Adrenaline spiked. My hand flew for my holster in a flurry. I ripped the gun out and aimed—heart hammering, vision tunneling toward the highest-ranking demon hunter who just found our nest.
I squeezed the trigger.
Nothing.
I blinked. Tried again. Still nothing.
The trigger felt weird—soft, squishy, like I was pressing a stress ball instead of metal. I focused my gaze onto my weapon, bewildered.
My pistol wasn't a pistol anymore. It had… changed. Smooth latex. Ridiculously obvious shape. A very, very wrong toy.
"Oh." My voice died in my throat. I was holding a dildo where my gun should've been, my finger mashing its—well—balls.
Froilan laughed, light and amused, then strolled right past me and gave my shoulder a friendly tap. "Cute," he said, walking in with a grin.
I sputtered, heat crawling up my neck. Hands trembling, I dropped the damn dildo and wiped my sullied hand on my pants, fighting the urge to vomit.
I spun around and found Franky and that bastard Esperanza greeting each other like lifelong buddies—laughing, shaking hands, like our headquarters hadn't just been compromised.
My hand instinctively went for my backup weapon, the pocket knife tucked under my belt. In one fluid motion, I drew it out, blade snapping open with a metallic click.
"Franky!" I bellowed. "An enemy infiltrated the headquarters!"
Franky turned, expression calm but edged with annoyance. "Brat, put that thing down before you hurt yourself."
"Do you even hear yourself right now?!" I shouted. "That's Esperanza…! Froilan Esperanza! The goddamn SSS-ranked DH from Twilight!"
Froilan raised both hands, grinning like this was some comedy act. "Whoa there, muffinhead. Relax. You can't threaten me with that toy."
My gaze dropped to the knife.
No… My weapon?
Yet again, another obscene toy, a ridiculous male sleeve, slick and humiliating in my hand.
I lost it. I hurled the thing as hard as I could. It hit the floor with a wet pop and split open, rubber folding out like some embarrassing, deflated balloon. My stomach twisted at how obscene it looked.
"FUUUUUUUUUUCK!!! Fuck it, I'll kill you with my fist instead!" I thundered, squaring up, knuckles white.
"Hayden, for fuck's sake… cool your stupid ass down," Franky snapped. "Froi is my friend—annoying, yes, but a friend. Don't make this worse."
Franky turned to Esperanza with glare. "And Froi, stop putting coal in the fire unless you want me smashing this mug over your empty head."
"That's your friend?!" I snapped. "Have you hit your head or something, Franky? Just give me permission and I'll mess up that Esperanza bastard right here, right now!"
Esperanza chuckled, completely unbothered. "Oh, I love this muffinhead." He looked at Franky. "Is he always this short-tempered?"
"Settle the fuck down, you two," Franky said. "Let's reset and discuss the real agenda here."
I didn't want to escalate the tension, so I let my fist drop but stayed tense, eyes never leaving Esperanza. I walked back to the counter and sat, chest still tight, while Esperanza claimed a stool two seats down—smiling, even his eyes were grinning behind those eyeglasses.
If this bastard tries some funny business, I'll kill him—even if he's obviously stronger than me.
Franky cleared his throat and cut the silence. "Anyways, Froi—this is Hayden. AKA agent Wolf."
"Introductions are unnecessary," Esperanza said, rotating his stool and leaning his back on the counter. "I bumped into him earlier."
"You mean your car bumped into me," I growled.
"I do apologize about that," Esperanza replied with an irritating little tee-hee.
It made my blood boil.
"C'mon, brat. He apologized. Let it go so we can talk about the mission," Franky said, trying to ease the tension.
"After all that? No way in hell I'll work for that dickhead," I shot back.
Froilan crossed his legs. "You didn't die in the crash, did you? Still, I'm sorry. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I'd like to hire you as a bodyguard."
Bodyguard. The word sat wrong in my mouth—my life was all about killing, not protecting.
"I'd rather be run over by a truck than becoming your bodyguard," I said. "And you're an SSS-rank DH. People like you don't need bodyguards."
"He's not the one who needs protection," Franky replied. "It's his daughters."
"What the hell?" I barked. "You own Twilight. Hire one of your people."
Froilan smiled, oddly sincere for a second. "My daughters are a bit troublesome. They need someone in the shadows. Someone who's invisible on paper and brutal when necessary. I want you, muffinhead. Consider this my apology, and my offer."
"Nope," I turned him down in a heartbeat.
"Please?" he tried, leaning in like a rich kid bargaining for a toy.
"Nope."
"Even if I beg?" he pushed.
"Even if you let me punch your goddamn face, I still won't work for you."
Esperanza slammed an open briefcase on the counter table, loaded with something that caught my eyes.
"How about 30 grand (30,000$) a month? Actually, no. Make it 50 grand. How does that sound?"
~~~~~~~~~
Later after that chaotic back-and-forth conversation with Esperanza and Franky at the HQ, I somehow ended up in the backseat of a Mercedes-Benz with a wrecked hood.
Of course, Esperanza is the one driving.
I was quietly gazing out the window as the loquacious dickhead can't keep his mouth shut.
"A study shows that silence drives humans to insanity. Not talking is unhealthy, you know…. So quit moping like a child."
I tried my best to seem unbothered, arguing with this dickhead is practically pointless.
"Are you still mad? I'll give you the initial salary once we get to my mansion, so don't look so grumpy."
He's zooming 120 mph while talking like we're in a café. It's par for the course, I guess.
Esperanza added, "Oh, by the way, muffinhead. Your job is to guard my daughters only during school hours. Once you get them home safely, your shift is over. Also, since you'll be guarding them in school, you'll have to enrol too. I'll handle the documents and your school uniforms."
When we got caught in traffic, Esperanza stared at the child-view mirror, eyes sharp, locking onto mine.
"And REMEMBER, no one should know that you're their bodyguard. You must protect them in secret. My daughters are all I have left."
I thought Esperanza only has a goofy side. It seems that he can be serious too.
"Copy," I affirmed, calm and collected.
The serious look in his face quickly fades into his natural, playful countenance.
"You finally spoke! Does that mean we're cool now?" He said, excitement brimming in his tone.
...
He let out a doleful sigh. "Ugh… I guess that means 'no'."
After an hour of zooming across the road with this dickhead's reckless driving, we eventually arrived at his mansion.
Spiked brick fences encompass the entire place. We drove through the steel gate and I could already spot the luxurious mansion in the distance.
Their lawn is so spacious it could fit a baseball stadium. Arriving at the mansion's frontage, I disembarked the vehicle and scanned my perimeter.
A well-trimmed lawn that expands like a rice field, a perfectly maintained garden, a pool, and a two-storey wide mansion with glass walls.
This dickhead is filthy rich.
"Let's head in, shall we?"
He led me inside through the enormous door and the interior looks more surprisingly posh.
He guided me into the reception room and we settled on the couch.
A maid accommodated us, her hand carrying water in a steel pitcher.
"Call my daughters."
The maid laid the pitcher atop the glass table and replied, "Of course, sir."
The maid then went upstairs to get the girls.
"I've got a twin and they're about your age," Esperanza briefed.
My age? I didn't even tell him my age.
"One of them is nice, but the other is rebellious. She actually refused to get a second bodyguard," Esperanza continued.
"Second bodyguard?" I repeated.
"Yep. One bodyguard isn't enough since my daughters are in different classes. The bitch always slips out, which is why she doesn't want another bodyguard because she feels like it will restrain her from rejoicing in her youth."
"What do you mean rejoicing in her youth, exactly?"
"Cutting classes, getting home late, partying with friends, coming home reeking of alcohol—you know, teen stuff."
Now I see why the girl objects to the idea of having a new bodyguard.
"It's really frustrating to contain that bitch. But with you on the job, I bet you can put her on a leash," Froilan said.
As we were discussing, clacking footsteps sounded from the spiral staircase.
I slid my gaze in that direction and saw a blonde, teenage girl in a knitted cardigan tucked in her tea-length skirt.
There's also a man about the same age behind her.
Based on his attire, he seems to be the other bodyguard.
On the other hand, the girl's blonde, long hair was tied short by a blue ribbon, and she was elegantly dressed despite being just at home. Judging by the way she dressed, she must be the nice twin.
They stepped on the tiled floor and went over to us.
"Bitch, meet this muffinhead right here. He's Hayden, your new bodyguard." Esperanza said.
Esperanza calls both her daughters bitch. What an arrogant father. They must've had daddy issues.
The girl walked toward me, beaming like an angel. "I'm Grace. Nice meeting you, Hayden," she said, leaning down slightly as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
She then extended a hand with a welcoming smile.
"Likewise."
I shook her hand, feeling her pale skin, soft palm, and noticing her polished nails. Everything about her touch felt careful, gentle… practiced. Then she stepped back, moving to stand beside Esperanza.
"Where's the rebellious bitch, Jace?" Esperanza asked.
"Lady Aubrey refused to leave her room," the other bodyguard answered. "She locked herself in."
"Probably moping," Esperanza said. "I doubt she'd even come out."
Esperanza locked eyes with me, smile thin and casual. "Anyway, don't worry about her, muffinhead. Jace will handle her. Each of the bitches gets a bodyguard. You'll be with Grace, Jace with Aubrey. Clear?"
"Yes, sir." "Copy." Jace and I answered collectively.
Unexpectedly, loud thudding echoed from the staircase.
There descends a girl, wearing an oversized fuchsia T-shirt that nearly swallowed her cotton safety pants peeking underneath. The collar hung so loose that one side slipped off her refined shoulder, exposing the strap of a white bra. Her wavy blonde hair was a tousled mess, like she'd just rolled out of bed.
She must be the not-nice twin.
She went over to us with a confident smirk… too confident that she looks delusional.
"Whoa… you actually came out," Esperanza said, confused about Aubrey's unprecedented action.
"I changed my mind," Aubrey said. "I actually want a bodyguard."
"Wait. Really?!" Esperanza gasped.
"Obviously," Aubrey said as she went over to my side and collapsed on the couch.
She crossed her legs and lay an arm over my shoulder.
"But I want it to be him… specifically."