His Lovely Ward

Chapter 11

Henry felt real fear for the first time in many years. Fear not for his life but for someone else’s. “Dalton!” he shouted once again, coughing with the smoke that followed the blast. People started running away, thinking it was a terrorist attack. Some of them lingered while incessantly talking on their phones. Others were busy taking pictures and making videos. Henry was sure alarms would come blaring in no time. But that was not his concern right now. “Dalton!” he shouted louder.

“Here!” he heard her cry out not far from the source of the explosion. Henry could have broken his spine with the turn he made to frantically search the premises and trace Angelica’s voice. “I’m here! I’m fine!”

He saw her arms first, flailing over her, her whole body buried under over a dozen black garbage bags. “Are you okay?” he asked, shouting over his lungs, as he approached.

“Help!” she cried out once again and he got hold of her hand and pulled with all his strength. He did not notice the strong smell of the garbage bags, too occupied to see if she was in any way injured. This was the second time that she almost got killed. But this time, it was not her fault. It was his.

“Are you okay? I’ll take you to the hospital.” But she was not hearing him as she looked at the spot where her once glimmering car once were. He on the other hand was busy looking over her messed-up look. Her red hair was everywhere and her black clothes were now tainted with an ashy color. And she was missing one of her high-heeled shoes. All in all, she was physically fine. He couldn’t see any blood and that was good enough for him.

“My car…” she stuttered, taking a step towards the rumble of what used to be her sports car.

“You’re in shock, let’s go,” he held her by the shoulders and started to guide her to his car. People were all over the place now, and he could already see a van of reporters coming their way. “I have to take you to the hospital. Are you sure you’re okay? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. No hospital, please,” she said absently, her gaze still on her burning vehicle.

“You’re in shock,” he insisted.

She looked him in the eyes and said, “I’m a doctor. I know I’m okay, okay?” she shrugged off from his grip and climbed into his car.

Henry sighed and followed.

“Take me to Chanty’s,” she ordered.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to plan a freaking party with what happened to you,” he shook his head as he turned on the ignition.

“Take me to Chanty,” she insisted.

“Fine,” he didn’t want to argue any further, knowing she was too stubborn for her own good. “But I’ll be waiting not far from your friend’s house just in case.”

“Fine,” she snapped and turned away from him. “Gross, I stink!”

Henry just shook his head and drove off. He knew the police would look for her and they could answer their questions later. Right now, he had to take her away. Their enemy was getting desperate to eliminate her and he couldn’t risk it. He’d risked enough of her safety already.

 *****

Angelica sat frozen in the car, her heart still racing from the explosion, but that was way mellow than how she felt witnessing her car getting burned and shattered into pieces. Her car…her precious red, shining, car was gone.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t look so well,” Henry spoke once again, disrupting her thoughts.

“I’m fine, okay? I’m just really pissed,” she snapped.