Chapter 19: Bodyguard Duty

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Blood trickled down her forehead

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Blood trickled down her forehead. She was bleeding and she was bleeding and she was glaring at her landlady like nothing was wrong. Knox closed his eyes for a moment as the chaotic sounds of Nessa's landlord, the police, and the medics hammered around him.

"Tell me again what happened," the officer said, staring at the blood dripping from Nessa's forehead.

"I told you. I came home and the door was open. I thought I must've forgotten to lock it, so I came inside and a man was standing near my sofa. He shoved me and I hit the edge of the coffee table. Then I screamed and heard Mrs. Coleson, my landlady, yell for me to shut up and he must've gotten scared and took off. Her voice is raspy from all the cigarettes she smokes so he probably thought she was a burly man with lots of muscles."

"I do not sound like a man!" Mrs. Coleson, Nessa's landlady hissed, puffing out a cloud of smoke as a cigarette dangled between her fingers. Her bright red hair was up in a bun and she wore a floral housedress and worn pink slippers.

"Ma'am, please put that cigarette away," the officer ordered. He turned back to Nessa. "So, your chain-smoking landlady yelled at you to shut up and it scared the man off?"

"Shut your mouth, Nessa Cruz! I did not yell at you to shut up," Mrs. Coleson interjected. "You're lying!

"Please let us just disinfect that," one of the medics said as he tried stepping forward but Nessa pushed his hands away.

"Leave me alone," Nessa growled. "That stuff burns."

"Did you see the intruder's face?" the officer asked.

"No, he was wearing a ski mask," Nessa said. "But he was tall. At least I think he was tall. I'm petite so most people are taller than I am. It all happened so quickly."

"The lock to the door is broken," Mrs. Coleson said loudly. "You're going to have to pay for that, Ms. Cruz."

"What? It's not even my fault," Nessa groaned. She sneered at the medic who was once again trying to disinfect her wound. "I said to back off."

"Someone's going to have to pay for this door," Mrs. Coleson said. "Nessa, I don't know what trouble you're attracting but this is a nice building. Always has been. We are a respectable place." She took another drag of her cigarette.

"Ma'am, I asked you to please stop smoking," the officer said.

"I'm stressed," Mrs. Coleson snapped. "I've got damages to my building."

Nessa rolled her eyes and pointed to her forehead. "I have damages to my face."

"Do you have cameras installed in the building?" the officer asked Mrs. Coleson.

"Of course not. Did you not hear what I just said? It's a nice building. Respectable. We've never had to use cameras."

"Why are you making this sound like it's my fault? Like I asked some stranger to break in and cause a gash on my head?" Nessa's eyes were starting to tear up and her voice cracked. The medic stepped forward and Nessa held up a fist, "I swear if you come any closer bad things will happen and I don't care if there's an officer here."

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