Keep Me (Broken Heroes 3)

Xander’s words echo inside my mind… “Watch over Q.”

My instincts kick into overdrive. Whoever this bastard is, he isn’t going to touch Q. Without thinking, I walk out into the hallway, tiptoeing behind the guy. Fear trickles down my spine but I push it aside. I need to make sure the baby is okay. Protect the baby, above all else.

He is already at Q’s door, his hand on the knob, when I yell directly behind him, “Stop!”

He turns around, and I immediately regret that I hadn’t thought this completely out. I should have grabbed a weapon or something because now I’ve got his attention but I’m standing in front of him completely helpless.

The look in the man’s dark eyes promises death, and he lurches forward, trying to grab me. I scurry out of the way, feeling the air move around me as I do.

A scream builds in my throat, but before I can get it out, Q’s bedroom door opens and one of the nannies appears in the doorway.

She takes one look at the man and starts screaming, “Someone help! Someone!” Her high-pitched voice makes my ears hurt.

The man smirks at me, a feral look that terrifies me. And then he springs into action. I cower in fear, afraid he may strike out at me or the nanny, but instead, he starts running down the hall right past me, while I still stand frozen in fear, my feet cemented to the floor.

I turn my head and watch him run toward the staircase. It seems strange that he would run straight toward the men that he knows will capture him… almost as if that’s his intention. A guard appears at the top of the stairs, and then another, and then another. Within seconds, Xander’s men are on top of the intruder and have him completely immobilized on the floor.

Only then am I able to suck in a shaky breath. I hold a hand to my chest, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat. I watch as one of Xander’s top men, Aston, pulls out his phone.

What the hell just happened?

As soon as I get my bearings, I walk into Q’s room, past the nanny who is crying hysterically against the door. I want to soothe her fears but the only person in this room that I care about right now is Xander’s son. In a second, I’m at his crib, my eyes frantically moving over his body for injury. I know the man never got ahold of him, but the fact that he had every intention terrifies me.

I force myself to breathe normal, staring down at the dark-eyed cutie who is lying on his back, holding on to his own feet while rocking back and forth. He smiles widely when he sees me, completely unaware of everything that just happened around him.

I pick him up and take him into my shaky arms, cradling him against my chest. As soon as I feel his tiny heartbeat, I start crying. Xander’s men enter the room, their eyes on me, studying me as I hold Q. They don’t say anything, and then Aston appears in the doorway. He pockets the phone in his hand into his pants.

“Boss wants you and the baby to remain in his room until he gets home. I will be standing post outside the door.” His words force me to start moving, and within a second, I am inside Xander’s bedroom.

I’m not sure what it is that’s got me in tears. Maybe it’s the fear of someone hurting Q or maybe it’s the fear of Xander losing the only thing that matters to him. I don’t know, but all I know is that I won’t be letting that baby out of sight until his father gets home. Staring through tear-filled eyes down at the little boy in my arms, I vow to protect him, care for him, and never let the evil that’s touched my life touch his.

Chapter 17

Xander

The air in my lungs freezes. I knew coming here was a bad idea. Even if I did find Ella’s sister and strike a deal with Ivan, it isn’t worth the risk of losing my son and the one woman making my heart beat for the first time since my mother. I’m on the plane and home in a few hours’ time. The blood in my veins runs cold thinking of that fucking bastard touching my son or Mouse.

Thank fuck my men got him and tied him up in one of the interrogation rooms. I already know where my father is hiding, thanks to Ivan, but beating the fuck out of this bastard is exactly what I need. I’d teach him a lesson.

Plus, I still need to figure out how the fuck he got into the house without tripping any of the alarms or being seen by any of the guards. The thought of having another traitor in the house makes me want to kill everybody working for me, and I would if I didn’t need the protection.