Billionaire's Accidental Wife

Chapter 12

After receiving a call from Tayler, Chelsea's worry weighed on Dave like a ton of bricks, a weight that had only grown in the hours since he'd recounted what he'd seen on the CCTV.

The exact thing he'd dreaded, the error he'd made in not ensuring he'd finished the job, was about to come home to roost. He was certain of it. Unfortunately, Tayler wasn't sure if he'd seen Hermano in the last few hours or not.

It didn't matter. The bitch's son had survived the explosion that should have killed him. Dave's goal had failed because Hermano was still alive. He could only hope that he hadn't let Chelsea down. And in order to assure their safety, he was doing the only thing he could think of.

"Is everyone prepared to go, babe?"

She nodded as she marched from the back bedroom toward him. "Christie will be right behind me. She's having some issues with Peter. The poor thing has been having nightmares all night.

"Understandable," Dave responded. "The child has been through a lot. "You all have," he said, drawing Chelsea under his arm. "We need to be at the airport as soon as the sun goes up." Although it is only a few hours away, the sooner I get you and your family there, the better."

She raised her gaze to him, massaging his tight jaw. "Are you sure your friend won't mind taking us in for the night?""

"Chelsea, you are now part of my family, as are Christie and Peter." The command center may not be a good home for a child, but we'll figure something out." Her eyes were soft on him. "Thank you Dave, you are a good man."

"I want to be," he declared. "For you. That means keeping yourself as far away from Hermano as possible. At least until I can finally end him."

"Did Catherine and Shawn know about this um-mission of yours?"

"Dave snorted, "No, Catherine will kill me. You know how overprotected she is and, trust me, she has become worse since she had a baby in her tummy."

Chelsea smiled, "I'm too excited to see her."

"Dear, we can't, not until I can confirm that Hermano is dead, for now. We are going to hide

you."

She nodded in understanding. Dave was consumed by the desire to personally and brutally correct his blunder with the jerk. He would have done so at one point.

He'd thought nothing of storming into the fray of a risky situation to take out a target before Chelsea reappeared in his life. He'd never had a death wish; his life had always been disposable if it meant the success or failure of one of his missions. Everything has changed now.

Hermano will pay. So, no matter how viciously he wanted to make the bastard pay for every hour of every day he'd held Chelsea prisoner for his own gain, Dave had to exercise caution. He had to be sure he didn't fail with her or with the mission.

She rested her head against his chest, where the heavy pound of his heartbeat throbbed. "I'm scared, Dave."

"Don't be," he murmured, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm not going to let him get you. I'm not going to let him get Christie or her son either." "I know you won't. But I'm scared for you." She drew in a shallow, ragged breath. "If I ever lose you again"

"You won't." Guiding her gaze up to his, Dave urged her to see the resolve in his eyes. He slid his hand around her nape and brought her to him for an unhurried kiss that ensured she felt all of the love and promise that he held for her in his heart.

He could have kissed her for hours, and he swore to himself that he would, once he made sure she and her family were safely returned to London.

Sensing they were no longer alone, Dave turned his head and found Sebastian standing there. Christ, the male might be immense and formidable, but he moved like a wraith.

He held out his left hand, a vehicle starter in his palm.

HIC

"What's this?" Dave he asked, pivoting to face the former soldier. The key fob was for a Hummer-a new one, by the look of it. Sebastian handed it to him.

C

"The truck you arrived in might get you where you're going, but this will be better." "I left that vehicle half a mile away at the abandoned coffee shop. How the hell did you know what we were driving?". Sebastian didn't answer, and Dave figured there was a lot about the reclusive man and his methods that would remain a mystery. Instead of pressing him, Dave slipped the welcome gift into his pocket.

"Thank you."

Sebastian gave him a faint nod. "We're ready!" Christie called from behind them. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting." The petite brunette had her son's little hand grasped in hers as she approached from the other end of the corridor. As they drew closer, Dave felt a cold shift in the air. He didn't realize what it was until he looked at Sebastian and saw that the man had gone utterly still. His onyx eyes were stark, almost haunted, beneath the harsh slashes of his black brows.

Christie must have felt the chill too. She looked nervously up at Sebastian and almost pulled Peter by his dark hair when the boy's steps slowed down in front of the former soldier.

But the child didn't seem to have any fear of the sinister-looking male. His feet halted in front of Sebastian, his little head tilting up to stare in unabashed awe. "How'd you hurt your hand?"

Christie and Chelsea both sucked in their breath. Hell, even Dave felt a jolt of unease as Sebastian's hard gaze slowly descended to look at the boy. When he spoke, the male's deep voice was as unreadable as his stoic face.

"I tried to help someone a long time ago."

By the male's grave tone, Dave assumed his hand wasn't the only thing Sebastian lost.

"Come on, Peter." Christie gave her son's hand a small tug. She looked up at the big man, her cheeks flaming with color. "I'm sorry. He's just starting to learn about manners."

Sebastian shrugged vaguely, but his bleak eyes lingered on the pretty mother. "It's all right."

Dave cleared his throat. "We should get moving. It's past sundown now, and we have a lot of time ahead of us on the road."

As he spoke, the faint sound of a woman's scream went up somewhere in the distance outside the house. Sebastian heard it too. His dark head jerked to instant attention. Just as another shriek sounded-this one closer and belonging to a man. A man who was screaming for his life.

Dave's blood iced over with dread. "What the fuck?" Sebastian took a phone from his leather trench coat and looked at the screen. His curse was guttural and rife with rage.

"We have to leave," he remarked solemnly.

He swung the item around so Dave could view it. The screen displayed live video from numerous different cameras located across the town center. Children and women were racing in all directions while a swarm of mobs-he counted a dozen in the few seconds he watched poured into the streets to assault them.

"Oh, my God," Chelsea exclaimed, her terrified gaze fixed on the small display. It wasn't the first time a city has been taken over by drug-fueled gangs in recent weeks. Violence like this was becoming nearly epidemic again in many parts of the world, thanks to Hermano's dissemination of golden coins, the drug that had converted dozens of the gangs into bloodlusting animals.

Dave cursed angrily. So much for going somewhere soon. He wasn't about to endanger Chelsea or anybody else's life by venturing out into the turmoil outside their safe haven. And the thought of allowing the town's innocent people to be massacred by bloodthirsty youngsters was too much for him.

He saw the same resolution in Sebastian when he met his fathomless black eyes.

"Do you have any more firearms in here?"

He received a curt nod from the man.

More screams could be heard in various parts of town. Death is getting closer by the minute. If the mobs weren't halted, their attack would soon continue down into the ravine.

Dave looked at Chelsea. He took one of his pistols from his belt and placed it in her hand. "Did you ever do one of these?"

"No." She shook her head, but the worry he felt coursing through her veins was there for him. "What are you doing, Dave?"

"Take it," he said, quickly demonstrating how to remove the safety. "You point this at anyone else who comes to the door who isn't me or Sebastian." Take this as well." He unclipped his belt and handed her a sheathed dagger. He hoped she never got close enough to one of them to use either weapon, but he wasn't going to take any chances. "Do you hear what I'm saying?" He drew her in close, pleading her with his gaze and the harsh, urgent pounding of his heart. "I'll be there as soon as I can." "Make me a promise." He hauled her against him and kissed her-a brief but passionate affirmation that he wasn't about to lose her while they were so close to a future together. It wasn't easy to let her go. But as the terrified shouts of the town's residents continued to ring out, he realized he had no choice. He turned to face Sebastian, his new odd ally. "Let's get started."

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