Eight Years as His Bodyguard

Chapter 8

Ava had initially looked bewildered, but the moment she crossed the threshold, she understood exactly why Eric had summoned her.

He wanted her to fight the caged Tibetan Mastiff. The winner took the real estate project, apparently.

But Ava wanted no part of it. Eric knew full well she'd nearly been mauled to death by dogs in the slave pits.

But he just shrugged. "It's just a dog. Aren't you one of my dogs, too?"

Stella snickered behind her hand, her eyes dripping with contempt as she stared at Ava.

Eric stood and closed the distance between them. "Beat the mutt, and the necklace is yours."

The necklace mattered, but not enough to abandon her carefully laid plans. She wouldn't enter that cage.

"I can't. I'll resign instead. Consider it my punishment."

Eric's face turned to ice.

"You don't get to refuse," he spat. "Remember who pulled you from the gutter. You'll fight whether you like it or not!"

At his command, the Mastiff's cage door clanged open.

The crowd scrambled behind the safety line, leaving Ava alone as the beast charged.

Before she could move, it was on her. Teeth aiming for her face.

She threw her arms up on instinct, but her hands were shaking. Trembling uncontrollably.

She was back there. Slave pit. First week. Fighting a dog for food. It latched onto her calf and tore a chunk of flesh clean off. She'd been so small then. Starving. The dog chased her, bit her, and wouldn't stop. By the time it was done, she'd been bleeding out on the ground, barely breathing.

Now the mastiff's weight pinned her down, and the past and present blurred into one nightmare.

She shoved it off somehow. Stumbled to her feet. Ran.

Her wide, shaking eyes locked onto Eric in a silent plea. Save me.

Yet he merely watched with cold indifference, as though she were disposable trash. At that moment, Ava's heart turned to ice.

Her legs gave out. The dog was on her again, sinking teeth into her arm. The crowd cheered.

"Yes! Bite her!"

"Women bodyguards are all trash. Probably f****d her way into the job!"

"Nice body, though. Maybe she and the mutt should hook up!"

The crowd turned expectantly to Eric, who gave a careless smirk. "Sure. Whatever makes you happy." His voice slithered into her ears. Her eyes locked onto him, icy with hatred.

The man flinched under her glare but still refused to intervene.

Blood gushed from her arm as she screamed hoarsely, thrashing to break free from the dog's grip.

Pale-faced, she lurched to her feet, desperate to flee, when Daniel's words suddenly echoed in her mind. "If anyone bullies you, don't be afraid. I'll always have your back."

Vision swimming with tears, she gasped. "Daniel, are you still behind me?"

Only the mastiff's growls answered her.

But then, inexplicably, her fear ebbed. As the dog lunged again, she drove her fist into its skull with desperate force.

With a furious snarl, the mastiff lunged for her face.

"Ah—!" She jerked aside, but the dog's fangs ripped into her shoulder.

Within minutes, she was covered in blood. Old wounds torn open. New ones everywhere. A walking wound.

But she didn't run anymore.

She jammed her fingers into its eyes. Then she threw it off, pinned it down, and punched.

The crowd fell silent, their faces gradually contorting with shock.

Only the thud of her fists, over and over, until the mastiff stopped breathing.

She stopped, too, chest heaving.

Her world shrank to only her ragged gasps, broken by sporadic, half-hearted clapping and a stream of fawning congratulations on Eric.

She choked down the coppery blood in her throat and bared a bloodstained smile. "Daniel, I did well, didn't I?"

Her head lolled sideways as she sank into unconsciousness.

Ava awoke to lewd banter, the voices drifting in and out, her name floating amid the vulgarity.

"Eric's ruthless. This gorgeous bodyguard nearly died for him yesterday, and now, with her wounds still fresh, he's pimping her out to Jones's heir."

"Eric, are you sure you're not going to miss her? What if she likes the guy so much she doesn't come back??"

Eric blew out smoke against the wall, his eyes dripping with contempt. "Leave me? Don't embarrass yourself. You could tell her she'd die if she stayed, and she'd still choose to die by my side."

Sycophantic chuckles erupted. From the hospital bed, Ava whispered, "Morons."

The door swung open. Eric raised a brow at her alertness. "Up? The car's waiting. You're due at the club."

Only then did she realize that when she'd been half-dead yesterday, he'd flown her to Elyndor instead of a hospital.

She silently branded him a monster, but her voice was meek. "Yes, sir."

Her single word of agreement took Eric by surprise. He had expected Ava to ask where they were or challenge him about yesterday's events.

But she did neither, leaving him with a strange feeling. He dismissed it and put Ava in the car as planned.

At their departure, company executives gathered around the vehicle with repeated reminders, while Eric stood stone-faced in silence.

When prompted to speak, he retorted impatiently, "What's there to say? She'll be back tomorrow."

The crowd fell into awkward silence until Ava broke it with a smile. "Eric is right. Tomorrow I'll be back."

But no one noticed the scheme behind her smile, only praising her for being compliant.

Before the car moved, Ava fixed her gaze on Eric. They both knew what she wanted.

He took off the necklace and threw it into her arms. Then, finally, he spoke, "Last chance. Say you don't want to go, and I'll send someone else."

Ava merely shook her head. "No, Mr. Harris. I'll go."

His face turned black with rage, his molars grinding. "Fine then, Ava. I'll await your return."

She gave no reply, only instructing the driver to proceed slowly along the set route.

As the explosion point neared, she clenched the necklace and answered Eric in the silence of her heart. 'You'll never see me return. Next time we meet, I'll take your life myself.'

Then an explosion erupted, churning the clouds above.

Boom!