Deeper

30 | The Bodyguard

I really can't breathe.

My vision starts to blur as the pressure from the person's arm on my neck chokes me even more. I can also feel the tension on his body increasing due to the panic overwhelming him.

I'm trying my best to keep conscious. The pain from the cut on my neck burns, and I hope that I don't look bloody. I don't even know whether there's blood dripping from my neck or not.

Somehow, I still can make out Vaughn's face even though it's a blur. I've never seen such rage before on a person. My eyes dart on his posture, which looks like he's ready to beat the hell out of this guy until he dies, if not because of the knife under my chin. Vaughn's fists are clenched tight on his sides, shaking due to the anger consuming him.

The psycho drags me along with him and begins to descend the stairs. I'm struggling to break free, but it seems like I'm just wasting whatever is left from my energy. My pulse quickens as he drags me further away from Vaughn. Adrenaline rushes through me, and I don't even think twice when I sink my teeth into his arm, biting him. He growls in pain, abruptly pushing me away that my head knocks the railing of the stairs.

From there, everything happens so fast. Vaughn furiously lunges at him, gripping his collar before both of them roll down the stairs. Before I can comprehend what is happening, they're already on their feet again downstairs.

"You fucking piece of shit," Vaughn lashes out, whirling the guy around and locking his wrists from behind, pushing him against the glass window. He whacks the guy's face against it that the glass cracks.

The psychopath growls in pain as Vaughn cracks his hand, probably breaking the bone. Vaughn roughly spins him around that the back of his head smacks the glass window again. "How dare you," Vaughn hisses, venom in his voice.

Then my vision becomes more and more blur, everything around me spinning around. My chest is heaving up and down, my breaths short from the lack of air just now. The legs that I've been trying to prevent from collapsing finally give in.

But I'm aware that I'm standing on the stairway. If I fall...

The last thing I see is that Vaughn attempting to take the mask off the guy's face. But then the lunatic snaps his head toward me, and so does Vaughn.

And then everything goes black.

My eyelids flicker. When I try to wake up, the sudden exposure of light makes me wince. Slowly, I open my eyes.

I'm lying down on the couch with a blanket covering my body. Cops have scattered around my house, police cars parked in front of the entrance. My heart thumps as I find Vaughn standing by the door, talking to a cop. Relief washes over me.

He notices me already awake, and tears fill my eyes. When he approaches me and takes a seat before me, I can't take my eyes off him. My fingers brush across his cheek as I study his face. There's no cut nor bruise on it. He's not hurt.

"Are you okay?" I stutter. I can't imagine if something happened to him. The last thing I remembered before I collapsed was him fighting with the bastard. What happened? Did he turn the guy in? Or did the guy run away?

As I touch his face, he holds and kisses the back of my hand. "That's my question." His eyes are locked with mine as he's staring at me. I see a mixture of affection and sadness in those amber orbs before it turns into regrets and fury. "That asshole did this to you." His fingers brush across my neck, on the wound. I touch it and sigh. Thank God it's only a small cut.

My vision starts to remember those terrifying scene, and I break in front of him. Vaughn pulls me into a hug, and I cry on his chest. I wrap my arms around his back while tears keep streaming down my face. Oh, God. I'm so relieved that I'm finally safe now in his arms.

I don't know how long I've been crying. Every time my sobs get worse, he tightens his hold on me. When I'm finally able to calm down, I pull away and look at him. "What happened?" I ask. "I can only remember collapsing on the stairs."

"You did, and I caught you just in time," he says. The way he speaks and the expression on his face tells me it was a frightening sight that he wish will never happen again. I can't imagine myself what would have happened if Vaughn hadn't caught me. I would have fallen off the stairs.

"What happened to that guy?" I ask.

"That sick bastard ran off the moment I got to you," Vaughn bites out. I've never seen him so consumed with anger before that now it's my turn to calm him down.

I hug him tighter and whisper softly, "It's okay." Even though I know that the lunatic is still out there somewhere, now I just don't want to think about it.

"No, you don't understand." Vaughn pulls away. When I look at him, the rage in his eyes makes me shudder. "I've never wanted to kill a person until now. I could literally kill him, Mel. And I'm not fucking joking."

His words send chills running down my spine. It's a rare sight to see Vaughn Cooper incapable of control.

"I definitely should have given that fucking bastard more pain," he speaks through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched.

"Did you hurt him?" I ask although I think that I saw it earlier. I hope that Vaughn has given him a lesson to not mess with us anymore.

"Even if I hadn't made him suffer a concussion to the brain, I'm pretty sure I broke his hand."

"You broke his hand," I gasp. At least, the person wouldn't dare to try again anytime soon. No, I even hope that there won't be another time. Even though there's always a possibility, I can't help but let out a sigh of relief.

"That doesn't guarantee your safety," Vaughn says, his voice still laced with anger. And somehow... Regret. "There is no way you're going to stay here alone."

I can't imagine that either, after what happened tonight. Staring at him, I try to figure out his next words although I can guess.

"I'm staying with you."