Chasing The Forbidden

Chapter 1

Glimpses of the Past

Nolan's voice was low and menacing; "you shouldn't be here." But it did not cause me to back off. As it happened, I froze in place exactly as I had been all those years before. Though the scars were still raw, the draw on him, of us, was indisputable.

More than the flurry of talks around the charity banquet, I could feel my pulse resounding in my ears. My gaze fixed on Nolan Stone, the sparkling chandelier above and the opulent ballroom decor all melted into a haze. The man who had fractured me. The man I had committed myself to ignoring.

Still, there he was. Looking in front of me as if nothing had changed yet everything had. For neither of us had the years been friendly. He was older, tougher; his eyes were colder, his jawline sharper. Still, those eyes still possessed the same power, the same potential to help me forget everything else, all I had battled so valiantly to create following our divorce.

"You're wrong," I said, my voice almost audible over the hum of the throng. "I am exactly where I should be."

He moved in closer, and I sensed the heat of his body as the familiar cologne scent blended with the obvious smell of danger that seemed to surround him always. "No, Sophie," he responded, his voice lower but still no less forceful. This is an error. You no longer belong.

That is untrue, though. Once, in the universe we had constructed together, I belonged. It was too easy to forget that when I had turned my back on everything on him, on us, but tonight everything seemed as though it would fall apart.

"You're not the man I knew, Nolan," I said, stopping the weakness I felt from showing. "You lost that edition of yourself a long time ago."

Something I couldn't quite place shone in his eyes. Possibly. Pain. Reversal. Then he did the unimaginable. He grinned. A predatory smirk that made my spine tremble. Cruel.

"I haven't lost everything, Sophie," he murmured, his voice like velvet encased in steel. And here I am to demonstrate it.

My heart staggered in my chest, my breath stopped. Exactly what he meant was known to me. His eyes gave me all I required to know. He remained that man, not changed at all. The one who had vowed a lifetime and then broke it without thinking twice.

Still, the tension was intolerable and the draw between us was magnetic even with knowledge of this. I found it impossible to overlook. Not when his every action seemed to bring me closer.

I stepped back, severing the link, and felt the chilly ballroom air surge into the space between us. Not now, I cannot afford to be weak. Not directly in front of him. Not following all the rules.

"We're not the same people anymore, Nolan," I murmured, swallowing the venom in my throat. You guaranteed that.

Nolan's gaze turned stern, his jaw tightened. You are mistaken. Sophie, I decided what to do. But that had nothing to do with you. It has to do with shielding you.

I laughed; the sound seemed hollow and brittle. " Guarding me? By means of betrayal? Walking away from all we created begs questions.

His face quit, but he said nothing. Rather, he advanced still another stride. You do not grasp. I never wanted to treat you badly. I did not, however, have options. And right now we are both paying for it.

Something twisted in my breast from his abrupt remorse in his voice. Though I couldn't deny that I still felt the ghost of the man I had once loved, it was insufficient to heal the years of suffering he had brought about. The man is so full of promises, so certain of everything.

"What are you hoping for, Nolan?" I insisted, my voice quivering just a little despite myself. What do you want from me now? Once everything is over?

His eyes softened for just a moment before hardening once again. I saw the man under the business executive, the merciless empire builder, the one who had once been vulnerable to me, the one who had needed me.

His voice low, serious, he replied, "I need your help, Sophie." I only have one person to aid me; I am being hunted. You yourself.

My breath hung in my throat. " Hunted?

He nodded, his teeth tightly clenched. Sophie, it's not over. There is an actual threat here. And it is nearer than you might believe.

I looked at him, trying to ignore the way his presence felt like the tempest churning just under the surface and digest his words. "You want me to support you?" I softly murmured. Following all that transpired, "after all?"

"I never ceased wanting you, Sophie. His voice was unvarnished, and my gut turned over. And I never stopped wanting you. Though I need you to help me mend what has been damaged, I do not expect you to forgive me.

I inhaled deeply to help me to ground myself. His comments were a warning as much as a plea. Once loved, the man returned, but this was not about romance anymore. This had to do with survival.

"I don't owe you anything, Nolan," I responded, sounding sharp. No more. Years ago, I decided upon something. Then you created yours.

Once more, he drew forward, his voice a whisper against my ear. Sophie, you are mistaken. We had no option at all. Those who wish to wipe us have no regard for the past. Their concerns center on the future. And I am not going down without a struggle. Not yet.

His words were a promise I wasn't sure I could keep, his breath warmed my skin. I felt myself faltering, my will eroding under his scrutiny. Every bit of me wanted to turn away, to let the past go and keep my heart whole. But another side of me, the side I had buried long ago, longed to be with him. To put faith in him. To be loving of him once more.

I shook my head, the torrent of feelings distorting my ideas. "You say you need me, so you think I should just forgive you?" With a trembling voice, I asked.

"No," Nolan answered gently. But since you cannot turn your back on what is at stake, I believe you will assist me. Sophie, we are now in this together. Whether you find it appealing.

I turned aside, not sure what to say or how to feel. Once, I had moved away from him and started a life apart. Not when danger lurked around every turn, could I afford to repeat the same error. Not when the man I still loved despite all was right in front of me seeking assistance.

But I shivered suddenly as I headed toward the exit. I looked back, just in time to see a shadow pass across the assembly. One figure, darkly veiled, was observing us, waiting.

"Nolan... I murmured, my voice clear with the warning.

Still, he was already in motion.

Just late.

Nolan's expression was rigid with a mix of haste and fear as the man vanished into the throng. "It's starting, Sophie." We have to go out here. Right now.

My heart pounding, I froze as the weight of the occasion sank in. This goes beyond simply us now. This was something considerably more dangerous, something more expansive.

And I was exactly midway through it.

The lights flickered before my reaction could occur. The ballroom echoed with a great crash, the glass broke. Like wildfire, panic swept over the visitors, and I felt Nolan seize my wrist and draw me toward the closest exit.

Though I had no idea what was occurring, I knew one thing: this was not the reunion I had planned. Something considerably darker was developing, and I had no idea how much Nolan was actually hiding from me or how far the threat extended.

Nolan drew me toward the door, as around us anarchy broke out. From the ballroom, screams reverberated, a swirl of panic and uncertainty. Above rattled the crystal chandeliers, their lights flickering fiercely. My heart thumping in my chest, I staggered trying to match Nolan's quick pace. Glass breaking sounded far away in the hall, then more terrified shouts followed.

"Nolan; what's happening?" My voice faltered as I gasped.

He didn't respond right away. Rather, his grasp tightened on my wrist, yanking me across the throng as his eyes flew frantically over his shoulder. Though I could not see what he was staring at, I sensed the heavy, stifling tension in the air.

He snarled, dragging me across a little corridor away from the craziness. His face was pallid, his jaw locked in a straight line. "Stay close".

The instinct to get away from whatever was happening battled with the need to demand explanations. But I heard footsteps behind us fast, deliberate as we rounded another bend. My heartbeat sped up. It was not only the visitors running in terror anymore; someone, or something, was following us.

"Nolan, we have to find out what is happening. Why are they looking after you? I begged, my voice increasing with panic.

His eyes were wide, his typically cool head lost. "It's not just me they're after, Sophie," he replied hurriedly, looking about as though searching for danger. "It's you too."

The words struck me like a gut-reversal punch. "What do you mean, me??" I stammered and battled to match his speed.

You are already part of this. I consider myself able to shield you. I was mistaken though. I never ought to have pulled you back into this.

We made another turn, but the corridor ahead was blocked. Two black suit-wearing individuals emerged from Shadows, their faces hidden. Their eyes fixed on us right away, and I spotted a gleam of something sharp in one of their hands. My breath stopped.

"Nolan," I said, worried that it was starting to blossom. "What do they want?"

He graced a grimace and ignored me. "Run, Sophie NOW."

One of the men surged forward before I could respond. Nolan dragged me behind him, but I hardly had time to respond before the tight corridor was deafened by gunfire.

My heartbeat stopped. Time appeared to halt as I watched the man lift his gun, squarely directed at Nolan.

"Nolan!": I yelled, but my mind couldn't register what was happening; the world seemed to blur.