Page 14 of Before We Say I Do

Chapter Four

Rose petals were sprinkled from the doorway down the hall into the master bedroom. A bouquet of roses would match her step for step when she arrived, leading her to the master bath where she would undress and step into a warm aromatherapy-scented bath.

Dinner was prepared. Kyle cooked it himself. Roast beef, sautéed vegetables, creamy au gratin potatoes, and sweet tea. He held the bread, deciding he didn’t want to make the meal too heavy since he planned to be all the heaviness she would need.

He’d showered, lotioned, and left a gift next to her bedside—one he wanted her to have before their wedding. As the bride and groom, they would receive countless gifts from friends, family, co-workers, and acquaintances. Some would even be from complete strangers that only knew of them and their nuptials from the news.

Kyle was no stranger to being showered with gifts. But he wanted to be the first one to give London a premarital one.

However, when the time passed six p.m. with no word from London, he sent her a text.

Hey beautiful, when do you think you’ll make it home to me?

No response came through. After another thirty minutes, he picked up his cell and called her.

Five rings, then voicemail.

“You’ve reached London. Leave me a message, and I’ll return your call as soon as I can.”

Beeeep.

“Borboleta, I’m checking in to see when you will be home. I sent you a text, but I’m not sure if you received it. Call me back, love.”

He ended the call and thought for a moment, then left their quarters to head into the kitchen.

There he checked their meal to make sure it was still warm. His gaze lifted to the clock on the wall.

Usually, she would be home by now.

The abduction was never far from his mind. Around the same time Kyle found out about his and his brother’s shared birth, his fiancée had been kidnapped—well, she wasn’t taken against her will, but she’d been held against her will while trying to escape Dexter.

Kyle’s gut tightened. Dexter Johnson was a longtime friend of London’s father. Getting pulled into his illegal and criminal activity almost cost London and a host of missing girls their lives.

If it hadn’t been for her location app and simply following Dexter, Kyle may have never found her, and the thought of that turned his stomach every time the thoughts crossed his mind.

“But she’s okay,” he murmured to himself.

She was, but it didn’t stop him from wanting to check her location whenever she was even five minutes late coming home.

His eyes watched the clock for the next thirty minutes. Two hours late. This was definitely not like her.

Picking up the phone again, he redialed her number but heard the voicemail greeting.

“Try not to worry so much, Valentine,” he muttered to himself.

Leaving the kitchen, Kyle strolled into the living room, the power in his walk making the wooden floors moan with every weighted step. He sat in his chair and turned on the television for the nightly news, keeping his patience in check as he waited for London to arrive.

* * *

Two hours later

The door closedwith a click as London entered the foyer. Her steps had taken her three strides before pausing and turning to the glow of the fireplace in the living room. Easing to the doorway, her eyes traveled to her fiancé sitting in his chair next to their Christmas tree.

Their eyes locked.

“You had me worried there for a second.”

“I’m sorry, I...didn’t mean to have you concerned.”

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