REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 31 – 40

REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 31 – 40

CHAPTER 35 & 36.

THE BEGINNING OF THE TURNING POINT.

Bose stilled and the mirthless smile he’d directed at Tesiera died an untimely death, leaving behind a perplexed expression on his face. He had to take a moment to let his boss’s words sink in, but sadly they couldn’t penetrate. They didn’t make sense to him at all, and everything that spelled confusion was expressed on his features.

“I – I don’t understand,” he said, sincerely puzzled, turning around to look at the woman in question, Tesiera Rinderson, also known as The Torturer, the woman who had tried to murder his boss twice.

Bose wondered if the overwhelming workload his boss was dealing with had somehow scrambled his brain into making this decision. Or perhaps Tesiera knew some bewitchment spells that they hadn’t found out about yet. He couldn’t shake off the disbelief that was seeping through his bones.

“This is a joke, right?” Bose’s gaze moved from Kracus to Clinton, who just shrugged, then to Tesiera, who was leaving the room.

She purposely bumped into Bose and threw a glare at him as she walked out. Her eyes burned with a fierce intensity—the eyes of a cold-blooded killer, not the eyes of a lifeguard protector.

“Hello? Answers, anyone?” Bose questioned, his gaze finding Clinton again, who couldn’t make eye contact. He averted his eyes from Bose and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Kracus exhaled audibly and took a step forward, “What is going on is that Tesiera is the new bodyguard. You, Clinton, and her would be working together starting today.”

“Boss, how could you do that? That lady wants you dead. She almost killed you! Why would you employ her to be your bodyguard, you’re just giving her a one-way ticket access to cutting you open,” Bose reasoned, his tone filled with genuine concern for his boss’s safety.

“I told you both what actually transpired between us. A case of mistaken identity, and she got the message.” Kracus stared at the door the woman just worked out from, “she’ll never admit it, but I think that’s actually why she’s here. To make amends.”

“Making amends would be to lie down on the floor and beg for forgiveness, while rolling around and making puppy eyes.” Clinton injected with a grumble, a small smile forming on his face at the image he created.

Kracus rolled his eyes, “To make amends in her own way,” he corrected.

“But why are you giving her this chance, doc?” Clinton asked, turning serious, “You could easily refuse, you don’t owe her anything and frankly, you could have told her to go to hell. That would have been good revenge on your part. I mean, the woman was gonna murder you without a backward glance.”

Silence descended.
Kracus knew that he was right. That was what a rational person would have done, so why did he give her a chance?

“Her eyes,” he said at last.

Bose and Clinton shared a confused look. “You hired her because of her eyes?” Clinton inquired.

“Those are damn fine eyes, boss, a sparkling brown as cold as ice and as glittering as brown chocolate.” Bose injected, “I know you would like to gaze at it from time to time, and get lost in it if it doesn’t freeze you first or cut at you like glass. I really understand. But I don’t think you should be employing a person because you like her eyes, boss.” Bose pitched in his two cents.

Kracus groaned and shook his head. “That wasn’t what I meant. That day at the boat when I had her tied down and explained things to her, the look in her eyes…” he paused, “That unguarded pain I glimpsed when she realized she had the wrong target all along and almost killed an innocent man, stayed with me. Then, today when I disapproved of her, I saw that look again. This time, it was laced with heavy guilt. One that would probably stay with her for a damn long time, I figured she already had enough demons, and since I had the power to rid her of this one, I could do it.”

Kracus still wasn’t sure he’d made the right decision hiring her, but he knew all too well what it felt like to carry long-term guilt because he carried one himself.

Both protectors shared another look, an understanding in their eyes. They know why the boss had hired her.

“We understand, boss. Thank you for clarifying.” Clinton said and bowed his head, “You didn’t owe us any explanation but you still gave us one. Thank you.”

Kracus waved it away, “Now that everything is settled, I have to get back to work and magically finish everything piled up on my desk within thirty minutes.”

“You’re good-hearted, boss, but I don’t trust her,” Bose muttered.

“But you trust me, Bose, don’t you?” Kracus replied, his voice calm and steady.

That question more than anything put his stubborn protector’s mind at ease. Kracus saw the tension dissolve from Bose’s hunk shoulders and his body relaxed,

“I trust you with my life.” Bose stated firmly, his voice filled with unwavering loyalty.

Kracus nodded once, stepped forward, and patted the man’s shoulder. “Then, trust me on this.”

Bose nodded once, then sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, “I don’t know how I’m going to get along with her. I don’t even know if I can.”

“You gotta try, big guy. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?” Kracus stepped back, “She wouldn’t be with us for long—perhaps a month or less, but I expect cooperation during her stay here and I trust you both to try and make that possible.”

“Okay, boss, we’ll try,” Clinton replied. Bose simply nodded.

“Great, now that we’re all on the same page, I’ll see you all later.” Kracus turned and walked out of the cleaning closet, “And have one of the nurses look at those bruises, Bose. I’m sure you don’t want to go around looking like you got beat up by a woman.” he threw over his shoulders with a smile.

“Hey! She looks worse than I do,” Bose growled and Clinton snickered.

“I doubt that. Bro, you look like you wrestled with a lion.” Clinton tried to hold back his laughter, but he couldn’t. Bose looked terrible.

Bose glared at Clinton, spitting out blood and throwing up his middle finger. Clinton found his sourness amusing, and his snickers turned into full-blown laughter that echoed in the room. “I’m glad she didn’t defeat you. You wouldn’t have been able to live that down for the rest of your life.”

Bose rolled his eyes, and it hurt a lot. He felt his jaw and knew it was broken or dislocated. “She’s skilled,” he admitted begrudgingly.

“That’s a good thing. The boss is safer.”

Bose shrugged, knowing Clinton was right.

“You haven’t had a good fight in a long time, I know it felt good.” Clinton’s laughter died down as he stepped closer to Bose, who was examining the damage on his face from the broken window glass.

“Leave me alone,” Bose huffed, ignoring him.

“Come on, big guy, tell the truth,” Clinton urged, nudging his side. “Admit it, it felt good as hell.”

Bose chuckled, giving in. “Of course, it felt good.”

“Ha, I knew it. Someone finally worked those tensions Amy left on those shoulders off, huh?”

At the mention of his ex-girlfriend, Bose glared at his best friend and gave him the middle finger. “Go to hell, man.”

Clinton burst into laughter again.

REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 31 – 40

The end of Kracus’s shift had finally arrived, and he was eager to go home and relax. Bose and Clinton were the first to exit the building, with Bose carrying Kracus’s briefcase, and Clinton opening the door for him. Tesiera walked behind Kracus, keeping a watchful eye out for any danger.

As they stepped out into the warm sunshine, a car pulled up, and a little girl burst out of it, running straight toward them.

“Uncle Kay!” the little girl squealed with excitement.

Kracus’s tired face lit up with joy as he saw his niece, Hazel. He picked her up and spun her around, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. Her cute, cheeky smile was infectious, and Kracus couldn’t help but feel his own weariness melt away.

He kissed her forehead and asked, “Did you miss Uncle Kay, my little princess?”

“Yesssss!” Hazel replied, hugging him tightly.

“I missed you too, sweetheart,” Kracus said with a smile. He then spotted his sister in the distance. She was wearing a lilac two-piece outfit, and her blonde hair was pulled back. She waved at him, and he waved back before walking towards her.

“So, Hazel, how did you get here? Did you fly here with the fairy wings Princess Strawberry gave you or with the flying bubble gum chariot you told me about last month, the one driven by rainbow unicorns?” Kracus asked his niece.

“The fairies brought us!” Hazel replied excitedly, flashing her missing front teeth. She was always in her own world of imagination, and Kracus loved indulging her in any conversation she wanted to have, no matter how absurd.

Valerie rolled her eyes playfully, “You two and your magic talk again, I just can’t with the both of you.”

She approached them and hugged Kracus, “Oh, I’ve missed you so much, big brother. We haven’t seen each other in almost five months.”

“I missed you too, Val,” Kracus replied, kissing her forehead. Hazel wiggled in his arms, signaling to be put down.

Valerie stepped back and cupped Kracus’s cheeks, “How have you been? You look so stressed. Are you getting enough rest?” she asked, turning to Clinton and Bose. “I told both of you to make sure he got enough rest, didn’t I?”

“We do our best, ma’am. It’s just that the boss doesn’t listen to—“ Clinton began but when Kracus threw him a glare, he cleared his throat, “The boss is getting more than enough rest, ma’am.” he finished.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Valerie pursed her lips in obvious disappointment. Her eyes pinned on Tesiera, “Oh…who’s the new…” she trailed off, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Tesiera stepped forward, “I’m Tesiera Rinderson. I’m his new lifeguard.”

“His lifeguard, huh?” Valerie extended her hand, “I’m Valerie, his younger sister and that little girl staring at your clothes, looking intrigued, is Hazel.”

Tesiera didn’t expect the extended hand but she shook it anyway, saying nothing. She hasn’t been around so many people before, and people avoided her rather than get close to her, so she had no idea how to respond to the friendly woman.

“What are you doing here at the hospital?” Kracus asked, changing the subject. “I hope everything is alright?” he asked, concerned.

Valerie waved her hand dismissively, “I am just here for a check-up. I may have the flu or something. I have an appointment with Dr. Ann.”

“Then you should hurry, Ann doesn’t appreciate patients being late,” Kracus replied.

Valerie said confidently, “She favors me. Maybe it’s because I am the only sister of the almighty neurosurgeon and chief of surgery, Dr. Kracussian Kingston.” Her smile showed all her teeth.

Kracus rolled his eyes, “Where is your bodyguard? Why isn’t he with you?”

“Kane? I fired him last month. The poor guy hates kids, and Hazel can’t seem to understand that,” Valerie replied while shaking her head.

“I can’t believe this! So, you have been going around unprotected?” Kracus asked disapprovingly, pursing his lips.

“Worry about yourself, big brother. I’m not the person Walter is after, and I sure as hell don’t look like Cullian,” Valerie teased.

At the mention of his name, Tesiera’s hands clenched into fists, thinking about the bastard who killed her father.

Kracus looked at her at that moment, and their eyes met and locked. The world around them disappeared, and there was intense energy between them. They seemed to be lost in each other’s gaze momentarily.

Valerie cleared her throat, and they both looked away, breaking the connection.
What the hell was that? Tesiera wondered.

Kracus turned to face his sister, who arched her eyebrows inquisitively, with a suspicious smile on her face. He deliberately ignored that look, “I would have assigned a team to you, but Harvey just left with his army,” he stated.

Kracus had informed his chief of security that he’d hired the new lifeguard he required, and Harvey had packed up his men and left an hour ago. It felt satisfying to see the dozens of security personnel depart.

“Bose and Clinton will accompany you to your appointment, and I’ll take Hazel home with me. The three of you can come to my home when you’re finished,” Kracus said.

“That’s not necessary,” Valerie protested.

“Bose, Clinton, go with my sister. I don’t need to remind you that I’ll have your balls if anything happens to her on your watch,” he commanded the two muscular men, and they agreed firmly.

“We’ll protect her with our lives,” Bose declared.

“Anything to keep the balls safe, doc,” Clinton confirmed.

Kracus nodded firmly. Valerie knew how her brother was whenever he’d made up his mind, so she let out a loud breath and gave in reluctantly. He watched her go into the hospital, with Bose and Clinton shadowing her.

Hazel touched Tesiera’s hand. It jolted her into staring at the three-year-old. “My name is Hazel and you’re?”

Tesiera could only stare at the little hand holding hers in bewilderment. She has never seen hands that small up close. This is the closest she’s been to a child in as long as she could remember, and her brows knitted as she stared at the little girl like she was an alien.

Thankfully, the child didn’t wait for her to respond before she rattled on, “My birthday will come soon, you will come to my birthday right?”

Tesiera blinked, twice.

The girl continued, “What happened to your face? Did you fall down?”

She turned and glared at the entrance of the hospital where Bose had walked through.

“I like your hair. It’s purple.” Hazel complimented, and then scooted back to her uncle. “Can you tell mummy to make my hair purple for my birthday?”

“That’s red, sweetheart. And I don’t think your mama will agree to that.” Kracus lifted her up and began walking to the parking lot.

REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 31 – 40

Tesiera followed closely behind them. Unconsciously, her hand touched the hair a child just complimented. For a split second, Tesiera wondered the extent of how broken she was; she couldn’t even communicate with a child. A feeling she was unfamiliar with coursed through her, but the feeling made her uncomfortable so she pushed it away.

They were at the parking lot, a few steps away from his car and she noticed his eyes on her. He was watching her intensely, and it made her uneasy, so she averted her eyes.

“I’ll get Hazel in the car and—“ Kracus’ statement was cut short by the interception of a knife, thrown out of nowhere to their direction—to them. He was quick to shield Hazel, and Tesiera was just as fast to move in front of him and grabbed the knife mid–air which was an air away from her forehead.

Hazel shrieked in panic and began crying in Kracus’ arms. Kracus bounced her, trying to calm her. To Tesiera, he said, “That knife came from over there,” he pointed at the left corner.

She nodded, her keen eyes quickly skimming the parking lot, looking around the dark shadows, “Leaving is not an option. We’re surrounded.” Her ears perked up, “We’re being attacked!”

Instantly, five motorcycles revved into sight and began heading toward them at full-speed.

REVENGE WITH LOVE : CHAPTER 31 – 40

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