Page 43 of Make You Wish You Were Dead
"Because I want to help people who might have had some issue similar to mine. I want to take my experience with not talking and help someone who has a similar problem," I explain. Rowan nods his head and takes a bit of his ice cream. "How did you get into this kind of business?"
Rowan is good at hiding it, but I can see the way his shoulders tense when I ask that question.
"I was born into it. My father is the CEO of the whole assassination, guard business bullshit. So, once I started to understand things I started training for the position."
"When did you start?"
"I started training when I was four and then I had my first ever job when I was sixteen."
My eyes widen. "That's so young."
Rowan shrugs. "It's whatever. I never saw it as a problem because that was my lifestyle. My brother and I both started young."
"You have a brother?"
"Yea. I only know of one though. I probably have more because my father likes to fuck around with a lot of people."
"So you think you have more siblings?"
"I know I have more siblings. I know I have maybe a few brothers out there and then for sure a lot of sisters. I'm the only child that my father has kept to himself since I was born. My brother was taken in after my father found out he was alive, which was when he was a toddler."
"I'm sorry. That seems terrible that you didn't really have a childhood."
I see Rowan tense up again and I trail my eyes down to his shoulders which twitch a little. I feel tingles in my lower body as I imagine running my fingertips over his shoulder structure.
"Don't be sorry. If I didn't train that young or do this kind of business, then I wouldn't have met you," Rowan says which makes my cheeks burn up.
I look away, towards the window at the same time I see four men walk out of the black SUV and pull out guns then aiming them towards us.
Everything happens in slow motion as Rowan pulls me to the floor at the same time three bullets hit the window.
Rowan covers my body with his.
"Rowan-"
"It's okay. Just stay down. Listen to what I say, okay?" Rowan says, calmly as he hovers on top of me. His face is filled with panic and as I put my hands on his chest his whole body is tense and hard. "I need you to hide behind the ice cream counter and then don't move from that spot. I'm going to kill off these guys and then we will get out of here. You can't go to the car ‘cause then they will kill you. So, by no means leave this building. Do you understand?" I nod my head, but Rowan says, "I need to hear you say it Jane. You're my priority."
"I w-won't leave the building," I say with a shaky voice.
Rowan rolls over and he crouches down and holds my hand. He crawls on the floor next to me as more bullets shoot through the window. Once we are behind the counter, I lean my back against the wall at the same time I see the ice cream employee lying on the floor with blood surrounding her head.
I turn my head to the side and hold in a cry. I feel a finger touch my chin making me flinch and open my eyes.
"I'm going to go out and kill those guys, okay? Don't leave this spot and don't look at her. I just want you to stare straight ahead and be aware of your surroundings. Okay?"
"O-Okay." I nod my head.
Rowan sighs and then leans in and presses a quick kiss to my lips. I try to hold on to the feel of his lips on mine to make me think of something else. Anything else. "Please don't move," Rowan says before leaving behind the counter.
I try my best to look straight and not look at the girl who is lying dead next to me.
Don't look. Don't look. Don't look.
Multiple gun shots go off and the sound of glass breaking fills the building.
I look to the side of the counter and see Rowan aiming his gun at the guys outside. His body is stiff and tense as he shoots his gun.
When a bullet shoots closer to the counter, I lower my head down so that I can't see Rowan anymore.
