Volatile Shadow

2. The drive home

SERAPH POV:

"Ow." Galan hisses in pain. His body hurting from the beating he received minutes earlier.

"Moving isn't gonna do you any good, stay still." I take a quick glance away from the road and at Galan, his hand on his stomach, cringing every time he moves.

"I know, just, don't want an aching back alongside the shit that hurts."

I hear his body shuffling on the passenger seat, trying to get a good angle to lay down, where his body will hurt least.

"How did this happen, anyway?" I ask him. "What happened to the bodyguard assigned to you?"

Davian has been providing bodyguards to the Vetrova children ever since they were little kids. Using a protection agency solely owned by the Vetrova family.

"I blew him off." He's facing away from me, staring out the window, watching the passing lights.

"What, why?" I glance back to him again, his whole back is facing me.

"I don't know, probably because they weren't you." He chuckles at his own joke.

"Galan, I'm serious." I sigh. "Why? They're meant to protect you, you know."

I look back to him again. He hasn't moved, still looking out the window.

"This wouldn't have happened if someone was protecting you. You know that, right?"

"I know." Galan finally responds, breaking the silent atmosphere in the car. "It's just..."

He stays silent for moment.

Is he trying to make up a believable excuse for why he went out alone?

"I just... wanted some alone time." He slumps deeper into the car seat, or at least tries to. "To go out on my own."

"Alone time?" I ask, there's obvious doubt in my voice. He goes quiet again.

It isn't the first time he's done this.

Davian said that it's habit of his. Causing trouble, wanting to be rebellious.

Hell, it's how I first met him.

Davian made my first ever official job, to be the protection of his kids.

Except, he didn't tell me in advance that Galan would pull shit like this...

Found him trying to start a joyride with one of the company vehicles. He was actually impressed that an amateur bodyguard was able to deal with antics so well.

Now he calls me his favourite "BuddyGuard".

Seriously...

I think I'm his favourite guardian cause we're around the same age. The rest are more around his father's age. Those that are around twins age aren't assigned to protect Vetrova family members. Davian only trusts the older, more loyal members to protect his family.

I'm an exception to this; to Davian's rule.

A special asset to him.

More important to him than some "amateur bodyguard".

He said that I should keep that facade up for little longer. Don't do anything to catch everyone's sight of me yet. His plan relies on me laying low, for now.

I trust him, Davian saved my life. For all these 10 years he's kept me alive, gave me all that I needed to keep on going.

I'd be dead if it wasn't for him.

I wonder if they know that I'm alive by now, would they recognise me?

The last living memory to what they had done 10 years ago.