Loving the Bodyguard [Complete]

VIII

I managed to light flames of rage in him. He was getting angry, and his anger was the distraction that I needed. Anger fueled temper; temper fueled rage and rage, subdued logic. No logic; No focus hence, distraction.

"Motherfucker! Real men believe in actions, not warnings," I said in a provoking tone, keeping my voice sharp and clear.

"You piece of s-"

I bounced to my feet and smacked my arm joint into his ribcage. A cry of pain escaped from his mouth. He wobbled, and the gun fell from his hand. I caught him off guard and flew towards him. His fist crashed with my jaw, and I tasted the familiar ferrous blood. I counter-buffed. He lost his footing.

Somebody seized me from the back. I grappled with the man that held me. His grip slipped. I smacked my palm towards him. He dodged and sent a punch at me. I ducked. The sharp metal pierced my cheek. The blow from the brass knuckle sent sharp pain in my body. I whaled a kick in his dick.

"Uh-oh." He collapsed to the ground.

A weak punch landed between my shoulder blades from behind. I turned around and lurched towards the guy with the gun. My knee connected with his nose. He staggered back and landed on the ground. He had wrapped a pitch-black cloth around his face that seemed like a mask. He had shut his eyelids; probably the life fluid was draining from his body.

My breaths tattered; my muscle racked in pain. I wiped the blood from my jaw with the arm of my linen shirt. Scarlet fluid splattered on white fabric like vermilion fruit jam against white bread. I crumpled to the ground. My lungs cried for oxygen as the life-supporting gas drained from my body. I felt as if I would need an oxygen tank to breathe me back to life. The stale taste of ferrous blood lingered on my tongue.

My mind moved like a bullet train trying to process this unfathomable fight.

This situation would have made more sense if this had happened with Ralph. The bosses of other Mafia wanted Ralph dead to take over the Hernandez Mafia in the future. Why me?

I took in deep breaths feeding oxygen to my muscles. My body hurt, but I had recovered from the shock. The burnt smell of wood lurked in the air. Most of the Mafia men were gone; others lay injured on the floor.

I got on my feet and took out the Smith & Wesson from the ankle holster. The feel of the concealed weapon in my hand made me feel a strange authority. I strode towards the man with the black mask and bent down my knees. A smirk spread on my face as I enjoyed the sight of the man's weak body on the ground.

The fight had been one-sided if that idiot had pulled the trigger. Mafia has only one rule: kill or get killed, that nincompoop chooses the second option. Weaponless fights are fatiguing, but they are actual fights. They test your skills as a fighter.

"Ace!" Dominic's familiar voice entered my ears.

"What the heck do you want?" I grunted.

"Nothing, just checking you alive or dead."

I chuckled. "You doubt your training, don't you?"

He did not respond.

I untied the cloth from the man's face. Blood dripped from his nose like scarlet wine. His nose had probably deformed; the blow had fractured the bone.

"Cole!" Dominic exclaimed.

"You know him?" I questioned, passing him a flabbergasted glare.

"He's Ralph's right hand," Dominic answered, out of disbelief.

"Bloody! Stool pigeon!" I mouthed.

"Ace! Don't shoot him. We'll get information from him," he said meticulously.

"Fine! But I will kill him once you get the info out of him," I declared.

I kicked Cole's slumped body and left the ritual room with Dominic. He guided us through the path that opened straight in the parking lot.

We sat in his Mercedes and left.

The Hernandez mansion stood tall in comparison to the other houses in the posh area. We exit the car and entered the mansion. The Parisian style was the focal point of the mansion. The reminiscent furniture and objects gave a royal feel to the place. Silky sheer curtains gave a luxurious ballroom feel to the living room.

The spiral staircase curled like a snake that led to the upper floors. It gave gothic vibes that sent shivers down my spine. I felt as if the snake would come into its real form and swallow me whole, wiping my existence from this planet.

"Ace! Mind your tongue in front of Ralph," Dominic said in his usual monotone voice.

"What if I don't?"

"Someone made a promise to his dying mother. It was her last wish." Dominic reminded.

I clenched my jaw.

"Mom! You can't die. Please! I can't live without you." I sobbed.

She gave me a weak smile. The color was draining from her midnight eyes.

"Acey! I love you," she whispered, ruffling my hair with her fingers.

Blood drenched my hands. Tears flooded from my eyes like an endless waterfall. I cried, unable to form words; my throat went dry.

"Promise me." She stuttered.

"I promise. Please don't leave me."

"From today, you'll do whatever your father says." Her lifeless hand fell. Life drained from her body.

"Mom!Mom!"

I hugged her lifeless form. Her soul departed her human form and ascended towards the long journey to heaven.

I did not answer. We ascended the snake-like staircase. My heart ached. The thought of my mom's death and the promise made breathing difficult for me. We stopped on the second floor. It seemed like the floor of a five-star hotel. They had used large vases and greek style statues to decorate the hallway. My eyes darted towards a family photograph hung on the wall. Dominic sat on a throne, his wife stood behind his throne, and beside her was a younger version of Ralph. No sign of my mother or me.

Somebody crashed into me. I staggered backward; my arms wrapped around the person as reflex. Immediately I focused my attention on the person.

A pair of anxious sapphire eyes stared at me. They reminded me of cerulean waters and endless sky.

A/N: Here the ship sails. Hope you enjoyed reading. Don't forget to vote :P

By the way do you remember Cole? He was introduced in the chapter: Obsession.