Chapter 51James and Lily walked in tense silence, putting as much distance between them and the bloodbath in the alley as possible. The sounds of distant sirens wailed faintly, no doubt alerted to the chaos by some anonymous caller. They had to get off these streets before the police officers inevitably swarmed the vicinity.At last, James ducked into the dingy entrance of what gave the look of an deserted workplace building. He ushered Lily inside ahead of him, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings for any threats. Once they were concealed in the shadowy interior, he finally seemed to relax a fraction."You hurt?" he asked gruffly, giving Lily a once-over. His hands skimmed over her arms and sides as if checking for injuries himself.She shook her head. "No, I'm okay. Just shaken up is all." Her hand went instinctively to her child bump, alleviation washing over her that her child was unharmed after the nightmarish attack.James's jaw tightened but he gave a curt nod. "Good. T

Chapter 53After pulling into the secluded compound, James wasted no time getting Lily settled into one of the underground safe rooms. It was basically just a reinforced bunker, but at least it would keep her protected while he figured out their next move."You'll be alright in here for a bit?" he asked gruffly as Lily surveyed the stark living quarters - a small bedroom, bathroom, and a kitchenette area stocked with non-perishable food and bottled water.She gave him a wry look. "You kidding? This place looks way comfier than some of the motels we've had to squat in over the past few months."James allowed the faintest smirk at her attempt at humor, though his eyes still burned with grim intensity. Leaning down, he pulled her right into a fierce embrace, cradling the lower side of her head against the strong wall of his chest."I don't know what clean hell is coming," he rumbled towards her hair, "but you could bet your candy ass I'll pass heaven and earth to preserve you and the bab

Chapter 55James strode back into the bunker, his jaw set in a hard line. He saw Lily sitting at the cot, gently rubbing her swollen stomach. Seeing her like that, so susceptible but fiercely protective in their unborn toddler, made his heart clench."Lily," he stated gruffly, "We need to speak."She looked up at him with those big, soulful eyes. "What's going on, James?"He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This wasn't going to be clean."After speaking to Louis, it is clear we are managing some primary players here - the Petrov crime family. They've been bankrolling everything to take me down, including that rat Spike."Lily's eyes widened. "The Petrovs? But they're incredibly dangerous...""Exactly," James cut her off. "Which is why I can't have you anywhere near this fight." He could see the protest forming on her lips, but he held up a hand. "I'm serious, Lil. These aren't just street thugs - they're ruthless mobsters who won't hesitate to use you or our baby as leverage a

Chapter 57Back at the compound, James was a coiled spring of restless energy. With Lily safely ensconced abroad, he could finally focus all his faculties on the looming Petrov problem without distraction."Talk to me, Lou," he said without preamble as his friend strode into the central hub. "Where are we at with smoking out these Slavic cockroaches from our crevices?"Louis' expression was uncharacteristically grim as he spread out a sheaf of documents on the table between them. "We might have a problem, Jimmy. A big one."James felt his spine stiffen at the other man's tone. "What kind of problem?" he asked tightly.Jabbing a finger at the papers, Louis met his gaze squarely. "The kind of problem that looks a hell of a lot like an inside job, boss."A muscle ticked in James' clenched jaw. "Explain."Louis tapped the documents again. "These are transcripts of intercepted communications between key Petrov players. And based on the level of detailed information they seem to have about

Chapter 59The next few days passed in a blissful blur for Lily. True to their word, Maggie and the others kept her on a non-stop regimen of indulgent activities and luxurious pampering. Massages, beachside yoga sessions, decadent spa treatments - if it existed to soothe the body and spirit, they threw it Lily's way with gleeful abandon.Not that she was complaining, of course. After so many relentless months of chaos and violence, Lily was surprised by just how easily she was able to slip into this new mindset of tranquility and serenity. With every passing day cushioned in paradise, she felt the remaining knots of dread and anxiety loosening their insidious grip over her psyche.On one particularly glorious afternoon, after an invigorating al fresco brunch, Lily found herself wandering the lush grounds on her own while the others went off for ocean kayaking. She let her feet carry her almost unconsciously toward the private corner of their villa's gardens, lush and vibrantly bloomin