"Daddy I don't want him here!" Taylor yelled as her father gripped the kitchen island tightly in frustration. "I don't want him following me around, everywhere I turn he's there, just looking and judging"
"So he's doing his job then" her father quipped
"Daddy, get rid of him right now!"
"No" Alejandro said quietly, gazing down at the counter top "He's doing exactly what I ask of him and he's doing it well, he stays Taylor"
"I hate you!" Taylor screamed and then turned quickly and headed towards the door but she paused briefly as she passed Travis who was sat observing the scene with a look of quiet amusement on his face. "But I hate you more" she spat before continuing to stomp out of the room and down the hallway until she was out of sight
"I um... Im sorry about that Travis"
"No don't be, it's amusing stuff" he said whilst popping orange segments into his mouth and checking the news on his phone.
"She wasn't always like this but after her mom and her brother..." Travis nodded knowingly, saving the older man the heartache of having to explain "I try but I'm so busy with work and she...well, she's changed, she's so angry all the time, it's just bubbling under the surface ready to explode at any time"
"Does she talk to you, about what happened?"
"As you have seen Travis, she screams at me and that's all we have these days" his eyes became wet all of a sudden as he shook his head and turned away.
Alejandro Swift, Miamis darkest figure but Travis was yet to witness that darkness, instead all he saw was hurt, a broken family drowning in despair, he made a mental note to try and talk to Taylor about the situation, if he could find a way in, a way for her to begin to trust him, perhaps each day wouldnt have to be like doing the kindergarten run with a hangry toddler
***************
"Who's the guy you hang out with, he has blond hair, looks like his mouth spat on his hand and he used it to style his hair" Travis was driving Taylor to school and decided to approach the subject of the 'friend' that made him feel so uneasy
"Why do you want to know? Are you jealous?"
"I want to know because I'm being paid to keep you safe and there's something about him I don't trust"
"He's called Rafe"
"Rafe?!" Travis choked on the word "What the fuck kind of name is 'Rafe'?! "
"It's an elegant name, he's English" she pouted and crossed her arms, unhappy at Travis' teasing of her friend
"English? Well that explains a fucking lot"
"What does that mean?"
"Let's just say my mother is English, it's not a happy story and leave it at that" immediately he regretted his words, as soon as he said mother he knew he had said too much. Taylors face paled as she moved uncomfortably in her seat a blank look covering her features as she gazed out the car window at the city that was flying by
"Taylor..."
"Take me to school"
"About your mom and your brother... Fuck!" His voice cut off and a look Taylor hadn't seen before caused his features to tense and become deathly serious
"What's going on?"
"Do you see that black car just behind us?!" she looked over her shoulder spotting the black Mercedes and nodded "It's been following us since we pulled out of the compound"
