The Protector 2

Chapter One-17

“Don’t worry about them, Bella. They’ll be fine,” he says serenely, but there’s a hint of softness in his voice. The fact that he calls me Bella in this situation is worth a gentle hug.

I nod and do as he has asked me.

Rafe

I purposely don’t open the garage door, I want to use the benefit of surprise. I don’t know how many of them are waiting outside, but we stand a good chance of breaking through them with the bulletproof car even if they shoot us with machine guns. I take another quick glance at the rear view mirror, but can’t see Raven in it. This means that she’s followed my instruction and is laying low on the floor. One single thought is ticking in my mind: to get her out of the line of fire as soon as possible.

I step on the gas, and the massive bulletproof vehicle breaks through the garage door like a rocket, without any problems. Splinters of wood are flying everywhere in the air as we burst out of the house with a boom. I size up the territory with one glance, and see that two men armed with machine guns are pointing their weapons at us. It takes them a few seconds to compose themselves after the shock, but then they start shooting at once. I turn the wheel to the left, and fully press the gas pedal. I don’t want to risk a possible collision in the forest where they might catch our bulky, bulletproof car very soon. I want to get out of the woody area into the open, so, going around the house, I drive southwards. The bullets hit the car with loud bangs, but none can get through the shell. The rattling of guns and the muffled noise of bullets crashing into the car’s body still give a bloodcurdling sensation. Raven screams out loud as the first bullets give the car a push. I turn my head back, and see that she is crouched on the floor motionless, with her arm pressed against her head. She doesn’t even dare look up. I hate to see her like that, broken, terrified, and I hate even more the bastards who are doing this to her. I will finish them off, I swear. Adrenaline is throbbing inside me, but through the sound of bullets crashing, I still try to to talk to her with a calm voice.

“You are safe, Raven. You are safe.”

As I drive past the front of the house, I see that one guy is shooting the entrance from the veranda, and a lifeless body is lying on the ground, about fifteen yards from the house. That means the team has managed to finish at least one of the men. I suspect Gunner got injured while we were in the garage, because I heard him curse madly. Of course, we still won’t change our plan, and I know that in this situation the others would do the same. Raven looked at me with such big eyes just before as if I was a war criminal, but I don’t feel guilty. We are bodyguards, and those in there are tough boys, trained by the army. The client’s life is top priority, everything else comes after that; we knew that very well when we took the job. Plus, I know them pretty damn well, and trust their abilities. Those three will come out of the deepest s**t perfectly fine, so I’m following through with the plan. It’s out of the question to get out of the car, but I can’t resist steering the wheel on one of the black Mercedeses parked by the road. The T-98 is like a minor tank, it crinckles the front of the Mercedes under itself with brutal power, mangling even the wheels to nothing. I hear a shout from the house, look back, and see a second body lying on the ground. The smoke bombs have also exploded, so I can’t make out who is lying on the ground exactly, but hope it’s not one of my people. I look around, let down the window by the passenger seat and aim at the tyre of the Mercedes parked a bit further away. A thud signals that I’ve hit it. I do the same with the other tyres of the car, securing that they can’t follow us for a long time. This way I buy us some time to disappear, and it will also be easier for the rest of us to get away on their motorcycles, without anyone right behind their backs. Of coure, only if they can leave the house uninjured.

We’ve been on the road for a good quarter of an hour when I slow down and look back.

“It’s all right, Rae. You can sit up. They’re not following us.” Since no reaction comes from behind, I study the rear view mirror with a frown, but still can’t see Raven. For a second, my throat tightens… but no, that can’t be. It’s out of the question that she’s hurt. This vehicle is like a damn safe. Physically, at least, she can’t have been hurt. “Raven, are you okay?” I call to her again, with a voice full of concern. No answer. I quietly curse under my nose. I feel that something is wrong, and although I’m quietly confident that we’re not being followed, it’s too early for us to pull over and stop. My pulse is beating wildly with worry for Raven, but I pull myself together and repeat firmly: “Bella, there’s no danger. Please, sit up.”

In the rear view mirror I watch her pulling herself up from the floor with slow motions. She sits down, drops her hands in her lap, and fixes her gaze on her front. She looks really shattered, and I’m not surprised about it. Her life has been threatened twice in the course of a week by unknown attackers. Who wouldn’t hit rock bottom, knowing that someone is so eager to see them dead?

“Say something!” I plead with more and more alarm. I’m in greater panic about her now than before, when we were being shot by automatics. I take the water bottle out of the holder between the seats, and offer it to her. “Have a drink,” I encourage her.

Raven reaches out and takes the bottle. With powerless moves she unscrewes the cap and takes a sip, then screws the cap back on and drops the bottle down by her side. Still staring into nothing, she speaks with a faint voice.

“They want to kill me.”

I watch her in the mirror with suspicion. I really don’t like the state she’s in.

“What?” I ask.

“They want me dead. They want my dead. But why? Why do they want to kill me?” she mumbles monotonously, shaking her head.

“f**k it! Damn!” I curse half loudly as I realize that she’s in shock. We must rest, I have to do something. It wears me out when I see her like that, and once again, I swear to myself that I will finish the guy who has put her in this state.

“Listen. Everything will be fine. I promise. In exactly…” I look at the GPS and continue after a quick calculation, “…in fifteen minutes we will stop. We’ll buy some food, and relax. Okay? Rae! Is that okay?”

Raven gives a silent nod, and a teardrop rolls down from the corner of her eye.

At a supermarket beside the highway we take a break, in exactly fifteen minutes. While I constantly keep an eye on the area, I buy a few sandwiches, but Raven won’t even take a bite. I buy a few mini cognacs too, in case they take more effect. Raven dizzily knocks back one, and the alcohol seems to manage to snap her out of her lethargic state.

I’m in deep s**t, as I don’t know how far I can go. I’d like to close her in my arms and kiss her out of her shock, but I’m controlling myself, and don’t go beyond a friendly hug. I’m aware that she’s upset, very sensitive and vulnerable due to what has happened, so I’m cautious. Anyway, I have no clue how we actually are with each other. According to the official version, we are employee and client, who have slept together once. End of story. And what’s been going on since the hottest woman of the world stepped out of my bed early this morning, is a nightmare itself. Right now I feel like she primarily needs me more as a friend, and I’ll be damned if I don’t give her exactly what she needs.

Since the T-98 is becoming a spectacle in the parking lot with its bullet-holed side, I judge it better if we disappear as soon as possible. The last thing we need is some voluntary police officer asking us questions. With an arm around her shoulder, I slowly walk her back to the car.

“What about the others?” she asks, glancing to the side.

I pull a smile, and leaning over to her, plant a friendly kiss on her hair.

“Raven Bertone, the little mafia princess, who’s concerned about people’s well being even when her own life is in danger,” I say, raising my eyebrows.

“Don’t call me that,” she nudges me, without a smile. “And of course I’m worried. They got in danger because of me, even though I’m the one all the hate is for, not them.”

“Nobody hates you either. That’s impossible, Bella. Nobody who knows you, would be able to hate you, believe me.” Raven looks up at me observingly, and sweetly bites her lip. “This is not about you. This is your uncle’s and your father’s s**t. Not your fault.”

“I know, but still,” she shrugs her shoulders. “It feels bad that they put their lives in danger because of me, even if they do it for money.”

My hand quivers on her shoulder, this is a touchy subject. True, Bertone has paid me for the job, but money is the least I care for in this crappy business. We must resolve this by all means, because I don’t want her to think otherwise. I pause and turn her towards me.

“Raven. I don’t want you to think that…”

She raises her hands in defence and shakes her head.

“For the love of God, Rafe.You don’t need to excuse yourself. It’s quite clear. This is your job. They’ve paid you to take care of…”

“Hold on. Just hear me out,” I interrupt her vehemently. “This is no longer about the f*****g money, and you should know that. When Mr Bertone commissioned me to do this work and we agreed on the fee, I had no idea you were involved. You must believe me!” I hold her shoulders, making sure my touch is gentle. “Say that you believe me.”

“I believe you,” she sighs with little conviction.

“I don’t give a s**t about the money, Rae. From the moment I saw you in his office, this whole thing is not about that for me. And especially not since last night.” She looks at me, and it seems like she wants to say something, but there is no sound leaving her throat. “I won’t let you be harmed, I swear. This is a personal matter to me. You are important to me, and I know you know that too,” I say, and leaning closer to her, I lift her chin, so that we can look into each other’s eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

A deep sigh breaks from me as I dreamily run my thumb along her chin, then I shake my head. I glance towards the car, and once again, hugging her shoulder in a friendly way, I draw her towards the parking lot. Raven walks beside me in silence, with her chin pointed to the ground, and as we reach the car, I feel my mobile vibrating in my pocket. I fish it out, and take a short glance at the display. Mac is calling. While I open the door for her, I put the device on my ear. We speak in brief sentences, and after a few seconds, I disconnect the line. Raven, absorbed in her thoughts, is moving her finger along the window frame, she’s not quite herself yet.

“It was Mac,” I break the silence, at which she lifts her eyes on me. “They made it out of the house. Gunner is wounded, but they’re okay.” This apparently fills her with more life, and stares at me with huge, wide, frightened eyes. I quickly continue. “Nothing too bad. He got a bullet, but it didn’t reach a bone. He’s tough. There’s nothing to worry about. He has been in deeper s**t before,” I add, trying to take away the edge of the issue for her sake.

Raven stares at me as if not knowing whether to believe me or not, then she exhales loudly.

“Thank God,” she says with her eyes closed.

I watch her with eagerness, unable to get away from the sight. She generates feelings in me that weaken me dangerously, and which I simply can’t handle.

“Do you w-w-want to sit at the front?” I ask finally. “I mean, you don’t need to, of course, only if you want to. But it’s perfectly fine if you’d rather sit at the back. Well, yes. Perhaps it’s best if you just sit at the back, and…” I stammer like a complete i***t.

“I want to,” she saves me from the awkward situation. I moan, hitting my head mentally against the bulletproof side of the car. What the f**k is up with this damn stammer? I open the door of the passanger seat and step back so that she can get inside. Then I close it carefully.

We are silently sitting next to one another as the wheels are eating the kilometres on the motorway. I occasionally take a glance to the side to check that everything is okay, but Raven is suspiciously quiet in her seat, staring out of the windscreen with an expressionless face. I think she’s still in shock, and I’m dying to get her out of this lethargic state. I’d like to get back the confident, cool chick that I know. The girl who threatened a guy double her weight and a head taller than her with an umbrella, when he made an unwelcome entry into her apartment. I have to think of something. I should make her speak. I clear my throat.

“Tell me about London. Tell me what you did after leaving St. Thomas.”

She slowly turns in my direction, and seems to be waking from a dream.

“What?”

“I know nothing about what happened to you after you left the States.”

Raven’s face jerks and she quickly gets her eyes off me. She finds the request visibly unpleasant.

“I… don’t know. I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Please, Rae. Do it for me. Tell me everything,” I beg her gently.

She hits her head agaist the headrest a few times, and chewing on her mouth, she gets immersed in her thoughts. I can almost see the cogwheels turning in her brain, as she wonders how much of the details she should share with me. The truth is, I do want to know what she has been up to for the past years, whom she spent them with, away from me – and I also don’t want to know. But I believe it will do her good to get it all off her chest, and at least it will get her mind off the present situation.

Minutes are spent in silence, and I’m beginning to give up on her confiding in me, when she takes a deep breath and slowly exhales it.

“All right.”

I nod with relief.

“Please.”

And she begins to tell her story from the time she arrived in London, at her aunt’s. At first she speaks slowly, haltingly, and as she gets more and more into it, her voice becomes more alive, more animated.