Page 2 of Midnight Legacy

Xavier’s chuckle rippled across my skin. He manoeuvred me to the back of the sofa. “This is old, sturdy furniture. Stay tight against it and keep your tummy to the floor.” His fingers skimmed over the slight rounding at the bottom of my stomach. “Let’s end this, Jay.”

The two men moved away from me and I immediately craved the warmth of Xavier’s body on mine, protecting me.

I was scared, my heart pounding in my ears. My husband and his friend were about to do something stupid to save us all from these maniacs. Silence engulfed me in a deafening embrace that made the hairs at the back of my neck stand up in warning. My hand curved around my stomach to protect my unborn child as I pressed myself tight in against the strong wooden frame.

Muffled sounds rang out intermittently in different areas around the room, some whimpers ensued from terrified party guests. A gunshot rang out and my heart stopped. I wanted to shout out Xavier’s name, just to hear his deep voice reassuring me he was okay, but I was pinned here in horror with my nails digging into the floor.

That sickening dull crack that I’d heard months before accosted me, and I knew someone had just had their neck broken.

The darkness used to be sexy, especially when planning to meet Xavier in underwear I’d specially selected, knowing he could feel it even if he couldn’t see it. Now, I was drowning in the darkness, and fear unfurled deep in my stomach like a snake to slither through my veins. Time stretched until it felt like hours instead of minutes and all my muscles began to cramp. All I wanted to do was run far away from here and curl myself under my duvet.

A hand grabbed my arm and I squeaked in protest, trying to disappear under the sofa.

“It’s me,” Xavier’s voice whispered in my ear. His heat enveloped me and I clung to his strength. Nothing bad ever happened when he was beside me.

The room erupted into light and my eyes scrunched closed for several seconds, my fingers digging into Xavier’s shirt.

“Relax, baby, I’ve got you.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead.

All the guests were on the floor and began to wearily raise their heads. The men in balaclavas lay dead around the room. Three were bleeding into the cream carpet, and the others looked like they were sleeping, only their heads lay at strange angles.

Xavier helped me to my feet, but my knees buckled, and he took my weight against him.

Jordan moved through the crowd, checking pulse points on necks and delving into the pockets of the dead. A heart-wrenching scream tore through the room and every muscle in my body stiffened. Ash’s mum collapsed onto her knees beside the body of her son Michael. He stared into oblivion, his mouth and eyes open but vacant. Blood seeped down the side of his head. Xavier’s arm tightened around my waist, his other hand turning my head into his chest.

Everything else after that became a blur. Flashing blue lights, constant questions.

“No, I didn’t see anything because it was dark.”

“Yes, my husband was beside me the entire time.”

Eventually, they let us all go home when Xavier pointed out I was pregnant and in shock. One of the paramedics checked me over and suggested I needed to rest since my blood pressure was high. Jordan and Ash accompanied us after giving all their details to the police.

Xavier’s hair was standing up since he’d run his fingers through it so many times. Jordan’s jaw was so tight I was surprised he hadn’t broken a tooth. Ash was pale and quiet. It was his birthday, but it had turned into a massacre.

Xavier drove us back to our apartment block in silence. There was nothing to say. Death had visited us today and taken someone we knew with him.

“Was it you?” Ash finally asked and my ears pricked up.

I watched Jordan continue to stare out the back window of the car without flinching. “He was marked for death by the Council, Ash. You know that.”

Ash inhaled a deep breath.

“No,” Jordan continued. “I didn’t assassinate Michael, even though he was on my list.”

I didn’t want to ask why he had a list of people to be assassinated, so I chewed the side of my mouth instead.

“This is a fucking mess,” Ash finally grated out. “Mum will never get over this. Any idea who they were?”

“No ID on them,” Jordan confirmed. “But I photographed their fingerprints before the police arrived. I guess Michael’s fake girlfriend and her listening devices finally did something right.”

My eyebrows shot up and I met Xavier’s worried gaze. He shook his head to indicate I remain quiet. Their world was dark and dangerous and every step further into it made my spine prickle with fear. There was no doubt in my mind that Xavier and Jordan had ended the standoff tonight. Jordan had turned the lights off and those two men were able to move around in the dark like they had special senses—predators who eliminated every threat around us.

They were the most dangerous men in the room, but considering they kept me and my baby safe, my morals had changed from a few months ago. I didn’t comment and stared out the window into the lights of the city as Xavier sped us all home. He was quiet and pensive, his eyes trained on the road and his shoulders tense. My hand grabbed his on the gearstick and he gave me a small, reassuring smile.

This was my bed and I had to lie in it. I knew who Xavier was before I’d said “I do” and put his ring on my finger. Ninety-nine percent of the time that bed was filled with orgasms and pleasure, but this was the one percent that curdled my stomach.

“Where will your mum and dad stay?” I asked Ash.

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