Chapter 10
Dawn broke over the mountains, casting a cold, gray light through the shattered windows of the safe house. The heavy armored SUV tore down the winding mountain road, leaving the carnage behind.
Inside the vehicle, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. Silas sat in the passenger seat, quietly bandaging his ribs. Xavier sat in the back with Amara and Elijah. The boy, exhausted by the night's terrors, was asleep across Amara’s lap, his head resting against Xavier’s muscular thigh.
Amara watched Xavier out of the corner of her eye. He was staring out the window, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscles jumped. The blood had dried on his skin, making him look feral and dangerous. He was completely lost in his own mind, plotting a vengeance that Amara knew would be biblical.
"Xavier," Amara said softly, using his first name for the first time.
He slowly turned his head, his sharp, cold eyes focusing on her. The anger in his gaze softened slightly when he looked at her face. "Yes."
"What happens now?" she asked, her voice quiet to avoid waking Elijah. "You said we are going back to the city. But the mansion… is it safe?"
"Nowhere is entirely safe right now," Xavier admitted, his deep voice a low rumble. "Vivian knows the security protocols. She knows the layouts. She has betrayed everything. But she does not have the loyalty of my men."
He reached over, his large hand gently covering hers where it rested on Elijah’s back. His thumb traced her knuckles, sending a warm shiver through her exhausted body.
"I am taking you to a penthouse in the financial district," Xavier explained. "It is entirely off the books. No one knows I own it. You and Elijah will stay there under heavy guard."
"And you?" Amara asked, her fingers instinctively curling around his.
"I have to end this," Xavier said simply. "I have to eliminate Vivian and her father. I have to tear their organization out by the roots so they can never threaten my family again."
Amara swallowed hard. My family. The words echoed in the small space of the car. He had included her in that statement. He wasn't just protecting a maid anymore.
"It's going to be a war," Amara whispered.
"It is already a war, Amara," Xavier replied smoothly. "And I intend to win it quickly."
He leaned closer, the scent of gunpowder and dried blood mingling with his masculine cologne. He looked deeply into her eyes, stripping away the walls he kept up for the rest of the world.
"When the smoke clears," Xavier murmured, his voice dropping to a vibrating whisper that sent heat pooling in her stomach, "When Vivian is gone and the city is mine again… I will come back for you. And things will change between us."
Amara’s breath hitched. She didn't look away, nor did she pull her hand back. She felt the terrifying, irresistible pull of the darkness he commanded, yet beneath it, she felt the fierce, protective warmth of a man who would tear the world apart for her.
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"I will be waiting," Amara breathed, sealing her fate to the Mafia king.
Xavier held her gaze for a long moment before turning back to look out the window as the city skyline appeared on the horizon, dark, jagged, and waiting for the storm.
