Page 14 of I Don't Need Your Protection
The first word to enter my mind is: beautiful.
Her pretty brown eyes were the first thing I noticed about her. There was pain in there, just like I carry, but there was so much more. That despite what she’s been through, she hopes for a good future. That’s another reason why I’m being hard on her. I want her and her grandfather to share that bright future together. She has no idea how happy he was when he learned he has a grandchild. Dad is very close to him, since we’ve been protecting his family for years. No one other than my family understands the pain he experienced when he and his son cut ties with each other. I’m relieved he and Addilyn can have a bond, but that will only happen if she survives those who want her dead.
“Caleb?” Dad asks.
“Yes?” I open the door to peek at her. She’s still asleep and is still wearing that troubled expression. “The girl is sleeping now. I’ve secured the room and checked the windows and any other possible places one can infiltrate. She’s safe.”
“Good. I’m pleased with that update and I’ll relay the information to Mr. Bradshaw.”
We discuss other matters, like how I’m making sure to stay in contact with the few security guards from our team I do trust, and then he ends the call. He and I don’t see each other often. He’s Nathaniel Bradshaw’s bodyguard while I’ve been tasked with various jobs over the course of the last few years. I normally travel to different parts of the country to protect wealthy people or other prominent people. Dad and I meet maybe three times a year if we’re lucky. I miss him, but I knowour job is very important. We save lives. When I was sworn into the business at age thirteen, I took an oath to protect my charge with my life. Mom did, too. We all do. That’s why she’s no longer with us.
Shaking my thoughts away, I step out of the closet, my eyes immediately zooming to Addilyn. She’s turned on her other side now, her chest rising and falling softly. I don’t know why I’m watching her. Sure, I can use the bodyguard excuse, but I know that’s not true. Like I said, there’s just something about her. Something I can’t pinpoint.
She releases a soft sound before turning onto her stomach. It’s obvious she’s having unpleasant thoughts. I wonder if they’re about her parents. Losing them only a month ago couldn’t have been easy.
I wish I wouldn’t have to be so harsh with her. She’s just a kid dealing with the cards life dealt her. But I can’t lower my guard or be weak, or let myself be vulnerable or overcome with emotion. So even though she may hate me, even if she might kick and scream and curse me, I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe.
After watching her for a bit longer, I return to my bed and dive under the covers. I’m still wide awake, with many thoughts circling through my mind. About Mom, Addilyn.
My entire life, my parents trained me to be a bodyguard. From martial arts to self-defense classes, etc. Since I can’t use a weapon in this school, I’ll need to take advantage of my other skills, should the need arise.
But my mom and dad never made me feel like anythingwas lacking. Mom was a great mom—both my parents were so amazing. Deep down, I always knew there was a chance one of us would get hurt or worse in our line of work. I just never expected it to actually happen.
I force myself to shut my eyes and clear my head. Maybe I’ll manage to get at least an hour of sleep.
Chapter Six
Addie
A loud trumpet blares in my ears.
Gasping, I spring up in bed and clutch my speeding heart. What the heck?
When I grab my new, expensive phone from the nightstand and scan the screen, I see that it’s a quarter to seven. I don’t remember setting my alarm.
Someone groans from the left side of my room. My head snaps in that direction, and my heart almost catapults out of my chest. There’s someone in here.
I’m about to cry out or look for something to use as a weapon, but then it all comes crashing down on me. I’m at Harrington Bay Academy. And the strange dude in my room? My appointed babysitter.
He’s doing pushups on the floor. I swallow as I watch the movements of his body. He’s still shirtless, but now that there’slight out, I have a better view of his bare chest. He’s much more ripped than I thought. I can’t help but gawk at him. The way he moves, I sense he’s releasing all his pent-up emotions. Like he needs this for a release or he’ll lose his mind. I remember seeing a hint of emotions in his eyes when we first met, either pain, loss, or guilt. I wonder what he’s been through.
“Do I also need to be your wake-up call every morning?” he huffs as he continues his workout routine.
I snap out of whatever trance I was in and glare at him. “So you were the one who nearly sent me to the ER with that awful trumpet alarm?”
“I gave you fifteen minutes to see if you would get up on your own. Clearly, you failed.”
With a groan, I push my blanket aside. “So I forgot to set my alarm on my first day of school. Send the army after me.”
“I don’t need an army.”
“Right. Because all it takes is your strong arms to snap my body in half.”
Before he has a chance to respond, I grab my uniform that I laid out over the comfy chair next to my bed and march into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. Pressing my hands on the sink, I close my eyes and release a breath through my nose. “If there’s going to be a murder here, it’s going to be his. At my hands.”
There’s a knock on my door, which makes me almost jump out of my bones.
“For your information, I have impeccable hearing.”
