Page 67 of Trust My Bodyguard

Fear grips my heart in a chokehold. I can’t breathe.

I turn around. There’s a man at the end of the hallway with a gun trained at me.

A shrill cry leaves my throat and I dive into my apartment. The air leaves my lungs as my chest slams into the floor. Another gunshot fills the air.

“Ohgod.Ohgod.Ohgod.” I stay low and turn the locks on the door. Following Callum’s advice, I installed a solid door with more locks when we got back. We were safe as the bad guy had been caught but it was important to be careful.

I didn’t realize how good that advice was.

I crawl back on my hands and butt with my eyes trained on the door. My chest rises and falls rapidly as I struggle to draw a full breath.

I wait for another gunshot that never comes. But it doesn’t matter. I already know what he wants.

A man out there is after my life. He wants to kill me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Brody

Someone’s knocking. No. Pounding. Someone’s pounding at my door.

I roll over onto my side and bring a pillow over my head. Surely, that’s not for me. I don’t know anyone who’d threaten to take my door off its hinges with that level of aggressiveness. It must be a dream.

“Brody, open up!” a voice comes through, cutting a path through my foggy mind.

The noise grows louder as I roll over onto my back and open my eyes. I look at the door and a groan leaves my lips. They’re rattling the door now.

I roll out of bed, pull my sweatpants up, and drag my tired feet across the carpet. Whoever’s on the other side better have a good reason for threatening to split my skull with all that noise.

I unlock the door and turn the handle. “What—”

The question dies on my tongue as I’m shoved so far back I stumble. The fuck?

“You asshole!”

Me? Asshole? I blink away the bleariness in my eyes. Who’s being so rude to me? I manage to focus and Ivy stands before me. She screams something I can’t make out, poking a finger in my chest.

Fuck. I must be dreaming. There’s no way she’s here in real life.

“H-how did you get in here?” My voice comes out hoarse. Nothing makes sense.

“Duh.” She sneers. “Through the freaking lobby. Now, are you going to answer me? Or will you just keep staring…”

But how can her voice be so loud my ears ring if this is really a dream? And why can I feel her finger against my chest?

“Do you hear me?” Dream Ivy takes me by the shoulders and shakes me. Or attempts to. I don’t move an inch and she huffs her frustration. She gets right up in my face, her dark green eyes wide with alarm and her lips trembling. “Someone shot at me, Brody! Someone tried to kill me.”

Why would someone do that? Ivy’s such a nice girl.Sometimes.

“Fucking wake up, you jerk!” she shouts in my face. “My life is in danger. You said I could go home, but I almost got killed in my home, okay?” Her eyes are clouding up with tears and she chokes on her words. “You promised me I was safe, but I’m not. We’re not safe. Someone is still after us.”

The stalker. The thrashed apartment. The man that was caught.

I’m not dreaming. This is real.

“Someone shot at… you?” My heart races as my mind plays catch up.

“That’s what I’ve been saying.” She pushes against my shoulders. “Aren’t you listening?”

---