The Bodyguard's Temptress

Chapter 14

Knox

I lie beside Natasha with the most painful hard-on I've ever had in my f*****g life.

Why the hell did I agree to this?

Just moments ago, I held her naked in my arms. At the time, I was so focused on comforting her that it never crossed my mind. But now, that's all I can think about.

Natasha whimpers, shifting to her side, her plump ass in short sleep shorts now facing me. Damn it. I should've known better than to bring those along. I shouldn't have packed nothing but sweatpants and turtlenecks—anything to keep myself from losing my goddamn control around her.

Her lips part with each breath, and all I can picture is the way they'd feel around my c**k. She looked so shocked earlier when I gave her permission to call me Daddy, but I meant it. If she's ready to cross that line, I'm right there with her. Actually, it's all I f*****g want now. But I won't rush her; I know she needs time. When she's ready, I'll be ready to consume her entirely.

She'll forever belong to me then, and as her Daddy, I'll fulfill her every want and need. I'd burn the f*****g world down to keep my girl safe and happy. Even if it means creating more enemies. Even if I have to sacrifice myself for her.

Natasha stretches, throwing her leg from under the blanket, and I can't help but wish she'd straddle me like that. I'd explore every inch of her body with my fingers, before I flip her over and eat her sweet little p***y until she wakes up and comes on my face.

Fuck. That's it. I need to get out of here.

Instead of fixating on how deeply I could bury my tongue inside her, I should be focusing on finding the motherfuckers who dared to threaten her.

Carefully, so as not to wake her, I slip out of the bed, silently opening the door and closing it behind me. I know she'll be disappointed when she wakes up without me, but it's for the best.

Just until we discuss exactly what she wants. She's been through enough trauma already, and I need to know exactly what her limits are so I don't end up hurting her. I won't let my actions remind her of the men who violated her.

I retreat to my office, finally feeling my erection go down. Taking a deep breath, I dial the number of my closest friend, seeking his help. He answers on the third ring.

"Well, well, well. Look who's resurfaced from the shadows," his baritone voice echoes through the speaker.

"Hey, Nick. How's it going?" I reply, stroking my chin as I pull up the surveillance feed on my computer. Natasha is still asleep, her shorts riding up her ass.

Fuck. Me.

I tear my gaze away, forcing myself to focus on this conversation rather than imagining myself ripping those shorts down and f*****g her while she screams my name.

God. What is wrong with me?

"David and I just adopted a little girl, Ellie, a few months ago. She's absolutely adorable. What about you? Last I heard, you vanished into thin air after leaving the Special Forces," Nick says, pulling me from my thoughts.

That was five years ago. But he's still my closest friend, even if we don't speak every day. He's always been there when I need him, and vice versa.

"Nick, I need your help. You're the only one I trust for this. I work for Andre Marino. Natasha Marino was almost grabbed tonight. I need to find out who the "Shadow man" is, he's responsible for it."

He hums thoughtfully. "Natasha Marino? Isn't she the mafia princess who was abducted by Danio Russo last year? Seriously, it almosted happened again?"

I scrub my uninjured hand over my face. The fact that even he knows shows that Andre didn't do his f*****g job.

My voice tightens. "Yeah. That's what happens when your father is rich, powerful, and f*****g careless. I have my suspects. Think you can look into them?" I ask.

"Sure, anything for my brother. After all, I owe you my life after what you did for me in Afghanistan."

I remember that day like it was yesterday:

The darkness shrouds our movements, allowing us to creep towards the compound with quiet determination. Each step is calculated, every breath measured. One wrong move, and we're exposed.

As we breach the compound walls, the familiar adrenaline surges through my veins. Swiftly, we sweep the buildings, eliminating our targets and seizing vital intelligence. The routine of nights like these seems to lull everyone else into a false sense of security, but I keep my guard up.

This is a residential compound, but our sources told us a few higher-ups would be hiding here. Our goal is to eliminate them while protecting the residents living here.

Ben, our Sergeant, barks out orders, and we obey without hesitation. Nick, Levi, and I sweep through an orphanage with two levels. The first one contains small children sleeping soundly, their faces peaceful and unaware.

I hope to whatever God is up there that they remain safe, but we're in the middle of a f*****g war. Too many innocents have already been lost.

After ensuring the first floor is clear, we climb the steps to the top level. The room is filthy, the stench thick in the air.

There are two long rows of beds, but many of them are empty. And where the hell are the adults who run this place?

"Something's not right. Why so many empty beds?" Nick murmurs, his voice barely audible.

"Maybe the older kids are hiding," Levi suggests, his eyes scanning the dark corners of the room.

Unease settles in my stomach. I can feel us being watched, the hatred growing thick in the air.

Levi raises his hands in surrender, speaking in Pashto. He announces that we're not here to hurt anyone and that they can come out, that he just wants to make sure they're okay.

The moment he finishes, a bullet hits him square in the forehead. Eyes wide, he falls to the ground. Blood splatters across the dusty floor, mingling with the grime.

The crackle of gunfire erupts around us, the sound deafening in the confined space. Another bullet hits Nick in the leg, and I pull him to safety just as a third one flies through the air. The teens shout in their native language, their voices filled with threats and aggression.

I immediately switch to our squad's military radio frequency, swiftly transmitting our distress call to Sergeant Ben. "This is Alpha team, we're under fire at grid coordinates Charlie Bravo six niner. Requesting immediate backup and medical assistance. Over."

Ben's voice crackles through the radio in response, calm and authoritative. "Alpha Team, this is Bravo Actual. Copy that. Reinforcements inbound. Hold tight. Over."

I grasp Nick's arm and haul him across the rough, debris-ridden floor, seeking cover behind a nearby wall. I can only hope it's thick enough that the bullets won't immediately penetrate it.

"f**k, that kid just f*****g shot me!" Nick hisses, his voice laced in pain.

With my heart hammering in my chest, I crouch beside him, trying to keep my hands steady as I pull a cloth from my pocket and wrap it tightly around his wound to stop the bleeding. The cloth quickly turns dark with his blood, the metallic scent mingling with the stench in the room.

"They killed Levi. What the f**k do we do? Gun down a bunch of kids?" Nick shouts.

The sounds of the teenagers' shouts and the occasional gunfire echo around us. I peek around the corner, catching glimpses of their young, determined faces, eyes burning with a mixture of hatred and fear.

"We can't hurt them," I shout back. "We need to disarm them without causing more bloodshed."

I'm not killing a kid. That's a line even I won't cross.

I'm guessing the adults running the orphanage gave them guns, said 'f**k it', and abandoned them. Although they killed Levi, they don't deserve the same fate. They're innocent children manipulated by f****d-up adults.

Nick grits his teeth, nodding in agreement through the pain. "What's the plan?"

"We need a distraction," I reply, scanning our surroundings for potential options. "Something to disorient them enough for us to gain the upper hand."

Nick's green gaze sharpens as he thinks. "Smoke grenades. We still have a few of those left, right?"

"Yeah," I confirm, retrieving the canisters from my tactical vest. "Let's use them to create cover and buy us some time."

But before we can react, a cacophony of footsteps and shouts fill the air. Our reinforcements. "Sergeant, hold your fire. They're just kids!" I shout, but it's too late—the bullets are already tearing through the room.

Within minutes, the room falls silent, the only sound the distant cries of children downstairs. Bodies of teenagers are scattered all over the ground, the stench of blood so heavily in the air, I nearly choke on it.

As more members of our squad rush in to assist, Nick and I are left silent, the weight of the violence and destruction we just witnessed settling over us.

End of flashback*

That was a night I'll never forget, one of the reasons I left the Special Forces as soon as I could.

I took the job as Natasha's bodyguard because Andre and his men followed a code: never harm women and children. But nah, turns out they just prefer barely legal adults, drugging and renting them out to monsters.

That's why Andre won't see or hear from his daughter again until I get answers.

"Send me their names, and I'll dig deep and get back to you ASAP. Great to hear from you, Knox," Nick's voice snaps me back to the present.

Grinding my teeth, I reply, "Will do. Thanks again, man."

With that, I hang up, stealing another glance at the surveillance feed. I watch Natasha stir in my bed. A soft moan escapes from her lips, causing my d**k to twitch.

My fingers brush over the screen, a surge of protectiveness and possession surging through me.

My little temptress.

It looks like she's stuck here with me until I know for sure that she's safe.