The Bodyguard: A BWWM Bad Body Romance(67)

It was her fault - and no one else’s. If it weren’t for her, Hank would never have found himself in this position - or, at the very least, he might have been more prepared before he did. She’d spent the past few months hoping that she might escape her past and everything that came with it. But if she had to give herself up to ensure that Hank survived, she would gladly do it.

Without a second thought.

They soon passed from the more developed part of town into a neighborhood that hadn’t seen much attention in the past few years. The buildings were mostly boarded up if not abandoned entirely. It struck Juliet just how far Solomon must have fallen for him to be here. This was the kind of place he attested he’d never be caught dead in daily when she’d been in the mansion.

But this was where most of his clientele lived. People already in poverty, driven further into the poorhouse when they spent everything they could scrape together on their next high.

And then, all at once, she had arrived.

Despite her hurry, Juliet hesitated a moment before she stepped from the car. She hadn’t seen Solomon for months, and now she was walking right into his grasp. He’d killed people to get to her - threatened to kill Hank…

And then her resolve hardened. She was here for Hank, and that was all that mattered. Everything else could be considered later.

Juliet handed everything she’d brought with her to the taxi driver, praying it would be enough, a moment before she fled the cab. She found herself standing before a house that had to be at least a century old - though she doubted it had seen two or three decades of care in all that. Ivy covered almost the entire structure. Even in the evening light, she could see the lawn was overgrown with weeds and the sagging steps that led to the front door were half collapsed.

From inside the faded brick interior, however, light shone. She’d come to the right place.

As the taxi sped from the curb, she took a step forward, her head held high. She might have to go back to Solomon, but she wouldn’t do it easily. She was going to make sure he kept his word. She would see Hank free and clear before she gave herself over to him - and she had brought something with her to ensure that happened.

Juliet hurried up the cracked sidewalk towards the front porch, hoping that it didn’t merely collapse beneath her. According to her phone, she still had a good ten minutes before her deadline. She could only hope that Solomon hadn’t gotten an itchy trigger finger.

Then, all at once, an explosion of glass sounded from around the side of the house. Juliet cried out in alarm, stumbling backwards. From her current position, she could barely see shards of glass tumbling from the third story window. A body followed in short order, impacting a nearby tree with an audible thud that made her wince.

The structure before her exploded into activity. No less than ten men burst from the front door, the front porch creaking under their combined weight as they thundered towards the eastern wall. The rapport of several gunshots had Juliet’s hand moving reflexively to the cold weight at her waist a moment before Solomon’s voice rang through the darkness. “Bring him BACK here! If you fucking let him get away I’ll personally have your head!”

Juliet’s heart stopped.

Hank.

The body under the tree was Hank and he was trying to escape.

Despite the chaos around her, Juliet immediately broke into a sprint. She needed to get to him. Needed to see that he was alright.

Of course, she didn’t take into account the throng of gigantic men who had a head start on her - or Solomon himself, who was already hanging out of the window, his face just as pinched and incensed as she remembered.

Still, she ran. Ran as she watched the crumpled shape beneath the tree straighten before swaying on the spot. A choked sob threatened to escape her throat.

Her Hank.

His face was bruised and incredibly swollen, and he was bloodstained, but he was alive. The moment he lifted his head and saw her across the lawn, he froze.

And that was the moment they took him. Two men tackled him from behind while another struck him across the face hard enough to drive a grunt of discomfort from him.

Juliet screamed.

She had seen a ridiculous amount of abuse and violence in her life, but this...this was too much. Too close to home. “Stop it! Stop it!”

“Julieta!” When Solomon called her name, she froze, a mixture of revulsion and fear rolling over her. She glanced over her shoulder to see him step from the house. Despite the conditions he was in, the man himself was still well-groomed, sporting one of his impeccable suits. The way he looked at her - like a spider ready for its next meal - was almost enough to make her want to turn and flee.

Almost.

“How kind of you to join us.” Juliet turned from Solomon to take in Hank’s sagging form between the two men that held him. She couldn’t tell what Solomon had done to him but the damage had to be severe to incapacitate him like that.

She had never seen Hank look so vulnerable.

With a low groan, the man looked up at her, and Juliet inhaled sharply to see defiance blazing in his gray eyes. “Go.” He commanded hoarsely. “Leave me. Don’t you dare, Julie. I’m not worth it.”

Her heart twisted painfully, stealing her breath, and Juliet felt moisture gathering at the corner of her eyes. This wasn’t the time for her to breakdown. She had to act now.

Turning back to Solomon, she straightened her spine, walking her way towards him without saying a single word. “I thought you’d come.” The man always liked to talk too much - especially when he got his way. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you hijita.”