President's Daughter's Bodyguard-Chapter 71: Little Guest

Chapter 71: Little Guest

Danielle couldn’t breathe...

Her wrists burned from the metal cuffs digging into her skin every time she struggled. Every few seconds she would slam her shoulder into the door, begging it to break, but nothing worked.

Ethan watched her like she was a hamster, trying to escape its cage.

He leaned back in his seat like this was a road trip and not a kidnapping. His eyes stayed glued to her like she was the most entertaining horror he had ever seen.

"You will only hurt yourself...And I would hate that. Not yet."

Danielle spat the words at him. "You monster."

Ethan smiled as if she complimented him.

"It is cute that you think I care what you call me."

Jackson drove in silence. His grip on the wheel was stiff. But he did not help her. He did not even look back. Everyone in that van lived under Ethan’s rules.

Danielle could only think about Theo on the ground and bleeding, not moving.

Her heart kept waiting to hear his voice again. To see him walking toward her angry and alive. To feel his hand close around hers like salvation.

But there was only Ethan...

The van eventually slowed. It turned down an abandoned road surrounded by dead trees and empty warehouses. Jackson stopped at a rusted building that looked like even ghosts avoided it.

Ethan grabbed Danielle’s arm and pulled her out.

She stumbled but he held her up before she could hit the ground.

"Walk," he told her.

Danielle tried to yank free but his fingers tightened and she had no strength left to resist. Jackson opened a door and the cold air inside wrapped around her like a punishment.

An old office space had been stripped of furniture. Only a single metal chair stood in the center of the room. A single light went on above it, buzzing like a fly.

Danielle’s heart pounded as Ethan pushed her down onto the chair. Jackson locked her cuffs to the metal frame.

Ethan stepped back and admired his work.

"You see," he said in a soft voice, "I am not cruel without purpose. I only hurt people when they lie to me."

She glared at him. "I never lied to you...I don’t even know you enough."

"You lied by loving him."

Danielle’s breath trembled, ’is he on drugs?’

He crouched in front of her, close enough she felt the warmth of his breath.

"Do you want the truth, pretty girl?" he whispered.

She didn’t bother answering his weird question, but Ethan gave it anyway.

"Theo is dead."

Her body felt like it was thrown into the ocean and lungs got filled with heavy bricks. Then her heart was torn inside her chest.

"Liar..."

Ethan slowly lifted his hand.In his palm was the knife, and blood looked still fresh on the blade.

Danielle swallowed her sob before it escaped. Her fingers shook against the metal restraints.

"He begged," Ethan murmured. "He tried to stand. He called your name and failed." He shrugged his shoulders.

Danielle shook her head wildly. "He is alive. He promised me."

"Your promises do not matter in our world."

He stood and walked behind her. His voice spilled through the room like poison.

"You think he is your hero. But heroes die first."

Danielle’s tears finally escaped. She pressed her forehead against the cold iron restraining her, wishing the metal could wake her from this nightmare.

"You will never win..."

Ethan leaned forward until his lips nearly touched her ear.

"I already have."

He snapped his fingers and Jackson grabbed a small device from the table. Lights on it flickered red, blinking slowly.

"That tracker Theo forced onto me?" Ethan said. "It was broadcasting every move. I cut it off. Now no one can find us. No one is coming to save you."

Little did he know...

Danielle shut her eyes but the fear forced them open again.

Ethan circled in front of her and crouched, grabbing her chin gently.

"You belong in this world," he said. "Theo tried to pretend you were something pure. But you are already in the dark. You already tasted what we are."

"I am nothing like you," she hissed.

Ethan smiled. "You will be."

He stood up again. "You look like her, you know," he said suddenly. "My mother. The way she cried. The way she begged for me to be normal. Eh! I’ll kill that bitch Helena."

Danielle raised an eyebrow...it was the same name her mother had.

"You hurt her too," she realised.

Ethan didn’t deny it in front of her even if this wasn’t exactly true. He loved his mother.

"She raised weak boys," he said. "But weakness can always be...fixed."

"Theo is twice the man you will ever be."

Ethan’s jaw flexed. The charming amusement faded. He grabbed her face harder and pressed his nails into her skin.

"He only became a man when he killed for me," Ethan whispered.

Danielle kept looking into his eyes. She wanted him to see the fire in her.

"He will come," she said. "He will tear you apart."

Ethan released her and turned away.

"Keep lying to yourself...it makes this easier for both of us."

He walked to the corner where a small table rested. He pulled out a phone and began to dial.

Danielle forced her breathing to slow, even though every part of her wanted to scream. She listened, and counted the seconds and measured hope in heartbeats.

Ethan spoke quietly into the phone, pacing.

"Yes... send the message. The president will believe anything right now," he said. "And once he does, the country falls into war."

War...This was bigger than her...Bigger than Theo.

She tugged at the cuffs again, skin started burning again. She kept hearing Theo’s voice in her mind.

’Run...Fight...Live...’ Danielle wiped her tears with her shoulder.

"I am coming back...I’m not dying here."

Outside the building, a distant rumble shook the air.

Engines and multiple engines.

Ethan stopped mid-sentence, and Jackson’s eyes widened.

"My guests are here...Danielle, do you like hunting games?"