(2377 words)
"What do we do now?" I asked in alarm.
"I doubt that he would do anything in the midst of so many people. He'd want to show up when we're alone." Blayze replied.
I nodded my head. "Let's go chill in the empty parking lot?"
He took a sharp breath. "I don't want anything happening to you."
"You'll be with me, what could go wrong?" I said.
"My dilemma is that I'm not okay with leaving you alone even with so many people around, and I'm not sure about taking you with me either." He said frustratedly.
"Relax. Nothing is going to happen to me. Besides, we came here to drag Ezra out of his hiding spot. And it seems to have worked." I reasoned.
He took a deep breath. "Okay... we have to get to the parking lot after all; how else will we go home, right?"
I nodded my head. "Also, I need you by my side, because my legs still feel like jelly."
He grimaced. "I'm sorry."
"My satisfied body does not understand why you're apologising." I said, making his face ease into a smile.
"Let's go, then?" He asked.
"Yes." I replied with determination.
Blayze helped me on my feet and held my hand, escorting me out of the bedroom, after we attempted to fix our disheveled appearances. His eyes scanned the lively ballroom as we made our way to the exit.
Stepping foot into the parking lot, apparently devoid of human existence, I felt a chill run down my spine. I could feel danger looming in the shadows.
Blayze's grip on my hand tightened, his eyes looking all around. "My men are hiding on stand by. So, we have security." He told me. The news came as a breath of relief for me.
"That's good to know... do I yell out Ezra, come out wherever you are?"
"Just stand here." He said, making me stand against a car and then shielding my body with his.
"You're blocking my view." I complained.
"I'm blocking you from any bullets, if a shooting arises." He responded.
I frowned. "And is your body bullet proof?"
"Mihrimah, just stand quietly." He commanded sternly.
"No way. Move. Stand beside me." I tried moving his big and heavy body, but it was of no use.
He glared at me. "Can't you just stand still?"
I glared back. "Don't boss me."
"Mihrimah, we're supposed t—" he abruptly fell quiet, making me wonder why. That was when I noticed a paper airplane come flying and land at a short distance from us.
Blayze eyed it suspiciously before he took cautious steps toward it, picking it up from the ground. I watched him unfold and smoothen it to see if there was anything written on it. His eyes scanned whatever text the paper contained, before his eyes lifted up to meet mine, widening as they did.
Before I could ask him what was written on it, he came running toward me just as a gunshot sounded in the dimly lit parking lot.
For a few seconds, I couldn't comprehend anything. My heart stood still in my chest. The sound of the bullet shot in the dark still fresh in my ears. The image of Blayze running toward me sharp in my mind. The only thing I could feel was his arms around me as he pushed me to the ground.
I was panting and shaking. Consumed with worry and fear. Opening my eyes, I met Blayze's hazel ones. "You're hurt." I whimpered, searching for an injury and blood on him.
"No, I'm not, Mihrimah. I'm fine. We're fine." He assured me.
I felt his arms and his back. "You really aren't hurt?" My voice was a broken, soft whisper.
"No." He assured.
Another paper airplane landed near us. Blayze remained on top of me on the ground as he grabbed hold of it. Smoothening it, he read it, a frown forming on his face.
"What does it say?" I asked.
He took a deep breath, before reading it to me. "I don't have an easy death planned for you. If you were really on my target right now, trust me that bullet would be through you."
"Blayze, I'm scared. I want to get out of here." I murmured.
He cautiously got up, before pulling me to my feet, and once again shielding my body with his. "Blayze, I can't see anything." I whisper-yelled.
"Stay quiet." He commanded.
"Hello there. If it isn't my not so favourite pair." A familiar, sinister voice spoke.
"Ezra," Blayze uttered through gritted teeth. I moved aside so I could see.
There he stood. His face uncovered this time, his grey eyes glaring at us darkly.
"Your animosity is with me. Leave Mihrimah out of this." Blayze said.
Ezra smirked. "My animosity with this girl is bigger and goes way back, Colton."
Blayze and I frowned simultaneously. "What do you mean by that? I don't even know you." I said.
His smirk grew. "You don't know me? You must know my father then. Caleb Greene."
My confusion increased. "No, I don't."
He tsked. "Kept in the dark, I see. I suffered the loss of a father. Now it's your father's turn to suffer from the pain of losing someone he loves." Venom dripped from each word that left his mouth. I couldn't interpret anything he said.
Blayze's arm found its way to my front protectively. "My men have their guns aimed at you. Surrender yourself, and no one gets hurt." Blayze said to him.
Ezra only smirked. "I'm one step ahead of you. Always. I won't give you two an easy death. You'll live with the fear of me taking your life, and then one day, when you least expect it, I will bring an end to both of you. It won't be an easy death anyway. You both will die. But torturously slow."
Before I had a chance to blink, a smoke bomb was thrown, obscuring our vision, and gunshots sounded. I became a coughing mess, and Blayze carried me in his arms, carefully, yet hastily moving us to his car.
Without wasting another second, he started the engine and drove out of the parking lot.
As the car moved to the road and out of the danger zone, I realised that we were both a panting mess. "That was so stupid of me. I can't believe I took you with me. I put you in danger." Blayze uttered in frustration, one hand on the steering wheel and the other running through his hair.
"Hey, we're supposed to deal with Ezra together." I reminded him.
"Not anymore. He's my problem now."
I frowned. "He isn't just your problem. He made it clear that he has a bigger issue with me! So, any move we make, we make it together." I reasoned.
He sighed frustratedly. "He's too cunning. We need a proper strategy to bring him down, and it's not going to be easy. I need my suspicions of his illegal business confirmed first."
"What steps are you taking for that?" I asked.
"I have people working to find that out." He replied.
I took a deep breath, running a hand through my hair. "Well since Ezra made it clear that he has a greater reason for animosity with me, that means I've dragged you to hell with me."
Blayze's lips stretched up into a small smile. "Hell with you sounds like heaven to me."
A blush rose to my cheeks, and I moved my gaze to the window, a smile playing at my lips even after the very recent encounter with Ezra.
———
*BLAYZE's POV*
-THE NEXT DAY-
Ezra had once again vanished. Nobody could find a trace of him. He didn't show up at his house or his company. It peaked my curiosity, wondering where his hiding hole was, and if my suspicion of him being involved in a hidden, illegal business was true.
I had never taken him that serious before. Not even when he posed threat to our family business. But now, it was different. He was lingering danger for Mihrimah. And that forced me to dig deeper into his business, trying to find and unveil any dark secrets he might have. Simply because for the first time in my life, I had found someone that mattered more to me than work. Heck, she had begun meaning more to me than anyone or anything else.
She was like a drug, an addiction that grew and became stronger and more potent with each use. I couldn't get enough of her. I needed more of her each time. All the time.
She was damn gorgeous, and gave me a boner just thinking about her, but that wasn't all to her. She was witty, smart and fun to be around. It truly wasn't just about lust or sexual attraction with her. Every minute I spent with her, I found myself burying deeper into the immense adoration for her smiles, the way her eyes sparkled, her cuteness, her strength, and even her taunts and the ridiculous nicknames she came up with.
She was a child at heart, so pure and innocent, and at the same time, the strongest and wisest woman I knew.
It was ridiculous how obsessed I was becoming with her.
So much so, that I was driving to her house with the excuse of some paperwork regarding the project we were collaborating on, even though I could have done it entirely by myself.
I thought I'd surprise her and give her a small gift. The paperwork could go to hell.
The concierge let me in, and one of the household staff guided me to her bedroom. Good thing her parents weren't home. To say I was nervous about meeting her mother was an understatement, given that she wasn't very fond of me.
I knocked at Mihrimah's door, waiting for her response. I waited a minute before knocking again. Still no response. Is she even in there? I knocked again. This time she called out a yes.
I sighed in relief, pushing the door open. My heart did excited somersaults at the thought of seeing her, but when I stepped foot into the room, she was nowhere to be seen.
"Mihrimah?" I called.
"Blayze?" She called back, her voice holding surprise and... irritation?
I frowned in confusion, trying to make out where the sound was coming from. She wasn't on the couch or the bed. "Why are you here?" She asked, annoyance still evident in her tone.
I realised the voice was coming from near her bed. Walking up to the side of her bed, I was taken aback to see her curled up on the floor.
"Mihrimah? Are you okay? Why are you on the floor?" I crouched down, reaching out to touch her, but she held her hand in front of me, signalling me to stop.
I dropped my hand mid-air, freezing on the spot, confused as to why she was acting that way.
"Why the fuck are you here, Blayze?" Her outburst caught me off guard.
A frown made its way to my face. "Why are you talking to me like that?"
"I don't want to talk to you. Go away." She retorted, moving her face to the side.
"Why? What have I done?" I inquired, wracking my brain for anything I could have done or said that offended her, but I couldn't think of any such thing.
"You're just so annoying, and I hate you so much." She said, the irritated look on her face never going away.
I felt a tinge of pain in my heart. "I thought we were past that... you—"
I stopped mid sentence when she clutched her abdomen and groaned in pain, further curling up into a ball. "Mihrimah? What's happening to you?" I asked, scared.
"I'm fucking bleeding from my vagina, okay?! Leave me alone." She burst out.
My mouth hung open in bewilderment, before it closed as I realised she was on her period. "Why didn't you tell me before? Didn't you take a painkiller?"
"I ran out." She grumbled.
"You could have asked anyone to bring some for you." I raised a point, only earning a growl from her.
I sighed. "Hey, listen? Let me hold you, please."
She made a face, before stretching her arms out. I smiled, wrapping my arms around her small frame and gently pulling her body to my lap as I plopped on to the floor. Cuddling her up, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead, as one of my hands gently massaged her lower back.
She moaned. "That feels so nice." She mumbled, burying her face into my chest and closing her eyes.
I pressed a kiss to her head.
"Why did you come?" She mumbled after a couple minutes.
"To get some paperwork done."
"Yeah, right. I bet that's an excuse.... Just so you know, I'm not cool with period sex." She said.
I scoffed. "I'm offended that you would think that's what I'm here for. For your information, I do not view you as an entity made just for sex."
She didn't say anything.
Several minutes passed with us cuddled up on her bedroom floor, my fingers massaging her back, and her soft breathing sounding like music to my ears.
Even just cuddling with her was fulfilling, an incredibly comforting feeling.
"Blayze?" She spoke up softly.
"Yes, sunshine?" My tone matched hers.
"I'm sorry... my mood swings are the worst." She sounded vulnerable.
I kissed her head. "It's okay. I understand."
"You're not mad at me, are you?" She asked adorably, lifting her head to look at me.
"Not at all." I assured her with a smile.
Her lips curled up into a small smile too; the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. It tugged at my heart, making it do backflips and beat at an incredibly fast speed.
"I brought you a little something." I whispered as I gazed into her beautiful, bright eyes that pierced my soul.
Her eyes lit up. "A gift?"
I smiled warmly. "Yes."
"Show me." She said excitedly, making my smile grow and my heart flutter with more intensity.
I pulled out a box from my pocket.
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Hiiii! I'm so sorry for the late update. Med school is driving me crazy. I hope you understand.
I also hope you like this chapter! Please do vote and comment.
Thank you for reading ❤️