I stretched my arms high above my head as my eyes opened for the next morning. The room I was in was unfamiliar to me and for only half a second, I panicked. But then I saw Toni sleeping soundly next to me, one of her arms draped over my stomach. I wish I could be that friend that pushed her off the bed and woke her up, but she was too enchanting to wake right now.
Slowly I slid out from under her arm, leaving her to sleep in all of her goddess beauty.
My feet gently padded against the floor as I shuffled out of my room and quietly closed the door behind me. When I turned back around, I saw that both Marco and Luke were already awake, sitting in the living room with cups of coffee and reading different materials. Luke was looking through a glistening magazine while Marco was indulged in an actual book.
"Good morning." I announced as I sat down on one of the couches opposite the two boys. Both looked up at me and smiled.
"Good morning, how'd you sleep?" Marco asked, placing a bookmark in between the pages of his read and set it down beside him on the coffee table. I tried to catch a glimpse of what the title was but the angle prevented me from doing so.
I yawned and stretched yet again, feeling my limbs ache pleasantly as I did so, "Actually, quite well. It was good to know that when I closed my eyes, I wouldn't open them again being held captive in a dank basement somewhere."
The boys chuckled before Luke looked towards my room door, "Is Toni still asleep?"
I nodded, "You two should be asleep too, weren't you up even later than I was? Do you people ever sleep?"
Marco and Luke both shrugged simultaneously while Marco mumbled, "We don't really sleep a whole lot. Arnold trained us to function even when we've had only an hour of sleep for one night. But last night we got a full four hours, that's like sleeping in until noon for us."
"Then why is Toni still asleep?" I wondered, hugging a pillow to my chest.
Marco smiled at my movement but tried to hide it, "That's because she's spent most of her years with you. Remember all of those sleepovers? Well she couldn't just sit in the dark through the night while you slept next to her, so Arnold allowed her to break protocol and actually sleep. Since then, she's been on a different sleeping schedule than us."
I huffed, "Well that's stupid. Why can't all of you sleep like me and her?"
Marco reached for his book, a clear indication that this conversation was boring him, "I don't know. Because that's what Arnold decided."
A strange, dull fear swept up through my gut. How could I be boring him?
"She was kicking me all night." I blurted, thinking of something, anything, to keep the conversation going. Marco's eyes snapped back up to meet mine and I saw him smirk, there we go. I didn't know what part made him amused, my words or the look of disgust on my face. But either way, he was still interested. I was also unsure why it was so crucial that he remain interested, but it was.
"Well no need to worry about that." He muttered, smiling down at his coffee as he took another sip, the steam rising around his angelic face in lazy puffs.
"What does that mean?" I asked quietly, a feeling of dread washing over me.
Marco chuckled again before looking back up at me, his dark eyes twinkling in mischief, "We switch off sleeping arrangements every week. This week you have Toni, next week you have Luke, and the week after that...you have me."
I slapped a palm to my head, was he trying to make my life miserable? How could he reject my affection, then act as if it were still acceptable to flirt with me? It was sending my heart into overdrive and it literally felt like I was going to have a heart attack.
Slowly, I threw the pillow away from me. Then I stood up and climbed out of the pit where the couches sat. Marco's smile slowly slipped from his face and faded into one of confusion. From the corner of my eye, I saw Marco look to Luke for an explanation but Luke only shrugged. I entered the kitchen, leaning against the counter with my head braced against the cupboard above me. Living with my bodyguard's from now on was going to be a challenge.
I knew I sounded like that average girl who was falling for a boy she could never have, and I hated stories like that because I knew women had so much more potential than just always falling head over heels for the bad boy. But Marco had to be the bad-est bad boy of them all, and I was falling hard. But I didn't want to, I didn't want to be embarrassed like I was the morning I work up with a half naked Marco laying next to me.
An image I just couldn't get out of my mind no matter how hard I tried.
"Are you okay?" I heard someone ask from my right. I looked over and saw Marco leaning against the door frame, his muscles bulging as he crossed his arms over his chest.
I sighed, pressing my forehead harder against the cupboard, "Yep, just dandy."
"Have I ever told you that you're a bad liar?" He asked, his eyes dipping to stare at the way my hands were clutching at the counter top. I closed my eyes, already wondering how long he was going to tease me this time; a few minutes, an hour, the rest of the day? He gently pushed off from the door frame and came to my side where he leaned against the counter as I was. I was facing the cupboards while he was facing away from them, but I still felt his hip brush against mine as he asked, "Are you okay?"
"I already said that I was." I responded, biting my tongue from what I really wanted to say.
Marco let out a long breath, his arms crossing over his chest once again, "Listen Harmony. I know I'm your bodyguard and all but I'm also your friend, you can tell me what's going on. In fact, I'd encourage you to."
With my eyes still closed, I relayed a bullshit story to get him off my back, "It's just the move. I'm still getting accustomed to everything. And now I've got to take these placement tests which I was completely unaware of...it's just a lot to take in."
"I'm sure it is." Marco nodded through my explanation, then added, "But I want to know what's really bothering you."
"What are you talking about?"
Marco turned to face me, his eyes as dark as ever, "Don't lie to me, princess."
My anger had pitched at this point and I couldn't exactly contain it. So I turned to look at Marco as well, "I'm not Marco. There's a lot of things on my mind, none of which concern you. So just go back to being your arrogant, confusing, oblivious asshole and forget about everything else."
Then I pushed away from the counter as well and stormed back to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. How could he honestly not know why I was upset? Or even worse, he did know and was simply trying to get me to say it out loud. Either way, my emotions were already fried and it was only nine in the morning.
Toni was sitting up in the bed, her eyes still layered with sleep. Her hair was sticking around her beautifully, like an elf just awakening from her slumber. She smiled softly at me as she yawned, "Good morning honey. What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I grumbled back, starting towards the drawers where my clothes were kept.
Toni stretched and groaned, "Let me guess, boys?"
"How did you know?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I finished collecting my clothes and made a bee-line for the bathroom just as Marco slammed the door to my bed room open. His eyes landed on me quickly, then I shot him a sickly sweet smile and slammed the bathroom door shut. I twisted the lock shut just before Marco could reach me.
"You know I can break this door down, Harmony. Don't tempt me." Marco warned from the other side of the door, his tone just as angry as he had looked.
"You wouldn't break this lovely door down, now would you? Oh the Headmaster would be so displeased, and he doesn't really seem like the kind of guy you want to displease." I sang back to him, happy that for once I was going to win this argument.
On the other side, I heard Marco grumbling and cussing as he thought over what might happen if he actually broke down the door. Then there was a large bang as he slammed his fist against the door, I jumped back, startled. But soon I heard his footsteps retreating. I let out a sigh of relief but I knew I couldn't hide in here forever.
I took my sweet time showering though, washing and conditioning my hair multiple times. I made sure to clean every inch of my body, I even cleaned in between my toes just for the hell of it. I shaved my armpits and my legs, and then washed my face. When I ran out of things to clean, I took time to just stand there. The steaming hot water ran down my shoulders, back, legs. It felt amazing to just stand in the hot water and let my worries slip down the drain.
But I couldn't stay in there forever unfortunately. So, begrudgingly, I climbed out of the shower. I honestly didn't have any motivation to dry my hair, so I just brushed through it then tousled it so it could air dry into natural waves. I quickly applied my makeup and brushed my teeth. I was all ready to go, dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, flats, and a crew neck sweatshirt. But no matter how good I looked, I still didn't want to face Marco.
When I opened the bathroom door, my room was empty. It wasn't until I entered the living room that I saw my three bodyguard's sitting on the couch. Luke and Toni were sitting together, watching T.V while Marco was reading his book once again. I slipped back into my room before any of them saw me, letting out a long breath.
This was going to be a long day.
I felt my pocket buzz as I received a new text massage, but when I check the screen I saw an unfamiliar number displayed. I quickly checked what the message had to say:
You think the Academy will keep you safe? Think again.
That's all it said.
A chill shuddered down my spine, and suddenly I felt like I was in an episode of Pretty Little Liars. I half expected this person to text back, 'kisses, A' but I knew I wasn't locked in some fictional show. This was real life. This was my life.
To make things worse, this was probably the same person who had left that note on my car back when we were watching the security tapes to see who had blown me up. This person, whoever they were, knew where my old school was and clearly they knew I had been moved to the academy. How did they keep finding me? It had to be someone I have recently spoken to, someone who had a motive for wanting me dead.
But that didn't narrow it down, hundreds of people wanted me dead because I was the only heir to my father's fortune and company. It could be any one of those people....
...however, there was only one man whom I had recently talked with, who had insisted that I go into hiding but was rather pissed off when he found I was going to the academy instead of hiding with my mother.
"What are you doing in here?" Marco asked from my left, causing me to jump in fright and nearly drop my phone in the process. He was watching me carefully, his eyes narrowed.
"Damn, don't ever sneak up on me like that." I demanded, placing a hand on my heart which was currently pounding against my chest cavity like a sledge hammer.
Marco nodded, "Sorry." But he didn't leave as I had expected him to. He continued to watch me, his eyes shifting back and forth between my face and the phone which was clutched in my hands. He was suspicious but there was no way he could possibly know of the message I had just received. Was there?
"I was just texting my father, letting him know that everything was alright." I quickly blurted, thinking of the first lie I could muster.
Marco's eyebrows rose in disbelief, "Oh really? And just what did your father think was going to happen?"
I swallowed loudly and cleared my throat, "Maybe he was worried about the fact that he was sending his only daughter away with a crazy group of assassins to protect her from an even crazier group of assassins...just kidding, he wanted to make sure I didn't forget my phone at home."
Again, Marco's eyes narrowed at my sarcastic attitude. But I quickly shoved my phone into my pocket and crossed my own arms over my chest, "So anyways, I was wondering something."
Marco's eyes were still glued on my phone as he responded with, "Yeah, what?"
"What happened to my uncle Edgar after we left?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I saw Marco's eyes snap up to meet mine, all suspicion of my phone completely forgotten. But I really wanted to know, because he was the only other person besides my bodyguard's, my father, and Arnold who knew where I was going.
"He was shipped back to wherever the hell he crawled out of." Marco informed heatedly, his tone holding venom within his words. When he saw my shocked countenance at his sudden hatred towards my uncle, Marco sighed, "He argued with Arnold for a couple hours about why sending you here was a bad idea. When Arnold refused to even consider sending you to your mother, Edgar stormed off. We had some people following him for a while, but they lost him after he got off a flight in London."
"So my mother must be in London somewhere." I mumbled, more or less to myself than to anyone else.
But Marco grunted, "Well I say good riddance to him. But why the sudden interest about him?"
Now I was starting to get ticked off, "Can't I worry about my family without being interrogated about it?"
Marco's accusing eyes fall until I could see regret hiding in those dark jewels, "Sorry. I didn't mean to question you like that. I honestly came in here to figure out why you were so pissed at me before, which I guess I'd like to apologize for. Whatever I did to upset you, I'm sorry."
My heart fluttered. Was Marco actually being sincere for once? Did he actually feel sorry for what he said, even though he didn't know what he had done wrong? I felt a small smile slip onto my face even though I tried to keep it hidden. So somewhere deep down, Marco must care for me on another level besides just the assassin/client one he claimed he must remain on at all times. If he didn't care about my feelings, he wouldn't have apologized.
He cared.
"So...am I forgiven?" Marco wondered, snapping me from my thoughts. I saw that he actually seemed concerned with my answer, as if it would crush him if I didn't accept his apology.
But where would the fun be in just nodding?
"I don't know what you're talking about Marco, all I heard from you was 'blah, blah, blah, I'm an asshole." I laughed to myself as I stepped around him and out the door. But from behind me I could hear him laughing too, that wonderful true laugh I wished I could hear from him more often.
My bodyguard's quickly led me from my room after that, something about how I was late for my entrance exams. And the fact that seemingly every student from the academy was waiting for me near the front doors, didn't help. Marco had to force his way through the crowd while Luke and Toni stood on either side of me, tugging me through the group of people almost as if I were some famous celebrity.
But I guess you could say that I kind of was. To these students at least.
The entrance exams were actually fairly easy. I finished them in only an hour or two and apparently that was astounding because almost every teacher clapped for me when I finished the last one. There was a test for the four main subjects that everyone had to take; Math, English, Science, and History. Then since I was in Spanish at my old school, I took an exam for that one as well.
I didn't ace them all, but I was pretty close.
A sense of pride swept through me when I overheard one of the teachers telling Marco 'how lucky he was to have a client of such intellectual advancement'. But what made my chest burn with happiness was how proud Marco looked when he replied to the teacher with, "You could say I'm the luckiest assassin in the world."
My results were immediately sent to the Headmasters office so he could place me in appropriate classes. But from what I had witnessed yesterday, he'd be 'too busy' to take care of my test result today. So Marco led our group out of the office where I had taken my tests, and back through the halls of the academy.
Many students stopped to talk with us but they were able to ask only a few questions before Marco shot them a glare so impending that most of them scurried away, even the other assassins. I was happy though, everything was going great today. Marco and I had gotten over that little hiccup this morning, I had passed all of my exams, and now I could just relax for the rest of the day without feeling like I was going to get killed.
But most of you should know by now that Fate was actually out to get me, and she didn't plan on letting me go so easily.
My bodyguard's and I were sitting amongst the other students outside on the front lawn when phone buzzed yet again and the same foreign number sat upon my screen, staring back at me almost daring me to read it.
You look comfortable, why don't we shake things up a little bit?
My stomach dropped as my eyes scanned the area around me, then my phone buzzed again.
Don't bother looking for me honey.
Who the hell was this? There were plenty of students on their phones but none of them were staring at me. And of course I couldn't see anyone hiding behind a tree or dressed in all black like the others who had come to take my life. So my theory that it was my uncle behind this was clearly thrown out, he couldn't be on school grounds, watching me, without the students noticing a full grown man wondering around.
"Harmony, what's wrong?" Toni questioned from beside me, traces of laughter still lingering in her voice from a joke Luke had recently told.
But then my phone buzzed once more, Don't tell them anything or you'll regret it. So whoever this was could hear my conversation as well, which meant they must be close.
"Nothing." I snapped back quickly, too quickly. Marco's deathly stare landed on me and I felt the weight of it squishing me into the ground as his suspicions grew. But I couldn't say anything, there was no doubt in my mind that this stranger had every intention of keeping his promises.
"Harmony, what's going on?" Marco asked, his tone all but demanding an answer from me but my hands were tied in this situation.
When my phone buzzed that time I almost felt the dread draining the color from my cheeks, Oh no, looks like they're on to you. Let's distract them shall we?
I heard myself whisper 'no' just before I heard it.
A loud explosion shook the grounds of the academy. Screams could be heard erupting from in the distance and suddenly it seemed like a million things were happening at once. My eyes watched in terror as the entire courtyard turned into a mass of chaos. All of the bodyguard's were grabbing their clients and running towards the main building, probably the only place to assure the safety of those in need of protection. I felt my bodyguard's attempting to do the same, but my legs were carrying me in a different direction.
It was my fault that whatever happened, had happened. This person, whoever they were, was after me and if wasn't fair that others got hurt in an attempt to capture me. So I found myself running in the opposite direction than everyone else, towards where I had heard the explosion sound from. Black smoke was billowing into the sky from above the trees of the surrounding forest, and instantly I feared the absolute worst.
"Harmony, get back here!" Marco roared, his body frantically shoving through the crowds to get to me. But I was fast and small so I could slip between people while he had to push his way through.
I broke away from the crowds on the lawn and raced down the path into the forest. If anyone had been hurt, if anyone had died because of me, I'd never be able to forgive myself. The smell of smoke was growing stronger as Marco's echoing voice reached my ears. As I ran further into the trees, it got quieter and quieter until all I could hear were screams from those who had been directly affected.
Then I saw it.
The cafe ... was on fire, half of it was actually gone. Blown to smithereens. But a good portion of it was still standing, and to my utter horror, I could hear pleas of help coming from inside the inferno which sat before me.
I didn't have any time to think about it, I only had time to act. I ran right up to the burning structure and found several bodies laying on the floor. Most of them were moving, crawling away from the heat, but two people were laying extremely close to the part of the porch which was scorched.
I ran to them first but was surprised to find the rude bodyguard from yesterday, Kyle I think his name was. When he saw me approaching, he nudged the girl next to him and they both turned to me, their faces burned and blackened beyond recognition.
"What happened?" I asked breathlessly, kneeling down next to them.
The boy, Kyle, rose a shaking hand to his burned cheek, "We were sitting in the back when there was an explosion from the kitchen. We were thrown from the room but Diane and the others are still in there."
A cold fear chilled my heart as images of burning bodies swept through my mind. I couldn't let that happen to the sweet, innocent brown-haired girl I had only met yesterday. So I quickly got to my feet and gently hopped onto the porch. I was able to find a clear path to the door which was hanging off it's hinges by now.
But just as I was about to slip through, I heard a furious voice thunder behind me, "Harmony, stop right now!"
My eyes whirled to find Marco standing near Kyle, where I had been just a moment ago. He looked pissed but he looked more worried, for my safety. But he didn't understand. I had just arrived here yesterday, these people didn't deserve to burn just because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I couldn't let them suffer a punishment which was meant for me.
So I turned away from Marco and disappeared into the burning cafe.
I should have been standing in a little dining area for students to sit and relax, but instead all I could see were overturned tables alight with fire. The flames were stretched up the walls and licking at the ceiling which looked like it might give away at any moment, I had to work fast.
In the back corner, I saw a flash of brown hair as Diane struggled under something heavy. I started off towards her, doing my best to dodge the patches of fire which were slowly growing across the ground. When I finally reached her, her eyes snapped up to meet mine. Her face was blackened by smoke but there were streaks down her cheeks from where tears had slipped from her eyes. Her glasses were no where to be found and I saw that the edges of her hair were singed from the fire.
"Are you okay?" I yelled over the roar of the fire, kneeling down next to her.
She nodded, "I'm fine but Alyssa and Ben are stuck under that beam, and my foot is stuck."
More tears dripped down her cheeks as she yanked her foot in twenty different directions. I placed two hands on her shoulders and forced her eyes to meet mine, "Listen to me Diane, you're going to be fine. I'm going to get you out of here."
"I won't leave without Alyssa and Ben...and where's Kyle and Jenna?" She began panicking again, her head whipping around to find her other bodyguard's although without her glasses I'm not sure how helpful that would be.
"They're fine, the explosion pushed them out of the cafe. We need to focus on getting you guys out of here." I explained quickly.
"Fuck that." A voice announced from behind me. I turned to find Marco standing right behind me, his face creased with anger. No, rage would be a more adequate word for the emotion Marco was shooting at me. I opened my mouth to explain and apologize but he held up a hand, "I'm not going to argue with you in a building that's on fucking fire. You are going to take Diane outside and I'll get the other bodyguard's. No arguments, understand?"
I nodded, what else could I do?
Marco stepped around me and ripped Diane's foot free. She squealed in pain only once but as she stood up, I saw her smile gratefully at my bodyguard, "Thank you."
Marco wasn't the kind of man to accept the recognition, he only waved at me, "Grab her and get out, this whole place is going to cave in."
I hooked her arm around my neck while I grabbed her waist tightly. But before I left, I placed a hand on his shoulder, "Please be careful."
"We don't have time Harmony, get going." He ordered, but his tone was softer this time.
With Diane tightly clutched in my grasp, I turned and we fled from the burning cafe. I was basically carrying Diane by the time we reached the hanging door and I allowed her to leave first since she had been in here longer. As we emerged from the black smoke, I felt a burning sensation in my lungs which caused me to wheeze as the smoke burned my eyes.
Diane and I were quickly grabbed by Luke and Toni who were waiting just near the entrance. They pulled us a good distance away from the building as we hacked and coughed our guts out. I saw that Diane was dusted a shade darker due to the smoke and soon I realized that I was as well. But my eyes had returned to the burning building, quietly awaiting for Marco to emerge.
Any second.
Any minute.
But the longer I waited, the more my gut twisted in fear. Where was he?
Then I saw figures moving within the smoke. My heart fluttered in relief when I saw Diane's other two bodyguard's stumble through the front door, the two of them coughing just as I had been only minutes before. They were even darker than Diane and I, Luke and Toni grabbed them and lead them to where we were sitting. Soon Kyle and Jenna, the other two bodyguard's, joined us and the five of them hugged.
But my eyes were still locked on the front door, "Where's Marco?"
Alyssa, the girl who had just exited the billowing clouds of smoke, turned to me with her eyes drawn together in concern, "He freed us from the beam that had fallen but when we were leaving, the roof caved in. He helped us climb over the pile of debris but couldn't get over himself. He said he'd find another way out and told us to leave."
My heart began pounding wildly with each second she explained what had happened. Marco was trapped in there?
And it was because of me.
Damn, I go in there to save people from suffering the punishment meant for me and in the process, my bodyguard get's trapped for trying to save my stupid ass. Minutes upon minutes pass by and with each millisecond that draws past, I feel my heart pump a little faster. He needed help, that's the conclusion I came to.
A small crowd had formed around us but I knew none of them would risk the flames to save someone as Marco and I had. So I weakly climbed to my feel again and started off back towards the house. But I only made it a few feet before Luke grasped my arm and jerked be backwards, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"He needs help." I informed, feeling tears drip down my own cheeks. When had I started crying? Probably around the same time that I figure out that Marco would die if he didn't get out of that house that very instant.
"You can't go back in there." Toni instructed, coming up on the other side of me.
"Someone has to help him." I yelled at the both of them, didn't they understand that the only reason he was in there was because of me? I had to get in there, I had to pull him out. But just as I yanked my arm free from Luke's clutch...
...the roof caved in completely.
A scream sounded through the air and it only took a second for me to realize that it had belonged to me. Luke wrapped me in a hug as he shielded me from the splinters and heat that were being thrown our way.
My chest suddenly ached, extremely painfully.
Marco.
Then my eyes fell on the front window as a large object jetted through it, the glass shattering and splintering to the floor. But it wasn't just an object, it was Marco. He fell into the dust as the entire building collapsed into a heap of rubble behind him.
I tore away from Luke and Toni, my shaking legs propelling me towards Marco who lay on the ground, breathing and coughing at a dangerous rate. I collapsed into the dust next to him and hugged him as tightly as I possibly could. Every inch of him from his hair to his shoes were stained a sickening black from the smoke but I didn't even care.
He was alive.
He had saved Diane and all of her bodyguards.
"I thought you were dead...I thought..." But I couldn't even finish my sentence due to the tears of joy dribbling from my closed eyes.
Marco continued to cough, his arms wrapping weakly around my back as he pushed himself into a siting position. And that's how we sat for a long time, Marco coughing and me not daring to let him go for fear that he'd disappear. The crowd around us moved closer to watch the rest of the building burn. And it wasn't until there was a tap on my shoulder that I finally pulled away from Marco to see who was behind us.
Diane stood there with her bodyguards crowded around her. She was smiling from ear to ear in utter gratitude. She knelt down next to Marco who was still coughing slightly but not nearly as much as twenty minutes ago, "Thank you. I can't even express how grateful I am that you saved my bodyguards."
Then one by one, each of them came forward and shook Marco's hand. A second later they turned to me smiling once again. Diane wrapped me in a hug, "Thank you, your team saved the most important people in my life. If you ever need anything please let me know, I'll never be able to repay you for this."
"I'm just glad that everyone is okay." I replied, my voice hoarse.
Then I turned back to Marco who was still sitting on the floor, his hand covering his mouth as he continued to cough. But I couldn't hide my happiness and I wrapped my arms around his neck once again for another choking hug.
He chuckled and I felt his chest rumble against mine, "You okay princess?"
I nodded, burying my face in his blackened neck, "Please don't ever scare me like that again. I thought I lost you...I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for any of that to happen. I just couldn't let them get hurt and-"
"Shh, it's okay." Marco cooed in my ear as another round of tears sprang from my eyes. This was by far the most terrifying even to occur since I met Marco. Just the thought of loosing him, or anyone, because of me was probably going to haunt me forever. He continued to rub my back and hold me tightly, and I didn't even care who saw.
I almost lost him today.
"What the hell is going on here?" A voice shouted from behind us and we turned to see the Headmaster standing amongst the crowd. Diane and her bodyguards shied away from him, all five of them hiding behind my team.
Marco pushed himself up, though I saw him swaying as he did so. The Headmaster's gaze landed on us instantly and his countenance hardened. He practically ran up to us, his face reddened in anger, "One of you better start explaining."
His words were directed towards me and I felt my body shiver in fear. But Marco grabbed me around the waist and pulled me behind him, protecting me with his own body. The Headmaster glared even further at Marco but my bodyguard wasn't one to shy away from authority, "We weren't here at the time of the explosion, sir. But upon reaching the site we heard screams from inside and quickly entered to save those that had been caught in the blast. We successfully retrieved all pinned members and retreated before the building collapsed."
The Headmaster's gaze fell to me once again, "If you weren't here upon the initial blast, then why is your client covered in smoke? Did she enter that building in an attempt of saving others as well?"
I expected Marco to proudly state that I had, to prove that I could handle myself. But instead Marco shook his head, "No. She was helping people out of the wreckage from the front porch where the smoke was coming out of the door. She, at no point, entered the compounds of the burning building."
My mind was reeling. Why was he lying?
"Is this what all of you saw as well?" The Headmaster shouted towards the crowd around us. They all simultaneously nodded their agreements though I knew every single one of them had seen what actually had happened. The Headmaster turned back to face us, his face softening slightly, "Well I'm sorry to hear of this unfortunate event. We would have been here sooner, but we had to establish the safety of the rest of the school before we could arrive. I'm glad that your team was here Marco, you saved lives today."
"Thank you sir." Marco answered, bowing his head. Why had he lied?
The Headmaster began barking out orders to put out the rest of the fire and for others to help the wounded to the infirmary. He also insisted that Marco report there as well, and in that instant, I agreed with him.
Marco, though he would never admit it, seemed extremely weak and needed medical help. The whole walk there, he leaned on me heavily as we walked with Luke and Toni right behind us in case I needed help. But I could tell that Marco wasn't putting all his weight on me, even when he was hurt, he was watching out for me.
"I am so sorry." I mumbled as we began our long trek towards the infirmary with the others who had been wounded.
Marco grunted, "Why? I'm proud of you princess, I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am. I've never seen any client like you, so willing to give up your safety to save others. You really impressed me today."
I felt myself smiling, a blush dancing across my cheeks at the compliments Marco was giving me. But there was something tickling my mind, "If you're so proud of me, then why did you lie to the Headmaster?"
Marco sighed, rubbing at his nose which was still caked with residue form the smoke, "The Headmaster has a strict rule about out clients being our first priority. If he had found out that I let you run into that building, you'd be punished just as much and Luke, Toni, and I."
"But you didn't let me, I didn't really give you that choice." I pointed out, gripping onto him even tighter.
Marco shook his head, "It doesn't matter to him. You're safety is the number one thing and the fact that you ran in there to save someone else doesn't exactly insure your protection."
I nodded to his explanation, feeling guilty once again that if the Headmaster would have found out, it would have meant yet another beating for my bodyguards though none of it was their fault. None of this was their fault.
"Hey." Marco lifted my chin until our eyes met, and he smiled again, "I'm still extremely proud of you. And that's all that matters."
I smiled back at him, feeling the dread in my stomach slowly disperse.
Then he leaned in and whispered in my ear, "And besides all of that, you look extremely hot right now."
I laughed, unable to hold it in. He wrapped his arm tighter around my shoulders and I snuggled closer into his side. So what if we weren't a couple, it felt like it. And sometimes, that's all you needed to make it real.
A feeling.
We reached the infirmary and Marco was instantly taken to a room where a doctor began to examine him. Luke, Toni, and I weren't allowed in the room but we could watch everything from behind a glass window which peered into the room.
My pocket buzzed, and I felt my entire body stiffen. Marco was busy with his examination, so I slowly lifted my phone from my pocket and secretly read the text which was displayed upon my screen.
Well that was fun, wasn't it? Can't wait to see how Marco survives the next one.
I felt my jaw lock as I read the message. But there wasn't anything I could do about it in that instant. If Marco found out, he'd lock me away and I'd never figure out who was after me. So for now, this had to stay my own little secret. He had been protecting me quiet literally since the very day I was born.
I was a big girl now and I was pissed.
So I sent a message back, typing furiously.
You made a huge mistake when you threatening my friends.
Maybe it wouldn't scare them away, if anything it probably will pissed them off even more. But I was tired of being the damsel in distress and I was tried of my bodyguards taking the hits for me. This time it was personal, and this time I wasn't going to let them get away with it. This was probably a terrible plan and I knew I'd regret it later on, but at the moment, I didn't really care.
I was out for blood.
My phone buzzed again and this time when I read it, I wasn't afraid. For the first time I wasn't afraid, I was enraged.
Let the games begin.
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Until next time!