Bodyguard: Ace Cain

|38| Aaron Cain

|Aaron Cain|

My father continued to chuckle as the situation became more complicated. Ace, the guy he hired to protect me, was the son of a man he had previously killed. Nothing could be more complicated than that. My father didn't conduct an extensive background check. Otherwise, he would have known it from the beginning. I would say his name was enough of a clue, but people frequently share last names. It doesn't necessarily mean they're related.

Ace's eyes were cold and emotionless as they stared at me. "Is that enough of a clue for you?" He asked softly.

I gulped, fearing that my father would be unable to escape this situation. Noel wasn't going to harm him because he was waiting for Ace to do so. They had some sort of agreement with each other for Ace to end his life. It was difficult to be mad at him for that idea, but I'm sure there was more we were missing.

My head nodded, but I needed a more detailed explanation. "Why did you do it, Dad?" I asked him this time. Ace's anguish was understandable, but I couldn't wrap my head around it.

He looked at me and bluntly stated, "It's the name of the game." His shoulders shrugged. "Ace, you should know that."

Ace groaned, frustrated. "What I know is that you killed my father," he repeated.

"And do you happen to know who ordered me to do so?" My father challenged him.

None of this made sense to me, but I did have one question for my father. "Are you also an assassin?" I wondered because that was all I got out of the conversation.

When I asked him the question, the room fell silent. My father never wanted to be open with me. And, while Ace took some time to warm up, he told me more than my father ever did. I'm sure he despised the idea of Ace telling me about his life, but he was at least willing to be truthful with me. Even with the limited information he provided.

Nobody answered my question, so Noel decided to speak up. He never said anything other than instigating each situation. His murder threats hung over our heads because they were his favorite thing to threaten us with. Only this time, he kept things calm.

"Well, Helix, I believe your daughter has asked you a question," Noel teased.

My father frowned at Ace. "How much have you told her?"

"As much as she wanted to know and that could be shared," Ace confessed.

My father snickered. "Who gave you the right?"

"She did when she asked me," Ace countered. "To be fair, I tried to keep this stuff hidden for as long as I could, but your daughter is stubborn and persistent as hell."

I didn't mean to smile, but hearing that made my lips curl into a smirk. He wasn't lying either as he tried to keep me in the dark for as long as possible. Eventually, emotions got in the way, and I wasn't going to keep taking no for an answer.

My father sneered, feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place. My mother would most likely have disagreed with what was going on. She, too, tried to protect me from the life that they both led. Now I was caught in the middle, and if there was one thing my father would want me to do, it was to keep my positive outlook on life for my mother's sake. Unfortunately, it was too late for that.

His gaze returned to me, but he was not eager to respond. "I am an assassin in the sense that I only go out for big deals. My job is to help other people like me find work." My father elaborated. "Aaron Cain was no joke."

"So that gave you the right to kill him?" Ace became more agitated.

My father shook his head. "It was a job and not an easy one," he admitted. "I'm lucky I even made it out alive."