Page 3 of Daddy's Bodyguard

“A trip? Haha. No thanks.” I motion to the door while turning my back to them. “Mind fixing the wall on your way out?”

I pick up my lesson plan and chuck it back into my work bag while listening for their departing footsteps. I don’t need him in my life, especially if it means losing my security deposit on my apartment. My landlord will not be pleased about that broken door.

“I’m not leaving without you,” Dad insists. “This is a matter of your safety, darling. Your life is in danger. There are people who will try to ruin me by hurting you.”

“We don’t even share the same last name, so no one knows we’re related, anyway.” I stop and look up at him, offering my hand. “Hi, I’m Sofia Wilson.”

He pushes it aside. “Sofia, you are a Hernandez, like it or not.”

“It’s only blood. That’s hardly anything.” I huff. “Keep your problems to yourself instead of sprinkling them around for everyone else.”

“It’s too late for that.” He comes closer, the graveness in his expression making my hair stand on end. “Listen, Sofia, the man I recently represented is about to get sentenced to a lifetime in jail. His family thinks I did little to save him, so they want revenge, which means there will be bad people coming for me, you—my entire family.”

“Don’t you call that a ‘necessary risk’ at your firm?”

“Sofia.”

“If you would just represent good people, you wouldn’t have to worry about murderers being upset when their families go to jail for perfectly acceptable reasons. Like you know … murder!”

“Sofia! Will you stop acting like a spoiled brat for a second? What part of ‘your life is danger’ don’t you understand? Let’s go!”

He might as well have slapped me. My dad has called me plenty of things. He’s also spent plenty of timenotcalling me, but that … that word is unacceptable. I don’t let anyone talk to me like that, let alone myfather.

“First of all, I’m not a spoiled—”

“Now, Sofia!” He booms. “This is not a fucking joke!”

Startled, I take a step back from him. My father has never shouted at me like this before. For the first time ever, I see fear in his eyes.

“You get five minutes to grab a few things. That’s the longest I can give you. The longer we linger, the more exposed we’ll be when we exit the apartment building. Move your ass, Sofia. I mean it!”

Finally convinced, I grab my work bag from the kitchen counter, then hurry to my bedroom to pack a suitcase with enough clothes and toiletries for… God knows how long. A lone gunshot rings out as I’m grabbing my laptop. I quickly chuck it in my work bag as Dad rushes into the bedroom and pushes me into my closet. I hear muffled fighting as my father glowers at me.

“Yeah, you guessed it, they fucking found us,” he whispers, still glaring like it’s my fault.

“Why didn’t you save yourself, huh? Wouldn’t that have been easier?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sofia. They would kill you in a heartbeat.”

“Couldn’t have that on your conscience, could you? A failed caseanda dead daughter?” I hiss. I hear another grunt much closer to my bedroom, and my grip tightens on Dad’s arm. Is this the end? Am I really destined to die with a man I can’t stand?

I hear a sickening crunch like a bone is being broken. My widened eyes meet my father’s as the bedroom door slams against the wall. I curl into Dad as the closet door is flung open, and his relieved sigh makes me pull away. It’s just the Viking that kicked down my front door earlier. It seems he has a thing against doors or something. There’s an urgent expression on his face as he grips my arm, tugging me out.

“We’ve managed to subdue the ones who made their way inside the apartment building, but I’m positive there’s more coming. We need to move. Now,” he says.

I glower at my father as the Viking reaches for my bags. “I’m never forgiving you for this.”

“You’ll be alive, and that’s the point. I’ll earn your forgiveness later.”

“You mean, go back to ignoring me?” I snort. “I can’t wait.”

“Stop being dramatic. Let’s go!” Dad orders.

My dad heads out one way with the other guys while the Viking takes me in the opposite direction. I don’t even want to know who Dad paid to get him. He’s probably just some low-level mafia dude, or maybe one of those illegal fighters or something, looking for easy money. Either way, my life is in his hands.

A set of gunshots ring out as we reach the landing on the fourth floor. Before I can react, he jerks me against him, pinning me against a wall just as more shots are fired.

The thunderous barrage makes me whimper with fright. I cover my mouth while leaning against the bodyguard’s big frame. I feel his hand soften on my shoulder. “I got you.”

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