I Will Protect You with My Life
I Will Protect You with My Life
"Are you going to stop me?" Ririna asked with her eyes slightly squinted to Aoi.
It had been years since the last time they worked together. Aoi was the closest one on her age but a bit older than her when she started her training to become Eli's private assassin. At his young age of fifteen, Aoi was one of the best on Eli's team. Although no one knew his real name and identity, his reputation was known in the Underworld.
"I don't want to babysit you again," Aoi said. When Ririna was younger, he was always assigned to look after her whenever the mission was too dangerous for the two of them. They stayed side by side in accompanying silence.
"You don't have to." Ririna smiled coolly as she slipped her arms into her coat and adjusted its buttons to cover her figure. "I don't expect you to follow me around like a dog just because your master told you to stay with me."
"I'm not a dog." Aoi glared at him. He rarely spent his time by involving himself with the other team members and only showed up when he was summoned by Eli.
"I know. Poor Eli. I'll say that it was nice that he has someone like you on his team though."
Aoi gazed at her. The last time he had seen that mocking look in her eyes was the last mission she had done with him. "You haven't changed that much. You're still as stupid as ever."
"W-what?" Ririna was caught off guard and stupefied on what he said.
"You are still reckless just like before. Whatever our master sees on you, I will never understand," Aoi said coldly.
Ririna regarded him with a grim expression in her face. "Don't act like I'm an idiot. I can protect myself without your help."
"What about your son? Who would protect him while you're gone?" Aoi replied, "Do you really think I will let you go somewhere alone, not knowing where you are going, while the young master was sleeping peacefully on the other side of that door?" His finger pointed down the hall towards the bedroom.
"You will keep him safe," Ririna insisted.
"Bullshit. You surely are such an idiot, you ignorant Ririna Han! What do you think will happen to us if something wrong happened to you? Master Eli will kill us, you stupid nimrod."
Out of long habit, Aoi leaned his back on the wall and sighed deeply. He would never understand women's reasoning. He kept his expression impassive.
"I really have to go. Whether you like it or not." Ririna decided. She couldn't let this opportunity pass.
"I know you're up on something. You always do stupid things where I should save you whenever you're in trouble. You're always like this. You're a hard-headed, stupid woman that always decides on an impulse. Everyone knows it including Master Eli, and that is why he asked me to look after his stubborn wife.
"Do you know, Ririna Han? Somehow, I thought you will behave differently now that you have a child. I never thought you'd sink so low, disregarding your husband's wishes and the child's safety."
"Shut up, Aoi. I don't have to explain everything to you. You aren't my husband to begin with. I'm only liable to Eli right now, and I have no time to play games with you?"
Ririna strode towards the front door, but Aoi quickly blocked her way.
"Not so fast, Mrs. Park." Aoi paused. His hand placed on his hips as he looked down at the short woman in front of him. She was way too short for him. His height dwarfed her smaller stature. Irritation flared in his eyes.
"You stay right there and wait for me," he said before picking up his phone and dialing a number from his contacts.
"I already tried calling my husband. He wasn't picking up his phone."
Aoi gave her a sideways glance before rolling his eyes. One hand propped up as he pressed his phone to his ear. He talked in a low voice with someone while his eyes looking at Ririna. Ririna huffed, giving up that she couldn't leave without Aoi's interference. She then dragged herself to the nearest couch and crossed her legs.
Ririna glanced down on her folded hand in her lap, thinking about what had Aoi said earlier. He got a point, but her need to know more about her mother was also important. She then raised her eyes to meet Aoi's. He ended his phone call and ran a hand on his messy hair.
"Wait for at least ten minutes. I will be accompanying you to this so-called midnight mission of yours."
Ririna frowned with her lips pouting in response. "Are you telling me you won't leave me alone to do as I wish?"
"Yes." It occurred to him that it will be pointless to stop her and argue with her since she would end up escaping away from him anyway. He might as well accompany her since he had a job that his master assigned to him.
"What?" Ririna stood up and looked at him with confusion. "You can't possibly be serious. You are planning any schemes to stop me along the way, aren't you?"
Aoi gazed at her thoughtfully. He already expected that she wouldn't listen to him. Why did she always try to make it difficult for him?
'I'm dead serious. I will go with you wherever you plan to go. I will protect you with my life if I have to." Ririna just stared at him with her mouth gaping at what he had said. Oh, well if that was the case, he was serious then.
"Then let us go. We are wasting our time waiting in here."
"No. Let us wait. They are on the way in here," Aoi replied. He adjusted his wristwatch and folded his long-sleeve shirt up to his elbows.
"They? Who did you call at this late night?" Ririna asked.
As soon as he asked that question, the intercom informed them of the visitors waiting down the building. Aoi gave them a pass and let them in. After a minute or so, Evan and Ginny—with Jerry behind them—arrived within Eli's penthouse.
"What's happening here?" Evan demanded as he strode towards Ririna and Aoi. He turned his attention to his sister-in-law. "Aoi said you were trying to leave. Where are you going?"
"To the Eastern Province," Ririna admitted.
Evan frowned and then whispered something to Jerry. Jerry nodded slightly before turning around to check the security of the whole building, trying to see if they could do a lockdown until the sun rises.
"Why? Is it really urgent that you have to leave Skyler with just some bodyguards to look after him?" Ginny asked Ririna.
"I'm sorry, Gin. This couldn't wait. I have to go as soon as possible."
Evan ran both of his hands in his face in frustration. He could imagine now how things would end if something wrong happened to Ririna. They wouldn't see another day if they failed to protect her while her devil was out on a mission.
"Ririna, look at me," Evan said, "Do you swear you will come back alive after this because you should know our lives are also at stake here. Your husband will not be pleased to know that you left without protection with you again, and we will end up receiving his wrath when everything didn't go well with your plan."
Aoi glanced at his watch before turning to Ririna.
"It's time to go," he said.
"What about Skyler?" Ririna asked. Aoi raised a brow on her. Didn't she notice that Evan and Ginny had overtaken his role as Skyler's guard for the night?
"Don't worry about Sky. Make sure to come back before seven in the morning, or else my brother will surely kill me if you aren't around. Now, go before I change my mind," Evan said.
"Thanks, Evan," Ririna replied. She gave a quick kiss to his cheek and to Ginny's before following Aoi outside. Now, to find the answers she needed to clear this stupid game.