Vindicated (Camren)

Chapter 4: Bodyguard

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Everybody turned to look at the young Jauregui equally surprised at Lauren's sudden reaction to the presence of the men whose one of them would potentially be her future personal bodyguard. Camila took this opportunity to pull herself back together and flashed her usual straight face.

"You okay, honey?" Mike questioned his daughter, a little worried.

"Y-Yeah," Lauren stuttered along with a small nod of her head and forced a smile on her face. "Um, I-I mean... I choose her, dad."

"What?"

Confused by the usage of such pronoun, Mike turned to the men lined up in front of him and so did Luke and the rest of the security group. Indeed, the sixth member of the finalists was a girl in a black leather jacket, black inner shirt, black pants, and black boots. He abruptly turned to the head of security, "Luke, what is this girl doing here?"

Camila fought the urge to roll her eyes at how sexist these people were.

"Sir, I don't-"

Before Luke could say another word, Lauren put a hand on her father's arm and pleadingly said, "You want to hire me a bodyguard, right, dad? Let me choose, please?"

"Was that who I think she is?"

Dinah asked in an utter disbelief making her partner instantly remember that she had an earpiece sitting on her left ear.

Mike sighed. It was bad enough that his daughter had hated him for this decision especially with their little argument earlier that morning. This time he would back down and nod his head in agreement. "Okay. You choose."

"I choose her," she repeated, briefly pointing at the creepy stranger, trying hard to hide the mischievous smirk on her lips.

"But," her father started in hesitation, "can she protect you? She's really small... and she's a girl."

"Paul, escort her out now," Luke ordered one of his men who automatically walked towards the brunette. As soon as he rested his hand on her shoulder, as a result of how many years in training, Camila felt alarmed and guarded. Instinct told her to reach for her knife and stab him right in his chest, but something told her that it would have been a bad idea. So instead, she grabbed his hand, pulled it powerfully down to his side with a twist causing the brusque man to unwillingly somersault in the air ending with his back on the floor with a loud thud. The man clenched onto his shoulder in pain as everybody turned to the stranger in surprise with a mixture of fright.

"Yes!" Lauren happily clapped her hands together. "She can totally protect me, dad."

Still, Mike was hesitant about his daughter's sudden decision. He fixed a serious look on his face as he interrogated the brunette.

"What's your name?"

The creepy stranger maintained her blank expression while Lauren leaned back on the couch quietly waiting for the answer to the question. She started to wonder if the girl would finally answer the question because she tried and tried during their previous encounter only to fail in the end.

"Mr. Jauregui asked you a question," Luke reminded the brunette in a tough tone. Still, she did not respond.

Mike Jauregui repeated, "What is your name?"

"Camila Cab-"

"Stop! You can't tell him you're a Cabello. They'll kill you in a second."

"Surname, please?"

What the hell, Camila thought. There are millions of surnames in the world. What would she tell them? Suddenly, she heard a muffled loud bickering on her earpiece. It was between Stan and Dinah.