Chapter 80: New bodyguard
Chapter 80: New bodyguard
Tennessee was now standing near the staircase, phone pressed to his ear. “Yes, bring him in,” he said curtly, then ended the call. He glanced over at Audrey, who sat in her wheelchair near the living room window, staring out at the garden without really seeing it. She had been quieter since their argument.
“There’s someone here,” Tennessee said carefully.
Audrey did not turn. “Another doctor?” she asked flatly.
“No.”
“A journalist?” she added bitterly.
“No,” he repeated. “A bodyguard.”
That got her attention. She turned slowly, eyes narrowing. “What?”
“I told you already,” Tennessee said. “I put the word out. I found someone.”
“I told you I don’t want one,” Audrey snapped.
“And I told you this isn’t optional.”
She let out a short, humorless laugh. “So now you’re hiring muscle to follow me around too?”
“It’s for your safety.”
“My safety from what?” she shot back. “Fresh air?”
Before he could answer, footsteps echoed in the hallway. One of the guards appeared. “Sir, he’s here.”
Tennessee nodded. “Bring him to the front hall.”
Audrey’s fingers curled tightly around the arms of her wheelchair. “I’m not doing this,” she said.
“You’re meeting him,” Tennessee replied, already moving behind her. “That’s all.”
She tried to turn the chair herself, but he had already taken hold, pushing her forward before she could protest further. Her jaw tightened as they moved through the corridor, the polished floors reflecting the tension between them.
When they reached the front hall, Scar Face stood waiting, hands clasped loosely in front of him. He wore dark clothes, simple and functional, nothing flashy. His posture was relaxed but alert, like a man who could move very fast if needed.
Audrey lifted her gaze.
The moment her eyes met his, her breath hitched. Not dramatically, not enough for anyone else to notice immediately, but enough for her chest to tighten, for her palms to grow damp. Her heart began to race, memories flashing uninvited, sharp and unwelcome. She swallowed hard and forced her expression into something neutral.
Tennessee noticed the slight change in her breathing. “Audrey?” he asked.
She didn’t look away from Scar Face. “Who is this?” she asked, her voice controlled, almost too controlled.
Tennessee followed her gaze. “This is Scar Face,” he said. “He comes highly recommended.”
Scar Face inclined his head slightly. “Ma’am.”
Audrey flinched internally at the sound of his voice, deep and steady. She exhaled slowly, grounding herself. “Recommended by who?”
“By people who know what they’re talking about,” Tennessee said. “He’s experienced.”
“Experienced in what?” she asked.
“Keeping people alive,” Scar Face answered calmly before Tennessee could. “That’s my job.”
Audrey finally tore her eyes away from him and looked up at Tennessee, disbelief and anger flashing across her face. “You brought a stranger into this house without asking me?”
“I don’t need your permission to protect you,” Tennessee replied.
She scoffed. “Protect me? Or watch me?”
Scar Face remained silent, eyes forward, as though the argument had nothing to do with him. Tennessee’s grip tightened on the wheelchair handles. “Audrey, don’t do this.”
“Do what?” she snapped. “React like a human being?”
“You’re overreacting.”
Her laugh was sharp. “I’m not using a bodyguard,” she said flatly.
“Yes, you are.”
“No,” she shot back. “I’m not.”
“You can’t decide that.”
Her head snapped toward him. “I don’t get to decide anything anymore, do I?”
Tennessee’s voice hardened. “This is happening.”
Audrey turned back to Scar Face, studying him more closely now. The scar, the stillness, the way he seemed too comfortable in a place that was not his. Her chest tightened again. She didn’t like the way he made her feel, how exposed she suddenly felt.
“Take me to my bedroom,” she said abruptly.
Tennessee frowned. “We’re not done here.”
“Yes, we are,” she replied. “Take me upstairs. Now.”
“You’re being unreasonable.”
Her voice rose, sharp and clear. “I said take me to my bedroom ASAP. I am not using any bodyguard.”
Scar Face shifted slightly, as if preparing to step back. Tennessee looked at him briefly. “Wait here,” he said.
Audrey’s breathing quickened despite her effort to stay calm. “I don’t want him anywhere near me,” she snapped.
“He’s not near you,” Tennessee said. “He’s standing there.”
“That’s too near.”
Tennessee leaned down, lowering his voice. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”
That did it. Audrey exploded. “Don’t tell me how to feel!” she yelled. “Don’t parade strangers in front of me like I’m some fragile thing you need to guard!”
Heads turned from down the hall. The air felt tight, electric. Tennessee straightened, jaw clenched. “Lower your voice.”
“Take me upstairs!” she screamed.
For a moment, it looked like he might argue further. Then he exhaled sharply, clearly restraining himself. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth.
He turned to Scar Face. “Wait for me here.”
Scar Face nodded once. “I’ll be here.”
Audrey didn’t look back as Tennessee wheeled her away, her shoulders rigid, her hands trembling slightly in her lap. As they moved down the corridor, her anger simmered beneath the surface, tangled with fear she refused to acknowledge.
“You can’t force this on me,” she said tightly.
“I just did,” Tennessee replied.
She laughed bitterly. “You think hiring someone fixes everything?”
“It fixes this,” he said. “You’re not safe.”
“I was fine before,” she snapped.
“You were poisoned,” he shot back. “You lost your legs.”
Silence slammed between them. Audrey’s throat tightened. “That’s not your weapon to use,” she said quietly.
He didn’t respond. When they reached her bedroom, he pushed her inside and stopped abruptly.
“I’m not done,” he said.
“I am,” she replied.
“You don’t trust me anymore,” he accused.
She turned to face him fully, eyes blazing. “You never trusted me to begin with.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then why don’t you listen to me?” she demanded. “Why do you keep deciding what’s best without asking what I want?”
“Because what you want could get you killed.”
“And what you want could suffocate me,” she shot back.
He ran a hand through his hair, pacing. “You’re acting like a child.”
“And you’re acting like a dictator,” she replied.
They stared at each other, both breathing hard. Tennessee finally stopped pacing. “Scar Face is staying.”
Audrey shook her head. “Then I’m not leaving this room.”
“That’s your choice.”
She laughed hollowly. “You’ve already taken those from me.”
He turned toward the door, clearly frustrated. “We’ll talk later.”
“No,” she said. “We won’t.”
He paused at the door, glancing back. “You don’t know what you’re pushing against.”
She met his gaze steadily. “Neither do you. You’re lucky my husband isn’t here.”
He left without another word, the door closing behind him with a soft but final click. Audrey sat alone, her heart racing.