Page 29 of Guarded

“Is everything alright?” Ari asks, and I nod.

“Why wouldn’t it be Manikà?” I reply, lowering my eyes on her.

It’s the only way I know how to answer because saying, “I want all your time, all your laughter, and all your fucking attention,” not only sounds pathetic, but it violates the whole client-employee relationship.

Ari purses her lips to the side the way she does when she’s stopping herself from talking. I hate when she does it because I feel like someone at some point in her life told her she talked too much. She did talk too fucking much, but I liked it. Fuck, I was starting to love it.

I spoke too little, and silence made me feel like a little kid again, confined to the closet because I did something to set Evangeline off. I couldn’t deal with the silence.

“Manikà kind of sounds like muneca. Is Tagalog similar to Spanish?” Ari asks.

“Yes. The people of the Philippines were also victims of Spanish colonization.”

“Fucking colonizers.” She says, nodding.

The historical lesson is cut short. Shots fire in the distance, and my body lurches forward. I throw my weight onto Ari. She trembles beneath me as the shots sound closer and bullets fly around us.

Pop

Pop

Pop

Her back is to the booth, and my body covers hers. Guapo hides below the table. She grips my forearms in her shaking hands.

I lift slightly to give her room and place my index finger to my lips. The rosary I wear drags between us, and she reaches up to touch the beads that have fallen to her chest.

Her green eyes fill with concern when she looks at me. I palm her face. It’s a simple touch. The only way I can reassure her without words.

You’re going to be okay.

I’ll protect you.

Loud frequencies of the fire alarm begin to sound. I grab the gun from my boot and the other from the holster on my side.

“Do you know how to use this?” I whisper, and she nods. Her hands shake, but she grabs the gun in hers.

“Good Girl. When it’s clear, we will run straight to the security room. We got to be quick, okay?” I instruct her before I slowly lift myself and check the surroundings.

I find Leatherface in the corner booth, crouched in front of Kostya with a gun in his hand. People are running out of the restaurant, but I can’t locate the shooters. Speed is my only ally right now.

A minute passes by, and adrenaline courses through my body. I’m torn about which way to rush, but my body does what it wants. I don’t go toward my club president like I should. I don’t even look for Jasper or Louie as I pull Ari up and grab Guapo.

I pull them forward and take one final glance at Leather’s face. He sees me, but I don’t have time to guess his thoughts. I’ll deal with any repercussions from the club later. Right now, my mind only focuses on getting Ariella out of here.

Looking down, I’m relieved she’s in some running shoes. I nod in front of us, and she rushes out in front of me through the chaos of frantic people. I don’t stall, and I don’t stop. Not until I’ve caught up to her outside the security room. No timeis wasted. I scan my thumbprint and pull Ari into the room. Checking to make sure the door locked behind us.

The room looks like the standard guestroom at Calavera Hotels. As a security measure, it blends in with the other rooms, but it is where most of the arsenals are hidden.

I look around the room to make sure we’re alone. There’s a small comfort in the black matte interior and the gold skull lamps. The rooms on this floor are the least expensive rooms in the hotel. Yet it still felt like royalty compared to the apartments I lived in over the years with Evangeline.

Guapo has already taken his place on a black vintage chair in the corner of the room. Ari makes her way to the queen-size bed in the corner. I move to the closet to find the gun vault hidden in the crawl space, which has been raided.

Putagina mo.

I turn my ear to the door. The sound of guns firing continues in the distance. Turning back, I find Ari slumped down the side of the bed and onto the floor. She’s wearing pink leggings and a matching pink crop top. Sitting on her knees, the right side of her body leans onto the end of the bed. The dullness has returned to her eyes, and her face is pale.

Fuck.She’s checking out again.

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