Defender's Heartbeat

Chapter 2

Manuel

"This is Mr. Lorenzo Perez, or Enzo for short. He's your new boss," the butler said, turning to the other side. "And this is your new bodyguard, Mr. Enzo."

Then I saw him. He had jet-black hair, just like Gerardo's. His eyes were also dark, like his father's. He was sitting on his bed, looking at me with innocent yet mischievous eyes. They seemed capable of pulling one's soul out of their body. Upon looking at him, I could tell he would be a troublemaker.

I already disliked my job. My boss was a cute 2-year-old toddler with thick, long eyelashes. He gazed at me curiously, and I'm sure we were both surprised to see each other. I had never expected to be the bodyguard of a toddler. I had anticipated guarding a teenager, which had worried me. However, I thought being the bodyguard of a toddler could prove even more annoying than guarding a teenager.

His skin was pale, and his lips were a rosy pink. He was the cutest toddler I had ever seen. He didn't even look real. He resembled a doll that you would want to hug tightly. Again, I didn't like my job already. I couldn't deal with children, no matter how cute they were. I knew they cried a lot. But I had already signed the papers. It never said how old he was. That was a trap - neither Mr. Garcia nor Mr. Gerardo had mentioned I'd be guarding a toddler when I signed that employment agreement.

"This is your job description, sir. I hope Mr. Garcia told you the most important details," the butler said with a strange smile. As a warning, Mr. Garcia had mentioned that I couldn't negotiate or disclose anything that occurred inside, under threat of severe consequences. That's why he smirked.

"Wait, does the child have a nanny?" I asked the butler, who was quickly going downstairs.

"No, sir. You have to take care of him. You must stay with him 24 hours a day. The next room is your room. And everything you should follow is written in those papers," he explained.

"I don't even know how to look after a toddler," I admitted.

"I'm pretty sure about that. You may have to learn by yourself. Maybe you can get advice from some of the servants with children?" he suggested before leaving.

Enzo was still looking at me with curious eyes. I quickly read through the papers while sitting on the couch in the room, and it became clear that I wasn't just his bodyguard. I was supposed to be his nanny as well. What the hell?

The job description didn't state it directly, but I was supposed to feed him, help him bathe, put him to bed at night, and take care of him when he was sick. At the end of the document, it stated I shouldn't get emotionally attached to the child.

I should only feed him at the scheduled times stated in the document. I shouldn't let him sleep in my bed even if he got scared at night. Hugging was not permitted, nor kissing, nor petting. Picking him up to comfort him when he cried was also prohibited. But I wasn't sure how to resist picking up a baby when he cried.

"Hello Boss! I'm Manuel, your new bodyguard," I said to him. He opened his arms, gesturing for me to pick him up. "No picking you up, little one," I informed my tiny boss.

Mr. Garcia had already informed me that Enzo's Mama died a few weeks ago in a car accident. Enzo was also in the car with his Mama but survived without the slightest scratch. My heart sank as I saw Enzo's sad face, his pink lips turning red and wiggling while he cried. The little boy approached me, hugged my leg, and looked up at me with teary eyes. I felt terrible for him. When I didn't pick Enzo up, he started to cry louder.

"Shh... shh... don't cry, don't cry," I said, but Enzo didn't stop.

I picked him up, and he put his head on my chest, sobbing. I felt sorry for the boy, who was so soft and smelled like baby products. Enzo's face was beautiful, and his eyes were even more stunning up close. I wished I would one day have a son who looked like him. Wait, what? What was I thinking?