Page 89 of Daddy's Bodyguard

“If it had hit, you would have lost your favorite part of me.”

I open my eyes, but everything is blurry. I chuckle and wipe my eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”

“It’s okay to only like me for my dick,” he snickers.

I want to swat him, but I’m too afraid to hurt him. I rub his hand, leaning into it as he warms my face. I take a slow breath. Jasper looks me over again, like I’m a miracle.

“Tell me what happened.”

“No. Let’s … let’s never talk about it again.”

“Once and then never again,” he argues. “I’m trying to remember, but everything seems hazy.”

I swallow. “I called you, and they found me.”

“Before that. Everything I missed. I need to know it all. Including the fuzzy stuff,” he insists. “I can handle it from you.”

I tell him about Tiberon’s men taking over the safehouse. About Cash. About the blood. I get stuck on the memory of Cash slumping to the floor, and my body starts shaking, and Jasper gently kneads my shoulder with his good hand. I continue, telling him about how I grabbed things to defend myself. How they found me on the phone.

I take a deep breath. “He didn’t expect me to choke him. I gripped him tighter than I thought I could. He tried to throw me off, and I heard a snap that told me his neck was broken. I tried to run, but the others grabbed me and tied my wrists. They beat me when Dad wouldn’t talk.”

Jasper sucks in a breath, his face darkening. “I should have done more than shoot those fuckers.”

“Yeah. They kept asking dad where to find the video, but he wouldn’t budge, and I was so proud of him. But then they threatened … to do a lot to me. To make him watch.”

“Sofia, open your eyes.” Jasper says, his voice tight.

I meet his eyes, and he nods. “Take a breath for me.”

I take a slow breath, trying to hold onto it. I exhale just as shakily. He nods. “Only if you can.”

“When the guy held the knife at my throat, Dad broke down and told them it was in his safe. Then the guy groped my breasts. I didn’t give him permission. So I bit him. I didn’t want to let go. If I were going to die, I wanted them to find out who did it. I wanted evidence. I’d take them down with me.”

My stomach rolls again as I think about it. “So much blood, and I could … I could taste it. I got tested for everything.”

“Smart.” Jasper sighs.

“And then you were there.” I hold his hand tighter, our fingers lacing. “You were there, Jasper. And you… he tried to kill you. He came from nowhere. He aimed again.”

“What?” This time, Jasper does sit up. He groans and puts his hand to his stomach, but then adjusts himself, taking a deep breath.

I nod slowly. “I took your gun. You … I know you shot, so I just … I aimed. I pulled the trigger. He dropped. Then I … I tried to save you. Dad and Scarlett were okay. They tried to … tried to take me away from you.”

“You screamed.”

I chuckle, despite my legs bouncing and shaking. I sniff. “Apparently, I tried to fight the police. They pulled me away from you. I was given some kind of tranquilizer.”

“Tiger.” He teases.

“You’re awake now.” I want to climb into bed with him. Want to feel how real he is. “You’re alive.”

“Yes, I am. So you can yell at me just like you want to.” He smiles slowly. “Tell me what a dick I’ve been.”

I shake my head and tighten my hold on him, afraid he’ll slip away. “I was wrong. I never should have started that fight. If I didn’t, maybe you would have been there. Cash would be alive. You wouldn’t have—”

“Shh.”

“I was scared, and I don’t like being scared. It’s so hard.” I sniffle again. “But then I thought I’d never see you again, and all I wanted was to say how sorry I was.”