Page 136 of The Protection Agreement

He smiles, like I just asked the best questions. He continues to circle me.

“You see, your mother stole Claire’s man, Andrew Lloyd. Claire tried to warn her, but she didn’t listen and had you anyway.” He stops in front of me, raising my chin so I look at him. “Which for me is a plus because I fell in love with you the first day I saw you on the street. You didn’t see me, of course, because you were busy kissing that idiot Eric boy.”

I pull my chin away from his creepy fingers. “So, I started following you. As fate would have it, Nick Emmett, an old classmate of mine, knows a lot about you, plus he and his mother hate you because you stole his chance to be a Lloyd.” He chuckles and starts to circle me again. “I made sure to be friends with him again and gather as much information about you as I could. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Claire would do anything to have you dead. That woman hates the existence of you, and the fact Andrew would do anything to protect you riles her more. Never mind the fact that your existence means Jonah will share his inheritance with you.” He stops and I want him to continue so when I escape here, I can take Claire out myself. “Anyway, I formed an alliance with Claire long before your dad passed and kept a good eye on you.”

“You mean you raped me.” I state firmly. I know he’s the one since Bruce told me it wasn’t Eric that night.

“I wouldn’t call it that.” He pauses and grins, and I swallow down the bile rising in me. “I call it getting a taste ahead of time of what I have desired for so long. That Eric guy was not it, and the idiot didn’t blink when I walked past him at the door like I was trying to fix your door at such a late hour. I just wanted to see you and talk to you, but I found you knocked out. So I took what was mine.” His words aggravate me, but I control my emotions. “Then you started dating Jonathan. Lucky for him, he didn’t last, because I was ready to kill him for sleeping with you. That night at your friend’s place, I just wanted to carry you out, but you woke up and I had to try and knock you unconscious. Well, we both know that didn’t go well.” He is back in front of me.

“Claire was mad at me because Jonah moved you into his house, and that meant anything could go wrong, which she didn’t want, so we tried attacking outside, which made it worse, and he shipped you out of the country.” He grips my chin tight, I scowl at him.

“I became mad at him. I wanted to take him out, but Claire wouldn’t have that, plus I needed her funding.” His sad chuckle is back. “Well, it took a while, cajoling and working Nick till I found out you were in London, and not so long after, to find out your exact location.” I force my chin out of his grip.

“Then I saw you with that Amrit guy, so cozy and smiling with him. I must say, he was very good at noticing his surroundings, and I didn’t want him to see me. I just wanted you.” His tongue is back on my cheek; bile rises in me again. I shove it down. “Well, you know what happened next, and fucking Jonah brought you here, and that annoying bulky guy and the other guys following you around didn’t make it easy.” He lifts my chin again. My skin crawls from his touch.

“Now I have you all to myself forever, just the way things are meant to be. I’ll let Claire believe you are dead. The world will move on, and I get to have you in my bed until you fall in love with me.” He smiles.

“You clearly have no idea who my husband is, because if you did, you wouldn’t touch me, let alone think of keeping me. It’s best you let me go.” My voice is controlled. He looks at me, drops my chin, and starts to laugh.

“Your husband, that big bulky guy? I took him out without lifting a heavy finger. I aimed three tranquilizers at him and he went down fast. Now you are here with me, and staying with me forever. Not to worry, you will grow to love me more than anyone in your previous life. I guarantee it.” He claps like he’s certain of the future.

And I know that is one thing that will never happen.

“Watching me from afar made you think you know me, but you don’t because, if you did, you would know that in my family, once we give our heart to one, we can never give it to another. So the idea that I will someday love you is impossible. You also don’t know the story of my family, the traditional Yoruba curse that we bear, means once we give our heart to one, it can’t ever be given to another. I have given my heart to my husband. I can never love another. Even if you keep me with you for a hundred years, I will never be yours.” I state firmly with a frown, but the strike that hits my face hard causes my head to spin.

“You will love me and have my children,” he shouts, rage in his eyes should scare me but I grin, which I know frustrates him. “Your husband is never going to find you.” He yells; his plan is falling apart.

I scoff at his naivety.

“Again, you don’t know who my husband is, do you?” He looks confused, though he tries to mask it. “My husband is Bruce Powell. He’s the nightmare that’s going to sneak up on you and mess you up.” The name hits him like a rock, his eyes widen and for the first time, I see fear in his eyes. “He won’t give up until he gets me back and that’s a fact.” I tell him. He starts to pace, talking rapidly to himself. Fucking psycho.

“You are lying. Jonah would never agree to a Lloyd marrying a Powell, even I know of the hatred,” he yells, trying to intimidate me.

“Guess, we’ll have to wait and see if I’m lying or telling the truth, because your worst nightmare is about to appear.”

Within minutes, the door is blown open, the noise and loud impact throw Aspen to the side and me to the floor. Aspen attempts to race toward me with a knife but a gunshot hits his thigh. He yells in pain. Bruce walks in dressed in tactical gear, looking fucking handsome and lethal. I see Smith and Wolfe next to him.

“Hello, sprinkles, sorry I’m late,” Bruce says in a calm venomous tone. I blink at him. Smith comes to me, cutting the zip tie and pulling me up.

“You can’t have her,” Aspen shouts. “She’s mine!” He rages even as he bleeds.

“Wolfe,” Bruce says in that commanding tone I know too well. Another shot hits Aspen’s hand. He falls, wailing.

“Fuck you, she’s mine,” he cries with a loud echo. Smith helps me up, and I’m placed behind the men.

“I should torture you slowly to death, but I don’t want to waste my time with you because I need to take care of my wife. So, I’m giving you a one-way ticket straight to hell.” Aspen tries to laugh at his own demise.

“Wolfe.” The next bullet hits Aspen in the head.

Bruce turns to me and pulls me into his arms. “I’m sorry, Sprinkles,” he says, lifting me up in his arms. I bury my head in his chest. He doesn’t let go, I don’t either. I cling tighter to him as he carries me out of the abandoned building in the middle of nowhere.

“Ice?” I ask the moment we are driving off.

“He’s fine, sleeping off the tranquilizer, but he’s going to be fine.”

“Everyone else, okay?”

“Yes, everyone is fine, Sprinkles.” I look at him, can’t believe I almost died and would never see his face again. I move up and slam my lips against his. He kisses me right back with the same energy. We both feel it, the fear of losing each other. When I break the kiss, I just cling tighter to him.