Page 7 of Mercenary's Redemption

The girl cries out in shock and fear, burying her face against my chest as I hunker down, protecting her trembling body from the deadly shrapnel raining down.

Some of the shrapnel simply scratches and pings off harmlessly. Others slice deep into the flesh of my back and shoulders, stinging fiercely. But I don't dare move or loosen my grip, not until the deadly storm has passed.

Protecting this girl is my only focus right now.

Finally, the roar of the motorcycle engines begins to fade as whoever pulled this stunt seemingly peels off, turning and fleeing the scene of their carnage. I'm still for another few tense seconds, waiting until the very last tinkle of raining glass ceases.

The moment it does, I hear rapid movement as Trickster and Knowledge scramble up from behind the overturned tables they'd taken cover behind.

"We're going after those bastards!" Knowledge snarls, hands already balling into fists.

He pauses when he sees Holly and me slowly uncurling, shaking bits of glass from our clothes and hair. Our eyes meet, and I open my mouth, prepared to tell them I'm going, too, that I need to handle this myself.

But before I can get a word out, a small hand fists in the front of my shirt as the girl presses herself flush against me once more. She's trembling violently, her chest heaving with sobs as tears streak down her pale cheeks.

"P-Please..." she chokes out between gasps for air. "Please don't go...don't leave me."

Trickster and Knowledge are already turning to go, their vengeance set. I should be right behind them, letting my wrath fuel the hunt. That's what the cold, ruthless Mercenary they all know would do.

But somehow, the sight of this beautiful angel crumpled and crying against me, begging me to stay...I can't bring myself to leave her like this. Not when she's so shaken and afraid.

"Go on without me, brothers," I tell Trickster and Knowledge, my voice catching slightly. "But be careful, you hear? Those bastards aren't messing around."

Knowledge throws me a curt nod before he and Trickster sprint out the door, fists raised as they take off in pursuit. Soon, nothing is left but the sounds of Holly's muffled sobbing against my chest.

"Hey..." I murmur roughly, brushing some of the glass from her dark hair, “I ain't going anywhere. You're safe with me. I won't let anybody lay a hand on you. You got that?"

Holly's only response is to cling tighter to me, her face still buried in my chest as her shoulders shake with quiet sobs. I can feel her hot tears soaking through the thin fabric of my shirt.

For a long moment, I just stand there, awkwardly holding her trembling form while she cries. Comforting fragile dames has never exactly been my strong suit. Hell, I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to do anything like this before.

But there's something about the way she's desperately grasping at me, like a terrified child, that brings out strange protective instincts I didn't know I had. So, I just keep murmuring low, gruff reassurances, gently rubbing her back with one hand.

"Shh, it's alright now...I got you. Those bastards are long gone..."

Slowly but surely, her ragged gasps for air start to even out until the sobs wracking her body subside into the occasional hiccup or sniffle. Holly finally lifts her head, swiping at the streaks of mascara staining her flushed cheeks.

"I'm...I'm so sorry," she whispers hoarsely, unable to meet my gaze. "I just...I've never been so scared before in my life."

At a loss for words, I simply give her arm a reassuring squeeze. "There's no need to apologize. You reacted how any sane person would to getting attacked like that."

This seems to calm her a bit more, the tight line of tension easing from her shoulders. Holly draws in a shuddery breath before nodding jerkily.

"Thank you...again," she murmurs, finally daring to meet my eyes. "I don't know what I would've done if you weren't here."

I can't help but let out a short, humorless laugh at her words.

"Way I see it, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even stepped foot in this bar in the first place."

Holly blinks up at me, those big eyes swimming with confusion and uncertainty, "I...I don't know about that."

Arching one eyebrow, I gesture around at the wreckage surrounding us - shards of glass littering every surface, overturned furniture, the whole place looking like a war zone. Then I let my gaze slowly travel up and down her body, taking in and appreciating her curves and tousled hair.

"Just take a look around," I say gruffly. "This shit-hole of a dive ain't exactly your scene, now is it?"

Her cheeks flush a little at my appraising look, but she doesn't try to argue my point. We both know I'm right. A sweet, innocent thing like her doesn't belong anywhere near the gritty biker world I inhabit.

With a sigh, I finally release her from my loose embrace, subtly putting a bit more distance between us. As lovely as she is, I shouldn't be holding her this close for too long. I don't want to give the poor girl the wrong idea about my intentions.

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