CHAPTER FIFTEEN
1261 Words
So far so good, Mia thought. They'd arrived the cafe a little over ten minutes ago and no raging assassin had burst in through the double doors yet but Mia couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness she'd developed when they'd made it half way to the cafe. Now, the feeling was growing stronger. She felt watched. Mia stilled, the hairs on her nape bristling. She looked up sharply and scanned the vastly populated cafe. Everybody seemed to be enjoying their meal, nothing was out of the ordinary... yet.
Her fingers tightened involuntarily over the straps of her leather bag. Her heart was beating a mile a second.
"Oh calm your horses, Mia. You look like a frightened little girl. Nothing's going to happen, the bodyguard seems to be doing a great job. "
" Y-yes, Zach but I don't feel so good. Can we please go back to the house now?"
Grand pa Zach gave her a worried glance.
"Okay okay, we can go back but next time, I'm calling the shots."
Mia very well knew that they would be no next time until this Floyd guy was out of the picture but it didn't hurt to agree with Grand pa if it meant they were going to leave early.
Mia got up swiftly from her chair to help Grand pa Zach to his feet. She'd just reached his side when pain, white hot and pure, ricocheted up her arm. She blinked, shock waves coursing through her entire frame. She heard the customers screaming in terror but all she could register was the blood that was pouring in waves from her right arm. The pain seemed to work quickly because she snapped out of her dazed state and looked frantically around for Zach, hoping to God that he was not hurt. Cole would be so mad at her.
She saw him then, he was making his way back from the check out counter. Apparently he'd gone to pay for their coffee when she'd stood up. He had a pinched frown on his face. His eyes widened when he saw the blood that was spreading fast on the floor beneath her. Glad that he was okay, Mia staggered backwards, trying to gain her balance. From the blur of her vision she could see their bodyguard rushing in from the double doors where he'd been standing guard, then the world went black.
*******************************
Mia woke up five minutes later to the low rumble of the car's engine as their bodyguard sped towards the mansion. Her arm ached like a bad tooth and the grand mother of all headaches was pounding behind her eyes. She slowly blinked to dispel the irritating effects of the bright afternoon sun.
"Mia? Oh thank goodness you're awake. How does the arm feel?"
" It hurts, so bad" She gritted her teeth against the pain as tears fell unchecked down her cheeks.
Cole's grandfather grimaced,
"Cole's going to have my head for this."
Cole! Mia had completely forgotten to worry about Cole's reaction. She couldn't let him find out about the shooting. Grand pa Zach was her responsibility, Lycan or not, and she'd taken him out of the house. She'd put both their lives in danger and if Cole found out, not only could she lose her job, she would lose his trust too. She tried to sit up and winced as another jab of pain sliced up her arm.
"Hey, hey. Don't get up Mia, that's an order.
"Grand pa, I've got to tell you something important."
" Whatever it is Mia, it can wait. I have to get you home to Marjorie soon. She'll patch you up real nice and you'll be better in no time, sweetheart."
" Zach, this is important. Cole will no doubt find out about the shooting. I'm sure the tabloids are already carrying the news that there was a shooting at the same Cafe that the Anderson's grandfather went for coffee."
" That's right, Mia. But don't you go worrying about the press right now."
" It's not the press I'm worried about, Zach." Mia gritted her teeth as another jab of pain shot up her arm, rattling her whole frame.
"It's Cole. I'm worried about his reaction. He's not gonna be happy that we left the house, and that is all my fault. I shouldn't have let you talk me into going to town today. Cole would no doubt throw a fit when he finds out and ontop of that, when he realises that I got shot, heavens only know what he might do."
" Calm down, Mia. Cole will be really mad, no doubt, but we'll handle his anger when it's time. Now, we have to get you to Marjorie as soon as possible. Your bleeding's getting bad."
" Cole can't find out that I was shot. I don't want him to find out."
I'm sorry, Mia but the tabloids will be carrying that piece of news too.
"I think I know Cole better then that, Grandpa. He'll be too angry to read past the juicy headlines. Please, Grandpa. Cole can't find out that I was shot today, please."
" Okay, Mia. We won't tell Cole about the shoot out,will we?" Zach asked,giving the bodyguard a hard look.
" Of course not, sir"
"Well, that's settled. Hold in there, Mia. We're almost home."
Mia closed her eyes in relief. Everything was going to be fine...or so she thought.
***********************
In a lavish hotel suite, south of town, Floyd logged onto his computer to report the day's failures to his master. Never someone to be nervous, his steel gray eyes glinted with an unearthly cold. He drummed his gloved fingers on his knees as he waited for the call to connect. Few seconds later, Jack Steve's face filled the screen.
"I've been waiting for your call. I hope you have good news for me."
Floyd bowed his head, shame slowly crawling it's way up his spine.
"I'm sorry, master. I couldn't deliver your task completely."
Floyd heard Jack draw a deep breath, he knew that his master was struggling to control his temper, any minute from now, he was going to get a full lecture on how incompetent he was.
"You moronic infidel. I asked you to do one thing, just one thing but you failed me, as usual. This is the second time you're doing this, you psychotic sonofabitch. How hard can it be to shoot the bullet of a damn sniper into an old man's chest. What the f**k happened?"
" His grandfather came to the cafe with a woman, Vanessa says she's their new housekeeper. I swear I had a clear shot but then just as I fired, the b***h walked in the way of the bullet and got shot instead of the old man."
" Hol' up" Jack interrupted, sounded excited now, " Did you say someone got shot?"
"Yes. Cole Anderson's housekeeper. According to Vanessa, she's also his life mate."
Jack rubbed his palms together and licked his crooked lips. All hope was not lost.
"Great job, Floyd my man, great job. Instead of shooting Cole's grandfather, you shot his lifemate, a human female. She may bleed to death before that witch, Marjorie gets to work saving her. You've basically killed Cole's only shot at true love, wonderful." Jack laughed, a cold, mirthless laugh.
" My darling Vanessa is really great at her job, that sneaky b***h. She deserves a reward for doing so well in enemy territory. You both deserve rewards." His face hardened.
" Cole Anderson dared to mess with the Poison King. Now, it's time to rumba."
*******************************
- Writer
