A FEW HOURS EARLIER… The scorching sun beat down as Xavier surveyed the sprawling, dusty streets from the backseat of the nondescript sedan. It had taken tremendous resources and calling in more favors than he could count to get boots on the ground in this remote country so quickly. But nothing could deter him from his mission – finding Martha and making her pay for taking Halle.Taking the woman he loved and then sending him papers to sign while at it. Xavier gritted his testy as he thought about the phone call he had gotten from his aunt, she’d sent papers to his mail…asking him to sign over everything to her, that was her endgame. If she couldn’t get it from Damien as she’d originally intended, she’d get it directly from the man himself. Xavier had agreed to her deal but…he wasn’t really going to sign those paper. Stone was his legacy and he’ll be damned if he let’s and overly ambitious bitch take over and ruin everything he’s built. His mind wandered inevitably to images of h
Halle drifted slowly up towards consciousness, clinging to the last visages of a dream where she was enveloped in tender warmth and comforting strength. Even semi-conscious, she instinctively recognized the sensations cocooning her now were real, not imagined. But after endless days and nights of torment, believing rescue could only manifest as a fantasy, Halle desperately avoided opening her eyes fully. What if this beautiful illusion shattered the instant she woke up? The possibility made her heart seize with renewed panic.No - the arms cradling her were solid, the scent of juniper and fresh rain surrounding her unmistakably Xavier’s. This precious peace was real, it had to be. Halle focused on steadying her breaths, mentally grasping for fragments of memory through the haze still clouding her thoughts. Flashes filtered back now – the frantic escape attempt, searing contractions hitting, Xavier appearing through her delirium of pain like a saving vision…the sweet sound of her chi
Xavier paused in the open doorway, gazing at the scene before him – Halle curled protectively around their three week old son as he nursed, her expression tired but content, Damien was at the edge of the bed, curiously watching and asking questions, his wide eyes innocent and childlike, just like it ought to be. Xavier’s heart swelled at the simple domestic sight, still scarcely able to believe he had nearly lost them forever.Halle had begged for Damien to be close, so the second they left Halle’s birth country in Africa, he had Monty bring the young boy out from hiding and back with them, where he belonged. After Halle had been safely recovered and gave birth, Xavier wasted no time whisking her away to a secluded estate where they could focus solely on healing without fear of Martha’s lingering reach. And healing was no small feat after the trauma Halle had endured. Though her physical wounds were minimal, the psychological toll left lasting scars.She was plagued regularly by v
When Halle awoke late one night from another vivid episode of panic, Xavier recognized a shift had finally occurred. He gathered her quaking frame close while she wept, exhausted and heart sore. “Shh I have you, just breathe,” he soothed until the tension slowly left her muscles. Halle clung to him like an anchor amidst stormy waters even once fully awake. “I’m scared, Xavier,” she admitted in a small voice once sufficiently calmed. “Scared she’ll find us again.” Xavier steeled himself before answering gently. “Then it’s time I put real end to this. For your peace of mind, and our son’s future.” Halle’s arms tightened around him briefly at the implication. But she simply nodded bravely when she pulled back. “Just promise me you’ll come back safely. I can’t lose you.” Her palm cupped his bearded cheek with profound tenderness. Turning his head, Xavier pressed a kiss into her open palm. “I will always come back to you Halle,” he avowed passionately. His piercing gaze bore into hers,
“Do I really need to be blindfolded for this?” Halle asked with a warm chuckle. Xavier just grinned mysteriously in response, guiding her by the shoulders through what sounded like a set of heavy doors given the echo. “Patience, Flower. I promise, it’s worth the surprise,” he assured her, amusement and excitement dancing in his tone. Halle smiled and cooperated as he led her slowly ahead a few more steps. Her heart swelled, trusting Xavier so completely even when she couldn’t see. After everything they had endured, Halle knew without doubt he would never lead her anywhere dangerous again. “Just a little further,” Xavier coached. “Watch your step.” His sturdy hands on her waist aided Halle in navigating what felt like a small staircase. A few more shuffling paces forward and they finally halted. Halle quivered in anticipation. “Can I look now?” “One moment…” She heard the smile in Xavier’s voice just before he moved behind her and untied the blindfold at last. “Now you can open your
Bang!The reverberating sound of a gunshot disrupted the peace of the gloaming night.Halle Maria Dean stopped in her tracks, frozen with apprehension at the actuality that the sound came from the alley she had just walked into. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip and her fingers clutched her sides. "I warned you," Came a deep voice from the dark alleyway, his tone dark and somehow managed to be almost as black as the night.His broad shoulders were the first thing that came to her view when she walked into the alley, the sight of him and the aura his sheer presence carried pulled her in like a moth to a flame, she pulled the lapels of her jacket closer to her chest as she took another curious step forward.It was a lightless night, the wind was frigid on her skin but yet she could feel the moisture slowly gathering in her palms and back. She shivered, was it from the cold or the fear of the sight before her?Halle gasped in horror, her hands shakily coming up to her face and her palms
His lips were only a breath away from the hairs on her neck, the nuzzle of his gun pressing deeper into her neck as each second passed without a reaction from her.He smelled of rain and something else her mind couldn't conjure at that moment, he was warm but she could feel the coldness from the surface of his jacket."Get inside!"She heard a click from the gun under her ear and her legs shook, it reminded her of the day she got her first period and how embarrassing it was for her.Her body tended to shut down when it was too stressed when the pressure became too much and now she was feeling it right around the corner.She would not let that happen!A large hand came in front of her, long fingers that looked perfectly trimmed but yet had dirt caked up around them, he pushed the door open completely and let go of Halle's waist.The next thing she knew, she was being forced into her apartment and thrown to the floor like a rag doll.Her knees landed on her thick rug with a dull thud an
Halle stood on shaky legs, her senses heightened due to the darkness. She knew where everything was but at the same time was still way too cautious to act on impulse.“Where do you think you’re going?” He held her hand and pulled her back, his voice sounded weaker but it didn’t lose that dark undertone or danger it made her feel.“You s…said to patch you up,” She stuttered, “and I don’t have night vision,”Fuck!. Her coping mechanism was rearing its ugly head! Making jokes when it wasn’t really needed. Halle couldn’t see the man’s expression but she could feel the tension radiating off him with just a hint of anger.Yeah, she was definitely going to lose her life tonight but she’d be damned if she lets him take her down without a fight.Surprisingly, he lets go of her hand and nods, “Turn the lights on but don’t try anything else…” He warned in a low voice.Halle swallowed with much difficulty, nodding vigorously like she was being paid to do it before willing her already weakened leg