Chapter9
1227 Words
CHAPTER 9
Adam’s car screeched to a halt outside a crumbling, abandoned industrial compound on the outskirts of the city. His heart thundered in his chest. The GPS coordinates sent to his phone had led him here.
No security, no guards.
Too easy.
That’s how he knew it was a trap.
But Belle was in there. And he’d be damned if he let anyone else hurt her.
He gripped his pistol tighter and pushed the car door open.
Gun in hand, Adam slipped through a rusted side entrance. He moved silently, eyes darting across the shadows. The place was a maze of decayed steel beams and broken machinery. Every creak of the floor threatened to give him away.
He moved down a corridor and reached a large open space, probably once used for manufacturing. Now it was hollow, empty, except for the man standing dead center.
“Xandros,” Adam growled.
The man turned slowly, a cruel grin spreading across his face.
“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come,” Xandros said, arms spread mockingly. “Always the hero, aren’t you?”
Adam’s jaw tightened. “Where is she?”
Xandros didn’t answer. He just started walking toward him.
Adam raised his gun. “I said where is she?!”
Xandros chuckled. “Calm down, boy. That ain’t why we’re here. We’ve got unfinished business, remember?”
“I thought you had your revenge at the gala,” Adam snapped. “What more do you want?!”
Xandros stepped closer, the dim light casting shadows across his face. “Revenge?” he spat. “You're still breathing, Adam. So no, I haven’t gotten my revenge yet.”
Adam’s trigger finger twitched. “You think you have the guts to kill me? You? I think I’ve been too easy on you considering our past relationship. But you crossed the line the moment you touched my wife.”
Without warning, Adam fired.
The bullet slammed into Xandros’ leg.
He screamed and staggered to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
But Adam wasn’t done. He charged forward, tackling Xandros to the floor. Fists flew; the men grunted, rolled, clawed at each other. Xandros managed to land a punch to Adam’s jaw but Adam returned it with a brutal knee to the ribs.
He wasn’t fighting like a man defending business.
He was fighting like a man defending his woman!
Minutes passed. When it was over, Xandros lay groaning, his face swollen and his breaths shallow.
Adam stood over him, panting. “If you ever come near Belle again, I will not be this merciful.”
He turned, spit blood, and bolted down a hallway.
Belle was lying motionless on a mattress in one of the darkened rooms. Her arms were still bound. Her hair stuck to her face with sweat. Adam dropped to his knees beside her and gently tore the duct tape from her mouth.
“Belle,” he whispered. “Belle, it’s me. I’m here.”
No response.
His heart clenched.
He scooped her into his arms, cradling her like she was made of porcelain, and rushed back to the car.
Twenty Minutes Later – Hamilton Penthouse.
Adam kicked the door open with his foot and carried Belle inside. His suit was torn, his knuckles bloodied, his breath ragged.
“Rufus!” he shouted. “Call the doctors, all of them!”
He laid her gently on the massive leather couch and knelt beside her, brushing the damp strands of hair away from her face.
Within minutes, five of the best doctors in the country were in the living room, surrounding Belle.
Adam stood at the back, arms crossed tightly, eyes locked on her still form.
He wasn’t used to feeling fear.
He was never scared.
But watching Belle like that; pale, bruised, unconscious, it broke something in him.
One of the doctors finally stood and walked over.
“She’s stable now. Just a few bruises, dehydration, and minor trauma. She should regain consciousness soon.”
Adam nodded stiffly. “I’ll handle the rest.”
As the doctors packed up and left, he pulled a chair beside her, unwilling to be more than a breath away.
It was nightfall by the time Belle stirred.
Adam shot up instantly.
“Belle?” he said, voice soft, cautious.
She blinked. Her throat was dry, her body ached, but her eyes focused.
“Adam?” she whispered.
“You’re safe,” he said, reaching for her hand. “I’ve got you.”
Belle looked around the luxurious living room, then back at him.
“I... I thought I was going to die,” she said, her voice cracking.
“You didn’t,” he said firmly. “Not on my watch.”
She sat up slowly, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. Adam reached for a glass of water and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed, and a strange stillness passed between them.
He should’ve pulled away.
But he didn’t.
She drank slowly, then lowered the glass.
“I thought it was my parents’ murderer,” she whispered. “I thought... they finally came for me.”
Adam froze. His gaze dropped.
Belle looked at him carefully.
“Adam... what did you do to those people? Why are they after us?”
There it was again, that wall he always built with his eyes. Cold and guarded.
But this time, he didn’t dodge the question. Instead, he placed his palm gently on her head and ran his fingers through her hair, careful not to startle her.
“I promise you, Belle,” he said quietly. “Nothing like that will ever happen to you again. Not while I’m breathing. From now on… I’ll be your personal bodyguard, if I have to be.”
Belle’s heart fluttered. She wanted to scoff, to push his hand away.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she leaned into it, just a little. Just enough for him to notice.
There was something in his touch. Something safe. Something warm.
But also something terrifying.
That night, Belle lay in Adam’s bed, not her own. The doctors insisted she should not be alone in case of shock or sudden collapse. And Adam had insisted she stay in his room, where he could keep watch.
He lay on the couch across from the bed, one arm thrown behind his head, the other resting on a pistol on the side table.
“I’m not a child,” Belle said, trying to sound normal. “I can sleep alone.”
“I’m not doing this for you,” Adam replied without looking at her. “I’m doing this for me.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled the covers tighter. “We’re seriously messed up.”
He chuckled softly. “We’ve been messed up since the day we said ‘I do.’”
Belle stared at the ceiling. Her body was safe. Her heart wasn’t.
She had so many questions. But right now, silence was easier.
Still, somewhere deep inside her, beneath the fear, beneath the confusion, was a spark.
Belle knew exactly what she was feeling.
And she hated herself for it.
How could she want comfort from her supposed step brother?
She shut her eyes, trying to kill the thought. It’s just adrenaline, she told herself. Trauma – This isn’t real.
But it felt real.
And it felt dangerous.
- Writer
