Page 1 of Ours

Part One

CHAPTER One

Turning her pregnant body in the sports car’s passenger seat, Lexi stared at Kade with terrified, wide eyes. This was the first time she had been able to get a good look at him since he had taken her from the Italian restaurant only a handful of minutes prior. She couldn’t believe that all of this was really happening. Again.The monster was supposed to be on the opposite side of the country, tethered to a hospital bed in a vegetative state. Yet here he was, looking as handsome and healthy as ever. Cool as a cucumber in a leather jacket and aviator glasses, weaving in and out of Sunday traffic as he didn’t have a care in the world. It made her question her sanity. It had been hanging on by a thread for months now, but perhaps she finally had a psychotic break.

“You’re not real.This isn’t real,”she whispered, her lips barely moving.

Oh, this is real alright,Nikki answered from the corner of her mind.Somehow your demonic baby daddy rose from the dead! I’m shocked that he can even drive! Weren’t his head injuries so severe that they said he wouldn’t even know his own name if he ever woke up? Hmm. Odd. But I guess miracles happen every day! I do wonder where he’s taking us, though. Maybe to another cabin in the woods so he can exact his revenge? Yeah. I think that’s a safe bet, don’t you?

Wiping her alter from her thoughts, she took in a shaky breath as reality sank in. She would be lying if she said that she hadn’t fantasized about Kade coming back for her, but not once did she ever think it would happen. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the happy homecoming of her dream lover, filled with tender kisses and amorous declarations. This was another traumatic abduction, laced with menacing implications. She would be lucky if she, and her unborn child, survived the nightmare this time.

“Kade, don’t do this,” she pleaded, her green eyes dancing over his masculine profile. “Just take me back to the restaurant! No one has to know! I won’t say anything, I swear! It’s not too late!”

Arching a dark brow, Kade turned his head to look at his love. Studying her through his mirrored sunglasses, he silently seethed as she continued to beg for her freedom. After everything they had shared, how could she possibly think he would let her go back and live a life that didn’t involve him? He didn’t wake from the dead only to let her walk away. He would never let her go. Not now,not ever.

“Sweetheart, it’sfartoo late,” he replied, turning his attention back to the road. “Especially now that you’re carryingmychild.”

Swallowing hard, she placed her opened hands over her belly in a protective manner. Understanding the heavy implications of his words, she lifted her chin in defiance. She needed to think in terms of survival. If she could get him to think that her baby wasn’t his, he would let her go. Surely, he wouldn’t want the blood of another man’s child on his hands?

“This baby isn’t yours, it’s Leo’s!” she exclaimed with feigned conviction.

Gripping the leather-covered steering wheel, he slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, causing the Nissan GT-R to lurch forward in an act of sudden aggression. Her denial infuriated him.How dare she lie straight to his face?Hadn’t she learned her lesson by now?

“That child ismine.You know it. I know it, fuck, even that pathetichusbandof yours knows it!” he hissed.

Visibly wincing, Lexi scooted her body closer towards the car’s door. The fact that he not only knew about the baby, but also her marriage to Leo, set her on edge. His deep voice was thick with betrayal. It caused a ball of guilt-laced anxiety to settle in the pit of her stomach.

“How did you know that we got married?” she asked, bracing herself as he narrowly missed hitting a Dodge Ram while switching lanes.

Suppressing a laugh, Kade shrugged his broad shoulders. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he noticed an older model Jeep Cherokee quickly gaining speed behind him.Speak of the devil,he mused. Apparently, his actions at the restaurant hadn’t gone unnoticed. Not that he was surprised.

“Leo loves his social media. You would think that with all that you’ve been through he would have deleted his online presence butnope!Still posting on X, still uploading reels on Instagram. Hell, he’s still blogging on fuckingtumblr!He gave me all the information I needed within a five-minute search. It’s almost as if he wasbeggingme to come and find you,” he said, purposefully slowing down the Nissan. “I wasfuriouswhen I found out that you had married that little prick but really, it’s just a piece of fucking paper! It doesn’t mean a fucking thing!You belong tome,Lexi. That child you’re carrying is proof. There’s no going back now. We’re bound, it’s done!”

Hugging her stomach, she closed her eyes and screamed a silent curse. She had begged Leo to get rid of his accounts before they left New York. He swore that he would scrub everything, assuring her that there was no way he would jeopardize their new life together. It was a broken promise. One that had effectively sealed her fate.

“He will try to find me, you know,” she said, her voice trembling as she fought back the tears welling behind her eyelids.

“I know,” he replied bitterly.

Pursing his lips together, he checked the rearview mirror for the gray Cherokee recklessly slicing through traffic. He could almost make out the frantic features on the driver’s face, the man looked hellbent. It made him bristle. This was sure to cause Lexi, and his baby, undue stress. Why couldn’t the idiot just let the police handle things?

“Keep your eyes closed, do you understand?” he said.

“Why? What’s going on?” she asked, instinctively opening her eyes and glancing around the cab of the car.

Swearing hotly, he let go of the steering wheel and reached out towards her. Placing his palm on the back of her head, he firmly pushed her gaze towards the floor of the sports car.This wasn’t part of the plan.She wasn’t supposed to be around when Leo was dealt with. Unfortunately, the moron didn’t give him any choice.

“Nothing, just close your damn eyes, Alexandria!” he growled, holding her head in place.

Thrashing from side to side, she pulled away from his grasp. Turning clumsily in her seat, she looked at her handsome captor. Confusion and fear contorted her face as she raised her fist in self-defense. Readying herself to attack, she froze as a familiar SUV pulled up on the driver’s side. Blinking away her hot tears, it only took a second for her to recognize who was driving the Jeep.

“LEO!” she screamed.“LEO!”

Scrambling over the center console, she locked eyes with her husband. While she was relieved to see him, she didn’t like the murderous expression passing over Kade’s face. Worried for his well-being, she tried to mouth a plea for him to stop chasing after them. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if anything happened to him.

Oblivious to his wife’s silent words, Leo gave her a reassuring smile. He was comforted to see that she was alive and unharmed. It was only by the grace of God that he had seen her through the restaurant window as she was thrown into the Nissan by the bastard who had kidnapped her before. Catching up to them had been the longest fifteen minutes of his life. But now that he had, there was no way he was going to let them out of his sight.

“IT’S OK, BABY! I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!”he screamed through the opened passenger window.

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