Page 77 of Pervade London
James looked at me. “Close your eyes, Emily.”
“No, don’t, please.”
“I asked you to close your eyes.”
I didn’t want to look, didn’t want to think my actions had led to murder. Xander’s hand came up and his palm covered my eyes.
James’ voice broke the quiet. “If I give an order, follow it. Don’t get creative, Samuel. Am I understood?”
My eyes squeezed shut beneath Xander’s palm. “It’s my fault,” I blurted out.
“Are you taking responsibility?” asked James.
I shifted my head to see his expression. “Yes.”
The man remained kneeling with his head bowed. No one tore their attention away from the sinister scene.
“I love you,” Xander whispered to me.
And it felt like goodbye.
This was the man I loved, the person I had given myself over to in every conceivable way, and seeing him again, being this close was all I had needed in this moment to survive.
Uncertainty hung in the air like invisible smog.
James rested his palm on the kneeling man’s head. “Key.”
Samuel reached into his pocket and offered up the small cuff key he’d used to secure me.
James took it. “We leave in fifteen minutes.”
I let out a sigh of relief that he was going away.
No arrogance remained in my attacker’s expression. He looked up at Ballad with gratitude and respect. Then he rose and strode quickly to the door, leaving without looking back.
“Everyone out,” ordered James.
The other men followed. The door shut behind them.
I inhaled deeply, trying to calm my trembling limbs.
James handed Xander the key and he used them to unlock the cuffs. As soon as I was free, I fell into Xander’s arms and he embraced me tightly. My limbs ached as my circulation returned. More bruises marked where the metal cuffs had chaffed my wrists. I stretched my fingers, relieved they were unharmed.
“You shouldn’t have gone there,” Xander whispered.
“I needed to know you were….” Tears stung my eyes.Still alive.
“Did they do anything to you?” He tapped near my lip. “Other than this?”
“No.”
James shoved his hands in his pockets with his usual stance—confident and unshakable. “I couldn’t have been clearer, Em. And to be transparent now, no one has ever gotten more than one pass from me. You’re the exception. But I’m done giving second chances.”
“Hurt me and you’ll lose Xander.”
James faced him. “You know what needs to be done.”
“I can handle her,” said Xander. “And it’ll be my way.”
