Page 17 of Bodyguard Wolf's Fated Mate
Ironically, the one person I wanted to have my back disappeared with his twin. Jasper could be handy in a crisis despite his silence. The man was deadly and could be a force to be reckoned with but there was no point in dwelling on things out of my control.
Leaving her wasn't exactly part of my duties.
He hired me specifically to keep her safe, but I was doing the exact opposite against his wishes. That could signal a quick end to my employment with the Stratus family.
The one thing he didn't understand was how she could handle herself without even knowing it. It was bred into her from the moment she was born. It might have been latent, but it was still there waiting to be activated. There was no telling when she would finally accept how special she really was.
Those bullets created holes in the downstairs windows. They were bulletproof but these were metal jackets designed to penetrate the steel skin of a tank. It was like they were throwing stones, but those bullets were far more deadly.
Jules was on the floor behind his desk. He had somehow flipped it over with what I could only assume was an adrenaline rush. The desk was quite heavy and antique. It took the brunt of the bullets coming through the tiny window.
"Do you know this is the very same desk my father did most of his business on? I kept it for sentimental value. He filed his taxes and spent a lot of time making deals. I learned a lot from him, but I also never wanted to be like him. Looking in the mirror, I see his face and I realize with some degree of guilt that my daughter suffers from the same alienation." He rambled with his body twitching every time another bullet hit the desk.
"Take my hand. You can't stay there. On the count of three." I issued my order with three fingers raised with one coming down every second passing.
There was a lull in the barrage of bullets meant to make Jasmine an orphan. She had already lost her adopted mother. Her real family had forsaken her. The antiquated notion of a male heir might have been the cause for her abandonment issues. It wasn't right, but some people still held onto traditional old family values.
Jules ran to me when my fist was raised in the air, no fingers protruding with my face an impassioned plea for him to follow my orders to the letter. It was a grave situation, but it was nothing I hadn't faced before. It was all about preparation and having the best exit strategy possible.
"Where is Jasmine? Don't tell me you left her alone. It doesn't matter what happens to me. She is the future of this family and nothing can stand in the way of her inheriting my legacy. Leave me." He pointed to the hallway.
"I don't think I can do that. She would never forgive me if something happened to you. That's not a conversation I want to have. Stop this nonsense and let's find you someplace to ride this out. What about your panic room?" I asked, already knowing the layout like the back of my hand.
"How could you possibly know about that? I made sure the architect signed a nondisclosure agreement with the threat of litigation over his head. The blueprints were burned including the originals." He focused on what I knew and no longer concerned himself about his daughter for the moment.
"If you haven't guessed, somebody is using this house as target practice to get to you. You hired me to protect your cherished possession. The true definition of my duties is family protection. You fall under the umbrella of that. I have resources. Let's just say I know this place better than you do and leave it at that," I said while leading him deeper into the house away from the incoming projectiles of hot lead.
There were no windows which gave us a few moments of peace. He had difficulty pressing the four-digit code to get into the room. The panel was located behind a hidden compartment. He breathed deeply but still, the nervous energy took its toll.
"I want you to think clearly and take a few deep breaths. Nothing can reach you here without going through me first. That's it. Remember the digits in the right order. Don't let anything disturb you," I spoke over his shoulder to become that little voice in his head.
A hiss of a hermetically sealed door opened. He used his fingers to slide the door back along the track to gain entry to a room equipped with everything money could buy. There was a very sophisticated camera system to give a view from a variety of different angles in and out of the house.
I toggled the zoom function to verify there were at least four of them. Something was happening, but I couldn't quite make out what it was. A struggle ensued with the gun going off toward one of the bedroom windows on the second floor.
It appeared I had an ally fighting the good fight, but I was nowhere near in any position to help them. That had to change. This person had gone to extreme measures to even the odds. It was nice to have somebody on my side, but I didn't even know who to thank.
It had to be one of the other guards patrolling the grounds. My specialized field was more of a private venture. Jules hired me to keep her safe.
Jules sat down in a leather swivel chair next to me and spun around to face the monitor. He didn't say anything, but I could tell from his eyes that he was looking for her by scanning through every camera. He got increasingly agitated and bolted for the door only to find himself on the floor handcuffed to a metal post in the corner.
It happened so quickly that he didn't even know he was restrained until he tried to get up after becoming dizzy and disoriented. The speed at which I restrained him was something that made me acutely aware of my skills.
"Let me go. I'm ordering you to release me. Don't you dare leave this room," he blustered with his face red.
"You can fire me after I bring back your daughter to you. The last thing I need is you running around half-cocked. Stay out of my way. I work better alone. You have one guard worth whatever you are paying him. He can't do it alone." I walked out while he was screaming profanities and calling me every name in the book.
It wasn't good for my career, but I had more important things to worry about. The panic room wasn't on any plans. It was self-sustainable with its own air conditioning and heat source. There was a full pantry and a kitchen in the next room. All the modern amenities were at his fingertips.
No money was spared in its design despite taking up at least 400 square feet.
I recalled every single hallway in the house. The wolf had a very good memory. It was one of the many gifts bestowed on me when I was brought into the fold. Being purebred was a luxury and a rarity, but we were making inroads in mating with those of our kind.
I couldn't help but think our babies would be revered and beautiful.
They expected him to run out of the house for the safety of one of his armor-plated cars. What they got instead was a cold-blooded killer with both guns blazing. There wasn't a wasted motion.
One bullet hit my upper arm, but it did not affect my aim. He had fired on me without realizing his mistake. How could he possibly know the wolf could sustain the maximum amount of damage and still recover? It must've been a sight to behold to see me walking with indifference toward him.
