Stacy hid the gun in her waist and walked out the hotel room towards the elevator. She pushed the downward arrow repeatedly thinking that would make it come faster. She sighed and tapped her foot waiting impatiently. She wasn't exactly sure what she was about to get into or how she was even going to get back to her house but her only protection, the only man she could trust was out there and probably in trouble.

She watched the highlighted numbers change until it finally stopped when it got to her floor. The elevator doors opened and she was ready to step in when she looked up and saw Knowledge there with his back against the elevator.

"Knowledge!" she rushed into his arms and hugged him. "I thought you were in trouble."

"I told you I would come back. What's the matter, miss me?"

Stacy came to her senses and backed away from him. "No, I was just being nice."

"Uh huh, sure."

He walked past her going back to the room. Stacy noticed how his happy mood changed dramatically since he left. He didn't smile or say much once they were in the room. Instead he distanced himself from her and stood outside looking up at the sky.

"Hey, you ok?" Stacy asked as she joined him on the patio.

Knowledge dropped his head. "My brother called me while I was coming back and said my father lost his battle with cancer."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." she rubbed his back to express her condolences.

"I knew it would happen eventually but its never easy to hear."

Stacy paused. "Maybe you need to lay down. You've had a rough day and I know I didn't make it any easier."

Knowledge turned to face her and smiled. "You were the only positive thing that's happened to me all day." he touched her chin softly and went back into the room to lay down.

Stacy day dreamed about him as she changed into her night clothes in the bathroom. It was weird how good he made her feel. She just met him hours ago and yet she felt like she's known him for years.

When morning came, Stacy found herself in bed alone. She sat up quick and looked around the room for Knowledge but didn't see him.

"Son of a bitch! This nigga left me."

Angry, Stacy got out of bed, collected her clothes and threw her shoes on. She mumbled the whole time cursing him out. She felt betrayed and confused. And the worst part is how he made her feel so comfortable. Like he had planned to be her bodyguard forever. But now she was left alone with no protection and a hood full of gangsters waiting to cut her head off.

She sat on the bed to tie her shoes when she heard the bathroom door open.

"Going somewhere?" Knowledge stood there naked with only the hotel towel to cover his privates. The water dripped down his six pack as he wiped the excess water from his face, staring at Stacy like he wanted to fuck her right then and there. Stacy froze and looked at his perfect physique. He was a whole lot of man. The type she loved to be with and ten times better looking than Dante.

"I...I thought you left me?"

"Left you? To go where?

"I don't know," Stacy rubbed the back of her hand. Too nervous to look at him. "I thought you bailed on me."

Knowledge walked closer and sat on the bed next to her. "You've got some serious trust issues don't you?" he lifted her face to his. "You were willing to risk your life to come save me. I don't know about you but where I come from, you don't bail on those type of people. But I can't blame you, I guess I just have to show you I'm here to stay."

Stacy smiled to herself while Knowledge got dressed behind her.
Once he was dressed, they left out. Knowledge had an errand to run and this time he wasn't leaving her behind.

"This is your house?" she asked as they pulled up to a two story condo.

"Yup."

Knowledge gave Stacy a tour of his condo and told her to make herself at home while he took care of some things. Stacy kicked her shoes off and threw her feet up on the soft suede couch, getting comfy and watching tv.
"I could get use to this." she thought.

"Ready to go?" said Knowledge.

"Why couldn't we just come here yesterday instead of going to a hotel?"

"I let a few of my friends have a special party if you know what I mean. I didn't really want to have you in all that being as though your father was just killed."

For a minute, Stacy almost forgot that her father was killed. Knowledge did such a good job keeping her mind off it. But now all the emotions were coming back. She sat there with a blank face and suddenly began to cry. Knowledge sat on the couch and consoled her.

"I didn't mean to make you cry."

"Its alright," she wiped her tears and composed herself. "I'm ready when you are."

The pair walked out the house and headed towards the car. While Stacy got in her seat Knowledge noticed a peculiar black Chevy driving down the street slowly. He had never seen the car before and he couldn't see exactly who was in the car. Then it dawned on him why he was with Stacy in the first place. He remembered why John asked for his help. Stacy was wanted dead for $15,000 and that black car was probably here to do the job.

"Get down!" he screamed at her.

Stacy ducked her head between her legs and covered her head with her arms. The black Chevy came to a stop. Knowledge whipped his gun out and fired killing one guy as soon as he got out the Chevy. The other three took cover behind the opened doors and fired back, managing to hit the car but failing to hit Knowledge.

"Stay down Stacy!" he screamed again.

A middle-aged woman who heard the gun fire immediately got on the phone with police when she saw another black Chevy pull up. "Shit!" Knowledge took cover behind the wall across the street. He was out gunned and now the men were targeting his car with Stacy still inside. He could hear her screams and cries for help but he didn't have the fire power to defeat them all.

He ran back into his house and went to his room to get the only thing that could save them at this point. He threw things around in a frenzy, growing increasingly paranoid with all the gun fire aiming at Stacy. With the extra chevy truck full of gunmen time was not on his side. And if he wanted to keep her alive he had to get back out there. After a few minutes he finally found what he was looking for under his bed. He got back up to his feet and tripped over his shoes from moving too fast.

When he got back outside, his car windows were all shattered making it easier for the gunmen to hit Stacy. "Here we go." Knowledge pulled the ring off the grenade and threw it the gunmen while he ran back to his car.

He dived behind his car and took cover just as the grenade exploded. Stacy screamed louder as she felt the car lift off the ground and crash back down from the explosion. She felt the heat of the fire on her neck. But where was Knowledge? She climbed over to the drivers side and looked out the window. He was lying there  with his head next to the tire and not moving.

"Knowledge!" she called to him.
She waited for a few seconds until she saw his hand move. "Get your ass up now! Lets go!"

Knowledge groaned and he struggled to get up. He looked over at the gunmen who were all dead and on fire. The smoke made the air difficult to breath in. He coughed and held his hand to his chest which was burning from inhaling the black smoke. He managed to get up and climb into the car that was full of bullet holes.

"I know you're hurt but we have to move. The police are coming!" said Stacy.

But Knowledge wasn't comprehending. His brain was still stunned from the impact of smashing into the car when the grenade went off. Stacy grew nervous. She jumped out of the car and ran around to the driver side, pushed Knowledge into the passenger seat and started the car herself.

The middle-aged woman who had called the police flagged the police down as they pulled into the complex. She points at Stacy and Knowledge as they drive away from the scene making them prime suspects.

"Shit!" said Stacy watching the woman snitch in her rear view mirror. She pushed the gas pedal down harder and disappeared from the neighborhood as fast as she could.
Once in the clear, she pulled over into a alley that with a old car storage garage.

She placed two fingers on his neck and found a faint pulse. Seeing he was still alive, she ripped his shirt off to check for any bullet wounds. When she couldn't find any, she was relieved. But that didn't mean they were good to go. They were still in a neighborhood that wanted her head. Everybody knew her face and if they didn't get moving fast she would be dead before sun down.

"Knowledge, you gotta wake up baby. C'mon please." she cried tapping the side of his face.

Knowledge groaned again and slowly sat up. "You ok?" he asked her.

"Am I ok? You were the one that almost had your head smashed in by the tire."

Knowledge held the side of his head. His ear were ringing, his head throbbing. He was in pain but all he could think about was Stacy's safety.

"Where are we Stacy?"

"The alley on 45th and DuPont." Stacy got out the car with him. "I saw a lady pointing us out to police."

"We need to ditch this car. We can never come back to this car understand?"

Stacy nodded and follows him into the car garage. Knowledge held her hand and lead the way around the cars until he found one that was easy to jack.

"Hold this," he puts the gun in her hand. "If anybody comes shoot them."

Luckily for Stacy it didn't take long for Knowledge to hotwire the car and get it started. He took the gun from her and got in the car. Stacy ran back to Knowledge's car and took the lighter out of the glove compartment.

Knowledge drove the new car out into the alley. "What the hell are you doing?"

Stacy ignored him and flicked the lighter; throwing it underneath the car and ran back to Knowledge as the car engulfed in flames.

When they got to a stop light he looked at her like she was a different person.

"Don't look at me like that Knowledge. I told you that woman pointed us out to the police meaning they would be after us. That car and anything in it can identify us so you can thank me later."

Knowledge smiled. Stacy was unlike any girl he's known. She was book smart, street smart, bad ass and fine as hell. She was a keeper for sure but the time had come to make a difficult decision.

"So now what?" she asked him.

"Now, I have to go to LA. I can't miss my fathers funeral. Its been too long since I've seen my family and now that I've agreed to keep you safe, my life is in danger also."

"What about me? Like you said you agreed to keep me safe. How can you do that if you're in LA?"

"Simple, you come with me."

Now that was something she wasn't expecting him to say.

"I mean think about it," he continued. "This city is too dangerous. You can't live a happy life in hiding. And I'm not running all my life because of it. I'm not missing my fathers funeral and I'm not leaving you here. Looks like you dont have a choice."

"But what about all my stuff? All your stuff, your house?"

"My house was empty. Barely had any furniture in it. You seen it for yourself. Besides none of that material shit is more important than our lives. And don't worry about your stuff. Ill make sure you have all that plus more if you ride with me."

He had a point. No way would Stacy be left here in this city of death without him. He was officially stuck with her now.

"I guess we're moving to LA."