Page 64 of My Broken Bodyguard 2: Ritchie & Tori

He tapped another button on the remote. A popular slow ballad bellowed through hidden speakers.

“This is relaxing,” I sighed.

His arms circled my body. “We needed this piece of heaven tonight.”

“We did.” I smiled.

I PREPARED AN ELABORATEbreakfast for Ritchie and me. He loved my cooking. It brought a smile to my face watching him devour every morsel.

As we ascended the stairs to the front door of the playhouse, Ritchie kept one hand on his Glock and scanned our surroundings. He meticulously checked the door for any signs of explosives or wires before allowing me to unlock and open it.

"Stay here while I search the house," he instructed.

A gust of wind swept over my neck, sending chills through my body. Good thing I wore a sweatshirt and jeans today. Chicago weather leading into the fall was unpredictable.

Brock stood outside his SUV, keeping a watchful eye on the area for any suspicious activity. Ritchie had called him last night and told him to meet us here. Ezra wouldn't resume his role as my bodyguard until Ritchie left town; he wanted to give him more time to recover from his injuries.

I picked up a few pieces of mail from the pile, but my attention was drawn to a rectangular package hidden among the envelopes. The label sent a chill down my spine:Tori, this package is just for you. I’m delivering a little bang.

From: You know who.

“Fuck!” I glanced at the house across the street from mine.

“Dirty bitch,” I muttered.

"It's a bomb," I shouted, taking a step forward into the house.

"Ritchie, get out of there now!" I roared.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

TORI

THE AFTERMATH

Brock’s grip on my arm was like a vise, pulling me tightly against his chest. In one swift motion, he flung us both off the porch and onto the dewy grass below.

A loud “oof” escaped my lips as my body collided with the hard soil. The ground shook beneath us and before I even had a chance to steady myself, the house exploded into a cacophony of chaos. Splinters of wood and shards of metal flew through the air, whizzing dangerously close to us.

The force of the explosion sent our bodies hurtling towards the nearby chain-link fence, where we were thrown against it with such impact that I could feel every individual link pressing into my back.

Through the deafening ringing in my ears, I could hear Brock yelling something at the top of his lungs. But all I could focus on was Ritchie. My heart clenched in pain at the thought of never seeing him again. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I struggled against Brock’s weight, pinning me down.

“I’m going to fucking kill her,” I gritted out in anger.

“Ritchie!” I shouted.

My whole body trembled uncontrollably, as if I had been plunged into icy Lake Michigan in the dead of winter. Memories of our perfect night together flooded my mind, making the pain in my heart even more unbearable. All that would be left now were memories of what we once had.

Brock met my gaze. “Are you all right?” he yelled.

His blue eyes were wild. He looked like he was ready to kill any and everyone.

I peered at my grandmother’s house that held so many memories. Dark smoke curls rose from the ashes. And the acrid scent of burning wood and plastic filled my nostrils.

The commotion of my neighbors outside the fence snapped me out of my daze for a moment, but my mind quickly returned to Ritchie.

My love, my soulmate, gone in an instant. I wanted to dig through the charred debris and find him, hold his lifeless body in my arms.

---