The Bodyguard

Car Troubles

"Hey! Get off him man!"

"What the hell!"

"My camera!"

The screams force Emilia's eyes open as she blinks away the spots that had developed from such a bright and sudden flash. Why had someone been taking a picture? Were people fighting? She wonders frantically, looking around for Jasmine to find her horrified behind her, hands over her mouth, and then Mr. Knyte, standing over a very skinny and weedy looking man staring at his broken camera that lays beside him in utter horror at the thing he had probably paid quite a bit of money for.

"Dude, why the hell did you do that!" He scrambles back, terrified of Mr. Knyte as he steps back slowly, kicking the camera toward him roughly and you can see the cracked lens and shattered piece of equipment as Emilia steps back in surprise. She recognized the man, his greasy hair, he was one of the people taking pictures when she had first left Jazz's house that very morning, and she could feel her heart sinking to the bottoms of her feet, feeling as if she could cry.

"I believe it is time to go home Miss Emilia, Miss Carr." Mr. Knyte says rather abruptly, taking hold of her wrist with more force this time but still gently, and placing a hand on Jazz's back to push her forward and get them both moving quickly, past the camera man, or rather paparazzi, and towards that red outlined door. The door to hell, Emilia now comes to think of it, and the stairway out of it. Her shock makes her look back at the man to see him scoop up his camera and give them both a murderous look as he takes into account the damage. She wants to say sorry, she wants to say that she will pay for it, but he pulls her away before she can get out so much as a little sound that mocks an apology for his broken camera and that forbidden picture. She just prays that his memory card is as shattered as his lens.

Striding up the steps and nearly falling again, Mr. Knyte practically lifts her by the waist to hurry her up before the bouncer can stop them or say anything as they hurry past and around the corner, into a rather dark and terrifying looking alleyway. Mr. Knyte drops her wrist and allows her to walk on her own, considerably slower than he had been dragging as he leads the way and she can't help but notice the hand on his hip, clearly holding onto the gun.

Emilia can't help but swallow in slight terror at the thought that he may have to use it and picks up the pace beside Jazz, none of them talking as she assumes they are heading towards the car. She can feel the rubbing of the too big heels creating a blister on her pinky toe and the shot of straight tequila still in her very light weight system still holding its effect, despite the very sobering effects of the events in the club just moments ago.

"Why the hell did you break that man's camera?" Hisses Jazz, her long legs much more able to keep pace with his than hers were able to at the moment. 

"Because, if there is a photo of Mr. Delmont's underage new step-daughter appears in the tabloids, my boss will not be happy." He speaks plainly, voice hard and sharp as any stone as he strolls around the corner and into the small alley where the car is parked, clearly so he won't have to pay for inner city parking.

"Miss Emilia, Miss Carr, if you please?" He speaks in that same voice, holding the door open for them again, much jerkier and with more intent, almost nervous as he looks around the alley, waiting for them to get in before practically slamming the door behind them and climbing in the front seat again. 

"Could you please take Jasmine home first, Mr. Knyte?" Emilia asks, trying to keep her voice calm so that she doesn't cry in front of her best friend. She is fine with being mad, or sad, or excited, even nervous in front of her best friend in the whole world, but fear, she could not show her fear.

And that was the moment that she realized what was wrong with her mother's new husband, she was scared of him, no, terrified of the man, and she had no idea why. Why did he always seem to be yelling at someone through the phone, why was his house so secured, and his business so secretive, and why the hell would someone like that marry her mother? A little nobody, who, as beautiful as she is, could not dream in a million years of getting a bachelor like that man. Mr. Delmont scared her because as much as she wants to believe that he loves her mother and that is the only reason he married her, she just can't.