My Bodyguard Is My Ex Boyfriend

Chapter Nine: Smear Campaign

Brandy

Nate was my constant shadow, though surprisingly, he stayed out of my way. He never spoke a word to me. Even when I sat down for lunch, he sat down at a bench separate from mine.

I appreciated him keeping his distance, because the day almost felt normal. It almost felt like my life wasn't in danger…

He kept to his word and made it a point to stay out of my classes. He would only peek into the room, check for possible assailants and exits before standing guard next to the door I usually entered from. Just to make it easier on us both, and not to incite his ire, I made sure to exit the same way. I didn't want to give him any reason not to trust me and decide to invade my privacy in class.

Classes dragged by and I found it exceptionally hard to focus. Usually, I didn't have that issue. This was my passion. I wanted to practice law. I wanted to make a difference in the world and this was one of the only ways I knew how to do that. Being around my father's practice, I had decided early on I wanted to go into law. Though, I wanted to go into criminal law instead of corporate or medical law.

When my father started out, he had been in medical law before being approached by some congressman who was also a big time businessman and offered my father a job as his corporate lawyer. That's when my father started making the big bucks and had started pulling away from his family emotionally. It was only a few short months after this transition when my mother passed away.

I shook the negative emotions and memories away as they tried to surface, shoving them down until I could barely feel anything. Normally, I was better at keeping a handle on my thoughts when it came to my mother and what happened. But, perhaps after my own accident, it had stirred up the dust.

Over the years, I had become a corpse. Void of emotions. Of love. Of happiness for many reasons other than my mother's passing. I was just an empty shell that didn't want to feel anything. Or rather, I was afraid to feel. And so, I shut every emotion down because if I showed my weakness, I would be punished. Every time I had gone to my father as his child seeking his love and affection and support, he had always been put off and annoyed by it. And, in turn, had always sought out some kind of punishment to put an end to it and discourage me from bothering him.

As my last class was dismissed, a shadow loomed over me and I started when I realized it wasn't Nate. My initial annoyance turned stone cold in my chest and I stared wide eyed up at the sharply dressed man. I knew who this was: Axel. Ross's only son. His stone cold, rich honey brown eyes stared impassively into my soul and I had to wonder what he saw there. His sandy colored hair, styled sharply, was as prim and proper as he was.

We were the same age and had attended the same snobbish high school. I had forgotten he was intending on becoming a lawyer too. While we obviously shared the same lectures, I had never really paid any heed to him.

Silently, and in a bit of a panic, I watched as everyone else including the professor, file out of the room without giving me or Axel a second glance. Hell! They probably thought we were just having a nice chat.

Fudge. This wasn't good.

I almost called out to Nate, but didn't quite get the chance as Axel bent over my desk, his head looming above mine. One of his buddies--another guy I recognized from high school--blocked me in my seat. "Your father isn't going to win," he spat.

"I-I'm sorry?" My voice sputtered, but was strong otherwise.

"My father isn't into drugs. And he sure as hell isn't raping girls. He is a good man! Others have tried to take him down because of his ethics. Others, who are just as vile as your old man, have fallen short too. Your father won't be any different. If you know what's good for you, you'll get as far away from your father as you possibly can," he threatened.

I had no idea what he was talking about. I knew Axel’s father was a senator. I wasn't ignorant of the chaos and corruption that happened within the US government because my father had made his fortune on the backs of the congressmen and senators. While I may have tried to keep my distance, there was no way I couldn't be aware of the s**t that went on.

From what I knew, Senator Ross was one of the better, level headed men in the government. But, he was still a corrupted politician at the end of the day. He was still entrenched in the corruption that was going on, regardless of his intentions. Even if Senator Ross had the best of intentions, he still had to play the game in order to get anywhere and hold his seat. He wasn't without his own sins.

"Are you calling my father a liar after your father sent hired gunmen to kill me?" I growled back at him, leaning in towards him and for a split second I thought I saw shock flash across his eyes. However, his gaze snapped back to be as cold and unforgiving as ever.

"If my father had ordered the hit, you would be dead angelfish," he hissed back, his face inching closer to mine. The inflection in his tone, along with that knowing look on his face told me he wasn't lying. It was as if he knew his father's skeletons. As if he knew his father had hired hitmen before. What was I to make of this?

I had been the one caught in the crosshairs of this mess!

Something in my expression must have registered and Axel slowly pulled away, a curious look on his face. "You don't know anything, do you?"

"Should I?" I demanded.

"Hmm..." Before Axel could say anything else, a booming voice behind him drew our attention.

"Step away from Ms. Cromp now!" Nate ordered with a promise of violence in his tone.

Ms. Cromp?

I almost snorted in amusement.

Axel and his henchman started, but they quickly did as they were instructed.

"Brandy," Nate called and I immediately complied, slipping out of the desk with my bag in hand. Nate's strong grip caught my arm and he dragged me behind him, placing himself securely between me and the threat.

"Wait," I whispered as he started to back us towards the exit, his other hand clutching his weapon beneath his vest, ready for anything. However, there was something about Axel Ross's actions and words that just didn't sit well with me. He was daunting, and scary, but he had started backing off even before Nate came to the rescue.

What did he know?

His quick side glance was more a warning glare, however he paused at my expression. Deliberating for one brief second, he nodded. When I tried to step around him, he caught my waist and shook his head. Sighing, I stayed halfway behind him. My gaze moving back to Axel.

"Tell me what you were going to say," I demanded, holding his gaze unabashedly.

Axel raised his head slightly as he contemplated my request. "Your father is conducting a smear campaign because he intends to take over my father's seat. You need to be careful, angelfish, because I've seen men do this before. Most who do such things usually fall short. However, as they are falling, they will take everything and everyone they love with them." And with that, he turned and left, leaving me confused with far more questions than answers.