Samantha
The crunch of tires on gravel reached my ears before I saw the convoy of black SUVs wind up the villa's long driveway. My stomach clenched as dread twisted through me like a vice. Baloo jumped to attention, his body stiff and alert, head bent low, ready to attack any threats.
“Easy, boy.” Xander instructed in a quiet yet powerful tone and Baloo listened immediately, seizing his growling but trotting up to stand by Xander’s side. I would have expressed more shock at the sudden and immediate control Xander had over him and even more confusing, Baloo’s loyalty to him, if my heart wasn’t racing at 200 hundred beats per minute.
“Samantha?” Xnader called quietly, his voice breaking through my panic.
I sucked in a sharp breath, momentarily comforted by his large warmth behind me sti
