My tempting bodyguard

I looked at myself in the mirror. I wore a red dress that reached right below my knees. It was a slim fit, and it accentuated all my curves, and the color was prominent against my fair skin. My dark hair was in an updo that made me look older than my 21 years, and so did the makeup. I would love to take credit for it, but none of this was my doing. My father always made sure I looked beautiful for nights like these, where he would show me off to his associates. I was not too fond of these nights. My father was a big deal around here. Why? Because he was the leader of one of the biggest mafia cartels in America. I grew up in this life, seeing things I shouldn't see, hearing things no girl should ever hear and living a life I never wanted. I loved my dad, but I didn't like this life that was given to me or the things my dad did. I knew he did illegal stuff, mainly regarding drugs, but I tried to keep myself as far from it as possible. But then there were these nights. My dad would need me to put on a perfect daughter appearance. Both to show me off and to butter up some connections that he wanted to expand to. Meaning I would flirt with some men, make them have a great night, and then my dad would sweep in and make them a proposition. It usually worked. My dad tried his best to keep me out of everyone's prying eyes, as people knew I was his weakness. But sometimes, it was worth taking the risk. What bothered me the most about this life was that my actions reflected on my dad. If I messed up, my dad messed up. So I needed to stay low and live my life quietly. It wasn't that hard, really. I attended college and did all the typical teenager stuff. Minus the hard partying two times a week. I huffed out a breath and looked at myself before I stepped outside my room and went down the grand staircase that led me to the ballroom. My bodyguard approached me and whistled as he hugged me. He is also my friend, if you wondered, and his name is Liam. I laughed and hugged him back. He wore the standard black suit, black tie, and a wire with an earpiece going into his ear. He looked good. He was probably 15 years older than me, but when you spend so much time with someone, you're almost bound to be friends. He retreated to an acceptable distance as I made my way to my father. He was talking to a few other men, but as he saw me, his eyes lit up, and I took place under his arm. He proudly introduced me to the men, and I put on my good girl persona and smiled at them. I almost cringed when I thought about what all these men were capable of. This is basically the way the night went. I was introduced, I smiled, I flirted with the ones I was told to flirt with, and I left all my morals on a shelf. As the night ended, I was a bit past tipsy from the alcohol, and I started longing for my bed. I was about to take another sip of my champagne when I heard an ear-piercing sound and watched as my glass broke in my hand. Before I could react, I was tackled on the ground and dragged behind the bar by Liam. I sat in shock as I heard loud bangs coming from guns, and my heart was racing from the adrenaline. I couldn't move; I just looked at Liam, who took out his gun as he gave me a once-over to make sure I was okay. "Be quiet and sit still," he ordered, and in my bewilderment, all I could do was nod. I don't know how long the shooting continued, but it felt like a lifetime. Liam stayed with me but ducked around the bar counter to shoot a few times. I started hyperventilating as I heard shouting and a lot of footsteps. I put my head on my knees and shut my eyes, trying to control my breathing and shut out the sounds. It didn't work. I didn't even realize when the bullets finally stopped or when Liam had hoisted me up and led me to a black SUV. I was still hyperventilating, and I felt hot and dirty as the seatbelt was put on me. I've never been in this situation before if you couldn't tell by me freezing the hell up. The car immediately started driving, but all I could focus on was keeping the bile down. I leaned forwards, and a bucket was thrust before my face. It seemed to give my stomach the green light because I instantly threw up in it. When I finished, I leaned back and was finally able to take in my surroundings. Liam beside me, speaking furiously into his earpiece, a driver in the front, and another bodyguard with a bleeding shoulder sat in the seat before me. I blinked as Liam touched my hand. I gave my attention to him, a concerned look on his face. "We're taking you to a safe house; your father will meet us there," he said, and I nodded. We must have driven a long way because I didn't recognize my surroundings as we stepped out of the car and rushed inside an ordinary-looking house. "Get an update on Mr. Knowles, get a surgeon here, and make the doctor attend to Ava's hand," Liam barked to the other bodyguard, and I frowned down at my hand. It was covered in blood and cuts, and there were multiple pieces of glass inside it. I hadn't even felt it. As I took in the sight of my bloodied hand and the blood on my dress, my breathing started to get faster again. Jesus christ. *** The doctor bandaged up my hand after he had cleansed and stitched it up as my father walked in. He looked rough and ragged, but he wasn't hurt. I ran to him and threw myself at him, clinging to him as if I was a child. I sobbed into his shirt, and his arms crushed me to him, but they made me feel safe. He took my damaged hand and looked at it as if it was the enemy. "I'm fine," I said, holding it to my chest. He wiped my tears and sat down on the couch with me beside him. Liam entered and spoke a few hushed words with one of the men that entered with my dad, some who I knew, and some I didn't. My dad turned to me with sad eyes and smiled reassuringly. "You should go rest up. We'll be here for a while," he said, and I was about to protest until I saw his non-negotiable look. I know, I know, mafia business, not for my ears, and so on... I unwillingly got up and managed to find a room where I could rest. I loved that my dad wanted to keep me out of his business, but now I was in the middle of it. Someone shot the glass in my hand. Holy crap, I could have died. I shook my head and pushed the thought away. I was safe, my dad was safe, we were all alone here. I was safe. Fuck, I didn't feel safe at all. I repeated the mantra in my head as I lay down on the bed, but it didn't work. I felt the adrenaline leave my body bit for bit, making the pain in my hand more evident and the fear more prominent. I sighed and tossed and turned in the bed until I finally fell asleep. *** The following day I was a bit light-headed after the alcohol the previous day, but nothing I couldn't manage. The pain in my hand was terrible, and I went to the bathroom and took off the bandages. I sucked in a breath when I saw it. It was not a pretty sight. I carefully cleaned it before I put on the dressing again. I had nothing to wear besides the dress from last night, so I put it back on. I cringed at the bloodstains. I opened the door and was met with a tall man leaning on the opposite wall of my door, looking at me. "Who are you?" I asked, perplexed. I understood that he was a bodyguard from the clothes he was wearing, but he wasn't my bodyguard. And I had never seen him before. He pushed himself off the wall and stood his full length. I arched my neck to look up at him. I was tall for a girl, and it wasn't often I had to bend my neck to look up at someone. "I'm your new bodyguard," he said, and I frowned. "No, you're not. What about Liam?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. The man looked at me with a blank face, as if he didn't understand. "Callum, my bodyguard," I said, remembering that they only called each other by their last names. The man nodded, "Ah. Your old bodyguard. He's been reassigned," he stated simply, and I frowned again. Liam has been my bodyguard for years; why the sudden change? "What's your name?" I asked, closing the door behind me. I allowed myself a good look at him. Tall, broadly built, dark fluffy hair that looked to soft to belong to a man, and dark brown eyes with a dangerous glint. His facial features were harsh and chiseled, much like the rest of him. He looked to be closer to 30, and he was quite handsome. "Creed," he answered as he let his eyes shamelessly rake down my body. I shifted in my stance as his eyes took their good time. I was glad my dress was long, because his stare almost made me feel naked, even though I was modestly covered. "And your first name?" I asked a little too harshly. His eyes sprang to mine, and I almost felt like taking a step back by the intensity in them. "Not that you'll have a use for it, but it's Nick," he said, to which I lifted an eyebrow. "Nick," I repeated and nodded. I turned my back to him to walk downstairs. I heard him following me. "It's Creed," he said to my back. I shook my head. I've had one bodyguard for years, never calling him by his last name. It was so impersonal, so I wasn't going to start now. "I think I'll call you Nick," I replied with finality as I reached the bottom of the stairs. I took in the scene before me. My dad was on the couch with several bodyguards scattered around. Some were wounded, some were sitting down with a few papers, and others were on their phones. Before anyone spotted me and even said hello, I bore my eyes into my dad. "What's this?" I asked loudly, pointing behind me at Nick. My dad raised his head to look at me. "Your new full-time bodyguard," he answered, and I saw Liam looking at me with a sheepish look. "Full time?" I asked with disbelief as I made my way over to the couch. Nick took a position standing behind me. It annoyed me. "We don't know if last night was to off you or to off me. I'm taking every precaution," my dad said, and I scoffed. "But full-time? Like, all the time? When I'm in school? Is that really necessary?" I asked, looking to Liam for more answers. Liam sat next to me on the chair, crossing his ankle over his knee. He looked at my father, who was silent. "And what about Liam? He's been with me for years, why change that?" I asked into the air when no one answered me. My father sighed and eyed my hand. "I need Liam by my side; he has experience no other man has. I need him to..do some other work for me," my father explained, and I didn't even bother asking what kind of work that was because I knew I wouldn't get my answer anyway. "So you leave me with the new dude?" I asked. Looking back at Nick, I learn that he was already looking at me, his jaws tight and his eyes clearly showing irritation with me. "I assure you, Creed is fully capable of keeping you safe. I have approved him myself." my father said, patting me on the knee, which meant this conversation was over.