Taking the Fall: The Full Complete Series

I don’t say anything. Instead I give him a bored look.

“Get off my property right now,” he says, flustered but straightening his shoulders.

“Can’t,” I say, taking another step closer. “It doesn’t belong to you.”

His face drops a little at my words. “Is my daughter in there?”

“She doesn’t belong to you anymore.” I fire back, then lightning fast, I backhand him across the face.

He flies back, hitting the gravel, and I’m on him before he can cry out. I wrap my hand around his throat so he can’t make a noise.

“You’re going to be real fucking quiet because my angel is sleeping. If you wake her, things are going to go badly for you.” He’s choking and trying to pull my hand away from his throat.

“Blink twice if you understand me.”

He does, and I release him. He coughs but covers his mouth at the same time. I stand back up, looking down at him. It takes everything in me not to kick him, but I’d probably break something, and I want him to leave. I don’t want my angel seeing him. I handle any darkness that tries to come at her.

“Get up and get the fuck out of here.”

He stands, backing up a few paces and rubbing his throat. My handprint is already showing on it. He opens his mouth, but I cut him off. “Don’t think I don’t know about London’s mom.” His face pales at my words. “Don’t come back here or try to reach out to her again. She’s dead to you.” With that, I turn and go back in the house, locking the door behind me. I look out the window and watch him take one last look at the house before he gets in his car and leaves.

I grab my burner phone and make a call. I hear the line pick up.

“It’s Fixer.”

“Finally calling in that favor?”

“Yeah, I want you to make it look like an accident.” I rattle off her father’s address before hanging up. He took her mother from her and laid hands on her. He was already a dead man.

I make one last call to line up plans, then I break the phone in half and toss it into the trash. I head back upstairs, feeling like I’ve already been away from her too long. I slide into bed next to her and she wraps her naked body around me.

A feeling of being home settles in my chest.

“You smell good,” she says against my neck, then kisses me there and gives a little nibble. My cock hardens at the slightest attention from her.

“How are you feeling?”

“A little sore, but a good sore,” she sighs.

“I’m going to run you a bath. I’ll make us something to eat, and then we need to hit the road.”

“Mmkay,” she mumbles, but she doesn’t move. I slide out and she grabs for me, but I’m already pulling her into my arms. I pick her up and carry her into the bathroom, sitting her on the counter.

I run the water for her bath, making it nice and warm. “Give me a morning kiss,” she says, finally opening her eyes. I step between her legs and take her mouth. The kiss is soft and sleepy, and when she’s finished I pick her up and place her in the warm water.

“I’m going to start packing.” She nods. “Angel, eyes.” She opens them and smiles at me. “Don’t fall asleep.”

“I’m up, I promise,” she yawns. I didn’t think she could look any sweeter, but sleepy London is adorable.

I start grabbing her clothes and packing them into her bag. Then I make sure the rest of the house is locked up tight and toss out all the food in the kitchen so it doesn’t go bad. I walk back into the bedroom, and she’s sitting on the side of the bed in a simple sundress. Her hair is in a knot on the top of her head, and I walk over and pull it free, letting her blonde locks fall.

“Where are we going?” she asks, looking up at me.

“I’m getting us out of the States. Then we can go anywhere you want.”

“I’ve never seen the ocean.”

I cup her face. “I’m going to show you everything.” I drop to my knees in front of her. “We are headed to Texas to catch a plane, but before we leave Colorado I’m going to marry you—” She cuts me off, throwing herself at me. I let myself fall back so she’s on top of me as she kisses me everywhere.

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” she chants, placing frantic kisses on me.

“I didn’t think I phrased it as a question,” I tease, squeezing her ass.

“I want you to make love to me right now, but I really want to go get married, too,” she says, thinking through her indecision. “I’ve never seen you smile so big before.”

“London, you just agreed to be my wife. How could I not be the happiest man on earth?”

“This is crazy,” she giggles, rolling all over me.

It is, but it’s also right. My entire world revolves around her, and so this is our destiny. I would have her by any means necessary, but to know that her love for me is even a fraction of my love for her is paradise. It’s all of my deepest, darkest wishes come to life and then some. She strengthens me in a way I could never accomplish on my own, and I will be her warrior. I will not only marry her but I will guard her until my last breath. My gift to the world is protecting what is most precious, and my angel is that for me.

Epilogue

London

About a year later…

“Are you excited to be home, angel?”

I look over at Viktor. I feel like we’ve been driving forever. It might feel like that because he’s right. I am excited.

“You’re driving me crazy.”

“You look really happy for a crazy person.” He strokes his hand back and forth on my thigh.

I lean over and kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you for doing all of this,” I tell him.

“You haven’t even seen it yet. You might hate it.”

“You made it for us, so I know it will be perfect.” I truly believe that. Over the past year Viktor has made my life feel like a dream. We’ve been traveling all over the world, seeing things I never thought I’d see. Doing it all as husband and wife made it even more special.

Though while we were traveling, he kept checking up on the house we would be calling home soon I had no idea what he was really up to. He said he already had a house on a nice piece of land, and it all just needed to be set up and secured. I don’t even want to know what he means by that because it’s likely something over the top.

“We’re already here.” He nods to the stone wall that’s running along the wall. “We have over three hundred acres.” My eyes almost bug out at that. “I’ve owned the land for a while, and there was already a house on it, but I didn’t think I would be here long term. Then you came. Now I know why my guy told me to buy it. Just like everything about us, it’s like fate kept making sure we got what we needed.”

“Is this going to be like a fortress or something?” I eye him. I have a feeling I know what’s coming. He gives me one of his half-smiles. I don’t care if it is. If it puts him at ease, then I’m okay with it. I loved traveling. I got to see more than I ever thought possible, but I’m ready to be grounded, to have a place we can call home. “As long as I’m locked away with you, I’m happy.”

Finally, we pull up to a giant iron gate. Viktor reaches out and puts him thumbprint on a pad, and the gates slowly open. A man in a black vest with a gun strapped to his side steps out and nods to Viktor, who nods back at him.

We drive on, and a house comes into view as we reach the top of a steep hill. The sight takes my breath away.

“Viktor,” I breathe, utterly shocked by what I’m seeing.

“Do you like?” he asks.

“It’s wonderful.” I stare at it in awe. I can’t believe this is going to be our home.

“Before we go in, I want to show you something.” He jumps out of the car and comes over to my side to open the door. He gives me his hand to help me out. “Around the back.” He leads me around the house. When I look down the sharp decline, I see a lake that’s almost crystal clear. He points, and I follow his line of sight. My breath leaves my lungs as a

sob bursts out. There, on the lakeside, is my grandparents’ house. “I told you I would give you everything.”

I turn and throw myself in his arms. “I never doubted.”

Epilogue