My Covert Bodyguard

57: Kiss of Death

"Get the medics here immediately, and we need to get blood transfusions. Niko, please. Please stay with me." The sob was in my voice, though I couldn't feel the tears. The fear of losing his paralyzed my emotions.

Niko chuckled, and though the pain was apparent in his face and his voice was shaky and faint, his cocky attitude somehow stayed. "Princess, you're too important to be taking care of some injured knight."

"You've always been more than a knight, silly. You know that. You're too important to this mission, I can't do this without you."

"I'm not going anywhere." He winced as he pulled out the gun from his holster and pressed it to me. I remembered him talking about how that gun had been gifted to him by his parents, before he was orphaned. He clicked the safety and I took it with my hands. "Here, no safety." He smiled at me as I held confidently the metallic object that used to be so foreign to me. 

I nodded because I knew what he meant. All the times he taught me how to fire a gun, to defend myself, to take down an opponent twice my size, they were going to stay with me. He would live on in my muscle memory and his wisdom he shared with me. I wasn't going to be alone, I never would be.

I finally felt the wetness of my face, as tears dropped onto his bleeding body.

"One more favor, Cass."

"Anything." 

"Kiss me." He saw the hesitation on my face, and his voice grew desperate. "Please. I want to feel what it's like to be loved by you."

"I do love you. Just—"

"Dammit, princess. Your words hurt more than this motherfucking gun shot." His voice was getting raspier with every word, and the way my heart clenched felt like I had received a bullet myself. I glanced at Kyle, but he averted his eyes, unable to watch the scene unfolding. I turned back to Niko, who was only looking at me.

"You are so beautiful. I'm damn lucky that you came into my life, and that your eyes are the last thing I'll see." I breathed heavily, his last words weighing heavily with me. Unable to express in words the gratitude I felt for him, I cupped my hand to his cheek and leaned in.

His lips tasted like blood and sweat and was unmistakably Niko. His musky, manly smell that I associated so strongly to the arrogant, playful, and incredibly thoughtful guy that he was. His lips moved against mine, and his tongue grazed against mine. He breathed in deeply, and his lips slowed to a stop. I sat up slowly to see his face, his eyes closed, a serene look and the faintest of smiles lingering on his face. He wasn't breathing anymore, and his heart rate was nowhere to be found. But he was still so warm and seemed so alive. 

My eyes kept welling up and emptying, and although I knew I was grieving, I couldn't feel or address it. The war wasn't over yet, and I would deal with my emotions then. Right now my chest felt hollow and vast, but my mind was clear. I rubbed my wet face dry and stood up.

Roselle looked amused. "Well, I have to say I'm impressed, Cassandra. You have two devastatingly handsome men vying for your love. Us Scarlett women, am I right?"

I stared at the terrible woman who sat in front of me with a blank face. I lifted the gun that Niko had just pressed to me, and raised it to her forehead.

"Go ahead, shoot me. I was just about to do it to you."

My finger wrapped around the trigger, and my palms gripped the gun tighter. I wasn't nervous, my mind was clear, my reflexes were sharp. I knew I was in control of the situation, I'd never been more aware. I flicked the gun away from her as she flinched, and I tucked it into my boots.