Page 29 of Daddy's Bodyguard

“Thanks.” She takes the snack, her eyes flicking to Jasper. She exhales, looking back at me. “Are you sure there’s nothing going on with you and Jasper?”

“There’s nothing between us,” I assure her. “He’s all yours, Carissa.”

Her smile returns, but it’s hesitant. “I don’t know…”

“Look, I’m not forcing you to date him. I’m just letting you know we’re nothing but… friends.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I am sure.”

I have to be. I have no room in my life for Jasper. Carissa seems a little cheerful as she goes back to work, while I feel like shit. I know this is wrong. I shouldn’t instigate an affair with Carissa when I’m battling with my feelings for him. What if they never go away? How will I cope if Jasper and Carissa start a relationship?

I can’t think about that now. Besides, I’m sure my feelings will subside once Jasper gets discharged from my life.

I’ve barely rested my butt on my chair when Jasper grabs my arm and pulls me up. Luckily, there’s no one around my section to witness his rough handling as he drags me outside. I try to shake him off, but I’m no match for his strength, especially when he’s so pissed. He braces me against the wall, his arms barring me in from both sides.

“Is there a reason you chose to disobey my orders, Sofia?”

He’s seething. I can tell. The violent fury in his eyes sends a confusing thrill running through me. “I’m not your child, Jasper,” I reply, sounding surprisingly calm, considering the heat wave I’m experiencing from his stare. “I don’t take orders from you. I wanted coffee. You were talking with Carissa. It took five minutes. There’s no problem.”

Jasper hits the wall beside me, and I jump. Fuck, he’s really, really pissed.

“There is a fucking problem, Sofia. A massive one.” He snarls. “You are too fucking rebellious for your own good. What if something had happened to you out there? How the fuck would I face your father?”

“But it didn’t. We both know it wouldn’t have. I keep telling you, there’s no one out to get me.”

Jasper closes his eyes with a sigh, pinching the skin above his nose bridge. “It’s not in my nature to give leeway, Sofia, but I’ve been doing so since we met. I’ve tried respecting you and your time. I’ve tried showing you how I’dlikeour relationship to go.”

“We don’t have a relationship.”

“But you clearly don’t respect me, my time, or what I’m trying to do. My goal is to keep you alive. I can’t do that if you’re not beside me.”

“If you weren’t so busy, you probably would have seen me go,” I say with a shrug.

“Fucking hell. You just told me not to treat you like a child, yet here you are, acting like one. Perhaps I should let your father know how this is going. How you keep playing me and disobeying me, running from me. What do you think he’d do?”

“I don’t fucking care, Jasper!” I try to dip under his arm, but he holds me back.

“Do you even hear yourself?” He takes a slow breath. “What part of life or death don’t you get? Are you just that ready to spit in your father’s face? Or do you think you’re fucking invincible?”

“Don’t try to get in my head.” Again, I try to get past him, but he braces me against the wall again.

“Fall in line, Sofia.”

“I’m not a fucking soldier,” I argue.

“Oh, that’s clear. Because a real soldier, a good one, does what they can to help their partners. They see others as their equals at minimum. They recognize that everyone has to make sacrifices to achieve a goal. What are you sacrificing, Sofia? Because I’m expected to sacrifice my life to keep you safe.”

I take a deep breath to calm the volatile emotions swirling inside me. This isn’t the time or place to give him the hell I want to, even though he’s being a condescending ass, treating me like I’m some terrible kid. But I don’t have to stand here and take this. I push at his chest, and this time he lets me go.

“I don’t need you. I’ll take this risk all on my own. I don’t need you in my life.”

“Sofia.” He follows me, but I ignore him, picking up the pace when I hear his footsteps getting closer. “Sofia!”

The urgency in his tone makes me turn around just as he barrels into me, and we land with a hard thud on the pavement. The sound of an explosion above my head makes me curl into him. It’s a fucking gunshot. Did someone just fire a gun at us?

Oh, my God. My father was right, wasn’t he? So was Jasper. Someone’s trying to kill me!

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