I take a deep breath. “They know. They came to see me in Portland.”

Her mouth pulls down on one side. “How’d that go? Was there a lot of yelling this time?”

I sigh and Xavier tucks me in closer to his side. “Surprisingly, no. Don’t get me wrong, they still don’t think it’s fantastic news their only daughter is pregnant and unmarried, but they do seem to understand Xavier is the man I’m with and nothing they do will change that. I think eventually things will work themselves out.”

“That’s great news. I’m so excited for the both of you.”

Xavier clears his throat. “Now that you know, then my next request won’t sound so odd.”

Quinn raises one eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Can I borrow your car for the next couple of days? I want to take Anna apartment hunting and ring shopping, and being on the back of my bike isn’t safe enough for her anymore.”

My eyes widen at the same time Quinn covers her mouth with her hands. I stare up at Xavier. “Rings?”

He nods. “Of course. A ring will make it very official. I want everyone in the world to know you’re mine.”

He leans in and crushes his mouth to mine, and I know this is just the beginning to the rest of our life together.

Xavier parks Quinn’s Honda in the driveway of house on Sycamore. Knowing what I know now about this house, it creeps me the hell out. It’s a wonder Xavier was ever able to step foot back in here after all the things that happened to him here.

Xavier sighs and then cuts the engine. “I won’t be long. I’ll run in and get my things and then we’ll go find a hotel to check into.” He leans over the console and kisses my cheek.

I smile. “I’ll be right here.”

I release a content sigh as I lean my head back in the seat and close my eyes. I finally feel like things are going my way—that things are working out the way they are supposed to.

My door yanks open and my eyes snap open along with it, but minute I do I slink back into my seat.

“Get out the car, bitch,” Kai snarls as he points a dull, black gun in my face. When I don’t move, he shouts at me again. “You think I’m playing? I’ll blow your fucking head off if you don’t get your ass out this mother fucking car.”

My hands shake uncontrollably as I hold them out in front of me. “Okay. Okay. I have to unbuckle my seat belt.”

He shoves the gun against my temple and my stomach drops. “Well unhook the motherfucker.”

My left hand slips down and I press the button, freeing me from the car. Kai reaches in and grabs my arm so he can yank me out of the car.

I stumble and fall to the ground, but he grabs the hair on top of my head and forcing me back to my feet. “Let’s go.”

“Xavier will be back out here any minute,” I threaten as Kai continues to push me at gunpoint toward the black SUV parked down the street.

Kai laughs darkly. “I hope he does, because I’m going to kill that bitch ass sell-out.”

The moment he says that, Xavier’s voice calls out my name. Kai turns to look back just in time to see Xavier jump off the porch. But, before Xavier can fully make the jump into the ground, another man who was hiding on the other side of the porch tackles Xavier in mid-air. Xavier grunts as he hits the ground and another man comes sprinting from a neighboring yard and kicks Xavier in the gut.

‘Xavier!” I scream and Kai backhands me across the face.

“Shut up!” he orders, as he turns back to watch the attack.

A metallic taste covers my tongue and I clutch my face as it stings like fire.

I’ve never felt so helpless—so lost on finding a way to Xavier. I’m forced to stand there and watch.

Both men beat Xavier while he lays on the ground, and then one of them kick Xavier in the face, instantly knocking him out.

“No!” I shout again, not caring if it earns another hit from Kai. Tears pour out of my eyes and Kai tightens his grip on my arm. “Xavier, get up!”

The two men back away from an unmoving Xavier.

“Fuck!” Kai shouts. “You dumb shits. You weren’t supposed to kill him here. Our prints are all over that fucking house.”

“What do you want us to do?” The bigger of the two men asks.

Kai waves his hand dismissively. “Burn this shit to the ground and leave him.”

The men nod, and as if Kai is a general and they are foot soldiers go into the house to no doubt carry out orders.

“Come on.” Kai shoves me forward while still holding the gun on me.

He forces me into the back seat and slides in next to me. Within a few minutes, an unmistakable orange light flickers out onto the otherwise darkened lawn and the two men run toward the truck.

The engine drives past the house, and Xavier’s body still lies in the same place. I lean my head against the window, unsure of what’s about to happen to me, but knowing without Xavier I don’t care either way. Without him, my world means nothing.

Chapter 34

Xavier

A voice in the fog of my brain tries over and over to wake me up, but it’s a real struggle to open my eyes. “Xavier? Can you hear me, man?”

My eyelids drag open and I attempt to cure the blurry vision. “Where is she? Where’s Anna?”

Cole’s face comes into focus and his brow furrows. “There’s no one here but you.”

I lean up on my elbows and light form the flames licking their way up the side of Grandmother’s house illuminates the entire block. “Holy shit!”

I rush to get up, but Cole puts his hand on my shoulder. The light from the flames catches the gold of Cole’s badge and the swirling red and blue lights from the top of his cruiser flash across his face. “Easy, big guy. You need to stay put.”

I shove his hand away and shove myself up on my feet. “Cole, they’ve taken Anna. I’ll kill them before I allow them to hurt her.”

Anger boils over inside me. I will get her back.

Cole steps in front of me. “Hold on, X. Let me call for—“

“There’s no time for that shit.”

“Then let me go with you.”

I keep walking. “I won’t allow you to risk your life too. Call the fire department and take care of this. I’m going to get Anna.”

I don’t give Cole time to argue anymore. I sprint to Quinn’s car, hop inside, and crank the engine to life. The tires squeal against the asphalt after I back out of the driveway and slam the transmission into drive.