist and pulled me backward. I fought hard. I kicked, elbowed and bit the hand over my mouth. Someone cursed.

"She's stronger than she looks." Another man grabbed my arms. I struggled against them.

One of them pulled something over my head. Everything went dark.

I had no idea how long I was unconscious.

When I finally woke up, my head was pounding.

My wrists were tied behind my back.

I was sitting in the back seat of a moving vehicle.

I tried to move.

"Don't." The man sitting beside me grabbed my shoulder.

I looked around. There were three men in the vehicle. None of them looked familiar. But I knew who they were. The Aldo Mafia.

My stomach dropped. Everything came rushing back. They found me. After all this time….They had finally found me.

"Where are you taking me?" No one answered. I swallowed. "Who sent you?"

"You'll find out.” The man beside me smiled.

The people I'd spent months running from had finally caught me.

The vehicle eventually slowed. A large gate opened, and we drove through. I was taken into a massive house that looked nothing like the kind of place I'd expected a Mafia headquarters to be. It was beautiful and expensive.

They led me through several rooms before stopping in front of a large set of double doors.

"She's here." One of the men opened them.

I stepped inside. A man sat behind a large desk.

He looked nothing like the older Mafia bosses I'd imagined. He looked young..Maybe only a few years older than me. Dark hair, sharp features and dark eyes.

A black shirt stretched across broad shoulders, and tattoos disappeared beneath his sleeves and continued down his arms. He looked up. His eyes settled on me. For several seconds, he simply stared.

"This is who we've been looking for?" Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

I said nothing. He stood slowly. He walked around the desk and stopped a few feet away from me. His eyes moved over my face. Not in the way a man looked at a woman he wanted. It was more like he was studying something he'd spent a very long time trying to find.

"Hannah." He finally said.

"You know my name." My stomach dropped.

"I know a lot about you." He walked around me slowly. "You were Caden's partner." He said.

"Don't." I stiffened.

"You don't want to talk about him?" He stopped. His eyes met mine.

"You don't get to talk about him." I shot back angry.

His expression changed slightly. Almost amused.

"Caden talked about you." He said.

"He did?" I stared at him.

"Not much." He stepped closer. "But enough." He stated.

"Why am I here?" I swallowed.

"Because you saw something you weren't supposed to see." He studied me for another moment.

My heart stopped. He knew I had been there and I had seen Caden.

"You were outside that building," he continued. "You heard the gunshots." I couldn't speak. "You looked through the door." My eyes burned. "And you saw what happened to Caden." He was next to me and he whispered the last part in my ear.

I looked away. I didn't want to remember. But I could still see it. Caden on the floor, the blood, the gunshots, the men coming toward the door and me running for my life.

"He was my friend," I whispered. He walked back in front of me.

"I know." The Mafia leader's expression became unreadable. I looked back at him. He looked directly at me. “You saw what happened that night.” My chest tightened. “You were there when Caden was killed.” I couldn't look away. "You saw my men.” he said and walked back to his desk.

I nodded slowly. He leaned back in his chair. “And then you disappeared.” His eyes remained fixed on mine. “We've been looking for you ever since.”

“Why?” My stomach twisted.

A slow smile crossed his face. “Because you were the one person who walked away from that building alive.” He paused. “And because you know exactly what happened inside.”

I felt a chill run through me. He wasn't asking me what happened. He already knew. He simply wanted to know what I remembered and suddenly, I understood why they had gone to so much trouble to find me. I wasn't just Hannah anymore. I was the witness who had escaped. My stomach twisted again.

"And now you've finally been brought back to us." His eyes narrowed slightly. "You're a witness to what happened inside that building. That makes you valuable." He paused. "And very dangerous. Killing you isn't the only option." Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist. He stepped closer. "I've spent a long time hearing about the woman who disappeared that night." His eyes traveled over me again. "The woman who managed to escape." I said nothing. He smiled. "And now you're standing in front of me." He said amusement in his eyes.

"Untie her." He turned toward one of the men.

"Sir—" The man hesitated.

"I said untie her." He demanded. The ropes were cut from my wrists. I rubbed them immediately.

"You'll eat." The Mafia leader watched me.

"I'm not hungry." I argue..

"That wasn't a question." He said amused. .I glared at him.

"There she is." He smiled.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"The woman Caden always described." He said.

"You knew Caden?" I frowned.

"Everyone in our world knew of Caden." He walked back toward his desk. "But I don't think anyone understood you." He said.

"What does that mean?" I stared at him.

"It means I expected a frightened witness." His eyes met mine. "Instead, I got you." He mused.

I didn't like the sound of that. "How long am I staying here?" I asked.

"That depends." He leaned back in his chair.

"On what?" I question him.

"How interesting you decide to become." His smile returned. I stared at him. He gestured toward the door. "Take her to a room." He said. One of the men stepped forward.

The room they put me in was nothing like a prison cell.

That somehow made it worse.

It was huge.

A king-sized bed sat in the middle of the room, covered in dark blankets. There was a sitting area near the window, a private bathroom, and even a balcony overlooking the grounds.

Everything was beautiful. Everything was expensive and none of it changed the fact that I was a prisoner.

I walked over to the window and looked outside. Two men stood near the entrance to the house. Guards, of course.

I pulled the curtain shut. I had no idea what time it was. I had no idea what Alexander was doing. The thought of him made my chest ache. I could still see his face when Camille accused me. I could still hear him telling his family the truth.

I love her. He had said it. He had finally said it in front of everyone and then I ran. I closed my eyes.

“I should have stayed.” I sigh.

A knock sounded at the door. I turned. Before I could answer, the door opened. The Mafia leader walked in.

“You again?” I immediately frowned.

“Disappointed?” One corner of his mouth lifted.

“Actually, I was hoping you'd leave me alone.” I said.

“That's not the reaction I'm used to.” He replied amused.

“Then you should meet more honest people.” I retort.

He laughed quietly. It surprised me. I hadn't expected him to laugh.

“I brought you dinner.” He walked into the room carrying a tray.

“I told you I wasn't hungry.” I state.

“You also told me you were afraid of me.” He said, looking at me.

“I never said that.” I stared at him.

“You didn't have to. I could see it.” He set the tray on the small table. “Eat.” He demands..

“No.” I crossed my arms.

“No?” His eyebrow lifted.

“No.” I said again..

“Fine.” He looked at me for a moment. “I'll wait.” Then he pulled out the chair and sat down.

“You're going to sit there and watch me?” I blinked.

“Apparently.” He says.

“You're unbelievable.” I rolled my eyes and scoff.

“So I've been told.” He smirks at me.

I looked at the food. It smelled amazing. My stomach betrayed me with a loud growl. His smile widened.

“Don't.” I glared at him.

“I didn't say anything.” He put his hands up on mock surrender.

“You were thinking about it.” I stated.

“Maybe.” He shrugs.

I reluctantly sat down. He watched as I picked up a fork. I took a bite.

“You really don't scare easily.” He leaned back.

“I do.” I swallowed.

“Not around me.” He says.

“You kidnapped me, of course I am.” I said.

“And you're still arguing with me.” He said amused.

“Would you rather I cry?” I question him.

“No.” His answer came too quickly. I looked at him. Something had changed in his expression. For the first time, he didn't look amused. “No,” he repeated quietly. “I don't want you crying.” He says softly.

I didn't know what to say to that. So I took another bite. He studied me.

“What?” I ask him.

“You're not what I expected.” He says.

“That's becoming a popular opinion tonight.” I reply sarcastically.

“Caden said you were stubborn.” He states.

“You really knew him?” My hand stopped.

“I knew of him.” He said.

“That isn't the same thing.” I replied.

“He was good at what he did.” His eyes dropped to the table.

“He was my best friend.” I looked away.

“I know.” He states looking away.

The room went quiet. After a moment, he stood. I expected him to leave. Instead, he looked at me.

“You can lock the door.” He said.

“What?” I frowned, confused.

“From the inside.” He said.

“Why?” I stared at him.

“Because I want you to sleep tonight.” He walked toward the door.

“Why do you care?” I watched him carefully.

His hand rested on the doorknob. He looked back at me.

“I don't know yet.” Then he walked out.

The door closed behind him. I sat there staring at it. I should have been relieved.

Instead, I found myself thinking about the look in his eyes. Not the dangerous one. The other one. The one I didn't understand.