Page 7 of I Don’t Need Your Protection (Harrington Bay Academy #1)
Caleb
I don’t need a lot of sleep. Most of the time when I’m protecting someone, sleep is the last thing on my mind.
But now that I’m protecting a Bradshaw—the only remaining Bradshaw heir— I need to be as alert as possible.
Which is why I’m still awake even after Addilyn and I turned in for the night three hours ago.
Rolling to the right, I check on my new charge.
Since it’s dark, I can’t see her well, but I can make out her features.
She’s turned toward me, eyes shut, lips pressed together.
Her eyebrows are furrowed, as though she has something weighing heavily on her mind.
I know every detail about her life. About her parents’ deaths, the group home she was living in, all of it.
I know she had a wonderful life before it was torn away from her.
Shutting my eyes, I grit my teeth. She’s not the only one to know pain.
I myself experienced my own pain two years ago, after my mom died.
But I won’t think about that now. My focus needs to be on Addilyn and Addilyn alone.
Not only because I took an oath when I accepted this job, but because I don’t want any harm to befall her.
There’s something about this girl. I’ve protected several girls over the years, but there’s just something about her. Maybe because she’s stubborn, defiant, and makes my job ten times harder than it already is.
I think back to how tough I was with her, especially about the shower.
She doesn’t understand that I don’t mean to be so hard on her.
I’m just trying to protect her. I’ve had enough experience in the field to know that all it takes is one small move or mistake and a precious life could be taken just like that.
My phone beeps with a text from Dad, the boss. He wants me to give him an update as soon as I can. Considering I’m wide awake and Addilyn is asleep, I figure now’s the perfect opportunity.
After checking on her once more to make sure she’s okay, I slide out from under my covers and slip into the closet. I could lock myself in the bathroom, but she might wake up and need it.
The closet is very large and there are numerous clothes hanging everywhere. Because of the size, I have lots of room in here. I press a button to call Dad.
“Caleb, how is everything going?” he asks. “How’s the girl? ”
The first word to enter my mind is: beautiful.
Her pretty brown eyes were the first thing I noticed about her.
There was pain in there, just like I carry, but there was so much more.
That despite what she’s been through, she hopes for a good future.
That’s another reason why I’m being hard on her.
I want her and her grandfather to share that bright future together.
She has no idea how happy he was when he learned he has a grandchild.
Dad is very close to him, since we’ve been protecting his family for years.
No one other than my family understands the pain he experienced when he and his son cut ties with each other.
I’m relieved he and Addilyn can have a bond, but that will only happen if she survives those who want her dead.
“Caleb?” Dad asks.
“Yes?” I open the door to peek at her. She’s still asleep and is still wearing that troubled expression. “The girl is sleeping now. I’ve secured the room and checked the windows and any other possible places one can infiltrate. She’s safe.”
“Good. I’m pleased with that update and I’ll relay the information to Mr. Bradshaw.”
We discuss other matters, like how I’m making sure to stay in contact with the few security guards from our team I do trust, and then he ends the call.
He and I don’t see each other often. He’s Nathaniel Bradshaw’s bodyguard while I’ve been tasked with various jobs over the course of the last few years.
I normally travel to different parts of the country to protect wealthy people or other prominent people.
Dad and I meet maybe three times a year if we’re lucky.
I miss him, but I know our job is very important.
We save lives. When I was sworn into the business at age thirteen, I took an oath to protect my charge with my life.
Mom did, too. We all do. That’s why she’s no longer with us.
Shaking my thoughts away, I step out of the closet, my eyes immediately zooming to Addilyn.
She’s turned on her other side now, her chest rising and falling softly.
I don’t know why I’m watching her. Sure, I can use the bodyguard excuse, but I know that’s not true.
Like I said, there’s just something about her. Something I can’t pinpoint.
She releases a soft sound before turning onto her stomach. It’s obvious she’s having unpleasant thoughts. I wonder if they’re about her parents. Losing them only a month ago couldn’t have been easy.
I wish I wouldn’t have to be so harsh with her.
She’s just a kid dealing with the cards life dealt her.
But I can’t lower my guard or be weak, or let myself be vulnerable or overcome with emotion.
So even though she may hate me, even if she might kick and scream and curse me, I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe.
After watching her for a bit longer, I return to my bed and dive under the covers. I’m still wide awake, with many thoughts circling through my mind. About Mom, Addilyn.
My entire life, my parents trained me to be a bodyguard. From martial arts to self-defense classes, etc. Since I can’t use a weapon in this school, I’ll need to take advantage of my other skills, should the need arise.
But my mom and dad never made me feel like anything was lacking. Mom was a great mom—both my parents were so amazing. Deep down, I always knew there was a chance one of us would get hurt or worse in our line of work. I just never expected it to actually happen.
I force myself to shut my eyes and clear my head. Maybe I’ll manage to get at least an hour of sleep.