Page 14 of Guarded

“Nero, can you unlock the windows?” I say. His brows furrow and release before unlocking the window that wasn’t locked.

“You’re with Nero?” Genesis mutters.

“Oh, ya. That’s my bodyguard.”

“Never mind.” She grumbles.

“Okay. I’ll see you this week. We’ll meet for lunch.”

I’m met with silence, but I can’t ask her much with Nero in the car. Internally, I sigh because I don’t know if there’ll be another chance to speak with her.

She’s been avoiding me, and the one time she needs me, I can’t be there for her. She would push me out again. Push the world out. That was how Gen coped with life.

“Okay bye. Love ya,” I say to the deadline, where she’s already hung up.

Nero eyes me suspiciously.

“My best friend. She’s so funny.” I laugh.

Gen is not funny.

In fact, she is so serious and very cut off from the word funny. But I enjoy her company. Her very blunt honesty is great when you’re the type of person who is indecisive about everything.

When we get to the hotel, we carry the bags into the elevator and up to the penthouse. Guapo comes running as soon as I open the door, but not to me. His little feet pitter-patter acrossthe floor to Nero, who bends down and runs his knuckles over Guapo’s short fur.

“Thank you,” I say, setting the bags on the counter.

“Not just for buying the food but also for being nice to my dog.” I give him a smile before opening a can of food for Guapo.

“Kids and animals are vulnerable members of our society. I don’t see why anyone would ever be mean to them,” Nero says from behind me. His words grip me like a vice to my heart.

“Ya, I get the whole burn thing freaks people out, but I don’t know. I always thought it made him beautiful in a different way.” I dump the food into Guapo’s dish and leave it there for him.

“Those are burn wounds?” Nero asks.

“Yup. I found Guapo when I was 13. He was trapped inside a fire when we found him. I heard him whimpering in the shed and begged my dad to rescue him. We nursed him back to health.”

I pick Guapo up like a baby and snuggle my face into his.

“Isn’t that right, baby? Everyone says I saved you, but you saved me!” I kiss Guapo’s tiny head before placing him back on the ground.

Nero helps me put the groceries away before heading to the shower. It was nice to be able to be around an actual human being. Even if this was all temporary.

An idea forms in my mind. I could build a friendship with Nero. Ask him to help me convince Axel that I don’t need a husband to protect me. I didn’t expect Nero to be my bodyguard forever, but if we could coexist like this, maybe he would change his mind and stay with me until I found someone. Someone I could fall in love with organically.

Chapter 5

Nero

“Let me see your phone,” I tell Ariella.

“For What?”

“I’m going to put in my number in case of an emergency,” I say, grabbing her phone.

She doesn’t fight me and instead shrugs. We survived an entire week together. The new pact between us made her less annoyed with me, and her mood seemed more stabilized.

I quickly install the software I need to track her, and gain access to her call logs and messages. She’s ready for the day in a very tight pink dress and leopard print heels. Her long blonde hair falls down the center of her back in loose curls. Her outfit doesn’t surprise me, but for some reason, it makes me weary.

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