He led Lily around the bar to a dingy back room, pausing to exchange terse words and a complicated handshake with the hulking bouncer posted by the entrance. The big man grunted something that might have been "boss" before allowing them to pass. The cramped space on the other side looked like the kind of shadowy meet-up spot for backroom deals that you only saw in movies. A battered card table stood in the center, ringed by mismatched chairs occupied by an assortment of seedy-looking men. The air was thick with pipe smoke and the bitter tang of cheap liquor. Several pairs of narrowed eyes swiveled in their direction as James and Lily entered. Lily fought the urge to shrink back under the weight of those appraising, deeply distrustful stares. Instead, she lifted her chin and met their scrutiny head-on, unconsciously standing up a little straighter at James's side. If this ragtag group was expecting their notorious former leader to put on airs or play it arrogant, however, they wer

Chapter 44 Lily nodded seriously. "Got it. I'll stay put no matter what until you come get me." James held her gaze for another beat like he was sizing up how much he could really trust her to follow that order. At last, he gave a curt nod of acceptance. "Good girl." With that, he climbed out of the car, leaving Lily to let loose a shaky breath she hadn't found out she'd been maintaining. She watched through the tinted car windows as James strode away, shoulders squared and each inch the implementing figure she'd come to recognize so nicely. Once he disappeared from view, she allowed herself to slump back against the leather seat with a frustrated groan. Her body still hummed with lingering arousal from James's heated teasing, leaving her feeling antsy and unsettled. Part of her understood why he wanted to keep her safely tucked away while he made his moves. But the other part, the defiant rebel she hadn't even known lived inside her until recently, chafed at being sidelined yet

chapter 46The escape tunnel appeared to stretch on with no end in sight inside the pitch blackness, making it not possible for Lily to decide how far she'd traveled or if she was even heading in the proper direction anymore. Her lungs burned with exertion, every ragged breath feeling like shards of glass in her throat.She tried her best to move quickly yet carefully, hands skimming along the rough walls for guidance while avoiding any unseen obstacles. The last thing she needed was to take a wrong step and end up sprawled on the ground, injuring herself or the baby.The sounds of the assault against the villa still reached her even through the thick concrete - distant explosions and shouts echoing like the muffled rumblings of a coming storm. Each faint reverberation made Lily's heart stutter with a fresh spike of adrenaline, driving her stumbling footsteps onwards in blind desperation.At some point, her palm grazed across a metal rung set into the wall at hip-height, nearly making

Chapter 48Lily shivered as James pulled her flush against his rock-hard body. His free hand slid down to cup her lower back, fingers splaying possessively."You're trembling, baby girl," he murmured, voice like gravel. "Must've been terrifying, having those bastards corner you like that."Lily nodded, swallowing hard. Being cornered by Spike's goons had shaken her, but being in James' arms again helped calm her nerves. "I thought I was done for, until you showed up." She managed a tiny smile. "My hero."James snorted, the hard lines of his face softening briefly. "Get that Wonder Woman crap outta here. I'm the one who let things get so out of hand in the first place."His thumb traced the shallow graze on her cheek from the near miss, reminding her just how close she'd come to catching a bullet. Lily shivered again, leaning into his touch."Still, I'm just glad you found me when you did," she said quietly. "We were starting to cut it pretty dang close, huh?"His piercing eyes darkene

Chapter 50Spike's slimy smile widened as he took in James' furious expression. "Aw, what's the matter, Jimmy boy? Cat got your tongue all of a sudden?"James stayed eerily still and silent, seemingly trying to control the rage boiling inside him. Lily could sense the tension radiating off him in waves. She placed a cautious hand on his arm, hoping to help ground him.Spike let out a mocking chuckle. ""Yeah, that is what I think. In reality, you know that my opinion or decision is correct.". You were always just my little attack dog, doing whatever I said. This whole big shot mogul act of yours is just tough guy posturing."With a menacing step forward, James finally broke his silence. His voice was low and dangerous. "You really don't want to keep running that mouth, Spike. Because when I'm done with you, there won't be enough left to run it.""Such big threats!" Spike replied with an exaggerated eye roll. "However, we are both aware that you lack the courage to substantiate them aga