Our Bodyguard|18+

Fifty-seven

I drop to my knees, too scared to accept the truth awaits. I don't want to live without him. No, I can't. Every breath I take longs for him right now: his eyes to open, his voice to call my name just one more time, and his arms to hold me and never let go.

I need him. We need him. He promised her never to leave us. I let out a lip-quivering breath, my eyes heavy from the never-ending rain of tears. I look at the man I'm holding in my arms and my world seems to crumble at my feet. How can he not hear me?

I don't know what else to do. My nose flares as I try to touch all the bullet holes in his jacket but I stop mid-way. I pull back and I cry, feeling all sorts of pain I never knew existed. It's dark everywhere, all the light he brought into my life is gone like a whisper in the wind.

"I'm here, my love..." Leaning over him, I touch his face with both of my shaking, blood-stained hands. "We're here, Red, so get up now! It's over. It's all over." I press my forehead on his, and I don't know if it's his warm breath that I'm feeling or if it's everything I wish I could feel.

He just can't die and leave us!

He has to be alive.

"Let me..." I hear Bastien's voice close to me and I glance sharply at him.

"I swear I'll kill you if you lay your hands on him!" I snap in a deep throaty voice, and he winces back from either pain or my snarling eyes and deadly warning.

"Okay, I won't touch him but I need you to open his jacket," Bastien says gently, his eyes cautious toward me.

Even though I hate the sound of his voice, I pull back and do as he says. Sniffling, I pull down the zipper of Red's leather jacket, and it dawns on me that I haven't seen blood in those holes except his arm and face.

Oh, God! Now I know why. He's wearing that bulletproof vest inside—the ones I've only seen in action and military movies.

"Ahhh!" I gasp with some sort of relief as if everything is okay now.

Bastien nods. "He's a soldier. He knew what he was facing."

I laugh and cry at the same time, eyes back on my Red. "That means he... It means he..."

The man I thought had died suddenly coughs. Reflexively, I fall back and sit on my butt. He coughs again, then he opens his eyes before he calls my name as frantically as the last time as if he's just emerged from under we are the water.

"He's alive, yes," Bastien answers.

"Oh, my God." I hurl myself tossed Red and there's nowhere else I'd rather be.

I cry over his thumping chest. I feel his heart beating erratically against my ear and inexplicable joy blossoms into my heart as if I'm in heaven.

"Hey..." Red calls, his arm wrapped around my back as I can't seem to let go of him.

I sit back, and he props himself up. He doesn't take his tired eyes off me and I sniff my tears away, unbelieving that he's here with me.

He looks around while muttering, "Patrick. Where—"

"Dead," I reply, and my hands begin to shake again.

Without another word, Red presses his lips on mine and takes me back into his arms. I stay there for a short, beautiful while until I see Kenna and some guy I don't know. A frown of confusion settles on my face, but I end up smiling the same way she does.

"Oh, Mamacita." She comes to me and nothing stops us from hugging each other like long-lost sisters. "I'm glad you're okay. It's all over now."

Yes. It's all over now.