The Bodyguard (Book 1 in the Original BOC Series) ✔

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The spray of bullets had them all taking cover behind the large brown metal containers on the opposite ends of the large room.

Mara had taken cover with Ben, tearing away at the hem of her dress and tying it around Ben's bicep. It wasn't a deep wound, but still a wound nonetheless. And it was bleeding a little, so Mara knew the torn cloth would slow the blood down from the pressure. She winced when a bullet had bounced off the edge of the container, swooshing past her. 

She looked over to see Nathan and her father with their backs against another container just across from them.

As he was busily shooting back and then pressing himself back against the wall of the container he hid behind, Nathan blinked a few times when Hallden's hoarse, and disapproving voice was heard above the shouting and shooting. 

"You're a danger to her!"

Nathan's eyes tightened in his wide stare at the man next to him. He didn't even shoot back anymore, hiding behind the container, as Hallden grimaced, trying to keep himself out of the spraying bullets' way. He looked at Nathan, his face filled with concern.

"If it wasn't for you... none of this would have happened! She was safe! She was being protected by someone I trusted, but you filled her head with hopes of forever being with you!"

They both winced, ducking when another bullet bounced off the container above their heads that refracted against a large metal pole. Huddling closer to Nathan, Hallden sneered, finishing off what he was interrupted from preaching.

"You are giving Mara false hopes of a happy life! You are only going to make her life harder now! If we survive this, she'll never be safe, again! She'll be looking over her shoulder wondering if Charles or his men are coming after her. What do you really expect to happen, Nathan, hm? That you two will ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after!?"

Nathan's jaw tightened, his eyes on Hallden as his head was leaned straight back against the container.

Hallden shook his head, pointing at him, "You say you love her---"

"I do!" Nathan frowned, he shook his head, offended by what he was being scolded about.
"And mind you, this is certainly not the time or place to be giving me the father-to-boyfriend sermon! I'm a little preoccupied with getting you and your daughter to safety if you haven't noticed!" 

He poked his head around the container and shot at the opposite end three times before hiding again.

Hallden shook his head, his eyes narrowed. Pointing at the young man, again, the father snapped, "Don't you acknowledge yourself, as her boyfriend. She has a husband! A damn good one! And she ran away from him to go with you!"

Hallden scoffed, then spat, "With the kind of man you are... she'll just be heartbroken again."

Nathan poked around the corner again, taking more shots, before pulling back and swallowed hard.

He frowned, his chest filling with disappointment. He should have known that Mara's father wouldn't want them together... but damn it! He came to rescue her, and told her how he felt, and now her father was giving his unwanted opinion. And with bullets flying around, too!

Nathan held the side of his gun closer to his face, with the barrel's end facing the ceiling, and turned to look at the enraged father.

"What are you asking of me exactly?" 

Somehow, he knew already. He just didn't want to cope with the thought.

Hallden leaned forward, seeing that perhaps this young man could prove himself and at the same time, he'd be able to protect his daughter from another heartache. He pleaded, "Let her go, Nathan. Disappear from her life! Don't let her believe that there is possibility to be with you! Don't give her false hopes to being the man you think you want to be."