My Bodyguard Is My Ex Boyfriend

Chapter Eleven: Threats

Brandy

The rest of the week went by uneventfully.

I spent my normal mornings with Brenda, went to school like usual and did my best to focus on my studies instead of the storm that was brewing in my head. I helped Timmy with his schoolwork, fed him and played with him like normal. I made sure not to change our routine, despite the added security and drama going on. I knew it was important for both of us to keep that normalcy.

Luther was a blessing in disguise. He was the gentlest man I knew and I adored him as he handled Timmy during his best and worst of times. Plus, he gave me some much needed breaks and ease of mind. I knew I was going to miss him when all of this was settled and he went back east.

Axel kept his distance, even though I could feel his eyes watching me in the classes we shared, which thankfully were few. Nate made sure to make himself known during those shared classes by standing just inside of the door right before class was dismissed, glaring directly at Axel. He was making sure there were no more unsolicited altercations.

When Friday came around, my father summoned me to his office. My gut churned nervously. Nearly every time he called me into his office it ended badly for me. Usually these kind of calls were simply to degrade me and tell me how much of a failure I was in order for him to feel better. Other times, he had found some other way to abuse his power as guardian and would threaten my allowances and basic freedoms if I didn’t do exactly as he asked.

He had taken them all away before, leaving me a prisoner in my own room for days with barely the minimum to stay alive. Usually, when he did this, he would send Timmy away to stay at a friends place, or tell him that I was grounded and he would get into trouble too if he tried to sneak in and see me. These instances had become less frequent after I had turned 18 but, they still happened. And I wouldn’t put it past my father to find some way to make it happen even now.

Nate followed me silently to my father's study, blissfully unaware of what was most likely going to happen, and stood stoically outside as I stared down my father’s door.

"This won't take long," I assured him. "If you want to take a break or something, you can," I encouraged him, not wanting an audience for the potential blow out my father would have. Not only would it be embarrassing for me, I knew it would raise questions that I just didn't want to answer at the moment.

Nate nodded and said, "I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

I watched him walk away and sighed with relief when he disappeared around the corner. I reached up and knocked on my father's door.

Only when he responded did I enter.

Surprisingly, he was alone. His body guard was somewhere else in the house. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous about this luxury of privacy he got when both Timmy and I were not afforded such leniency in our own home.

"Brandy," my father greeted, waving me to one of the seats across from him. When I sat down uncomfortably on the edge, he continued. “How are you feeling?”

“Better.” Was my simple response as I stared blankly past him to a picture hanging on the wall. It was an old picture. One with all of us as a family right after Timmy was born.

“Look, I’m sorry for how I acted Saturday while at the hospital. Especially for thinking you would be so irresponsible as to drink and drive.” The apology caught me off guard and my focus shifted to him. This couldn’t be a good omen, right? He had never apologized before! “Detectives haven’t found anything out about the shooters yet or who hired them.”

It was a statement. A very subtle one, yet it was there. There was no ‘if they were hired’ which set off a red flag. How could father know if they truly were hired. There was still a possibility they were a part of the gang shootings.

While I had told officers that I’d heard the perpetrators talking, I hadn’t remembered what they’d said.

“Brandy, is there something you want to tell me?” My father prompted.

“No.” I stated as confidently as I could, but I could still hear the slight question in my tone. “Why?” What did he think I knew?

“It was brought to my attention that Axel Ross approached you on Monday.”

I couldn’t explain why I was upset about this. I’d told Nate not to say anything! f*****g hell! At least now I knew exactly what my father’s intentions were. They weren’t just to check up on me. “He did.”

“What did he say?”

At this point it was better to be honest. Even if father was asking, he usually had the answer and was just waiting to catch his prey in a lie. I knew better than to do that anymore. "He told me you were running a smear campaign against Senator Ross because you intend to take his seat in the senate.”

“Hmm,” he grunted, not denying what I said.

"So it's true?" Axel had been right. Why was father keeping his intentions and campaign quiet? It was strange how he was keeping this on the down low.

"It isn't public knowledge yet," he grumbled, his sharp focus on me. Slowly, predatorially, he stood up from behind his desk and leaned over it, his hands planted on the surface. “You will not breathe a word of this to anyone, do I make myself clear?”

I didn’t understand why it was so important for the world to not know about this but I knew better than to ask.

“And just to drive home the importance of this, Brandy, if you do let it slip, you will be confined to your room for a month. And that includes not going to classes.”

"You wouldn't!" I snapped, feeling the pangs of panic digging into my chest. If he kept me out for a month, I would fail all of my courses. He knew how important this was for me. What if there was another misunderstanding, like the one back at the hospital when he had accused me of drinking and driving and ordered a blood screening? I wouldn’t put it past my father to somehow find a way to tamper with the samples and make it look as if I was doing everything he accused me of doing.

This wasn’t going to end well if I refused to do his bidding. I felt backed into a corner once again. "Try me, Brandy," he hissed and my anger flared. "I know everyone at the college you are attending. I just have to make one phone call and your entire law career is over.”

I didn't want to believe that my father could be so cold hearted enough to actually do that, but I knew otherwise. He had done other heartless acts before when I angered him. Sighing, I complied, even though I knew this would somehow come back to haunt me. Whenever he needed to force my compliance, he would go back to using the things I loved the most against me.

"You have my word I will not say anything to anyone. But, the word is already out since it came from someone at the law school,” I stated matter of factly.

“I am aware of that, Brandy,” he snapped. “Axel Ross knows better than to expose me.”

I wanted to ask why and how he knew this, but thought better on it. Instead, I said, “Are you keeping this a secret because you are running a smear campaign and waiting for the right moment to make it public? Just in time to look like a hero?" I ground out as I tried to keep my anger in check. I couldn’t help but make one small jab.

His gaze narrowed dangerously on me and he slowly walked around his desk to loom menacingly over me. "Don’t believe everything Axel Ross says, Brandy. Remember, his father is the one who’s going after our family.” He sounded accusatory.

I nodded my agreement, unable to get words past my lips. Though, even if I could I wasn’t sure what I could have said.

My father glared down his nose at me, those cold eyes boring into mine. I didn't know how I held his gaze. "If you hear anything else, you come to me," he commanded, no give. "Axel Ross is only trying to save his devious father's hide. Ross is a crooked politician and nothing more. He deserves everything that is coming to him."

I wanted to believe my father, I really wanted to, but it was hard when he was so abrasive, defensive and downright mean about it all. There definitely was something else going on, and I was tempted to believe my intuition over my father. Especially, since my father kept proving over and over again how untrustworthy, sly and manipulative he truly was.

"You may go," he dismissed, turning on his heel to stalk back around to his seat. Right when he was clear, I scampered up and bolted for the door. The instant my hand closed around the knob, my father threw at my back, "And Brandy, if I find out that you disobey me regarding the Ross's, I will ensure your law career is over, you will be kicked out of the house, and your mother’s yearly allowance frozen indefinitely.”

My heart fairly seized.

I could live with losing my dream career. But being kicked out of the house, leaving Timmy without a buffer between our father and him... That was unacceptable.

I scurried out of the room and fairly ran back to mine before the tears could fall. I could only pray Nate didn't invade my privacy when he found out I went back to my room alone. I just wanted some time alone. Some time to digest what my father had implied.

***

Nate

I stepped out of the shadows of the hallway, my gaze fixated on her retreating back.

She had been so upset, she hadn't realized I was standing there in the darkened corner of the hallway. Though, to be fair I hadn't wanted to be seen.

When she slipped inside her father's study, I'd quietly come back and taken up post outside to eavesdrop. And what I'd heard had been downright despicable and heartbreaking.

It was worse than I had presumed. Her father was an abusive, manipulative pile of crap.

The bastard!

Taking a few deep breaths, I sedately made my way towards her room knowing that was where she would be. As much as I wanted to rush to her side, I needed to ensure I was clamed down. She needed someone who could comfort her and tell her it was all going to be okay.

At least I now understood why she had been so adamant about keeping me out of her room. It was her only safe haven in this household. It also explained her compliance and that broken spirit of hers.

When I got to her room, I knocked on her door.

There was no answer. Not surprising.

"Brandy," I called out to her, jiggling the handle but it was locked. Damn woman! "Brandy," I said louder. "You need to open this door." I needed to know she was going to be okay. I needed to reassure her somehow that I would help her through this.

As much as I wanted to give her privacy and not smash in her door, I had this gut feeling she was up to no good. In the past, she had a tendency to run away from her feelings and to drown them out somehow. I highly doubted those tendencies had changed.

Reining in the urge to burst into her room, I called out to her one last time with a warning. "Brandy, you have one minute to open this door or else I'm breaking it down!"

There was still no answer...

My gut was in turmoil and I didn't last the whole minute before I crashed into the room, only to find it empty.

"f**k!" I shot, yelling my predicament into the com as I forced myself into the Jack-and-Jill bathroom, praying she had only barricaded herself inside. But the door was wide open and the large bathroom window was wide open with no Brandy in sight.