by A. L Long
“Is Xavier here?” she asked, trying to see inside the condo.
“I’m afraid not. Is there something I can help you with?” I asked again, taking a better look at her and seeing that she was everything I wasn’t. Curvy, beautiful, and sexy.
“Tell him Ginger came by. Can you also let him know that I miss our get-togethers?”
There was no way that I was going to tell him any such thing. Smiling sarcastically at her, I nodded my head and closed the door. Who did that bimbo think she was? I bet my life that the only way she ever got anywhere was with that body of hers, because she certainly didn’t seem like she knew much of anything else. Get-togethers, my ass.
~*~*~*~
The minute Xavier walked through the door, I was on him like stink on shit. I wanted to know who the hell ‘Ginger’ was, and I wanted to know everything. Just as I was ready to lay into him, something halted my interrogation. I could tell by the way he looked something happened. Instead of asking him about Ginger, I said, “Something is wrong.”
He acted like he didn’t hear me as he walked over to the kitchen, threw his phone on the counter and grabbed his favorite bottle of scotch. Pouring more than I felt he needed, I was at his side, pulling the bottle from his grasp. His eyes met mine and he cursed, “Don’t start with me, Tessa.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and asked, this time more forcefully. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
“Direction 96 was broken in to. There is nothing left of it except the shell of what used to be my dream,” he choked as he tipped the glass back, drinking the scotch in one gulp.
He didn’t have to tell me who was responsible for it. I already knew. Mr. Colin hadn’t disappeared at all. He was close by and he was leaving his mark on everything and everyone that rubbed him the wrong way. Giving Xavier back the bottle, I watched him pour another glass. Before he could take a swallow, I took it from his hand and drank about half of it myself.
We were staring at each other with nothing to say. There was a knock on the door. I was pretty sure that it was the bimbo brunette and the way I felt, I could have ripped her head off. That didn’t happen though, because the minute I opened the door, I was faced with a 9mm staring back at me.
Forcing me backwards, her heels clacked against the hardwood floor. Her voice, no longer sappy, was harsh as she said, “Get your ass over here, baby, and join your little princess.”
Unless Xavier wanted me to get shot, he had no other choice but to come over to where I was, taking his place beside me. Ginger began waving her gun, barking orders, “On the couch. There are a few things I need to discuss with you.”
I didn’t give a rat’s ass what she had to discuss with us. All I wanted to do was flatten her ass. Evidently Xavier wasn’t on the same page as he asked, “What do you want, Ginger?”
“Ha-ha,” she laughed as she stood in front of us. “You think I want something. I couldn’t care less about you, honey pot. You’re not even a real man, at least not like Colin Gates. Now that’s a man.”
“You know Colin Gates?” Xavier questioned.
“Know him, are you kidding? I love the man,” she confessed.
“Wait a minute. It was you. It all makes sense,” Xavier exclaimed. “The cameras, the microphones. You were the only one who knew my condo.”
A big smile appeared on her face and as she looked away from us, I thought for sure that Xavier was going to tackle her down and get the gun, only that didn’t happen. A voice behind us shouted, “I wouldn’t do that, London.”
As we both turned around, Mr. Colin was standing with Simon by his side, holding a gun on us. “Hey, big guy. I told you I could keep them entertained until you got here,” Ginger bragged.
“You did good, Ginger baby. Daddy is going to reward you big when we get home,” Mr. Colin responded as Ginger moved around the couch to be by his side.
I could have thrown up the way these two were going at it. As disgusting as they were, they were definitely made for each other. With two guns on us, I had no idea how we were going to get out of this. Xavier took hold of my hand and squeezed it tightly. Lowering my head to our hands, he lifted his thumb as though he was telling me that everything was going to be okay.
My gaze was broken when Mr. Colin said, “Stand up. We need to get out of here.”
I practically jumped off of the couch when Simon yelled, “Now!”
Turning to face our fate, there standing in the doorway was my father with Detective Wallace and Detective Sloan standing in front of him with their guns pulled. We were the only ones who knew they were behind them since Ginger took her place beside her so-called man. Holding his gun high, he gestured with the other hand for us to lower our bodies.
Just as we fell to the floor, Detective Sloan said, “You have nowhere to go, Gates.”
As the bullets began to fly, Xavier had his body over mine shielding me from the gunfire. I only heard five shots before a pause of silence filled the room. The next sound was a loud crash indicating that someone got shot. Unable to stay down out of harm’s way any longer, I pushed to my knees while Xavier helped me up the rest of the way. Rounding the couch with Xavier at my side, I saw Ginger, Mr. Colin, and Simon were motionless on the floor draped over a pool of blood.
There were five shots and I knew where three of them went. Looking over to the door, my father was no longer standing behind the two detectives. Matter of fact, he wasn’t in the condo. Yelling at the top of my voice I screamed, “Papa, Papa.”
When he came into view, from the hallway, he was holding his shoulder and blood was dripping from between his fingers. Running over to him, I held him in my arms. It must have been the thought of losing him again that caused my legs to collapse and my body to go limp. The last thing I heard before my mind went blank was Xavier calling my name.
~Twenty-four~
Feeling like I was waking up to a bad dream, the smell of antiseptic filled my senses, making my stomach churn. Rubbing my eyes to clear my blurred vision, I knew exactly where I was. As I looked to the door, Xavier was standing just outside talking to a doctor. I was too far away to understand what they were taking about but knew that their conversation was about me. Using all the strength I had, I pushed my body to a sitting position and yelled, “Hey.”
Xavier immediately looked my way and hurried over to the bed with the doctor close behind. Taking hold of my hand, he placed a sweet kiss on it and looked up at me. “You had us worried.”
“What happened? The last thing I remember was feeling dizzy,” I confessed, trying to think back. “Oh, God. My father, he was shot.”
Holding me down as I tried to get out of bed, Xavier responded, caringly, “Tessa, your father is fine. The bullet just grazed his shoulder.”
Leaning back against the bed, I took in a deep breath, willing my body to relax. When I was finally able to compose myself, a thought came to mind. Something bad was going on, otherwise why would have Xavier been talking to a doctor? Moreover, why was he in my room? Concerned, my eyes met Xavier’s, searching for an answer. Switching my focus on the doctor, I stared intently at his face, ready to hear what he had to say.
“Ms. Sands, there is a reason you haven’t been feeling well lately, and the added stress hasn’t helped your situation,” he admitted.
“This flu has really done a number on me. Is there anything you can do for it?” I asked, hopeful.
“I’m afraid that it isn’t the flu that is making you ill,” the doctor paused for a moment, looking between Xavier and me as though he was searching for permission to tell me why I had felt so bad lately. “Ms. Sands, you are about five weeks pregnant.”
“How can that be, I was on the pill,” I cried.
“Only abstinence is 100%, Ms. Sands,” the doctor confessed.
If I hadn’t already been lying down, I would have fallen to the floor. Hearing that I was pregnant was not what I had expected. Even though I hadn’t taken my daily pill while under Mr. Sakai’s control, I nev
er had intercourse. It was impossible, I had been on the pill and every man that ever touched me had used a condom. Everyone except Xavier. Looking over to him, I couldn’t bear to see his reaction when I regretfully said, “Xavier, I’m sorry.”
Taking my hand in his, he lowered his head and said, “Doc, can you leave us alone for a minute?” Waiting until the doctor was out of the room. Xavier looked up at me and continued. “Tessa, you are my life and I never want to be without you. This baby is a part of us and I will love he or she as much as I love you.”
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I held him tightly. I thought for sure that he would leave and have nothing to do with me or the baby.
~*~*~*~
Every day since I left the hospital had gotten better. The morning sickness was a thing of the past and my due date was quickly approaching. We no longer had to look behind us. Mr. Colin was dead, and his associate Mr. Sakai received his own punishment when he was beaten to death by a client who went ballistic on him.
The only thing I had to deal with was Xavier and his mother hen affection. It got to the point that he wouldn’t let me do anything. We decide to turn his workout room into a nursery and with everything that needed to be done, I could only tell him how I wanted it decorated. He was afraid that I would hurt myself, or worse, the baby.
I could tell that my presence was getting on his nerves. I just wanted the nursery to be perfect and that meant telling him when he missed a spot. Having a baby was a lot to take in, and just like me, I knew that he wanted everything to be perfect as well.
There was one thing that we did manage to agree on. We both decided to wait until the baby was born to find out if it was going to be a boy or a girl, therefore we thought it was best to go with subtle colors that would be appropriate for a little boy or girl. Choosing a soft yellow and light green for the colors, Xavier began painting the walls and trim, while I searched online for the perfect crib.
I still had three weeks to go, and all I wanted was to have the baby. It was only when a sharp pain radiated through my stomach like someone had stabbed me with a knife that I knew it was time. Knowing that Xavier was in the other room, I screamed his name loudly, “Xavier.”
Within seconds he was at my side and knew by the look on my face that we needed to get to the hospital. Lifting me in his arms, he carried me all the way to the SUV and gently placed me inside. Staring over at his Jag, I was glad that he decided to take my advice and keep it instead of trading it in for the MRX that we bought for the baby.
Backing out of the parking spot, Xavier was a bundle of nerves as we headed out of the garage and to the hospital. Placing my hand on his arm so that he looked over to me, I assured him, “We have time, sweetie.”
“I just want to make sure, Tess.” he replied.
I loved everything about him, but more than anything, I knew that he loved me. Feeling the onset of another contraction, I held on to the seat and waited for it to pass. They were about five minutes apart and more intense, but I knew we still had time. Xavier, being the worrier that he was, estimated the shortest route to the hospital would take us forty-five minutes. He even considered the time of day and the traffic.
When we pulled up to the Emergency entrance, Xavier was at my side before turning the engine off. Lifting me from my seat, he entered the hospital, yelling and shouting for someone to help him. An emergency room nurse jogged up to us and asked, “How long?”
Xavier tried to tell her but was filled with so much emotion that all he could do was stare at her with a blank expression on his face. Trying to control my breathing, I managed to get out, “Five minutes.”
It was probably more like two, but I needed to do something to help ease Xavier’s nerves. God, he was going to be a great father, I thought to myself.
~*~*~*~
Six hours, twenty-three minutes later, Xavier was sitting beside my bed holding our son. It was the most breathtaking sight I had ever seen. Joshua Paul is the name we decided on. Even though Xavier would never go back to being Joshua Hyatt, he wanted his son to have his name. His little hand fit perfectly in Xavier’s as they slept together. Smiling to myself, I knew that my life was going to be amazing.
When the nurse arrived, letting me know that it was time for Joshua’s feeding, I didn’t have the heart to wake them. As she gazed down at them, she pulled her phone from her pocket and took a picture of them sleeping contentedly on the chair. When she had finished, she handed her phone to me and showed me. I could feel the tears begin to form as I truly saw what love was about. It was then that I knew I would love this man forever, and nothing and no one would ever take that from me. Only Xavier would have my heart and he would be the only man I would ever submit to.
Lost in my thoughts, I had never been more thankful when the doctor came to my room letting me know that I had been discharged. I was more than ready to go home and begin my life as a family. I began to wonder if I would be a good mother. I had no doubt that Xavier would be a great parent. I wasn’t sure what I was so worried about. Together we would be awesome.
Xavier had pulled the car to the front of the hospital where Joshua and I were waiting. As I sat in the wheelchair, I couldn’t help but look down at his tiny face. He had so many of Xavier’s features, which I was deeply grateful for. Hearing the car door close, I looked up to see that Xavier was already rounding the car. I didn’t want to let go of this little guy, but knew that I couldn’t hold on to him if I wanted him to be safe.
When we finally arrived home, Xavier opened the condo door while I held Joshua. Stepping aside, Xavier smiled at me and said, “I have a surprise for you and Joshua.”
Heading toward the nursery, he slowly opened the double glass doors, which hadn’t been there before. I thought it was a wonderful addition to the nursery, which would allow me to keep an eye on Joshua when he was sleeping. As wonderful as the doors were, what was on the inside was even more breathtaking. The nursery was beautiful. It was as though Xavier knew exactly how I wanted the room to look, even down to the mobile that hung over his crib.
Taking Joshua from my arms, he placed him gently inside the crib and turned the dial on the mobile, which began to play ‘When You Wish Upon a Star.’ Joshua stared at the little stuffed animals as they went in a circle. Soon his eyes closed, and he fell asleep. Xavier turned and looked at me with a grin from ear to ear. Rubbing his hands together, he walked over to me, lifted me completely off the floor, and carried me to our room.
Whispering in my ear, he stated eagerly, “I think we need to work on a sister for Joshua.”
Looking him in the eyes, he was more than perfect. Placing my lips to his ear, I whispered, “Absolutely.”
About the Author
Some would call me a little naughty but I see myself as a writer of spicy thoughts. Being an erotic romance writer is something that I never imagined I would be doing. There is nothing more rewarding than to put your thoughts down and share them. I began writing four years ago and have enjoyed every minute of it. When I first began writing, I really wasn’t sure what I was going to write. It didn’t take me long to realize that romance would be my niche. I believe that every life deserves a little bit of romance, a little spice doesn’t hurt either. When I am not writing, I enjoy the company of good friends and relaxing with a delicious glass of red wine.
I hope you found Beneath Submission enjoyable to read. Please consider taking the time to share your thoughts and leave a review. It would make the difference in helping another reader decide to read other readers to enjoy the rest of my books which can be found at https://www.amazon.com/A.-L.-Long/e/B01AYG4TZQ
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Coming Soon !!!
Saving Hanna
Unbreakable Series
Beneath Deception
Beneath Submission
Read all the books in the Jagged Edge Series
Hewitt: Jagged Edge Series #1
Cop: Jagged Edge Series #2
Hawk: Jagged Edge Series #3
Sly: Jagged Edge Series #4
Ash: Jagged Edge Series #5
Gainer: Jagged Edge Series #6
Chavez: Jagged Edge Series #7
Other books by A.L. Long
Shattered Innocence Trilogy
Next to Never: Shattered Innocence Trilogy
Next to Always: Shattered Innocence Trilogy, Book Two
Next to Forever: Shattered Innocence Trilogy, Book Three
Standalone
Sirius: Hidden Truth
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