Maxine’s Bodyguard Page 13

  I patted her cheeks to make her look at me in the eyes. “Maxine,” I shouted loudly, so that she could hear me despite the loud exchange of guns shots. “Stay here. Everything’s going to be fine. He will pay for this. I promise!”

  Though looking flustered and scared, she nodded her head as she shuddered in fear. “Be careful,” she mouthed, as if talking was a luxury.

  Planting a quick kiss on her head, I rose and grabbed the gun from her grip, realizing that I had been shot in one leg. I walked without minding the sting the wound brought, determined to finish this battle once and for all. My eyes roamed the place that did not seem abandoned at all, as bloody paper sheets sailed in the air that smelled like gunpowder and sweat.

  I searched for Conan Williams’ familiar figure but he was nowhere in sight. He had escaped like a little rat. I smirked at the thought. He was probably thinking he could possibly get away from this one.

  I’m going let him slip away this time.

  Not again.

  Not the least bit bothered by the exchange of fire, I ducked and crawled towards the staircase to chase Conan. The wound on my back started to release more blood as I moved around and pain penetrated my system. I couldn’t go on for long in this state. I needed to find him!

  “Rico!” I heard Calvin shouting at me with a horrified expression on his face. We never really liked calling each other’s name in the middle of an operation so I knew it was something really bad. “Behind you!” he warned, making me tilt my head to the direction he was looking at.

  But it was already too late. A bullet from Conan’s revolver hit me on the chest. He had an evil expression on his face and I before I could even feel the bullet penetrating my skin, I saw him pulling the trigger once more. My body swayed and my injured foot gave up. I lost count of the bullets that had pierced me. All I knew was that I had been hurt pretty badly in my chest. Had he succeeded in shooting me in the heart? I didn’t know.

  My vision became more blurry and my mind was spinning when my head landed on the concrete. The gunshots stopped and I could hear footsteps approaching me. Damn. If my body could only move the way I wanted to, I could at least shoot Conan on the foot. But moving my hand was a futile attempt, I didn’t possess the energy to raise a gun anymore. I felt my body shaking and I could tell it was all because of his foot. He was stepping on me like I was already dead – I was close to being it though.

  “Hold your fire or he dies! I know he’s very important to you!” he shouted furiously. He pointed the gun on my temple, making me wince with the cold metal touching my forehead. I huffed, struggling to regain a normal breathing. I’d lost too much blood and I didn’t think I could last long.

  But I wasn’t the least bit scared. Something was telling me that I was not going to die tonight. Not now. Not yet. Not like this.

  Blinking hard, I tried to count the remaining people who were standing in front of us, thinking a blurry picture was better than nothing at all. Calvin’s squad was almost untouched. Some may be injured but not the kind that would bring them down on their knees. While Conan’s had only four remaining people, making me smile in victory.

  My luck hasn’t run out, yet.

  If there’s someone who’s going to die, it would be him.

  “Congressman, we need to get out of here,” I heard a man say, in a nervous voice. The voice was fading and I knew I was going to lose conscious in a minute or so. I also heard someone fixing the magazine of an armalite but I could tell it was from my squad.

  I tried to scuttle on the floor, sniffing dust and flinching in pain as the wound in my chest and belly touched the cold concrete. I feel like the world was spinning around me and the last thing I saw was a piece of bloody paper hovering in front of my face. Finally drained of the last drop of energy in me, I rested my head with my ears on the floor. And before everything turned black, I heard heavy and large footsteps from downstairs.

  I smiled. We’re saved.

  “This is the city police department! Drop your weapons!” said a man in an authoritative tone, making me feel relieved as I heaved one deep breath. “Congressman Williams you are under arrest!”

  Finally!

  The next moments were muffled noises that I couldn’t understand anymore. My mind had probably stopped working after hearing that Congressman Conan Williams would be detained. For so many years, I tried so hard to put him behind bars and now I have succeeded. And it was all because of the help of Maxine. If it wasn’t for her bravery, we wouldn’t have been able to pull off this operation. He wouldn’t have confessed his crime. And he would have been able to continue playing with the law and abusing his power. His manipulative stunts wouldn’t have come to an end.

  But now, it ends.

  “Rico!” I heard Maxine’s faint voice called out to me. I wanted to see her face but I was too weak to even open my eyes. A few moments more, I felt a hand stroking my cheeks and water droplets falling on my face.

  It was her.

  And she was crying. For some reason, I was glad that I could not open my eyes because I didn’t want to see her cry. I have always hated seeing her cry. And the thought that I was the reason why she was shedding tears broke me. I didn’t want her to feel sadness because of me.

  “P-Please,” she murmured, in between faint sobs. “Open your eyes, Rico.”

  I huffed when I felt more soreness probing in my chest as she patted my cheeks. “O-O-Ouch,” I grumbled, painfully. I was surprised a sound came out of my dry mouth. “T-That hurt.”

  “Oh, my god!” she exclaimed, pulling me closer to have my head rest on her lap. It was so fucking painful to move my body around. But I felt pleased with what she did.

  She really cared for me.

  She was worried about me.

  And that was enough.

  “You should have been careful,” she muttered, still crying. “If hadn’t come running for me, you wouldn’t have got shot in your leg. You could have dodged Conan’s attacks.”

  A bitter smile escaped my lips as tears continued to fall on my skin.

  “I promised, didn’t I? That I would keep you alive,” I murmured faintly.

  “But I didn’t want you to get hurt. I didn’t want to see you hurt.”

  “Thank you,” I said, finally losing all my senses.

  Then everything went black.

  Chapter 22

  Maxine

  I bit my lower lip to suppress the whimpers that were trying to escape my mouth as I cried quietly while watching Rico lying on the hospital bed. There were tubes connected to his body for life support and seeing him being reduced to that state broke my heart. He was not supposed to be like this.

  It had been three days since the incident. He’d had an operation the moment he was brought to the hospital to get the bullets out of his body. I was told that he was in a very critical condition that time because of too much blood loss and a bullet almost penetrated his heart. Wiping away my tears, I held his hand in mine. I couldn’t stop feeling guilty for not being with him when he needed me most. I, too, had been admitted to check for physical injuries. And I had had a few shots of sedatives so that I’d calm down to stabilize my emotions because of the trauma it brought to my system.

  But hey, everything’s over. You don’t have to act like you’re really a gold digger. You can start anew. You can be who you really are. Conan Williams is finally rotting in jail just like you have always wanted.

  The operation was a success and I couldn’t be happier when I saw Conan with handcuffs. It was such a relief that the police responded to Calvin’s request. Because if they hadn’t… I don’t know what could have happened. Even though I knew the security agency’s squad was far stronger than Conan’s gang, the latter would probably be able to get away – again.

  My eyes roamed over the private suite which Rico was sent to after being taken out of the intensive care unit, only to feel isolated. Yes, it was spacious and luxurious for someone who was jus
t part of an elite team – I have always known soldiers, agents and policemen don’t have the best privileges. And there was nothing but silence and the loud beeping that was coming out from the machine that monitored his heart rate and rhythm and his peaceful breathing.

  Damn! If only I was a little bit more careful then he wouldn’t have had to jump into the scene without taking any precaution. He could have been more quick and alert if he hadn’t received the bullet that was meant for me. He could have dodged the bullet that hit his foot if I wasn’t there for him to protect.

  All of this happened to him because I was weak, careless and mindless.

  Stop blaming yourself! Nobody wanted all of this to happen. Well, except of course for Conan Williams. But none of this was your fault. And even if Rico didn’t have feelings for you, he would still get that bullet because that was his job. It was his job to keep you alive and to keep you away from harm. He was a man with pride and integrity.

  I felt my lips arched into a bitter smile. Yes, he was. And up until his last moments of consciousness, he remembered his promise. He kept his promise.

  Fuck he did! And now he’s like this!

  My thoughts were interrupted when the door swung open, revealing a couple. They looked like they were in their fifties and I could tell the resemblance they have to the man lying in front of me. I rose from my seat and searched for Calvin’s familiar face and as if he knew what was going on in my head, he appeared behind the pair, carrying a bunch of coffee-to-go.

  I felt my whole body stiffen when the old woman looked at me with scrutiny to the point that I was starting to feel daggers piercing my skin. She looked sophisticatedly respectable in her pale pink office suit. On the other hand, her husband had that authoritative aura which Rico possessed, too.

  Without a doubt, they were Rico’s parents.

  I swallowed hard. I was not ready to meet them. Not yet.

  Stupid. They’re not here to see you. They’re here to see their son – the person who risked his life to save your ass.

  Blinking, I watched the two entering the room without saying a word. They both had serious expressions on their faces and I couldn’t find the guts to look at them in the eyes. How could I possibly introduce myself?

  “This is Maxine Clark,” I heard Calvin speak, breaking the silence as if he knew the awkwardness I was feeling. Despite being discreet, I knew that he was aware of what was going on between me and his cousin.

  Handing me a cup of coffee, Calvin winked and gave me a reassuring smile. At least, he was not here to tease me just like Timmy and Jackson. I just hope he wouldn’t say anything to screw things up.

  Pfft. As if there’s really something to screw up. Stop assuming things. And wait for things to be officially stated. You haven’t even told Rico how you really feel for him. Keep calm, won’t you?

  I nodded my head instead of saying anything. I didn’t know what to say anyway. I could feel my knees growing wobbly when the couple took a quick glance of me. And I almost had a heart attack when Rico’s mother opened her mouth.

  “It’s so nice to meet you,” Mrs. Miller said, staring at me from head to toe then back to my head, making me hold my breath. “I’m glad my son has been a good help to you,” she added, in a soft voice.

  “He was,” I responded, feeling a little relieved when she averted her gaze. I couldn’t find the words to describe what I was feeling. All I knew was that I didn’t want them to hate me.

  “Hon,” Mr. Miller mumbled, before taking a quick glance at me. “Stop doing that. You’re scaring her,” he added, then chuckled softly, giving me a nice smile. He was too cool for someone who was in a coat and tie.

  I bowed my head at the remark, feeling embarrassed. Was I that easy to read?

  “Yes, you are,” said Calvin, making me raise my head to shoot him a warning stare. He might be very professional when it comes to his job. But he was just a plain rascal. He loved making fun of people who seemed to be lost and in a certain situation. “It’s all written on your face, Clark. Don’t worry, they’re Rico’s parents. They don’t bite.”

  I gritted my teeth and shot him daggers, strangling him in my mind. I felt my cheeks heating up when Mr. and Mrs. Miller watched me with a funny expression. It was hard to tell if they were the kind to joke around with strangers – like me.

  “Relax. Aunt Marcella doesn’t bite. You know, as a mother of a very capable bachelor like Rico, she really loves giving off that kind of aura,” Calvin stated, as if it was a laughing matter. I eyed him but the couple just laughed.

  “I’m just afraid that he’d turn out to be just like his father,” Mrs. Miller joked, sitting on the chair beside Rico’s bed while her husband stood at the foot.

  Leaning on the wall, I watched them settle around Rico – as if it was the most normal thing to do. But despite the laughter and smiles, I could tell Mrs. Miller’s worried with the way she would steal glances at her son’s heart rate monitor. I knew she was having a hard time.

  “Like me?” Mr. Miller questioned innocently, pointing at himself, looking at his wife wide-eyed.

  “You would never have thought about settling down if you hadn’t met me,” Mrs. Miller responded, while shaking her head as if she was saying the most unbelievable sentence in the world.

  “Oh, come on! Not again!” Calvin protested, when the two started bickering about how they met and fought and made up together during their early years. It wasn’t the sweetest encounter but they were very lucky to have grown up together with undying love. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched them, knowing I didn’t have the right to interrupt their conversation. It was a family’s conversation – and I wasn’t part of it.

  How nice would it be to have a happy and complete family?

  I sighed, taking quiet footsteps to exit the room after taking one last glance at Rico who looked too peaceful for his own good. I hoped he’d wake up soon.

  With heavy steps, I found myself walking in the quiet corridors. Feeling quite confused, I decided to stay in the waiting lounge as I finished the coffee Calvin had given me. Seeing Rico’s family brought back memories of me with Megan, Mommy, and Daddy – those peaceful days when we were happy, complete and contented with what we had.

  God, I missed seeing their smiles.

  Tears started forming in my eyes as I took one last gulp from the cup. I hated being too emotional and I didn’t want to cry in public. When I raised my head, I saw Calvin’s blurry figure approaching me. He looked pleased and worried at the same time as he watched me holding his cup of coffee.

  I heard him heave a deep sigh before sipping from his cup when he settled beside me. There was silence as we watched people coming and leaving the lounge. We were not very chatty with each other and I’d rather have him shut his mouth than talk.

  “Don’t worry too much, Clark,” he mumbled, finally breaking the silence. “Rico will wake up soon,” he added in certainty.

  Rico gaining his consciousness was something undeniable. The doctors had already made their statement that his life was out of danger. All I was hoping was that it would happen soon. I didn’t like seeing him lying lifelessly on a bed with a lot of hospital apparatus beside him.

  I wanted to see him move.

  I wanted to hear his voice.

  I wanted to see his smile.

  “You saw how calm his parents were, right?” Calvin continued, with a blatant smile of jealousy on his lips. “They never liked Rico’s passion but they have come to understand him. They were very caring and supportive parents to him.”

  “Yeah, I could see that,” I commented. “I just don’t understand how you guys could act all calm when he had taken four bullets in his body.”

  Calvin chuckled lightly at my statement. “This is just one of the small cases he took care of. As you are well aware, he has handled more confidential and dangerous jobs in the past, and his parents are relieved that this is the only injury he got.”

 
The statement made me shiver. Did he mean Rico’s parents were used to seeing him dying? Did he mean Rico almost always gets back with more than one bullet in his body?

  “How serious were they? Will he continue doing this job forever?” I inquired worriedly, my lips shivering in anxiety. I didn’t like the idea of him putting his life at risk. And just imagining him all bloodied up and unconscious was making me lose my mind. What if he’d come back dead from his future job?

  I shuddered in horror. I didn’t want to see him suffer anymore. “Oh, my god,” I heard myself exclaim in horror.

  I didn’t want to lose him.

  Excuse me. Let me remind you that you guys are still not an official item. Do you have the right to stop him? Okay, let’s say ‘yes’. Will he even listen to you? He is as stubborn as you are and you know that. His family was not even able to persuade him to quit his job. Who are you to stop him from doing what he loves?

  Shooting me a meaningful look, Calvin shrugged and rose from his seat. “Don’t worry, Clark. He will have time to think about the future. He will be on vacation until his wounds fully heal,” he spoke reassuringly. “And if he decides to quit, I promise I’m not going to stop him.”

  I didn’t know why he had to promise me something that important. But I shrugged off the uncertainty and nodded in response. I knew Calvin really valued his cousin’s happiness and safety although they were the best team when it comes to solves cases.

  “Thanks,” I murmured, raising the cup of coffee he had given to me earlier. “I think I’m going to head home for now. I know his parents would really love to be alone with him,” I stated, referring to Rico.

  Nodding his head in agreement, Calvin stretched his hand in front of me and I didn’t know what it was for. I gave him a questioning look before I realized he wanted to shake hands. For what? I didn’t have any idea.

  “Congratulations and thank you for your bravery,” he said – now in a formal tone. “If you were not brave enough, we would not be able to make Congressman Williams pay for his crimes. I appreciate all your efforts.”