The Bodyguard

Unwelcome Guests

Alexander pulls sharply on her wrist, forcing her to lean across the table towards him so his mouth is directly beside her ear. Even in a situation that could cost her her life, him being so close with his breath on her ear made her nerves light on fire in an instant.

"Eat, pretend nothing is wrong, we are just on a simple date, and we are going to be fine, there is nothing to worry about." He murmurs, a whisper that tickles her hair and makes a shiver run down her spine as he kisses her on the cheek and gives the smallest of rare smiles as he pulls away, letting go of her wrist as she falls back to her seat.

As she leans back onto her ankles again, she examines his face, trying to find the smallest of hints that what he is saying is a lie. But all worry, all tense stress, had disappeared as he slides his jacket from his shoulders and allows it to pool on the ground, flexing his shoulders as he leans upon the table and pulls apart a piece of the pide to take a bite.

More than anything, no matter how tense the room still is, and the now barely visible sight of his gun in the open, his little smile and kiss to her cheek, forces her to relax, not entirely, but enough to take a bite of her chicken kebab and enjoy the char grilled green pepper that was absolutely delicious.

While they enjoy their food, Emilia can't help but focus on her date, his dress shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows in a very attractive fashion that has his muscular arms standing out as they bulge significantly behind that shirt. She can't help but lick her lips from her observations, and it has nothing to do with the delicious food that she had just swallowed. 

She can't help it as her eyes travel to his chest where the darker shadow of that tattoo can be seen, even in the dim lights overhead. 'Veni Vidi Vici', I came, I saw, I conquered. When she had first heard it, she hadn't really understood the significance of the phrase, she understood it was Italian, and had to do with him coming to America, but now she understood. He came here to escape, he had seen so much murder and wrong in the world, and he conquered fear and death. It was beautiful, and now, now she had taken it all away by simply being brought into the Delmont name.

Her eyes meet his, and for the first time, she truly feels regret for her mother's actions and what she had taken from her own daughter, and the man before her.

Alexander is thrown off by the pity he saw in her eyes as they meet each other. He had seen so much in a woman's eyes, anger, fear, lust, sadness, but never pity. But why would someone like her pity him? Her father was dead, her friend dead, her mother had married one of the most dangerous criminals in the world, and she had been dragged into a criminal life that she had never wanted, and yet, she pities him. He had chosen his life, his own doom, from a young age yes, but he had chosen it, she had been dragged kicking and screaming into something she had never agreed to.

He doesn't know how to react to this, the date had been a rouse to make her open up to him, to have her tell him what she is thinking so he can keep her safe. It is to put her at ease, to keep her from doing anything stupid enough to get them both killed. He was employed by Mr. Delmont to keep his new step-daughter safe, he isn't employed to fall for her determination and fearlessness, to become a sucker for her small frame and idiocy as she stumbles into situations where she can't stay safe. 

But who wouldn't become weak as the young woman stares at you with those big green eyes or the way her breath catches in her throat at his lightest of touches. Why couldn't he protect her and care for her, keep her safe from his employer's enemies, inform her so she doesn't blindly run into the troubles of the world, and capture her soft lips on his so she doesn't break her word and tear away her own freedoms.

Alexander can feel his heart crack just the tiniest amount, its hard shell breaking to let in the smallest sliver of Emilia's light as his heart beats against its cage for the first time in years, and for the first time in his memory, he cares for someone as more than a project, more than a job, but as a person.

Alexander's revery and horror at the realization is broken in an instant as the server arrives for the third time, his expression going from almost adoration of the creature across from him, to a hardened glare-like frown as he looks up to where the easily terrified man stands, hand shaking far more than it had before and Alexander can't help but narrow his eyes at him. What did he want, and why was he so nervous?

"Y-your check has been taken care of sir." His voice trembles, incredibly nervous, but if the check has been taken care of, then why was he still holding a piece of paper?

"And who has taken care of it?" He practically snarls back, it is an insult to pay for another man's meal without permission, and he has the feeling he knows exactly who did it.

"Th-the other table, sir, and they-they asked me to give you this." He stammers, holding out a folded square of paper for Alexander to take. His hand trembles so badly that it nearly falls from the guy's grasp before Alexander can snatch it away.

"Thank you, and the food is delicious by the way." Comments Emilia politely, her smile quivering slightly as she watches him go, practically sprinting back to the kitchen where he had come from. And Emilia, really could not blame him for running.

With the way Alexander was looking at the men that she knows sit behind her, she wanted to hide too. 

"Alexander, what's going on?" She asks softly, whispering to him as she leans forward, looking at him intently. She wants to know how to survive, how to get them both out of there. That was the moment that she realized she knew too much, she was scared, and she finally knew exactly how terrified she should be of this situation.

She watches as his hands dig into the cloth covering the table, his knuckles white with anger and rage, and his eyes filled with storming rage so dark they could swallow anything.

"Emilia, I need you to go to the bathroom and lock yourself in, understand?" His question is not a question, it is a demand, she would do as he says.

Slowly she stands, legs shaking slightly as she grabs her sweater. "What are you going to do?" Her voice is so quiet she isn't even sure if she hears it. 

"I'm going to take care of this. And don't come out, no matter what you hear."

Swallowing hard, Emilia moves quickly towards the bathroom, nerves on fire with terror as she walks towards the bathroom, feet tapping on the ground quickly as she just tries not to full out run towards the only thing that could be safe right now.

"Emilia Delmont, stop where you are and put your hands in the air, now."