***LONDON’S POV***
“What do you plan to do now, London?” I hear Michael’s question as I finish eating breakfast.
He picks up my plate, walking to the sink to clean it up as I dab my lips with a napkin.
“I need to return home, but I don’t think Zane would be happy with my little stunt,” I say, my voice sounding so exasperated.
He nods his head, understanding dawning on him.
“I could offer you a job at my bakery if you wanted to, you know?” he says softly.
“You own the place for real, Mike?” I ask my eyes softening with hope. With want.
“Well, yes. But the business needs a partner, for now, I am behind the counter playing the baker and releasing treats for the neighborhood,” he explains.
I think it out. I really do love baking, but Zane would never accept me to work for Mike. Besides, I have done a lot to make him want to tie me in the air and leave me there. I stare at the man before me, wondering if taking up his offer is worth killing us both.
“So…?” he asks, his voice trailing.
“If I survive, maybe I’ll want to work for you?” I say not giving any promises.
“I still consider that a yes. Now, tell me, where do you want me to drop you off?” he asks gently.
“Calling me a cab would go a long way,” I let out in a raspy breath.
Whatever thoughts Michael has running through his mind, he doesn’t voice it out, thus, I push out a gentle breath from my lips.
I stand after Mike finishes calling me a cab, my leg is much better, but I still feel pain whenever I walk. I tried suppressing the pain because I don’t want Mike to worry about it the least.
“Thank you, Michael, I appreciate you helping me last night and letting me stay the night at your place,” I mutter.
He tightens his grip around me, but respectfully.
“I’ll do it for you again because you are my friend. Now, don’t forget to call me again, okay?” he raises his brows, waiting for me to reply.
“Yes, Michael, I promise to call you,” I promise.
I had taken my gown, but it was too dirty and tattered for me to wear home, thus, Mike had made me go home in his clothes.
I hope when I slid into the house that Zane wouldn’t be there because I already feel my breath turning cold from how difficult he is going to make my life turn.
Nothing would happen to Michael if Zane doesn’t know where I come from, and that is the goal, is mustn’t know I had a little fling with Michael.
He helped me when I was running away and offered me a house to sleep in, he even cooked for me and offered a job for me in his bakery.
Michael is one of those good guys we don’t get to see every day.
“What is your catch for being nice to me, Michael?” I ask as we break the kiss apart.
He chuckles as he whistles for Jase to come to him. The big dog barks as he runs to hum.
“Nothing, London. I’ll help any of my friends if they needed my help without a single blink of an eye, and a string attached to my goodwill,” I explain.
I watch how the corners of Mike’s eyes cringe with smiling lines as he laughs at my mock face.
“You are used to having people always take a lot from you, don’t you, London? Well, if that makes you happy, what about you coming to my shop one of these days? My shop info is on my card,” he says pointing to the side of my shorts where the pocket is.
“I’ll think about it, Mike,” I sigh.
I pet Jase on the head and kiss him. He uses his tongue to show me love, and it is so funny.
I follow Mike to the door and as he opens it, everything happens in a blur, I see a gang of men, about five, or so, stream into Michael’s room.
“Oh, my God!” I shout as they start hitting Michael.
I rush to him as he is about to take a punch to the face. Whatever happens next, I feel a heavy blow land on my head. It starts pounding heavily.
Immediately, the sounds of the house started spinning in my head, I have a flashback from the night Oliver had hit me, that was the night that had made me know Oliver was so toxic and I needed to run away from him.
I hear a million voices calling out to me as I lay on the floor. A man, as well as Michael. I feel his hands all over my face.
“London? Come on girl, open your eyes, I am right here,” he says sniffing hard.
“Run,” I whisper to him.
“No, of course not. Damn it, London, I need to have a fucking word with a man that would dare send men to my house and hurt you in the process, I don’t care if that means me drawing my last breath,” he says angrily.
I feel the men snatch him from away from me.
Next, I am lifted from the group by a pair of strong arms.
“Where do we take here?” a voice asks.
“To the mansion, I will place a call to the boss,” he says, his voice reserved.
*
***ZANE’S POV***
I am about to leave the club to return home because I feel like shit when my phone starts ringing.
I answer at the second ring,
“We found the girl, boss, but Jesse hit her across the head, I think she is in some kind of trance. Or maybe having a panic attack,” he says his voice breaking.
Anger boils in me as I speak into the phone.
“Jesse fucking did what? Take my woman home, put her in my room and nobody touches her,” I instruct.
“And her scumbag boyfriend?” Pierre inquires.
“I pay you to fucking obey orders, and not question me. Leave the dude there, I will deal with him when I have finished taking care of London,” I say as I rush out of the club.
Caleb is leaning against the car answering a phone call, he pulls it away from his ear as he sees the anger brewing through me.
He opens the door for me before sliding into the driver’s seat.
“Home” I breathe out that single word and I feel all the anger in my body twisting me so angrily.
“Yes, Sir,” Caleb mutters as he steams the engine of the car.
It doesn’t take us twenty minutes to get home and my entire body is to tackle that Jase of a guy.
I know this is my entire fault, but I feel like punching someone. And I don’t care if he loses a few teeth by the time I am done with him.
“Should I lurk around, boss?” Caleb asks his voice light with emotions.
“No, Caleb. I will send the men on guard home. It is better that way,” I tell him.
I am tired. I haven’t had time to sleep, but I know I would now that London is at home, in my house, where she belongs, and probably on my bed.
I rush into the house and stand staring at the large living room.
Five of the men that were dispatched to the dude’s house hovered around London to give her any space to breathe.
I take tentative steps towards them and they all cower, some thanking God I came in so fast.
“What the hell happened?” I ask as I slid on the couch, kneeling in front of London.
She is the only woman I will kneel for in this life. I know it. I feel it already.
“She wouldn’t make it past the threshold and she has a panic attack, screaming that she wants to go home. We thought it better to allow her here first,” Pierre explains.
“And Jesse?” I ask my eyes hovering around the man and stopping on him.
His face becomes a pinched mask. He is one of my street soldiers, and the youngest of them all, he couldn’t have given a small blow.
“I am sorry, boss, the blow was meant for that dickhead. London pushed in the way when I had thrown the punch, it was too late to retract the blow,” he says.
I see the reason for his point, but they all have to know that hurting London means hurting me. They don’t want that burden on their soul.
“You all are big muscles without brains. Now, you will do me a favor and make it up for London, I don’t know how, but get your girlie side working to please her as long as she is here,” I blurt out angrily.
I didn’t want to take out my anger on the young man, I know the punishment I had laid open them will make them beg I had punched them in the guts instead.
“Yes, boss, I am sorry boss. I will make London’s see reasons to forgive me,” he says.
The others reply with headshakes.
“Leave now, return to the club, and to whatever business you all had to do, I have to take care of my woman,” I explain.
I watch them file out of the house and I close the door behind the last person, locking it.
London is still rocking herself, and I notice the change of clothes. When I pick her up, the fragrance from her clothes was manly, but not mine.
I can’t help but feel a surge of jealousy tears through me.
Had London… had sex with that stranger?
“Fuck, I will kill him with my bare hands,” I screech out as I take the stairs to my bedroom.
“London? Can you hear me?” I ask as she curls up against my chest, her hands faintly grasping my neck.
She doesn’t respond, that is how I know she is still having a panic attack.
I open the door to my bedroom and place London gently on the bed. When she meows like a real-life cat, I know she is in pain.
I rush to the bathroom, grabbing a basin of water and a towel. I return to her side, tearing the clothes off her body.
“Nope, London, you aren’t wearing another man’s clothes in my presence, and you definitely ain’t sleeping with it in my bed,” I say as if she could actually hear me.
I pull her shorts off and that is when I notice it for the first time. The scrapes on her knees, and then, the bandage on her ankle.
“What the fuck?” I ask as anger tears through me.
I don’t want to believe that I hurt London when I caused her to run away from me.
Taking out the bandage, I see how swollen her ankle flesh is. It makes hurt tears through me, I can’t believe it, but I do take hold of myself as I take care of London.
I wipe her with the washcloth, and then, I apply ointment on her skin, making sure that she is fine.
London has now settled into sleeping, so, I dress her in a pair of shorts from my closet, and a comfortable soft shirt.
She deserves to be in my own clothes and no one else. I guess that is a lesson I am supposed to teach her when she is awake so that she knows that I am not bluffing when I tell her that she is mine.
I use a clean bandage in her ankle and then, finish by putting pretty bandaids on her knee scrapes.
I know we will be doing a lot of talking when she wakes up, and with how tired I feel, I take off my clothes, slipping into bed with London, letting her warm generate enough heat for us to sleep.