Dangerous protection

more than a bodyguard

Damian's POV.

I caught Annabelle's wrist before her hand could reach Maya's face.

Immediately, she froze.

For a second, the entire room seemed to freeze with her.

Her eyes moved from my hand to my face. She clearly hadn't expected me to interfere.

Neither had Maya.

I hadn't grabbed Annabelle because I cared about Maya.

I hadn't done it because I suddenly felt the need to play hero.

I had simply been doing my job.

I was hired to protect Maya Coker, and that was exactly what I intended to do.

Besides, I had been watching the entire scene from my seat near the bar. I had noticed Annabelle's growing anger, the way her voice had become sharper, and the moment her hand started moving toward Maya.

I could have intervened sooner.

I chose not to.

I had been waiting to see how far she would take it.

Apparently, this was far enough.

"Let go of me!" Annabelle snapped, trying to jerk her hand away.

That was when I realized I was still holding her tightly.

I released her slowly.

"Don't ever try that again."

She rubbed her wrist and glared at me.

"Who the hell are you?"

I didn't answer.

My attention shifted to Maya.

She was standing a few steps away, but I noticed the slight sway in her body.

The alcohol had finally caught up with her.

She tried to move forward.

"I can handle her."

Before she could take another step, I caught her arm and steadied her.

"I'm fine," she muttered.

"You've had enough."

She pulled her arm away.

"I said I'm fine."

I stared at her.

She was stubborn.

Even when she could barely keep herself standing, she still had enough strength to argue with me.

It was irritating.

But I couldn't simply stand there and watch her stumble around while she was drunk.

Not when I was responsible for her safety.

I wasn't doing this because I liked her.

Far from it.

Maya had made it very clear that she didn't want me around, and I felt exactly the same way about her.

But whether I liked her or not didn't change the fact that protecting her was my job.

Annabelle scoffed from in front of us.

"Why are you touching her?"

I turned toward her.

"Because she was about to fall."

"She wasn't."

I ignored her.

My attention remained on Maya.

Then Annabelle stepped forward again.

"Who do you think you are? Oh, yeah. A bodyguard. The one hired to protect her weak ass?"

My jaw tightened.

Before I could respond, a man pushed through the crowd.

He was tall and dressed in a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His face was tense, and his eyes immediately settled on Annabelle before moving to me.

"What is going on here?"

He looked at Annabelle.

Then at me.

"What did you do to my girlfriend?"

I said nothing.

So, the boyfriend decided to defend his girlfriend.

Interesting.

I didn't know either of them, and I had no reason to explain myself.

He stepped closer.

"You think you can just grab my girlfriend?"

Still, I remained silent.

I could feel my patience thinning, but I didn't move.

I was waiting.

Waiting for him to do something stupid.

Waiting for him to cross the line.

Maya sighed behind me.

"Can we not do this here?"

That was better.

She didn't need to involve herself in this.

But the man wasn't interested in leaving anything alone.

He pointed a finger at me.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

My eyes dropped to his hand.

"Move."

He laughed.

"Or what?"

I said nothing.

Then he shoved me hard in the chest.

My reaction was immediate.

My fist connected with his jaw.

The impact sent him stumbling backward into a nearby table.

Glasses crashed to the floor.

The man fell, blood appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The lounge went silent.

People gasped, and several of them stepped backward.

I looked at him briefly.

Then I turned back to Maya.

"Maya, we're going home."

She frowned.

"No."

"You've had enough."

"I'm staying."

I stared at her.

She was clearly tipsy now, and arguing with her wasn't going to change that.

"I haven't finished my drink," she muttered.

"You can finish it another day."

She opened her mouth to protest again.

I turned toward Sandra, who had also been standing nearby, watching the whole scene.

"Can I have her bag?"

Sandra immediately picked up Maya's clutch and handed it to me.

"Here."

I nodded and took it.

Maya folded her arms.

"I'm not going anywhere."

I looked at her.

"Yes, you are."

Before she could argue again, I bent down and lifted her into my arms.

Her eyes widened.

"Damian!"

I ignored her protest.

"Put me down."

I continued walking.

She hit my shoulder lightly, but her strength was already fading.

The people around us watched in silence as I carried her toward the exit.

Sandra followed behind us.

"Maya, I'll see you tomorrow."

Maya lifted her head slightly.

"I'll..."

Her words trailed off.

The loud music became quieter as we moved farther away from the lounge.

Then the doors opened, and the cool night air touched my face.

I carried Maya toward the car.

She had stopped struggling.

Her head rested against my shoulder, and her eyes were closed.

I opened the passenger door and lowered her carefully into the seat.

She barely reacted.

I closed the door and walked around to the driver's side.

The drive back to the mansion was quiet.

I glanced at her several times through the rearview mirror.

She was asleep.

For someone who had spent most of the evening arguing with me, she looked surprisingly peaceful now.

I returned my attention to the road.

When we reached the mansion, I turned off the engine and got out.

Maya didn't wake.

I opened her door and lifted her from the seat.

As I walked inside, one of the maids was passing through the hallway.

Her eyes widened when she saw me.

"Miss Coker?"

"She's asleep."

The maid quickly approached.

"Her room is upstairs. I'll show you."

I followed her into the mansion and up the stairs.

The house was quiet.

When we reached Maya's room, the maid opened the door.

I carried Maya inside and placed her gently on the bed.

"Thank you for looking out for her," the maid said before quietly leaving the room.

I turned toward the door.

Then Maya's hand suddenly reached out and caught mine.

I stopped.

Her eyes were barely open.

"I hate you," she mumbled, her words slightly slurred.

I looked down at her.

For some reason, the words didn't irritate me as much as they should have.

"Good," I murmured. "At least we agree on something."

She frowned.

"You're annoying."

A faint breath escaped my nose.

She looked as though she wanted to say something else, but her eyes slowly closed again.

Yet she didn't release my hand.

I remained standing beside the bed.

For a few seconds, the room was silent.

Then she spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't need you to protect me. My father thinks..."

She stopped.

I waited.

But she didn't finish.

Her fingers slowly loosened around mine.

I looked at her face.

The anger was gone now.

So was the stubbornness.

She simply looked tired.

Vulnerable.

I gently pulled my hand free.

She stirred slightly but didn't wake.

I straightened and walked toward the door.

My hand rested on the handle.

Then I stopped.

I looked back at her.

She had no idea what was coming.

Tonight, she had only seen a bodyguard doing his job.

She had no idea that I had been watching her family long before I ever stepped into her life.

She didn't know what I had lost.

She didn't know what her father had taken from me.

And she certainly didn't know why I had accepted the job in the first place.

Maya Coker thought I was here to protect her.

She was wrong.

I wasn't here simply to protect her.

I was here because getting close to the Coker family was the first step toward settling an old score.

And Maya had no idea she had just become the closest person to the enemy.