Bodyguard: Ace Cain

|46| Goodbyes Are Never Easy

|Goodbyes Are Never Easy|

The sounds of ammunition went off, and everyone fell silent. I could only hear my breathing, but I felt no pain. Was I even hit, or am I already dead? It was difficult to tell because I was afraid of opening my eyes. If they opened, would I still be there or somewhere else?

There was only one way of finding out. My eyes slowly opened to find Noel still standing above me. His pistol was pointed right at my face, but he did not move. As we all stared in bewilderment, his finger remained stationary against the trigger.

Suddenly, the pistol fell from his grip, and his body soon followed suit. The blood pooling from his head was proof enough that he had been shot and for good. The relief that washed over me was unbearable at first, but knowing we did not have to deal with him anymore made us all ecstatic.

Scanning the area, my breath caught in my throat as I finally let my tears fall. Ace was lying where he had been, his pistol in hand. It was pointed directly at Noel, and we all knew Ace had finished the job. He was still with us—with me!

"I'm not dead yet you stupid cunt," he directed his words at Noel before falling back with a grunt.

"Ace!" We all screamed and ran over to him.

It did not make sense to me how he was okay given that he appeared to have taken a clean hit. Ace was here, despite his busted-up face, and I could not have asked for more. Despite Hailey's betrayal, everyone survived the night and put an end to Noel Blackman, the psychopath. The man who appeared out of nowhere and altered everything.

When I got closer to Ace, my arms wrapped around him, and tears welled up in my eyes. His chuckle rang in my ear as he encircled me in the tightest grip. I should have known Ace would do anything to protect me. Even at the point of death, he would have found a way to stop Noel. That was exactly the type of guy he was.

"Come on, you didn't think I died, did you?" He teased me.

The frown on my face couldn't be hidden as I yelled at him. "Yes, moron! Why would you scare me like that?" Even though I raised my voice, I was relieved that he was okay.

He laughed. "It was not intentional," he said, tearing his shirt open. "Even with a bulletproof vest, that shit hurts. Practically knocked the wind out of me."

Jake snickered. "You're welcome by the way," he said limping over. "I suggested we wear them."

"Touché," Ace acknowledged.

Ace struggled to move as he propped himself on his forearms. They all took a beating, so it's not surprising that they feel every bit of pain. The floors in this building were also concrete, which did neither of us any favors. I was surprised that my knee did not shatter when Noel dropped me from his grasp. With the way everyone was being kicked and tossed around, I would say we would be in bed for days.

My father was impressed by our allies and did not hesitate to thank Ace and everyone for their efforts. He could not believe he saw Noel Blackman being defeated by a couple of kids by his standards. Without them, he would not have survived.

"I'm in your debt Ace Cain," he said with a nod of his head. "If there is any way I can repay you, please do not hesitate to ask."

Jake and I helped Ace stand up, and he looked at my father as if he was about to make a request. "It would be great if you could get me a new car," he said after his vehicle blew up.

My father chuckled as he granted Ace's request. In a perfect world, these two would get along and let bygones be bygones, but I understand that Ace will need some time to overcome his deep-seated hatred. I would say he took a big step by letting him leave with his life, but it was not because he forgave him.