SWNOVELS Bossy Bodyguard: Part 4 – Chapter 44
I woke up to a brooding brother, worried friends, and a cold Cillian standing in the corner of the hospital room.
“Why didn’t you text me that you met Zayed Al Fasih? Do you know he has met the Queen?” Summer asked, her brows furrowed as she looked over at me.
“Summer,” Mia elbowed her and turned to me. “She means to say that we were worried when we heard the news about this… and found that you were in a car with the Sheikh of Azmia.”
“He was dropping me off,” I mumbled, a dull ache forming in my head.
“What was that?” Summer asked, leaning closer.
“Girls,” Damon said, shooting my friends a look. “Do you mind if I talk to my sister? Alone?”
Mia squeezed my left hand and whispered, “We are outside.”
“Cillian, don’t let Damon scold our friend again,” Summer said to Cillian, shooting daggers at my brother before leaving the room. It would have been comical if I wasn’t strapped with an IV on a hospital bed.
“How are you feeling?” Damon asked, not even meeting my eyes.
I scoffed, but it hurt my lungs, making me wince. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Cillian take a step and retreat when I straightened up. “I’m great. As you can see.”
“Cillian,” Damon looked at him. “Give us a few minutes.”
He stared at him for a few moments. It was a weird man-to-man telepathic connection, and then he walked out of the room without saying a word or looking at me.
Jesus, did I look that horrible?
“I’m sorry.”
My eyes widened when I looked at my brother. His gray eyes were on me and without the small glimmer of sadness in them, he looked cold as ice. “You’re what?”
“I…” He took a sharp breath and looked at me. “I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“For these past few months. No… not just months. For everything.”
I swallowed, but my mouth was dry. I turned to pick up a glass of water and winced at the sudden burst of pain from my legs and right hand. Damon stood up, poured me water, and handed the glass to me.
“Doctor said you’re fine. Your hand will heal in a few days, and you have a few bruises on your legs from the window, but they will also heal.”
“Okay.” I emptied the glass of water, licking my lips, and kept it on the nightstand. Tension and an air of confusion hovered between us, our silence stretching.
“What is everything?”
“Hm?” He raised his head to look at me once again.
I repeated. “What ‘everything’ are you apologizing for?”
“Do I have to say it?”
I glared at him. “Yes, you fucking do.”
“Emma.”
“Don’t you dare Emma me right now,” I pursed my lips, my headache getting worse, and took a deep breath. “I have had enough, okay? I’m tired of your constant bullying and scolding and do this, do that, you’re young, you’re an adult and whatnot. I’m tired. So please leave.”
“Look, I was stupid. I was an arrogant idiot who was angry when our parents split up,” Damon said, meeting my eyes. “I was a kid and blamed it on you. I grew up and kept blaming it on you because at least mother gave you attention. Dad left me on my own—kicked me out and told me to make my own life. I didn’t…” He took a deep breath and looked down. “I never thought that you were hurting, too. I stopped caring and—I’m sorry, Emma. For not being there when you needed me and for being a terrible brother.”
My lips parted, but I couldn’t say anything. I watched him with gleaming eyes as he raked his hand over his dirty blond hair and stood up. “Even now. I can’t protect you from a fucking stalker.”
“Damon…” I bit my lip. “If you want me to forgive you, you have to do something.”
His stormy gray eyes were clear for the first time in many years. It reminded me of the brother I had who’d play hide and seek with me and stick gum in my hair. “Anything,” he said, his hands clenched at his sides.
Taking a deep breath, I said, “I want you to take over the makeup business. I still have school to finish and need to focus on my studies. Maybe I can help more once I’ve graduated, but for now, I don’t think I can handle both responsibilities. Do you think you could do that?”
His eyes widened, taking in what I had just said. Damon nodded, “Absolutely. I don’t know much about cosmetics, but I do know how to run a business.” He sat on the edge of the bed to discuss the plan in a bit more detail.
I could feel him relaxing and the bond between us restoring as we spoke.
It had been two days since the accident and Cillian was acting weird. He wouldn’t look at me for over five seconds (yes, I counted) and answered one-word replies in a monotonous voice. He was acting like a wall of brick and kept his face poker whenever I was around, despite catching him smiling at one of Zayed’s lame jokes.
“When can I go to school?” I asked Mrs. Karen when she helped me put on the bandage on my right palm. The doctor had discharged me and Zayed since neither of us had any serious injuries. Zayed was living with Elena in one of their penthouses and they both had strict securities with over twenty guards surrounding them since the accident.
I felt bad that he got hurt because of me, but he said, and I quote, “It felt good to use the dagger after so long.” Yep. He was still a weirdo.
“Not for a week at least, Emma,” Mrs. Karen replied, frowning at the bandage and slowly patted my other hand. She had wrinkles around her eyes, and her hair was completely gray. “Why do people keep hurting you, child?”
“What do you mean?” I raised my chin and waved my injured hand around. “This is a battle scar, not an injury.”
“Foolish girl,” she said playfully and stood up from my bed. “Go to sleep. Call if you need help.”
“I won’t. I’m a big girl now.”
“Sure you are.”
I narrowed my eyes at her and shook my head. I wondered what my mother would think of the scar on my palm. She’d probably book an appointment with an esthetician to help me heal the scar faster.
Tracing my finger over the minor cuts on my legs, I drifted back to the time when the stalker had attacked me and Zayed. He rammed his car into ours, tried to kidnap me, hurt Zayed and still ran away with a wounded thigh.
His face was covered, but I had seen his eyes. Heard his voice and knew his body build. Tall, lean, with muscles and a groggy voice. As if he wasn’t used to speaking. Did I know someone like that?
He had hurt Zayed… what if it was Cillian instead of him? What if he had a gun?
My skin crawled with fear and uncertainty. I didn’t want anything to happen to him…
Shaking my head, I stood up from the bed and patted down my hair. Straightening the night dress I had worn to bed, I took a deep breath and walked out of the bedroom. His room was closest to mine, just six paces away.
“D-don’t!”
My body froze, hearing the low groan from inside his room. A sob. “Please don’t!” Another sob. My heart stuttered hearing breathless cries. Was he…?
I knocked on the door. “Cillian? Can I come in?”
Nothing.
Then a sharp cry. The small hair on the back of my neck rose in attention and my limbs moved before I could think. Opening the door, which was already unlocked, I walked into his dark room.