CHAPTER 59
LILY’S POV
“Hey, you! Stay away from him!” Scarface’s voice sounded sharp and commanding as he and Hawk eyes matched forward, making the boy back away from Liam in fear the moment he saw them approaching.
How did they manage to make it to this school? I thought I made it very clear to them that I didn’t want them around. Did they secretly follow us here? Anyway, I’ll deal with them later. For now, I needed to teach this bully how not to mess with my son.
As the boy was about to turn and flee, he accidentally bumped into me. His steps faltered and he clumsily fell butt hard on the floor, staring at me like I was a ghost that suddenly appeared from nowhere.
“Listen up, you worthless excuse for a bully,” I spat, my voice cutting through the air like a whip. “Let this be the first and last time you’ll ever bother my son again. Next time you try it, I don’t care if you are a kid or not, I’ll make sure you regret it. Do you see these two men behind you? They’re highly trained professional bodyguards from the military hired by Liam’s father to protect him. If they see you or any of your stupid bully friends anywhere near him again, I’ve already given them the order to deal with you however they see fit. I bet you won’t even last a second with them. They’ll crush every ounce of your pathetic courage before you can blink. Bully my son and again, and you’ll wish you’d never been born!”
That added to his fear. He grimaced bitterly with tears welling up in his eyes, looking like he was about to pee his pants. I had instilled so much fear in him that he’d never want to cross paths with Liam again. That serves him right. For the rest of his life, he’d never want to pick on anybody again just because he was taller and bigger than them.
“Now buzz off before I change my mind and hand you over to them!” I snarled the command at him and he scrambled to his feet. I watched in cold satisfaction as he burst into tears and ran for his life. Looking closely, I couldn’t help but notice a dark wet patch that spread across the back of his pants which made me believe he must have peed himself.
I whiffed out a scornful laugh, a smug expression forming on my face. I didn’t feel sorry for him at all. Good thing he learned his lesson the hard way. No doubt he’ll narrate the experience to his friends who I believed were bullies like him. That way, they’ll forever stay away from Liam.
The next thing I knew I was caught unawares as someone thudded me with a tight hug. I looked down to see it was Liam.
“Thank you, mummy,” he said wrapping his tightly around me as if he didn’t want to let go. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” my expression softened, the rage I felt melting away as I hugged him back.
When we pulled away, I lowered to his level and asked, “And what were you doing out here alone?” while neatening his slightly ruffled hair and adjusting his clothes.
“I came to pee. I didn’t know he followed me.” His gaze lowered to his feet in embarrassment.
“Don’t feel bad, okay?” I lifted his face and caressed his tender cheeks. “He won’t bother you again. I’ve made sure of that. If he or anyone else in this school does, don’t hesitate to tell me.”
With renewed confidence, he nodded before giving me another hug, saying his goodbyes, and racing back to his class. I watched as his cute little feet carried his small but determined weight until he disappeared out of sight.
I turned my attention to Scarface and Hawk eyes who were still standing as if ready to act on a command. “I thought I made it very clear to you two I didn’t want you anywhere around us?” I gave them a cold, piercing look.
“Here,” Hawkeyes said, coming close and extending his hand to give me his phone which I hesitantly collected while puzzled. “You should listen to this. It’s a message from the boss.”
He tapped the screen, and a voice recording began to play. It was Noah’s voice, clear and unmistakable. He was finally awake! The moment I heard it, memories of last night suddenly invaded my thoughts. I struggled to push them back in my mind and think straight. I can’t be thinking of that at a time like this. The faint hum of an engine and the occasional whoosh of passing cars as they rushed by in the background made it clear he was driving on the road.
“Hey, Lily. Good morning. I have been trying to reach you but it seems your phone is switched off. I’m on my way to the station for the interrogation. You can trust the bodyguards. Please don’t send them away. Till we’re sure you and your kids are safe and everything is back to normal, they’ll be keeping a close watch on them while they’re in school and bringing them back home safely. Don’t send them away. Trust me on this okay.”
He finished as the recording stopped playing. Letting out a resigned sigh like one left without a choice, I handed Hawkeyes back his phone. As long as Noah said I can trust them then I can. There was no need to send them away. Not only will they be keeping my kids safe, but with their mean and intimidating appearance they’ll surely be scaring off anyone who might think of bothering my kids like they did with that pathetic excuse of a bully. I realized having them around wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
After providing them with all the necessary instructions and details about where they’d be staying, when school hours ended and everything else they needed to know, I headed to the mechanic to pick up my car.
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After successfully retrieving my car, which had been fixed, I took a shortcut down a quiet street to avoid the heavy traffic on the main road when the engine suddenly sputtered and the car stopped moving.
I tried starting it several times but it refused to kick to life. Frustration clawed at me like sharp talons as I slammed the steering wheel with my palms, unknowingly setting off the horn. Angrily getting out of the car, I slammed the door shut and kicked the tears repeatedly while cursing under my breath till my feet throbbed in pain from the impact.
Unbelievable! After spending weeks in the mechanic shop and getting it fixed just a few hours ago, I couldn’t believe this would happen. I couldn’t seem to understand what was wrong with it. I guess it’s time I got a new car but this one was less than two years old and still in perfect condition. Unless Diesel, the guy that fixed it didn’t do the job well. After all that money I spent. Anger bubbled inside me. Because of him, I’m stranded on this lonely street. This was just unacceptable. He’ll have hell to pay when I get my hands on him.
Rummaging my purse, I dug out my phone. I tried to switch it on but it wasn’t complying. I realized the battery was dead. I hadn’t used it since the incident yesterday evening.
“Fuck!” I groaned, feeling more frustrated and helpless.
I didn’t know what else to do. I had no cash on me and there were no ATMs nearby to withdraw from. Worse, it’ll be a long walk down the street before I can make it to where I can find help.
Suddenly, two strange-looking men dressed in black hoodies and pants emerged from nowhere.
“Car trouble?” one of them asked, his tone casual, almost too casual. “Mind if we take a look?”