“I don’t think you understand how I feel about you, Cass. You’re still talking about your future in the singular. Even our fictional child has a single dad.” While they had been talking, he had been moving farther away from her. Ever since the plane crash and they’d been in the same room, he had maintained contact with her, even if it was only to sit close enough to her so that their skin touched. Now he held himself coldly away from her, not touching any part of her body. “I thought things between us were settled.”
“I don’t think that’s fair, X.” She closed the distance between them and held his rough palm in hers. “I love you, but I don’t feel that I have the right to plan for you too. We’ve just met, and I feel that sometimes I expect too much, too fast. I don’t want to make any assumptions about us.”
He pulled his hand out of her reach.
Her heart started beating fast with fear, wondering if she had pushed him too far.
Xavier picked up his phone from the bedside table. He spent some time trying to find what he was looking for. “I’m the last person you should doubt about feelings for you. Perhaps I’m not great with words, but this song conveys where I am with you.” He activated the phone, and soon the room filled with music.
At first she was shocked that he even knew such a tender song or listened to this type of music. The smooth baritone of the male vocalist sent shivers through her body and brought goose bumps to the surface of her skin. And then she heard the lyrics and was overwhelmed; her eyes glistened with joy. The song was “For You” by Kenny Lattimore. It was a solemn promise of love and commitment.
As the song continued to play, she was overwhelmed by the tender message and tears obscuring her vision. Xavier couldn’t ignore her distress. He folded her against the hard wall of his chest, enveloping her in his masculine warmth, soothing her as nothing else could. By the time the last note was sung, her face and his chest were drenched. He took the edge of the sheet and gently dried up her tears. Cupping her cheeks, he held her still to receive his soft kiss. He released her lips a few moments later.
“Do you understand now?” he whispered.
She nodded, still too choked with emotion to speak.
“You made me believe in love. I’ve never felt like this before, Cass.” His voice suddenly cracked, and he had to clear his throat.
That momentary glimpse of his vulnerability made her love him even more.
“I promise to love you always,” he continued hoarsely. “Can you promise me forever?”
“Oh God,” she sobbed and pressed her lips close to his. “I love you, X. Of course yes, I promise you forever,” she whispered against his lips and kissed him tenderly to seal her vow.
He took over the kiss, but she would have none of it. She pushed him to his back, picked up his belt from where he had thrown it on the floor, and secured his hands with the belt to the headboard. She climbed back onto the bed and proceeded to kiss, lick, suck, and nibble, showing him with infinite tenderness how much she returned his love. Only when he was spent and listless beneath her did she crawl to lie on top of him, her long hair draping around them like a thick fragrant curtain as she slowly joined their bodies.
Chapter Eighteen
Xavier woke with his skin tingling in alarm. Cassandra’s slender limbs were draped over him. He slowly and gently rolled from beneath her, not wanting to wake her. It was still the middle of the night, but the wind and the rain had completely stilled, leaving behind an eerie silence.
Xavier sensed an ominous presence nearby. As he came more fully awake, he even smelt the presence. Yes, the African pilot is close, too close. This time I’m ready for his ass! Now that he had become more familiar to the small room, Xavier very quickly located his jeans, pulled them on, slid on his boots, and palmed his gun and knife. He had only a limited amount of bullets, so he had to be economical about the use of his gun.
He carefully lifted a sleeping Cassandra from the bed, covers, pillow, and all. She snuggled against him and slept blissfully on. Easing open the bathroom door, he took her inside and slowly lowered her into the bathtub, making sure she was comfortable before leaving the room again.
Xavier silently moved across the room and pressed his back against the wall by the door, knowing already that the African stood right outside of it. He could smell him and could also hear his anxious breathing. He very slowly slid the lock open and turned the doorknob. He wasn’t worried about the other man seeing the knob moving; it was too dark for that. With the element of surprise on his side, he swung the door open and kicked the African in the middle of his chest.
The African stumbled back into the courtyard but remained on his feet.
There was only enough light to see the other man’s silhouette.
“Did Qin send you?” Xavier asked.
“I work for no one,” the African wheezed out, still trying to recover from the brutal kick to his chest.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“You survived a drop from the sky,” the African stated instead of answering Xavier’s question.
“You don’t sound surprised,” Xavier said calmly, and now Neo’s warning was coming back to him. Was this the guy tracking them? He eased away from the door of their bedroom and moved deeper into the shadows.
“I’m not surprised. You and your friend Neo have been on our radar for a few years. We had to wait until you both stopped playing soldier.” The African started toward him.
“Waiting for what?” Suddenly Xavier wanted to know more about his unnatural state, but then he was aware that curiosity might just get him and Cassandra killed. For this man to know so much about him and Neo, it was possible that he could also be like them. Xavier moved again, this time going into the courtyard and standing behind a large tree that had fallen in the storm.
The African laughed; there was no humor in it. “We have waited to remove your inferior births from this world. You are a half-breed, not worthy of our ancestor’s gift!”
Xavier saw the weapon seconds before the African pulled the trigger. He barely avoided being shot by the high-powered weapon.
“I know a normal bullet won’t kill you, but have you been hit by Teflon bullets?” the African asked silkily.
Xavier had learned his lesson and didn’t answer him. From his new location, he watched the African move toward the fallen tree.
“You and Neo should not have made it out of your cribs. But don’t worry, my brother will take care of him just as I will take care of you,” the African said coolly. “But I’m interested, Xavier, how did your woman survive? I get you were lucky to avoid the water, but your woman should have died.”
I’m not wasting a bullet on this ass. For even the thought of killing Cass, he needs to feel my blade. Xavier picked up a stone and threw it across the courtyard away from him. The African immediately fired into that corner. Xavier launched toward the African, driving him to the ground and knocking the gun from his hand.
The African hissed and pushed him away with surprising strength.
Xavier bounced to his feet, and so did the African. The African charged him and drove his fist into Xavier’s stomach. Xavier barely flinched before bashing his fist into the other man’s nose. The fight was on. Xavier learned very quickly that the other man was a skilled fighter. He was dealing with an expert in sambo. The African had obviously trained with the Russians and had excelled. It’s a good thing that I’m better.
For long minutes, both men went through a vicious series of punches, kicks, head-butts, and strikes. While Xavier admired the man’s skills, he knew that he was the better fighter and could end the fight anytime he wanted, but he wanted the bastard to suffer. His years as US Special Forces and as a DEA agent had honed his skills in traditional Japanese Jujutsu, Russian sambo, and some not so traditional street fighting. With his eyes adjusting to the night light, he could now clearly see his opponent. He was enjoying this little scrimmage just a little too much.
“You are much better than when I saw y
ou a few years ago,” the African observed with obvious apprehension in his voice.
This sucker has been watching me. Where the fuck were my instincts? Xavier didn’t acknowledge the observation but knew that the other man was right. Tonight he felt invincible, lighter on his feet, stronger, and his senses were more alert. He pivoted out of a nasty blow and instead delivered a roundhouse kick to the African’s head. The other man hit the ground hard.
When he got back up, he had a brutal-looking knife in his palm. “It’s the woman! She has given you something to live for. She is your queen and has enhanced your ability.” The African launched at him with the knife, trying to slice the blade across his throat.
Xavier wanted to snort at the man’s fancifulness. If he wants to believe such drivel, I couldn’t care less. Moving with fluid agility, Xavier swerved backward, bending his knees until the back of his head almost touched the ground, and smoothly avoided the blade to his throat.
“After I’m finished with you, I’m going to teach your little queen what it means to be with a real black man,” the African taunted.
“Wait, who said I would be interested in your black behind?” Cassandra’s voice came out of nowhere, surprising Xavier.
Xavier forced himself to not react. Shit, I have to end this! Xavier wasn’t about to get distracted by Cassandra. He barely glanced in her direction to make sure she was out of harm’s way.
The African wasn’t so lucky however. He had immediately looked in Cassandra’s direction and seemed to be mesmerized by her wild appearance. Xavier used that brief moment of inattention to bury his knife in the other man’s throat.
Blood immediately gushed from the wound.
Xavier jumped back, not wanting the other man’s blood on his only pair of pants.
The African thrashed on the ground, the whites of his eyes clearly visible as he stared up at Xavier in shock.
Xavier smiled grimly. “I bet you didn’t know that we could die like that, uh? If we can drown in water, we can sure as hell drown in our own blood.”
The African fought the inevitable, but moments later, he stopped moving and stopped breathing. He was dead.
Xavier glanced at Cassandra, who stood looking down at the African in stunned silence. “What the hell are you doing out of our room?” He was pissed that she had seen the monster in him. How can she still love me after that?
She raised her head and gazed up at him, the horror of what she’d just witnessed evident in the stiffness of her body and her voice. “I couldn’t see all of it, but you were amazing.”
“You shouldn’t have come out here,” he muttered but was relieved she wasn’t repelled by him.
“You’re kidding right? I heard a gunshot. Did you really expect me to ignore it and go back to sleep?”
“I put you in the bathtub. You shouldn’t have been able to hear anything.”
Cassandra snorted and started back to the room. “Don’t you think you should check out that pilot’s ID? I, for one, would like to know who will be coming after our sons.”
Just the thought of her swollen with his son short-circuited his brain for a brief moment. It gave her time to re-enter their room and close the door behind her with her head held high. He shook his head at her cool in the face of the recent violent scene. She continued to surprise him with her strength on dealing with the varied dangerous situations that they found themselves in.
Xavier searched the African for information. By the time the wind and rain started again, he had removed the body from the courtyard and dragged it deep into the forest behind the hotel.
Xavier returned to the room to find Cassandra in the shower. With the adrenaline of the fight still pulsing in his veins, he needed her under him in the worse way. He entered the shower and took the soapy sponge from her. He stood behind her, running the sponge over her breasts, her stomach, and between her legs.
“Since I’m your queen, does that make you my king?” she teased.
He dropped the sponge, trailed his lips down her back, and slipped his fingers into her folds. “I’m no king.” He gently nipped her skin with his teeth, her shoulder and her back. “But you are a queen, my beautiful, amazing queen.” He bent her over and cocked her hips toward him. He kissed her lower back, biting and sucking her soft skin, and he sank his teeth into the cheeks of her ass.
“X?” she whimpered.
“I’ve got you, baby.” Xavier smoothly slipped into her heat. He braced his legs apart, gripped her ass, and powered into her.
***
By noon the next day, the altercation with the African behind them, Xavier and Cassandra were able to leave their bedroom and walk around the area between the small airport and the hotel.
“I’m shocked by the state of this island,” Cassandra told the hotel manager as they entered the lobby of the hotel following their walk. “The destruction is beyond anything I’ve ever seen before. Trees are toppled where they stand and sometimes into nearby buildings. The electrical light poles are down everywhere. I don’t think I saw one that was still standing.”
“I have never seen anything like this either,” Raymond agreed sadly. “This came with no warning, so we didn’t have time to plan appropriately. The storm wasn’t supposed to come this way.”
“It looks as though the airport is completely flooded. Even the paved roads and the runway are uprooted. It’s as if a bomb has exploded on the island to create this scene.” Xavier frowned, puzzled by the level of desolation everywhere.
“It doesn’t look as though the airport will be operational for at least two days,” Raymond told them. “The meteorological department said that there were probably a number of tornadoes in the storm. Hurricanes here normally don’t occur like this.”
“When do you expect the electricity and telephones to be back on-line?” Xavier asked.
“Well, you should have cell phone use before the day is out. But electricity and landlines may take another day or two,” Raymond advised.
As Raymond predicted, Xavier was able to call Neo by late afternoon.
Xavier: “What transportation can you send to get us out of here?”
Neo: “Dominic is reaching out to the US military base in Andros to pick you up. We were just waiting to make contact with you to find out where you were. Can you be ready in an hour?”
Xavier: “Sure. I don’t trust that that bastard Qin won’t send someone here, despite the transportation challenge.”
Xavier glanced across the room at Cassandra, who was lounging on the bed gazing back at him. She was listening to his side of the conversation with avid attention. I won’t let that bastard near her!
Neo: “Yeah, that’s our concern as well. That guy is seriously sick. I will tell you about it once you get here.”
Xavier: “Okay, thanks, man. I really appreciate it. I also have to tell you about our African pilot.”
Neo: “Damn, I was hoping we were wrong in being suspicious of the bastard.”
Xavier: “No, we were spot-on. Unfortunately, he wasn’t working alone. You need to be careful. Apparently he was supposed to kill me while there’s another who will come after you.”
Neo: “So this is about our brotherhood?”
Xavier: “Yes, be on your guard.”
Neo: “Always.”
“So are we getting out of here tonight?” Cassandra asked as soon as he hung up from Neo.
“Yeah, our ride is coming in the next hour.”
“Good, I feel like we’re sitting ducks for Qin and his men. There’s something irrational about his pursuit of us.”
“I agree.” Xavier nodded. “From here on out, I don’t want you out of my sight. Stay close to me until we can get rid of Qin and his men.”
“While I agree with you, you and I both know that that’s impossible. We don’t know how long this will take, and there’s no way you can watch over me twenty-four-seven.”
“We can damn try,” Xavier muttered. “Gather everything you wish to take with you and
be ready to leave shortly. I’m going to settle our bill and advise Raymond that we’re leaving.”
“Yes, sir.” She saluted him as he left the room.
Cassandra started packing their meager belongings in a plastic bag the hotel manager had provided. Less than five minutes later, a knock sounded at the door of the hotel room. She looked up, puzzled why Xavier would knock on their door. She looked at the gun sitting on the bedside table that Xavier had confiscated from the African. When the knock came again, she quickly grabbed the gun and turned toward the door just as Dylan came barreling through the door. Her emotions immediately went into overdrive on seeing him, at first shocked, then happy, and then suspicious.
Dylan used her moment of indecision to grab her.
Cassandra struggled with all her might, but Dylan was soon joined by a Chinese man. She pulled the trigger just as they put a substance to her nose. She fought even as she started to lose the use of her limbs, and then it was too late. She soon knew nothing.
Chapter Nineteen
Xavier heard the gunshot as he signed the manual credit card slip Raymond would process once the telephone lines became operational. He dropped the pen and sprinted back to the hotel room. When he got there, the door was ajar. He palmed his gun and cautiously pushed the door wider. The covers on the bed were rumpled, the chair and lamp overturned, and the clothes Cassandra had been packing were scattered about the room. These were obvious signs of a violent struggle, including the Chinese man spread out on the carpet with a bullet wound to his head.
“Good for you, baby. You got one of the bastards,” Xavier murmured.
“That’s not very nice.”
Xavier looked up to see Qin’s second-in-command staring at him calmly. He had a gun leveled directly at Xavier’s chest. Xavier took in the stillness of Sai’s demeanor and knew that the other man’s sole focus would be to ensure he wasn’t able to follow the men who had taken Cassandra.
Xavier: (Indestructible) Page 17