Page 85 of Daddy's Bodyguard

I take the opportunity after clearing my mind. Two shots. That’s all. The first man goes down easily, dropping to the ground, but it gets the second man’s attention. He looks at me in surprise, a young face. A bull’s eye.

I touch the trigger, and he’s down. The last guy slaps Sofia at the back of her head with his gun, and she slumps to the side. I shoot him in the back and run to lift her in my arms. She gasps and then spits out blood. It’s all over her.

Her face is bruising, and she’s not breathing right. She looks up at me, mumbling, “You came,” then turns and throws up beside me. I pull my knife and cut her wrists free. I see to Ernesto, telling him to find a place to hide.

His eyes widen, and he yells, “Look out!” But it’s already too late.

Heat and pain race through my stomach, stealing my breath. I put a hand over the gunshot wound as another masked thug approaches me. Another shot jerks my body forward over Sofia. She pulls the gun from my hand and presses the trigger. A thud tells me she hit her mark. Looking around, she pants as the gun shakes in her hand.

I pull it from her fingers before she hurts someone and hear Ernesto calling 911. I already hear sirens. Good. This was a quiet neighborhood. We chose it for a reason. Any sound of gunfire would trigger multiple calls.

Sofia rolls me onto my back and pushes her hands on my abdomen, holding tight. She gasps, and I hear her gag. She turns her head to the side. Her shaking gets worse, and I have no doubt she’s in shock and some.

Ernesto comes over and tries to push her hands away. “Sofia.”

She doesn’t respond. She keeps saying “sorry” repeatedly, her eyes wide, looking around as the word keeps leaving her lips. I hear a door open and try to grab for my gun. A scream echoes, and a pale, well-dressed woman comes running towards us. No blood. No bruises.

“Scarlett, mi amor.” Ernesto sighs.

She fits herself to his side, hugging him. “I thought you were dead. I called the police, like Sofia said. They are on the way, honey. Everything will be okay.”

“Sorry,” Sofia says again to me.

“Hey,” I put my hand over hers. She swallows and looks at me, blood still on her chin, splattered over her face. “You did so good.”

“Well,” she corrects me, her expression blank as a new notebook.

“So well.” I chuckle, then groan, dropping back against the floor. “Did you choke the guy?”

“Everything’s a weapon, right?” she whispers.

“That’s right.” I smile and cup her cheek. “You did so well, cupcake. I saw you … saw you bite him.”

“He touched me.”

“Are you going to bite me too?” I brush her hair back from her face.

She shakes her head and leans forward, pressing her forehead to mine. “Stop saving me.”

“I’m bad at it, aren’t I?”

She whimpers and presses harder on my abdomen. I don’t have the heart to tell her that it’s not going to do any good this time. Unless I get to a hospital soon, I’m fucked. Sofia shakes her head as my vision dims. I’m so fucking tired.

“No!” She slaps my face as the words tear from her voice, all ragged and hoarse. “No. I stayed alive. I stayed alive.”

“You did. I’m proud.”

“If you don’t, I’ll kick your ass. I swear to God.”

“Hey. No threats right now.” I rub her hand and force my eyes open again.

“Sofia, you need to let him go.” Ernesto says. “Come here.”

“No!” Are those tears on her face?

I brush my thumb across her wet cheek and smile. “You’re crying for me? Since when are you sweet?”

“Remember the white picket fence?” She insists, leaning closer to me. “You have to fight for it. Right now. Fight.”