The Bodyguard Who Wasn’t Supposed To Fall

Chapter 13: Caught

"Maya Rose! Open this door! I know he's in there!"

My father's voice shook the whole apartment. Not just apartment, whole Banana Island house shook, windows shook, floor shook. Chief Okafor voice is thunder, is law in Lagos.

Adrian's hand dropped from my face. The hand that was holding my face so gentle, that wiped my tears, that promised to marry me one day, dropped fast. The panic was back in his eyes, pure soldier panic, grey eyes wide, breathing fast.

"Go to the bathroom," he whispered urgently, pushing me softly toward small bathroom door, "Lock the door. Hide. Let me handle him. Please, princess, hide now."

"No! He will kill you! If he sees you alone he will kill you! He will shoot you! Daddy has gun!"

"He won't. I work for him, Maya. He needs me. He needs my gun, my skill. He won't kill me, he will just fire me. Go, hide, please."

Another bang, louder this time, fist hitting wood so hard wood cracked. "I SAID OPEN THIS DOOR! MAYA ROSE OKAFOR! OPEN NOW OR I BREAK IT!"

I was shaking so hard I couldn't move, knees shaking, hands shaking, teeth shaking. Adrian gently pushed me behind him, his big body shielding my small body, his torn shirt still off from earlier, bandages on chest from shooting yesterday night when he fought fifteen men for my mother, white bandage with small blood.

He opened the door.

My father stood there, two guards behind him, both with guns, both tall, both in black uniform like Adrian but not like Adrian. His face was red with anger, red like palm oil, eyes dark, Chief cap slightly tilted, agbada white but sweaty. And when he saw Adrian's shirt was off, with bandages on his chest from the shooting, and me in my nightdress crying, hair messy, jacket on floor, his eyes went dark, darker than night in Lekki, dark with rage and betrayal.

"So it's true." He said, voice low, low that is more scary than shouting.

"Daddy, it's not what you think — it's not —" I tried, stepping out from behind Adrian, but Adrian held arm out, stopping me, keeping me behind.

"Quiet!" My father pointed a finger at Adrian, finger shaking with anger, gold ring shining. "I told you. I told you on day I hired you in my office. I told you two rules. Rule one, protect her with your life. Rule two, don't touch her, don't look at her as woman. I told you not to touch her. I told you she is not for you. I told you."

Adrian stood tall. He didn't bow his head like other guards do. He stood tall, chest out, bandages showing, blood showing, man not boy, soldier not houseboy. He looked Chief in eye.

"Sir, with respect —" Adrian started, voice calm but shaking inside.

"With respect? You call this respect? In her bedroom? In Banana Island secret house that I paid for? With my daughter in nightdress? You call this respect? You call this protecting?"

Adrian swallowed hard, throat moving. "Nothing happened, sir. I swear on my life, on my mother's grave in Maiduguri, on Holy Quran. I would never disrespect your daughter. I would never touch her in bad way. We were just talking. She was crying because she was scared after yesterday war."

My father laughed coldly, laugh that has no humor, laugh that makes guards behind him step back. "Your life? Your life belongs to me. I pay for it. I pay your salary, I pay your rent, I pay your mother hospital bill last year. Your life belongs to me. Don't swear with your life, it is my life. I own it."

He looked at me then, and his voice broke a little, just small break, because he loves me in his own twisted Chief way, because I am his only daughter, his princess. "Maya, get your things. You are coming home with me. Now. Get your bag, get your mother, we go home to Ikoyi. Now."

"I don't want to go! I don't want to go back to prison! Ikoyi is prison! You lock me inside! You want to marry me to Senator's son I don't love! I don't want to go!"

"You are coming home! You are my daughter! You live under my roof! And you," he turned back to Adrian, eyes dark again, finger pointing again, "you are fired. You are fired now. You will come to the mansion tomorrow morning to collect your last pay, last salary. And you will never come near my family again. If I see you near Banana Island, near Ikoyi, near my daughter school, near anywhere, I will call police and say you are thief, I will ruin you. You understand me, boy?"

I gasped, loud gasp, hand covering mouth, tears flooding. "No! Daddy no! You can't fire him! He saved mama!