Chapter 201
ALEXANDER
I was so angry. Beyond words. Fury coursed through me like liquid fire, scalding my veins, knotting my muscles as I turned to watch Raina storm out of there. This is exactly what I had suspected. Exactly what I’d feared. And to be stupid enough to leave the safest place she could have been.
She walked very fast, strides purposeful and so were mine. I was right behind her, my voice sharp as I called out to her.
“Raina, stop!”
She didn’t. She didn’t even slow down.
She slammed into her room and shut the door behind her, closing me out before I could catch up.
I ground my teeth, my jaw clenching. My pulse pounded against my temples as I reached for the handle and twisted. Locked.
“Raina!” I pounded my fist against the door, the sound echoing down the hallway.
No response.
I pounded again, harder this time. “Open the door!”
Still nothing.
I sucked in a deep breath, trying to shove down the burning anger in my chest. I was livid. But beneath the anger churned something I didn’t want to admit to–worry.
I banged my forehead against the door and closed my eyes. Damn it, why did she have to be so damned stubborn?
Just hours before, she could hardly sit up straight without swaying. The fever had left her pale and weak, skin hot to the touch. I had watched the doctor’s face as he took her temperature.
“It’s high,” he’d said. “She needs rest.”
And yet, she wasn’t resting. She was locking herself away and wallowing in whatever guilt was eating her alive.
I dragged a hand down my face, exhaling sharply. If she wanted space, fine. But I wasn’t going far.
I turned from the door, heading downstairs despite my frustration still bubbling in my veins from seeing Vanessa just standing there on the bottom step.
She was watching me back now, her usual caution in the expression, but I could see it already—that self–satisfied smile lurking underneath.
I didn’t let her get a word in edgewise. “What the hell were you thinking?” My voice was low and sharp, each word dripping with annoyance.
Her lips pressed together before she lifted her chin, crossing her arms over her chest. “I did it so you’d forgi
- me.
I let out a short, bitter laugh. “Forgive you?” I shook my head, incredulous. “Vanessa, you let Eliza hurt Liam. You think one good deed wipes that away?”
She flinched, and for a second, I almost felt bad. Almost.
But then she squared her shoulders, trying to hold onto whatever defense she had built up in her mind. “I was just trying to help,” she muttered.
I sneered. “You don’t get to play the hero now. You should have left this alone. You should have stayed out of it.” My voice dropped lower, cold and firm. ” And that includes Dominic. Don’t even think about getting involved with him in any of this.”
Her gaze flickered with something–hesitation, guilt. But I pushed on.
“You know about Faith being kidnapped.” It wasn’t a question. Vanessa heard everything. She swallowed before nodding. “I know.”
“Then you should also know to stay out of it.” My tone didn’t leave room for argument. “This isn’t your fight.”
She hesitated for a long moment before she finally let out a sigh and muttered, “I know better.”
And then, without her theatrics, turned and left. No tantrum thrown. No protestations. Just quiet acceptance.
Good.
I stood there for a moment, letting out a slow breath as the front door closed behind her.
Then, without wasting another second, I yanked my phone from my pocket, fingers clenching down on it as I punched in the number for the safe house security. My pulse was pounding in my ears, my anger simmering dangerously close to boiling over.
The second the call connected, I didn’t even give the man on the other end a chance to speak.
1/2
Chapter 2017
+25 Bonus
“What the hell were you thinking?” My voice was sharp, edged with fury. “Why the hell did you let Raina leave?”
There was a beat of silence before the guard, a man I had personally vetted for this job, stammer
“Sir, she–she didn’t exactly ask for permission.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped. “You were supposed to be watching her. You were supposed to inform me the second she stepped out of that damn house.”
“She insisted, sir, and I thought-”
“I don’t give a damn what you thought,” I cut him off. “Your job is to follow orders, not to ‘think‘.” I dragged a hand down my face, breathing in sharply through my nose. “If anything happens to her because you failed to do your job, you’ll be answering to me personally.”
The man swallowed audibly. “Understood, sir.”
I blew out a breath, trying to force some of my frustration down. “For now, keep your focus on the kids and Grandma. I want eyes on them twenty–four- seven. No excuses, no screw–ups.”
