Adam

"I don't like this."

"She'll be fine."

"I should be there with her."

"Does it say guardian angel on your forehead?" Roxie shoots me a look. "That's what I thought. She volunteered, didn't she? I have two of my guys around her, Adam. She'll be fine."

We watch Selena through Roxie's laptop screen, facing us with her back. She's at a tropical bar, wearing a sultry dress made out of black and nude patterns. Silky black ponytail. Shimmery earrings. She's sipping on red wine, unaware of the hungry glances men sneak at her.

Roxie's plan involves Selena seducing Marc so he spills information. Her workers have installed cameras in the suite's living room. Selena is supposed to bring him up once he's loose and drunk. We're hiding in the dark bedroom to be close enough in case things go wrong.

"Selena? Oh, damn..." Marc approaches with a wolfish grin. The guy looks like a crusty alpaca.

I grit my teeth as the cheating scumbag wraps her in a hug.

"Wow." He pulls back and checks out her breasts. "I didn't know you're so..."

"Sexy? Fun? Rebellious? Guess it took a Mexico trip to bring out my bad side." Selena laughs like someone's holding a gun to her head.

Roxie lifts the small speaker to her mouth. "Finish your wine and get another one. You're too tense."

Marc whistles in approval as Selena chugs until the last drop. 

"Phew! Let's take shots together." She gives him a flirtatious smile.

For an hour, they make meaningless small talk and drink. Marc keeps undressing her with his not-so-subtle gaze. He finds any excuse to touch her. They take body shots.

"She's pretty good at this," Roxie says. "I should hire her to work for me."

"You should jump off a bridge."

"Whoo!" Selena barges through the front door, heels dangling on one finger. 

Marc grabs her from the back and...growls? Roxie and I make an identical scowling face.

"Okay, okay." Selena pulls away. "Didn't you have to use the bathroom?"

"That is"—he hiccups—"correct. W-where's it?"

Selena shows him the way. As soon as he locks the door behind him, she jumps on the couch and rearranges her body into a seductive position. It last two seconds.

"Fuck it." She snatches a pillow and hugs the life out of it. Starts rocking back and forth.

I spring up. "She can't do it."

"She has a safe word. Sit your ass down or I swear to God..." Roxie sighs with a disappointed head shake. "Rule number one, don't get attached."

"I'm her bodyguard."

"You sure that's all you are?"

Selena puts music on her phone and dances in front of the floor-length window. Marc wobbles out of the bathroom and slumps on the couch. Too plastered to join, but overjoyed to watch.

"Wow, what's gotten into you? I never knew you're such a party girl, Sel."

"There's so much you don't know about me, Marc. Hey, look!" She pulls up her dress and shows her tattoo.

"Whoa! When'd you get that?"

"Yesterday." She snickers at his gaping reaction. "See? I have a lot of secrets, unlike you Mr. Innocent."

"Me? I'm not innocent."

"Right, you got a ticket for parking next to a fire hydrant. Badass."

"For your information, I've done a lot of things. Okay? I just don't broadcast it like some people."

She gives him a doe-eyed, needy look. "Won't you share it with your wife?"

"Future wife. And no. Jacob would murder me if he knew."

"I won't tell a soul! I promise."

Marc hesitates, causing Roxie to curse under her breath. Meanwhile, I'm relieved that this is over.

"I tried cocaine yesterday." Selena shrugs a coy shoulder. 

"No, you didn't."

"Look, I have a stalker. Alright?" She slumps on the couch and crosses her legs. "I deserve to let loose. Plus, planning the wedding and moving to Germany. You haven't told me anything about Germany, by the way. What's going on?"

"I don't want to talk. I want to enjoy tonight with my future wife." He sits next to her and kisses her. He fucking kisses her.

Selena yelps, shoulders tight. She hates every second, but doesn't say a word. Doesn't move.

I'm holding my breath without realizing until he finally lets go of her.

"Are you excited about your new job?" She breathes out.

"Uh, well...I'm glad to get out of here."

"But you worked so hard to join my dad. Plus your mom and dad are here. All your friends. Are you really moving to Germany for a job?"

"What else would I do it for?"

"Why is she being so obvious?" Roxie glares at the screen.

"Maybe you're in trouble." Selena pushes Marc against the couch and swings one leg over. She straddles him. All three of us are caught-off-guard. "What type of a wife would I be if I didn't listen..." She trails slow kisses on his neck. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you, so I know how to make you feel better."

"Oh, you already are."

My nostrils flare while Selena giggles. How is she doing this! Say the safe word. Now.

"But I can do so much more. So much more."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Are you a bad guy, Marc? Am I marrying a criminal?" She smiles like the thought of it drives her wild. 

"Maybe." His eyes burn at her enthusiasm.

"Tell me more."

"Alright, well. I work for your dad, right? I sell medicine."

She bites her lip. "Mhm."

"Well, sometimes...I don't sell regular medicine."

"Drugs?" She doesn't sound surprised.

"I mean, that too, but not only. I make most of the profit in a different way."

She traces a manicured nail from his collar down to his belt. "Like?"

"Expired medicine." Marc rubs his nose. "Mostly in poor towns, no big deal. No one that matters. But..." He takes a deep breath. "I might've fucked up. Big time."

Selena stills. "What'd you do?"

"Nothing, I sold expired painkillers to this old woman. I thought, why does it matter, she's like a hundred-years-old. You know? How would she know the difference." He pushes Selena off and starts pacing around the room, pulling his hair.

"Okay. So what happened?" Selena sits up.

"She died!" 

"Because of old age or expired pills?"

"It doesn't matter, alright? I'm dead." Marc palms his forehead. "I'm fucking dead. I haven't slept for weeks. Every time I close my eyes, I see D'Amico." 

Roxie covers her mouth. "No, no, no, no, no, no."

"He killed Joe D'Amico's mom?" My voice goes dry.

Joe D'Amico used to own every illegal gambling business in Central LA. I'm talking billions worth of gold stashed in bulletproof basements. He's retired now, but cops still piss their pants when they hear his name. 

"D'Amico?" Selena asks. "Is that a pizza place?"

"He's a bad guy!"

Except he's not just a bad guy. 

Joe D'Amico shot my last client who suffered from a gambling addiction.

"Charlie!" I scream. Gun shots explode. Five rip through Charlie. One goes through my arm, but I don't feel it. All I see is my best friend's body hit the pavement. Eyes open as he bleeds out.

"He's a gangster, alright?" Marc snaps. "He's going to rip my spine out of my asshole and shove it back through my throat. Do you understand? I need to get out of here."

Selena spaces out. "So he's the one stalking me..." 

"It's okay. It's okay. Look, we'll go to Germany. We'll split up. He won't find us, I have it under control. I do. I swear—"

"You sell expired medicine," Selena says, "to poor people. So you're not actually helping them. You're hurting them. For money."

"Dude, how fucking slow are you. Yes!" Marc laughs. "What, you think Jacob is an angel? Joe D'Amico should go after him, not me!"

Selena stands up, clenching her fists. "So you and dad are playing God for profit? What the fuck is wrong with you? All that poor woman wanted was painkillers and now she's dead." 

"Oh, fuck off."

"You fuck off! The only reason you're rich is because you were born into it. How entitled and ignorant do you have to be to not feel even an ounce of regret, Marc? What if it was your mom?"

Her pained words wring my heart. Images of my mom disrupt my head. How I miss her. How I've spent fifteen years replaying what I did to my dad to stop him from hurting her.

"You're disgusting," Selena says. "I'm not marrying you."

"You think I wanna marry you? Come on." He gets close to her and tilts his head, sweeping a sleazy once-over. "Look at you, Selena. Even dressed like a slut, you're still a retarded pain in the ass."

I jerk the door open and charge at him. Ignoring Selena. Ignoring Roxie.

Marc's eyes bug out. He opens his mouth, but it's too late. I grab his throat and lift him off the floor. His pathetic feet dangle. He claws my hand, the veins around his temples bulging out.

"Don't!" Roxie runs up to me. "Adam, you're not getting locked up over this. Stop."

I glare at Marc's purple, sweating face. If I wait a couple of more seconds...

"Adam, don't!" My mom wails from the kitchen floor, her lips and cheeks are busted open. Courtesy of my dad's fists. 

I hold him down and tighten my grip around the hammer, then—

"Please, stop." Selena's voice is small and brittle. "Please stop, Adam."

The demons lurking in my hollow chest cackle. She sees the real you now. Congratulations, Adam. You did it.

I drop Marc. He lands in a fetus position, coughing his lungs out. 

"If I see you around her again..." I press my shoe against his forehead and force him look at me. "You will beg me to take you to D'Amico. Understand?"

He nods as quick as possible, tears spilling down his cheeks. 

"Get the fuck out."

~

Hours later, Selena is calm enough—well, medicated enough—to fall asleep. Roxie pours another round of whiskey, as we watch the dark mountain silhouettes on the balcony.

"I'm revoking your contract."

"What? No."

"It's obvious you like her." She blow her cigarette smoke. "I'm not blind."

"It's not that. I can't leave her. You know she's not safe."

"What about Leah?"

"She has you." I study the amber liquid in my glass.

"Oh, yeah? That's it, then? You're ready to die for some twenty-one-year-old and leave your only family all alone?"

"Don't guilt trip me."

"It's called a reality check. Your job is done, Adam. It's over."

After Roxie takes off, I crack Selena's door open to check how she's doing. Her black hair is feathered across the white linen pillow. 

I gather the blanket pooled by her feet and drape it over her, tucking her in. There's a weird brown animal toy on the floor. I pick it up and turn it over. A buffalo? Out of all the animals...

I reach to place it under her hand. Instead, she latches onto my fingers. Two of them, to be exact. Same way she held them when she was afraid at the grocery store.

A sigh leaves me. All the tension, adrenaline, and tormenting thoughts melt. All I do is kneel before her while she holds my hand. I watch. I don't know for how long.

I wake up the next morning from a panicked, high-pitch noise.

"What are you doing here?"

Sometime, during the night, I've crawled in her bed and slept next to her. Oops. 

"My bad." I roll on my back, stretching and cracking my spine. Fuck. I haven't slept on a mattress for so long. "You were cuddling with my hand."

Selena jumps off. "No, I wasn't!"

"Moaning my name in your sleep too."

"What?" She burns red.

I pick up the buffalo and shake it at her, embarrassing her more."Get dressed, we need to talk."

Last night's events loom over our heads. We're quiet the entire way to the buffet, where most of the travelers dine. Maybe not the most peaceful place for Selena, but it has the largest food selection.

Not to make her anxiety worse, I take her to a vacant table facing the security guards. Then I go to the breakfast line and grab two plates. I pick whatever I think she might like, along with coffee and orange juice.

When I make it back, the table where Selena was sitting a moment ago is empty.

"Where'd she go?" I ask the security. They point at the beach. 

I leave the food on the table and run out, catching Selena's dark hair in the crowd. Everyone else is leaving the beach. The sky is gray and full of clouds, promising unpleasant rain. 

She hurries against the wind, her mind someplace else. 

"Selena!" When I catch up to her, I'm out of breath. "Jesus, why'd you run off like that?"

"Sorry." She chuckles, wiping her face. "I'm just a little emotional, I guess."

"About last night?"

She nods.

"It's okay. We're going to figure it out," I say.

"It's fine, Adam. You don't need to make me feel better. Julie told me."

"What?" 

"You revoked your contract." She pulls her lips in and shrugs. "I totally get it, don't worry."

"No, Roxie—"

"Thank you for everything." She takes off her engagement ring, showing off the sparkling diamond. "If you want to take this—"

"What?"

"For Leah's medical bills."

"I'm not going anywhere," I say. "If you're still in danger, then my job is not done."

"But your contract is—"

"Fuck the contract."

"I'm not going to leave a one-star Yelp review, I promise." She tries to lighten the mood.

"Well, I don't trust you. Plus if you die, you'll come back and haunt me."

"Why are you trying to ruin my plans?"

After a beat of silence, we both chuckle. 

The waves crash ashore and the wind ruins Selena's hair. 

"I doubt Roxie would approve of you doing pro bono." She brushes the strands away from her face. "Besides, I'm pretty sure if she revoked your contract, it must be for a good reason."

The way she looks right through me, she might as well reach her hand inside my chest and pull every emotion out on display. I can't lie, even if I want to.

"D'Amico killed my best friend." 

She reacts just as I expect. With shock, horror, regret. All of them genuine, of course.

"I'm still going to protect you. Not because of your dad, not because of his money." I lower my face to be at her eye-level. "You don't deserve to pay for what they did."

Angry tears pool her light brown eyes.

I wipe away one that escapes and let my hand linger, tracing her jawline. "D'Amico will leave you alone. He just needs to see you happy and unbothered with another man. But he's smart, Selena. He's not easy to fool. So we'll need to make it believable. Do you understand?"

She frowns. "Not at all."

"If he's been watching you, then he already knows you don't leave your apartment and you don't socialize. Which means there's only one man who can steal you from Marc." I take her diamond ring and flick it off like dust. "Me." 

A/N

From bodyguard to fake boyfriend. Let's raise the tension UP...

Also, sorry for the triggering chapter <3 But no pain, no gain, huh?