My Bodyguard Is My Ex Boyfriend

Chapter Six: Blackberry

Brandy

I woke with a start when the bed jolted.

"Bandy!" Timmy's excited yell filled the silence right as he pounced. My little brother, when he had started talking, had a problem pronouncing his r’s. Therefore, my name had been Bandy for the longest time. As he grew up, the name just sort of stuck.

A smaller body landed hard on my chest as two little arms were wrapped fiercely around my neck. "You're back!" He exclaimed a bit emotionally. I heard the tears in his voice.

"Hey buddy," I panted, having had the wind knocked out of me, wincing as I wrapped my arms around him too. He wouldn't understand that gentleness was imperative after a car crash. "Did you have fun this morning?" I asked him after a few moments of just holding him. My mind was trying to wake up as pain sunk its claws into my body. I must have been asleep for some time. I was surprised Nate hadn't woken me up to eat. Then again, perhaps rest was better.

“Yes I did! Daddy bought me my own set of clubs and he let me hit the ball. It was so much fun!”

I smiled at his excitement, glad father had let Tim do something a little extra special seeing as I was MIA for the last few days. Though a jolt of pain lanced through my heart at the same time. My father always had a way of making me feel as though I wasn’t a part of this family. When I was in the hospital, he was out playing golf with his buddies and buying Tim’s love and affection.

I was sure what happened Friday scared Timmy, even if he didn’t understand it entirely. “That’s so awesome! You’re going to have to show me those clubs when I’m feeling better.” I forced myself to smile and be happy for him because I refused to take away any part of his happiness. He was a good kid. He didn’t deserve to know the harsh reality of the situation our father had created.

“Bandy—

"Timmy!" A whispered disappointed shout came from the doorway. I looked towards the voice and saw an unfamiliar man standing there. He was tall and clad in the typical suit most body guards wore. He even had one of those snazzy little earpieces. This had to be Timmy's body guard. The gentleman was rather tall and stocky, middle-aged with kind green eyes and sporting a buzz cut with black hair. "What did we talk about on the drive home?"

I heard Timmy's soft sigh as he pulled away.

Gingerly, I sat up, trying to keep that sisterly instinct from rearing her ugly head to scold the body guard. "It's okay, really." I said, possibly a bit too defensively.

The body guard moved into my room, assessing both Timmy and I with a skeptical eye before relenting. “You must be Brandy,” the guard stated, holding out his hand. “I’m Luther. I’ve been assigned to your brother.”

Luther…

His name sounded familiar.

Luther noticed my quizzical expression and said, “I am an old friend of your father’s. We served together.”

That’s where I had heard his name before! Father, when he reminisced about his younger days, often told stories of when he was in the service and how he missed his friend Luther. They had kept in touch when I was younger and father had gushed over Luther’s success in starting up a protection service. Escorts, body guards, and other services were provided. “Luther!?” I suddenly gushed, a smile gracing my face. “I remember father always telling us stories about his time in the service with you.”

Luther’s smile was warm and friendly. In his eyes I saw that distant look as he was taken back to that long ago time. “Things back then seemed so simple and easy. Life has gotten rather complicated since then,” he murmured, his gaze refocusing on me. “Alright Tim, we should go get you changed and washed up before lunch.”

“Will you come have lunch with us?” Timmy asked me, the look on his face so hopeful.

I smiled tiredly at him. “I’m going to have to take a rain check today buddy.”

His eyes moved over me critically. I hadn’t had a chance to look at myself in the mirror yet, but I could only imagine I was a bruised and utter mess. “Are you still feeling sick?” He asked, and I wasn’t entirely sure what father had told him or not. So I asked him. “I saw the ambulance come. And all the police and firemen,” he admitted. “Daddy just said you were going to the hospital. And only sick people go to the hospital.”

Well, there wasn’t much to go on. In his typical, fatherly fashion he didn’t disclose anything to Timmy. Always leaving the disclosure of the harsh reality checks up to me. “Did daddy tell you why Luther has been asked to watch you? And follow you everywhere?” I decided maybe a different approach was necessary. If father hadn’t explained anything to him, I would be hard pressed not to lose my s**t on our father…

“He said there were bad men wanting to hurt us. Is that what happened to you Bandy?” He suddenly asked, his eyes going very round at the prospect. I saw the fear overtake his features and it broke my heart that I wouldn’t be able to take that away. I didn’t want to scare him, but I couldn’t let him be in the dark either. He deserved to know.

“Yes. I was attacked, buddy.” I replied evenly, taking his hand. “But, we aren’t sure if I was attacked by the bad men daddy made mad,” I explained.

“Can I come stay with you after lunch?” He asked.

“Of course you can! And,” I said a bit conspiratorially, pulling him in closer to whisper into his ear, “if you could sneak one of Lola’s cinnamon rolls to me, I will forever be grateful.”

Lola was our cook. And most Sunday mornings, she made these amazing home made cinnamon rolls.

His little wicked grin split his face as he nodded. Giving him a quick kiss on his cheek, I sent him on his way. Nodding to Luther, I was left alone once again.

My gaze moved across my room, taking in the differing shades of purples on my walls with accents of white. There was a desk in the corner to my left, a flat screen TV mounted to the wall directly across from my bed, and a full bookshelf next to the desk. On the wall across from my bed, to the far left was my walk in closet. Next to it was a sheer white canopy curtain I had hung from the ceiling. A thick blanket, throw pillows, and a few stuffed animals were laid out directly under it, the curtains nearly enclosing the space. A string of fairy lights was woven through the fabric, starting at the very top and circling down. I’d made that little haven as a makeshift tent where Timmy and I could pretend to camp out in my room.

To the right of my TV was a different door that led into the Jack and Jill bathroom I shared with Timmy. Then, on the right wall I saw the cot Nate had mentioned earlier at the hospital along with a large duffel bag stuffed under it. It was pushed against the wall to the right of my bed, just a foot or so away from the door.

Sighing, I threw the lavender colored comforter off me and swung my feet over the edge of the bed, sighing in contentment when my feet were lost in the very soft, fluffy oval rug. I really needed to use the restroom, and I was hoping to take a quick shower. I had gotten some much needed rest and slept off the remaining drugs the hospital had pumped into my system. I was certain Nate couldn’t get on my case now if I took care of my basic needs without him present.

Though, I didn’t care if he was upset if I was honest with myself.

I picked some comfy, clean clothes from the closet before making my way into the bathroom. Once I had taken care of business, I turned on the water and had turned back around to strip when I ran face first into a solid wall of muscle. I screeched and nearly jumped out of my skin.

Large hands—hands I knew all too well—landed around my waist, steadying me as I tripped over my own two feet.

Nate’s lips pressed against my ear as he growled, “I thought I told you to wait for me, blackberry.”