Billionaire's Bodyguard

Ch 2. A heart torn apart

The four masked men moved in unison. Two approached from the front, while the other two moved to the sides, cutting off Rey's retreat toward the dim coffee shop.

Rey leaned his body slightly forward, both hands clenched beside his cheeks in a defensive stance. His breathing was deep and steady, though his heart pounded fast.

"Hit him!" ordered a rough voice from their leader.

The man on Rey's right threw the first punch. Rey dodged, letting the knuckle ring pass by his face.

The man on the left immediately followed with a low kick to the ankle. Rey jumped back, dodging it just in time.

He had no time to think, his instincts took over. As the man in front was turning his body for a hook punch, Rey darted in.

His fist landed right on the man's solar plexus. The man groaned loudly, his body bending over. Rey immediately followed up with a short punch to the jaw until the man fell sprawling.

The other two attacked at the same time. Rey managed to dodge one blow to the head, but the second blow from the other side hit his ribs on the right side.

Pain stabbed through immediately, making him gasp. He countered with a kick to the side of the knee of the man in front of him. There was a clear crack sound, and the man screamed, falling while holding his knee.

Rey was still on guard against the other two men, however, behind him a third man pulled something from his waist.

While dodging a punch from the man in front of him, Rey caught a glimpse of a tonfa, a security tool he used to carry as a security officer.

BUGH!

The hard end of the tonfa struck the back of his head. The world instantly spun, followed by his vision growing darker. He staggered, his knees weakening.

BRUKK!

Rey fell with blood flowing from his head. They immediately rained down punches and kicks on Rey's limp body.

Rey could no longer defend himself, his consciousness grew more blurred. The last thing he felt was the taste of blood in his mouth before total darkness enveloped him.

***

The warm morning sunlight touched Rey's eyelids. Pain throughout his whole body was the first thing he felt.

He groaned slowly, trying to open his eyes. A clear blue sky without clouds stretched above him. Slowly, memories of last night's events crept back.

With great difficulty, he pushed his body to sit up. He looked around, he was still on the ground near the reservoir. His motorcycle lay a few meters beside him in badly damaged condition.

The front wheel rim was bent, the mirrors and body were shattered, the handlebar was broken. Tire tracks were clearly visible around the motorcycle, as if it had been deliberately run over repeatedly.

Rey stood up shakily, the first step almost made him fall again. The dizziness from the blow to his head could still be felt.

Limping, he walked toward the reservoir. Rey saw his face in the water's reflection, his left eye swollen and blackened, there was a scrape wound on his right cheekbone.

He washed his face with the still-cold reservoir water, cleaning off the blood that had already dried. The stinging pain as the water touched his wound made him groan in pain.

Rey decided to go home, not to his rented house anymore, but to his mother's house out of town. With a limping gait, he headed to the nearest bus stop.

The two-hour trip on the old, noisy bus felt calming to him. He no longer felt every jolt of the bus that made his wounds throb.

***

Rey finally arrived at his hometown. With a limping gait he walked through the narrow alleys he had memorized since childhood.

Not much had changed in three years, since the last time Rey had visited.

Finally, Rey stood in front of the door of his house which seemed to have been freshly repainted. He knocked on the door several times but there was no answer.

Rey tried pushing it, and the door opened slowly, unlocked. Seeing the living room of his house that hadn't changed much, immediately warmed Rey's heart.

"Mom?" he called out with a hoarse voice.

There was no answer, he walked slowly toward the kitchen, the easiest place to find his mother in the morning. Before he reached the kitchen, the bathroom door in front of Rey suddenly opened.

Emily Brooke, his adopted sister, stepped out. Both her hands were busy drying her hair with a towel covering her face.

Rey's eyes widened, because Emily walked out in a hurry, without covering her body with anything.

BRUK!

They almost collided.

Emily looked up, startled. Rey immediately turned his body away from Emily. The woman gave a small scream, immediately turning around and covering her body with the towel, her face flushed.

"Rey! I didn't hear you come in," said Emily, her voice trembling between shock and embarrassment.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, Em," Rey said quickly, still facing the living room. "I ... already knocked but no one answered. So I went straight in. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. Besides this is your house," Emily replied, her voice still stammering.

"Wait a moment, okay. I'll change clothes ... hey what happened to your face?" Emily observed Rey's face for a moment, which was covered in bruises and scars.

Rey didn't answer, Emily immediately hurried to her room.

Rey tried to erase the image of Emily just now from his mind. He walked to the kitchen and didn't find his mother there.

Not long after Emily came out with a cookie tin box containing medicine.

"Let me check your face," Emily asked. The two of them sat on the living room sofa.

"Just leave it, no need to bother." Rey watched Emily who seemed to be in a hurry.

"What happened? did thugs beat you up, or your senior?" Emily asked while wiping Rey's wound with antiseptic.

"No, I just fell off my motorcycle."

Emily paused for a moment. "Seriously? you want me to believe that?"

"I don't see Mom. Is she in her room?"

Emily didn't answer right away, she looked hesitant. "Mom ... isn't home. She's being treated at the hospital."

Rey immediately rose from his seat. "WHAT? What happened? why didn't you tell me Em!"

Emily lowered her head, unable to look at Rey. "Mom ... forced me not to tell you. She didn't want to bother you."

Rey shook his head slowly with an irritated expression.

"She knows you already have a lot of problems, with your own household," Emily added.

"That's not your place to decide! How could you hide Mom's condition from me!" his voice rose without him realizing it. "Take me there now!"

Emily nodded quickly, her face showing regret. "I'm sorry Rey. I'll get the motorcycle ready."

***

The hospital room contained three beds, but only one was occupied. There, lay the figure of a thin woman with hair partially turned white.

Margaret Dorovan, Rey's mother, was sleeping soundly with an IV tube attached to her hand. Rey immediately felt his chest tighten seeing his mother's condition, who looked older and weaker.

A young doctor came to them after Emily called him over.

"We're still running a series of tests, sir," the doctor said to Rey.

"To confirm the diagnosis. Currently your mother often complains of severe headaches accompanied by nausea and vomiting. We suspect there's a neurological problem."

***