"Mom...why are you sleeping on the floor?" Ziko's sweet voice bounced off the walls, stirring me awake.

"Why am I sweeping on the four?" I asked drowsily, shifting to get into a more comfortable position, only to fall over onto a hard surface.

I groaned at the impact, pushing myself into a sitting position before stopping short.

Something was amiss. Home had carpeted floors, not- and then it hit me all at once. My eyes snapped open; the glossy, blue ceiling came into view first, everything else rushing back in the seconds afterwards.

Expensive decor, aesthetics, perfection. The only item out of place lay hastily shoved under the bed. I averted my gaze from the rug, and onto Ziko.

"Did you leave the room?" I whispered hastily, jumping up to survey whether he was harmed.

"Yes, I talked to Mr. O! He's cool!" he gushed eagerly.

I cursed under my breath, locking the bedroom door before turning back.

"Please don't do that again. I understand you like him, but we don't know him well yet," I said soothingly, heart dropping when his smile fell.

"Okay."

I pulled him in for a hug, tickling his foot in the process. He pulled me tight to himself, giggling uncontrollably.

"What time is it, anyways?" I asked on my way to the bathroom.

"Six," came Ziko's response. I stopped in my tracks, mentally counting the hours it had been since we'd first entered the suite in the morning.

Eight...I'd been knocked out for eight, whole hours. I shook the grogginess and surprise out of my head, heading further away from the ample sleeping area.

Promptly, I used the bathroom, washing my hands and face multiple times, as if the water could wash aside the way I felt leeched of stability, of my usual vigor. It was something I'd been noticing recently, the lack of composure. I braced my palms on the granite sink for a second, surveying the bags under my eyes. My skin, usually a toned bronze, now exuded an odd, lifeless color. The freckles along my cheekbones had faded as the hours I spent indoors had increased. I pulled a few limp curls away from my eyes and into a short bun atop my head.

"Can we leave the room?" Ziko asked as I emerged, having swapped my tee and joggers for a cleaner outfit. I nodded, watching his blue eyes light up.

We found our bodyguard lounging on the same sofa he'd slept in, hands relaxed behind his head. I paid no heed to the television playing in the background, stopping a safe distance away from the male. His gaze shifted from the television onto me. My own eyes slid over him, sizing him up, noting the change in attire. He now wore a fitted button down paired with tapered, black pants, both pieces hugging his body well. I hadn't had a chance to continue the scrutinization as, in one smooth motion, he sat up.

"Hey, little buddy," he gave my son a small nod, "You guys ready to head out?" the question was directed at me, but Ziko's enthusiastic head nodding caught his attention.

With an amused smile, he pushed himself up and off his current bed. I moved a step backwards, allowing him space.

I stood erect as he slipped a pair of shoes on, feeling odd in the sense that I did not belong. I did not have full control over what was to happen over the next week. And blindly going along with whatever he had planned was proving to be difficult.

I struggled to loosen my tensed muscles as we made our way down. Something was off. Something I couldn't exactly put a finger on. Still, I shrugged off the feeling, knowing full well how easy it was to be delusional when under cover. Anyone could be a potential enemy; it was lethal to keep one's guard up at any and every time.

As soon as my eyes fell upon the matte, black convertible sitting outside, that paranoia began to slip away.

"I have that car at home!" Ziko proclaimed with a grin. The corners of my mouth tugged up at the memory of his small toy. I wove his small fingers within mine before running my opposite hand along the passenger's side door. The pads of my fingers skimmed over the smooth surface, catching on the door handle.

"You wanna drive?" I looked up to find the male holding the keys towards me, expression open yet neutral.

"I don't think it's smart for me to drive a rental car this expensive," I replied, swallowing the drool that had filled my mouth at the beauty of this masterpiece.

"Who said it was a rental?" was his only reply before he gracefully slipped in. My brows hit the roof at the arrogance I'd never heard in his tone before.

I tore my gaze away from the self-assured way in which he settled. It was as if the car was made exclusively for his individual self; it complimented him and the rough, yet refined sensations his presence radiated.

It took me but a second to strap Ziko into the car seat situated in the back. The item was so out of place. Hell, Ziko was out of place. The kid gave me a thumbs up; I mimicked the gesture.

"So, you had a booster seat just laying around?" I asked after a while, looking towards the rapidly passing buildings.

He snorted, "No. I went out to get one a few hours back."

I clenched my jaw tight, not expecting that answer. Last time we'd been in this exact situation, Jack had told me to hold him in my lap. He hadn't wanted to waste time on acquiring it. I forced out a breath at the memory. Jack...Jack and the shrewd manner in which he wormed into my thoughts, a constant reminder of the life I lived.

"Thank you," the words were but a whisper. Out of the corner of my eye, his head turned to me for a bare second, noting the vulnerability in my voice. I ignored it, and shook away the foul memories threatening to resurface, savoring the comforting way in which the wind caressed my face. I made no move to smooth the escaped curls out of my face.

The sun was now in the beginning stages of setting, various, soft hues beginning to intermingle with the light blue. We drove closer to the Seine river, surrounded by worn pathways and beautiful, towering buildings. Crowds of people meandered around, some in awe of the surrounding architectures, others hurrying towards their destinations. My eyes caught on the Eiffel Tower, then the Notre Dame, both visible from afar. We drove up to a small structure attached to the walkways of the riverside

Bateaux Mouches, a silver sign read. Miniature cruise ships lined up along the place, awaiting passengers.

"Riverboat," my companion translated the French word, answering the question hanging in my head.

Ziko and I slipped out of the car, ready to follow our escort's lead. In a well-mannered attempt, he smoothed his hair out, mussed from the windy drive, before signaling us forward. We began to follow the curved path, a few other couples lingering in front and behind us.

It didn't take long for me to notice the fancily dressed males and females...or the dirty looks cast my way. I glanced down at the white hoodie, jeans, and sneakers combo I was currently sporting. For the first time in a long while, I regretted not changing.

Ziko found a lady friend on the deck with us, and in no time, the two had their heads bowed, whispering about whatever nonsense kids nowadays spoke about.

The dirty attitudes were still continuously shot my way, even as we were seated; I felt more than obligated to return the favor with glares of my own.

"People stare because you have the features of a foreigner," I raised my gaze, meeting eyes with our guard, "They're lovely," he added as an afterthought.

I froze, taking in the sweetness of his accent, coupled with the bold words. It was a dangerous combination, one I had no idea how to respond to without sounding unpleasant. Suddenly, the round table between us felt too small.

"Mom?" I tore my gaze away from the hazel of his eyes, tore away from the simmering and sparking of embers that had begun to burn me.

"What's up, Z?" I asked softly, combing his hair with my fingers.

"Can I sit with Emile?" he asked, giving me the puppy dog eyes. I searched for the little girl, to find her only one table down.

"Go ahead. Don't leave this little space without me, okay?"

He nodded enthusiastically before skipping off. I watched the two for a moment, only turning away when we began to take off on our tour.

Soothing music filled the cool air, followed by chatter, French words intermingling with English. The sky had quickly darkened, and now, only a bare sliver of sun could be seen. Lights had begun to brighten the city streets, reflecting off of the inky waters. My eyes followed its rhythmic movements, slightly swaying the boat from right to left.

Time passed. We made light conversation, talking our way through countless, harmless topics. I'd given him the bare minimum as to who I was, all information taken from the profile Jack had thought up.

I was a twenty four year old single mother. A rich business woman on this trip due to cliental reasons. He didn't ask why I hadn't left Ziko behind, a question that, no doubt, would have boiled my blood. Malodza treated my child like their own burden, constantly nagging me about why I worried about him.

"What about you?" I finally asked after pushing away those thoughts. One, blissful week of relaxation...and then I could go back to the ruthless soldier expected of me.

"Was born in America, moved to London for few years, more than a decade spent in France, and then back to America." He shrugged when my brows rose.

"And how'd you get into," I gestured around, between us, indicating the bodyguard business.

"I was a personal defense trainor. Then, started working as Mum's bodyguard. I wanted to get away, so I took up this job." His tone was beyond bland, glaringly contrasted to the first words we'd exchanged.

I nodded, looking away as silence settled around us.

"It's beautiful," I nodded towards the Eiffel tower, the allure surrounding it.

The City of Lights.

"Yeah," he replied, voice filled with awe, "Doesn't ever get old."

I studied him, right then. At the way he closed off so easily. At the hollow of his throat, leading down to a strong body visible beneath the thin shirt. At the way he sat back, not slouching, more like cool, nonchalant. I snapped my gaze attention onto the incoming waiters when his turned back onto me.

The tour passed fast, and before we knew it, we were heading off. I was left rattled, grasping at how much of the world I'd missed out on. How much of life I'd missed out on. This place...it was rich with life while home...home was silent, dead.

I hadn't realized we weren't taking the route back until we'd stopped. My neck craned as I looked out and towards the Eiffel Tower.

It was dazzling, the bright lights glittering against the large expanse of the dark night sky. I had no idea how long I stood there, mouth hanging open at the view. I slipped out and unbuckled Ziko before moving forward, every step lighter than the next. The hairs on my arms raised as we strode ahead. A rare ilk of peace encompassed the area, natural and welcoming.

"Ice Cream!" yelled Ziko a few minutes into our walk. I jumped at the sudden sound, following his gaze to a man standing behind a booth, various images of popsicles slapped on the metal. Only seconds later, the kid ran ahead, chasing a butterfly.

I turned around to find our guard a few feet away, speaking on the phone. His brows were furrowed, body tensed. Not wanting to bother him more than necessary, I quickly grabbed his attention, gesturing to the booth. He nodded, understanding that I needed him to watch Ziko whilst I was away. Only when he was within reach of Ziko did I turn away.

I awaited another minute, one more family in line before me. I had put one foot forward when a panicked shriek rang out in the air. I whipped around, frantically searching as to what was the cause.

Ziko stood unharmed, cartwheeling around without a care. My eyes darted to the areas surrounding him.

And that's when I saw it.

The massive, blood curdling hound running full speed...right down the path of where my little boy stood.

My mind went blank. Time slowed. I stopped breathing.

"Ziko!" One name left my mouth, raw and guttural. And then I was running. Running towards the one person that I lived my very life for.

"Ziko," the whisper slipped past my lips as the dog made its final killing jump.

The peace in the air vanished, just as the burning fury in my body began its course.

Extraaa long chapter as an apology for that cliffhanger...and the fact that college starts in four days so I won't be able to update much :(