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My shoutout goes to Denmark, Denver, Rio, Kenya and Oslo ❤️
Riley
*
We'd spent few hours at the event center and I tried every possible game and ride I could. I was happy, even though Dennis had decided to keep a permanent scowl on his face.
He was neutral when we left the estate but then that was like several hours ago. Picking my phone out of my purse, I took a picture and begged Dennis to take with me.
I'd been begging since the first ride was about to start but he would always say no.
"Please. I'm so happy and I need to share this moment with someone." I rambled.
"Hmm." He grunted and hunched. Before he could decide to change his mind, I took a few snaps and giggled, turning around to lightly punch his stomach.
"Where do we go next?"
"Home."
My smile fell flat. "Why? It's still so early. The time is barely seven and we left at three, just a while ago. Why don't we... go to the cinema and just watch any movie."
"Not planned." He grunted and looked around.
"It's a thing of the moment, we don't have to plan it so extravagantly. I promise." I pouted, looking on the verge of tears.
Dennis looked down at me. He glared hard. "Last thing we're doing today."
I nodded.
"If we noticed anything fishy, we leave." He, of course, grunted these words out.
I nodded.
"And this is the last time we're spending so much time out without planning shit." He scowled.
I nodded reluctantly and bit my lower lip.
He pulled me along after that, digging my face into his side at one point and I let out an oomph, pulling away from him.
"What the hell, buff man?" I took fast breaths in. He actually smelled nice. His cologne wasn't all that strong but it left this lasting linger in the nose which was really good.
"I need to keep you safe." He pulled me closer to him and placed one heavy arm over my shoulder, looking around as we left the place and got into the car.
We drove to a cinema nearby and checked the movies available. There was no new adult movie showing this noon, which Dennis had inquired about.
"There's no movie for you, peanut butter." He told me seriously.
I scrunched my nose at him, wondering why he kept calling me peanut butter. "There's an action movie about to start soon. I love action movies and stuff. They keep me guessing that's going to happen next. Let's see what they have for us."
Dennis bought the tickets and I made him get two bowls of popcorn since I didn't have any money.
The movie started and I watched earnestly, noting the main character was really good looking and had a great body since he was working out. Dennis was tense beside me but then he was my bodyguard for that reason and needed to be on guard. Still I wanted him to have some fun.
My popcorn was long gone by now and without asking, I dug into his and munched on it without asking him. He didn't even look my way when I grabbed it from him.
"There's no bad guys here." I whispered when Dennis looked behind us but he ignored me. I shook my head and kept watching the movie. The main lead now had a girl he liked and they were getting down and dirty.
But this girl was an informant for the bad guys though she was beginning to take her deal with the male lead too seriously. Like she was now falling for him.
One hour and some minutes into the movie, the main character was speeding past a couple of cars, with the bad guys hot on his tail.
The girl had just been shot since she didn't give the full information she got from the male lead to her drug cartel lord and I was nervous, wondering what would happen next when Dennis suddenly pulled my hand to him and pushed my head down. I gasped at the force and struggled to get off his grip.
I yelped as I heard an ear deafening sound and the lady sitting right in front of Dennis, adjacent to me suddenly screamed, looking at the person beside her who now had his head hung low.
"Fuck!" Dennis roared as people started screaming and the whole place went in haywire. "Come on Riley. Time to go home."
People tripped on each other as we all struggled to leave at the same time.
The lights came on when we'd barely managed to get out of our own row and we hurried outside along with other viewers.
"Dennis, that man..or person, whoever they are just got shot." I mumbled, trying to catch my breath.
"Hmm. He's dead." Dennis replied without warmth in his tone.
I was still in shock, now trembling. Not from the cold but from the scene from earlier.
Dennis turned on his torch and checked some sides of the car before we got in. Then he started the car while a making call to someone.
"Boss."
I looked his way.
"We got a surprise from a gang, Riley almost had a bullet pierced through her skull."
I gasped. That bullet that'd killed that man was meant for me.
My mind went into haywire as I began to regret pestering Dennis to take me out all yesterday and even this morning. Now someone had a bullet in their skull and I'd also managed to put the lives of several people, including myself and Dennis's, into danger.
I blinked as tears clouded my vision. It was all my fault.
I sniffed and squeezed my purse in a death grip, wishing this was all a bad dream.
"The Sharks." Dennis was still speaking. "Yes I caught a glimpse but I couldn't chase them."
He paused and looked my way. I was probably the reason he couldn't chase the bad guys. "Yes boss, she's keeping up. Hmm, she was good all through. No, she didn't. Hmm, I think she liked it. Looks like she might pass out soon though, she's white." He told the person on the other line just as my eyelids were beginning to get heavy.
This wouldn't have happened if I'd just gone with Dan to get the ice creams on our date a year ago.
Then I would have graduated with my highschool mates by now, Dan would still be alive, I would be in a good University by now, I wouldn't have left my foster family and I wouldn't be constantly oppressed with the haunting screams and yells that usually kept me awake on some nights.
I hugged myself and drowned out the rest of Dennis's words, feeling my head go light.
I moaned and felt something on my cheek. Then I was in the air, moving. It felt hard but homey, I shifted and snuggled further into the hard surface.
"Boss." I heard from afar. Gruff but familiar.
"Take her up and meet me in my office."
"Hmm."
I woke up with a groggy moan and cradled my head. It was burning a little. I looked around and noticed through a slightly parted curtain, the darkness that clouded the vicinity outsude.
"Fuck." I groaned and blinked to clear the tiredness from my eyes.
"Cussing isn't healthy for a lady." The steel-like voice pierced into my surroundings. Soft but sharp and powerful.
I opened my eyes and lazily sat up. The man was sitting beside my bed, a document in hand. He wore eye glasses.
"Beast." I murmured and blinked. His steel blue eyes looked brighter than usual. I licked my lower lip then looked at the time on the bedstand. Five minutes past ten.
"How are you Riley?" He asked in his deep tone which I was now accustomed to.
I looked up at his piercing steel blue eyes. "Fine."
"Did you have a nice time out?" He crossed one leg over the other. Dare I say, it made him look even more good-looking but also mightier and scarier.
I cringed at my thoughts and quickly looked away before he'd catch me checking him out.
"Yes I did. Thanks for asking."
"You're welcome Riley. Your life was in danger tonight. There are some bad guys targeting you. Do you know why, Riley?" He seemed to love my name. He was always calling it.
"No I don't, Beast." I summoned up courage and looked up at him, maintaining eye contact for longer this time. My heartbeat slowed but I maintained eye contact, determined not to look away. He wasn't a god, just a man. And I hated having to fear anyone.
"Because you're with me. They're wondering, what's special about this girl? Why is she with the Beast? How will she be useful to us?"
"Oh." My thoughts began to run wild. Why would they be curious about me? I was just a random girl who once witnessed a crime and was now on some kind of witness protection. I didn't even know the people involved, and the cops that knew the bad guys didn't rat them out. Sadly.
"So I need you to do something for me Riley, can you do it?"
I blinked. "Well, it depends on what."
"I want you to take your lessons seriously. You'll start in a few days time. It'll be immediately after your morning exercises."
"What's the lesson about? I mean-"
"It can otherwise be considered as training. It's just basics you'll go through, don't worry."
"Wh-what is my reward?" I stuttered like a fool again and looked into his eyes, steeling myself for what I'd hear.
"I'll take you out myself in a few months from now. To a very interesting place. It's related to my work and I know you'll love it." He stared darkly at me as if he was telling me he would dig up a hole and throw me in before smashing my head till it was battered and unrecognizable.
His voice was so cold. Same as his eyes. I shuddered and quickly broke eye contact.
"P-promise?" I was at the verge of crying or yelling. Why did I keep stuttering stupidly?
It was just 'The Beast', looking dominating on the couch and observing me while we conversed.
Had he been watching me sleep?
I shuddered at the thought and licked my lower lip again. Why couldn't he look away? It was a bit chilling that he'd stared at me all through this little conversation we'd had since I woke up. Yes he'd blinked, but he still kept staring!
Even Keanu didn't look this intense all the time.
"I promise Riley, just keep your end of the deal. Okay?"
I nodded in determination. "Yes! I will."
"Good. Rest now." He got up and left.
The husky smell of his cologne resided in the room even though he was long gone and I found myself anticipating what the classes would entail.
*
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