The Bodyguard's Claim {manxman}

TBC: Chapter Seventeen

Dr. Nicca James Alfarone

"Nicca, what's up?" Jose wandered into my room as I stared at him, conflict etched all over my face and all I could do was gape at him. "You look like you're having a midlife crisis." He snorted, shutting my door. "It wouldn't be surprising, seeing as you're twenty nine." He chuckled to himself and I rubbed my face. "What's wrong?" He walked over to me, a look of concern on his face as he ran a hand through his blond hair, taking a seat on the bed next to me. "I-I don't know." I whispered, reaching for his hand. "It's just that I have this need, this desire, this urge to always be with Mikhail." I sighed, blinking my eyes back and forth. "It's like I always need to be near him and if I don't, I'm going crazy like I'm out of my mind." I didn't understand this feeling, this longing for him. I was scared out of my mind and there was nothing I could do. "It's like I want him, more than I have ever wanted anyone in the world." I confessed, my heart feeling like it was just crushed by a hammer into millions of pieces. 

"Do you," Jose cleared his throat. "I mean I swear I'm not taking the piss on this," He muttered, a serious tone in his voice. "Are ye positive that you fancy Mikhail? That's what's I'm hearing." I shrugged, not understanding. "I mean I could. I can't do anything about it because I'm still with Steve, but Jose, you have no idea how hard it is to not look at him like he's the best thing I've ever seen. You have no idea how difficult it is to not want to snatch him and kiss him. It's killing me and there's not a thing I can do about it." I laughed but there was no humor in my tone. "I can't describe this feeling but it as if I looked at him and it clicked all together inside of my head that this was the person I knew I wanted to be with forever. I don't know and I don't know why but I just can't be without him."

I ran a hand through my hair. "This is crazy, Nicca." Jose sputtered. "You do know what you're confessing right?" He looked at me, all seriousness etched on his face and I stared at him, nodding with finality. "Yes, I know." I was telling myself that I didn't love Mikhail but I had known I did. I didn't know how and I didn't know why but over the times, I slowly fell without knowing if I was going to be caught. "Can you see it?" I whispered and he furrowed his eyebrows. "What?" He asked, confused and I flicked out my wrist. "Can you see it, the tattoo?" I questioned, wondering what it meant. It was a nightmare black, the green having faded a long time ago. It just sat on my skin like a normal mark but I could tell it meant something to Jose. No one was able to see it but me so I had known that it was something out of this world. "You see it, right?" He nodded slowly, a look of fear and apprehension on his face. 

There it was again. The look that told it all. That look that said he was hiding something from me. I didn't know what though. "Jose, are you okay?" I peered into his face, noticing a bead of sweat. "You got a little quiet. That's nothing like you." I stated, furrowing my eyebrows and he sighed heavily. "Nothing." He clicked his teeth, staring at the tattoo as he traced it with his finger. "Everything's alright." He smiled but it looked like it was forced and he had something hidden behind that facade in his eyes. Just what was it that he was hiding from me? Why couldn't he tell me?

Then all of that, that precious memory slowly faded away into my cruel reality, where I was here. I wasn't in my room with Jose, joking about the things that I wanted to do, the things that we could do, no. I was here in this dark and cold forest with the wind whispering dark and deep thoughts into my ear as it touched my skin, a truth of a promise. I was almost on the verge of death, blood seeping out of my wounds and the tattoo on my wrist was a bright green, blinding my eyes. I was sure that I could only see it but it was as if Raymond knew it was there too.

"You're the last person on earth who should be accusing others of real identities." Mikhail clenched his fists, his eyes have settling on a blazing red to mirror Raymond's own. He lifted his head with a sneer sat on his face as he gazed at his former, murderous thoughts flowing through his head and it was a mystery how I managed to figure out what he was thinking. "Это правильно, Raymond DiCaprio?" He tilted his head and I watched as Raymond lifted his lips up in anger at Mikhail and I was surprised to know that he understood exactly what Mikhail was saying (Is that right). This made me wonder just how well Raymond and Mikhail knew each other.