My Contract Husband

Chapter 7: Blood Brother

The private airstrip was dark.

Only the lights from their jet cut through the night. The engines were already humming, waiting like a hungry animal.

Emma’s heels clicked against the tarmac as Dane rushed them forward.

“Almost there,” Dane said. “30 seconds and we’re in the air.”

Alexander had one hand on Emma’s back. His jaw was tight. He looked like a CEO in an action movie.

Emma, on the other hand, was trying not to trip. “Alexander, why must we always be running in heels?!” she whispered angrily. “Who runs from assassins in 4-inch heels?!”

He glanced down at her feet. For half a second, the corner of his mouth twitched. “I’ll carry you if I have to.”

“Don’t you dare—”

Then headlights.

Three black SUVs pulled onto the airstrip, blocking the jet.

Emma froze. “No... not again. I’m tired of running, Alexander.”

From the first SUV, Daniel stepped out.

And behind him, 8 bodyguards. All looking serious. Too serious. One of them was chewing gum and scrolling t****k.

Alexander stopped walking. He pulled Emma behind him instantly.

“Alexander,” Daniel called out. He spread his arms like he was on a stage. “Leaving so soon? Without saying goodbye to your brother?”

Alexander’s face went hard. “Move, Daniel.”

Daniel laughed. “Or what? You’ll fight me?” He gestured to the men behind him. “You see these men? You think you can get past them?”

Alexander took one step forward. His fists clenched.

Dane grabbed his arm. “Boss. Don’t. We’re outnumbered. And you have dry cleaning to do tomorrow. That white shirt.”

Alexander shot him a look. “Now is not the time for jokes, Dane.”

“It’s always time for jokes, boss,” Dane muttered. “Especially when we might die. Gotta die laughing.”

Daniel started walking toward them. Slow. Dramatic. Like he practiced it in the mirror.

“My own blood brother,” Daniel said, shaking his head. “You stole my company. You took the girl I was supposed to marry. And now you think you can just run away?”

“She was never yours,” Alexander said. Cold. “The contract is with me.”

“The contract,” Daniel spat. “You used that stupid contract to get to her. To get to my father.”

Emma found her voice. Shaking, but loud. “Daniel please. Don’t do this. We grew up together! Remember when we stole mangoes from Grandpa’s farm?”

Daniel paused. For a second, something soft flashed in his eyes. Then it was gone. “That was before you chose him.”

“She chose me because she wants to,” Alexander said.

Daniel stopped 10 feet away. The bodyguards blocked the path to the jet.

One of the bodyguards yawned. Loudly.

Daniel turned and glared at him. “You! No yawning on duty! This is serious!”

The bodyguard snapped to attention. “Yes sir! Sorry sir! No sleep sir!”

Emma bit her lip to stop from laughing. This was ridiculous. They were about to get kidnapped and this guy was worried about yawning.

“Last chance, brother,” Daniel said, trying to look serious again. “Give me Emma. Give me the company documents. Or I will make sure you never leave this city.”

Alexander stepped in front of Emma fully. Using his body to shield her.

“If you want her,” Alexander said. “You’ll have to go through me.”

Daniel sighed. “You’re being dramatic.”

“You started it,” Alexander shot back.

For a moment, nobody moved. It was like a bad western movie. Standoff.

Then Emma’s stomach growled. Loud. Like thunder.

Everyone stopped and looked at her.

Emma went red. “I... I didn’t eat dinner. Running for your life burns calories, okay?!”

Dane couldn’t help it. He snorted. “Boss, we might actually die because someone is hungry.”

“Shut up, Dane,” Alexander and Daniel said at the same time.

They looked at each other and frowned.

Daniel shook his head. “This is stupid. We’re brothers. Fighting over a girl and a company.”

“And my dinner,” Emma added quietly.

“AND YOUR DINNER,” Daniel yelled. “You see what you’ve done to us?! You’ve turned us into clowns!”

The tension broke. Just a little. Even one bodyguard cracked a smile before Daniel shot him a look.

Daniel rubbed his temples. “Do you know how long I’ve been planning this? Months! I had a whole speech written!”

“You should’ve rehearsed more,” Alexander said.

“Don’t talk to me like that!”

Emma raised her hand like she was in class. “Um... can we argue about this after I eat? I’m lightheaded.”

Both brothers stared at her.

Daniel sighed and turned to his men. “You see what I’m dealing with? This is why I need the company back. I have no peace.”

One bodyguard whispered, “Sir, should we still... get them?”

“Give me one minute,” Daniel snapped.

He looked at Alexander. “Why her, Alexander? Out of all the girls in this city?”

Alexander was quiet. Then he said, “Because when she laughs, she doesn’t care who’s watching. Because she called me out on my first day. Because she’s not afraid of me.”

Emma blinked. She didn’t know he noticed all that.

Daniel’s jaw ticked. “That’s unfair.”

“I know,” Alexander said.

“Men, get them,” Daniel said finally, voice low.

The bodyguards started moving forward.

“Boss!” Dane shouted. He pulled out his phone and pressed something.

Suddenly, bright lights flooded the airstrip. Sirens.

Airport security vehicles came speeding in.

Daniel cursed. “Who called them?!”

“I did,” Dane said, holding up his phone. “Also ordered pizza. For Emma. Since she’s hungry. Pepperoni. Extra cheese.”

Emma stared at him. “You... you ordered pizza during a kidnapping?”

“Priorities,” Dane said with a shrug. “A hungry girl is a cranky girl. And cranky girls make bad decisions.”

Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose. “I pay you too much.”

“You pay me just enough,” Dane grinned.

Daniel’s face twisted with rage. “This isn’t over!”

He turned and got into his SUV. The bodyguards followed, one of them still looking at the pizza app on his phone.

As they drove away, Daniel rolled down his window. He looked right at Alexander.

“I know where you’re going, brother.”

Then they were gone. Tires screeching.

Alexander exhaled. He pulled Emma close. She was shaking.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “That was... weird. And scary. And did you really order pizza, Dane?”

“30 minutes,” Dane said, checking his phone. “It’ll meet us at the destination. I gave them the coordinates.”

Alexander looked at him. “You gave the pizza guy our coordinates?”

“For safety,” Dane said. “If Daniel intercepts the pizza, we’ll know.”

Emma burst out laughing. Then immediately started crying. “I’m so stressed!”

Alexander pulled her into his arms. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Inside the jet, 10 minutes later, Emma was finally breathing normal. She sat with a blanket, holding the pizza box Dane had somehow gotten on board.

“You planned this?” she asked Alexander.

“What?”

“The pizza. The security. Did you know Daniel would come?”

Alexander was quiet for a long time. Then he said softly, “Not everything. But some of it.”

Emma frowned. “What do you mean?”

Alexander looked at her. His eyes were serious. “Emma... do you believe in destiny?”

“What?”

“Destiny,” he repeated. “That some things are meant to happen. That some people are meant to meet.”

Emma shook her head. “I believe in bad timing.”

Alexander almost smiled. “6 months ago, I started looking for you. Not because of the contract. Before the contract.”

Emma sat up. “What?”

“Your father worked for my father,” Alexander said. “After he died, Daniel started looking for his files. The offshore accounts. I found you first.”

Emma’s pizza fell from her hands. “You... you planned this? The contract? All of it?”

“I planned to protect you,” Alexander said quickly. “Daniel would have found you anyway. This way, you’re with me.”

“You used me,” Emma whispered.

“No,” Alexander said. “Destiny used us both.”

Before Emma could answer, the pilot’s voice came over the speaker.

“Sir. We have company. Another jet. 2 miles behind us. Same model as Mr. Daniel’s.”

Alexander’s face went blank.

Emma looked out the window. A black jet was gaining on them.

“He found us,” she whispered.

Alexander stood up. “Then we run faster.”