The Bodyguard

Car Troubles

"Emi, are you ok?" Jasmine asks, very concerned at the look on her face as she masks it with the smallest smile imaginable.

"I'm fine Jazz, just really wishing I hadn't had that shot." She says, forcing a giggle that sounded much more strained than she would like it to.

"I think I needed more than that shot from what just happened." Jazz remarks wryly, forcing a real, but more bark-like laugh from her mouth this time that she quickly smothers with a hand, smiling behind it rather widely. Shaking her head slightly at the silliness of Jazz's reaction.

How is she not terrified of what is going to happen when Mr. Delmont finds out? And he is going to, from Mr. Knyte. Could she convince him not to tell? Or maybe just convince him to bend the truth a little, tell him that she didn't drink anything and was only there in solidarity of her best friend. Or maybe, if they get back in time he just doesn't have to find out at all, no consequences. I mean, he was bound to be in trouble for letting her do that in the first place, right? Maybe she can use that argument to get out of this.

Her mind and heart racing in sync, her eyes staring out the window as the sky breaks open and what had begun as a misty fog, is a downpour in no time. As the car squeals to a stop, Emilia digs her nails into the edge of her seat, deciding what she is going to say to Mr. Knyte as she bades good night to Jazz and watch her step into her building before heading out towards Mr. Delmont's home, and her soon to be doom.

"Mr. Knyte, I was hoping that we could keep the uhm, adventures, of tonight just between us? And that Mr. Delmont does not have to hear of them?" Emilia asks quietly, her voice barely audible above the pounding rain as they halt at a stop light. But there is just that pounding for what feels like forever, though perhaps it is her own heart against her ears, or the fear coursing through her veins, not the rain at all.

"Miss Emilia, I think you are aware that I can not do that." He says slowly, his voice tight but she isn't sure with what.

"Please, you are the only person that knows what happened, and, I really doubt that guy will be saying anything, and he can't post anything so there's no other way to find out, I-I beg of you, please?" Emilia begs, for the first time in her life, she begs, her terror at being caught outweighing her own pride as she feels tears clouding her vision. Trying to hold them back she looks up to meet his in the mirror, and in that instant he seems to register everything, all the fear, in that brief second long glance in a mirror.

"Emilia, I. .  He is my boss, I can't lie to him if he asks."

"I'm not asking you to lie, I'm just asking you, not to tell him. He doesn't need to know about this, I swear I don't do this regularly, this is the first time, and if he finds out. . ." She trails off, she doesn't know what he will do, increase restrictions? Forbid her from seeing Jasmine? Or something even worse. "I don't trust him, or his intentions." She whispers under her breath, half hoping he won't hear it over the insistent rain and squeaking breaks as they stop at another red light.

"You shouldn't." His voice is harsh suddenly, reminding her of the controlled anger when speaking with Brittany.

"I shouldn't what?" She practically breathes, unable to understand what he means.

"Trust Mr. Delmont, or his intentions." He says, voice cold as he moves forward again to the next red light, the only car on the road.

"What do you know?" She asks, she has to ask, she can't stop herself from asking.

"Enough." Is his only response, the car, for once, moving below the speed limit as his eyes dart around, slightly narrowed as if he is expecting something to happen.

"But. ."

"You need to be careful, Emilia, and you need to stop asking questions. I don't want you to get in trouble, it could get you hurt." He says, his voice slow and serious, impressing every word, every syllable into her brain.

"I don't understand, how could it. . "

"Please, Emilia, just trust me." He says, looking in the mirror again and their eyes meet. She wants to look away, to say no, that she doesn't trust him, that he works for him, but she can't. He had protected her above and beyond what he was paid for, and was telling her things that he probably shouldn't to try and keep her safe from his very employer. Swallowing hard, she nods yes to him, one time up and down before he looks away and her eyes fall to her shaking hands in her lap.

"Ok." She murmurs, and silence falls onto them once more, holding tightly to the rain as they finally arrive back at the mansion, pulling between the gates at 11:48pm, just in time to not be suspicious, and not be in trouble.

As the door opens and she accepts his hand to step under the umbrella that he holds, she pauses  from going inside, and looks up into those storm-like eyes intently.

"Thank you, Mr. Knyte, for everything." She says softly, still holding that strong but gentle hand.

As they maintain eye contact, he slowly lifts it to his lips and presses his lips against her fingers ever so slightly, snatching the breath from her lungs and heating up her face for the millionth time that day.

"Please, call me Alexander, Miss Emilia, I wish you, a pleasant night. I will see you in the morning." He tells her, slowly dropping her hand and handing over the umbrella before practically sprinting down the steps as thunder crashes overhead, for what will be a restless night as the man pulls out of the mansion.

Alex brushes his hair out of his steely eyes, the damp length heavy with water as he stares out the windshield at the falling rain, pulled to the side of the road not too far from where he had just dropped off his charge. In a sudden burst as thunder crashes again, he slams a fist against the wheel in unrepented rage, his eyes reflecting the lightning above as he cursess one name, Mr. Delmont, for forcing him to keep things from someone that so badly needs to know, before he pulls off at unsafe speeds back into that dark night.