Chapter 2 - The Man Everyone Feared
I woke to the sound of a baby crying.
“My girls!”
I tried to sit up.
Pain immediately tore through my body.
“Easy.”
A man stood beside the window.
Tall.
Dark-haired.
Black shirt rolled to his forearms.
He lowered the file he had been reading.
Recognition hit me.
Elias Vance.
I pulled the blanket higher.
“Where are they?”
“Next room.”
“I want them.”
“You can barely sit.”
“I said I want my daughters.”
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
Most people probably didn't speak to Elias Vance like that.
I didn't care.
He walked to the adjoining door.
A woman entered carrying one baby.
Another woman followed with her sister.
My breath caught.
“Give them to me.”
Within seconds, both girls were against my chest.
Warm.
Clean.
Alive.
I kissed their foreheads.
“What did you do?”
Elias answered, “Kept them breathing.”
“Why?”
He seemed surprised by the question.
“Was there another option?”
“For most people?”
I looked at him.
“Yes.”
Something passed through his eyes.
Before he could answer, the doctor entered.
“Mr. Vance.”
“How is she?”
The doctor glanced at me.
“She needs a hospital.”
“No.”
Both men looked at me.
I shook my head.
“No hospitals.”
“Ava—”
“How do you know my name?”
Elias held up the file.
“We identified you.”
Fear returned immediately.
“If you found me, Victor can too.”
“Victor Miller?”
I went still.
Elias had already found him.
“He's my husband.”
“I'm aware.”
“He'll come for them.”
Elias's expression sharpened.
“Why?”
I looked down at my daughters.
“He wanted a son.”
Silence.
“When they were born, he called them a curse.”
Elias didn't move.
“He had his men take me away.”
“His men did that to you?”
I couldn't answer.
I didn't need to.
Elias looked toward his security chief.
“Marco.”
The man appeared almost instantly.
“Boss?”
“Find Miller.”
“We're already working on it.”
“Work faster.”
I looked at Elias.
“You don't understand.”
“No. I understand perfectly.”
“Victor has people.”
“So do I.”
“He has money.”
“So do I.”
“He's dangerous.”
That almost made Elias smile.
Almost.
“Ava, you're in my home.”
I said nothing.
“He cannot reach you here.”
“You don't know him.”
Elias stepped closer.
“And you don't know me.”
The baby in my left arm began crying.
I adjusted her blanket.
“Shh, Lily.”
Elias glanced down.
“Lily?”
I nodded.
“And her sister is Rose.”
His expression softened for half a second.
“Good names.”
“They needed something beautiful after the way they entered the world.”
The door opened.
Marco hurried inside holding a phone.
“Boss.”
Elias looked at him.
“We found Miller.”
My heart jumped.
“Where?”
Marco didn't answer me.
He handed Elias the phone.
Elias read the screen.
Something changed in his face.
“What is it?” I asked.
He looked toward Lily and Rose.
Then back at me.
“Your husband isn't coming because he wants his children.”
My fingers tightened around the blanket.
“Then why?”
Elias crossed the room and locked the penthouse door.
“Because he just learned who rescued you.”
Footsteps sounded outside.
Elias reached beneath his jacket.
I stopped breathing.
The door opened.
Two armed guards entered.
“Perimeter breach,” one said.
Elias's voice remained calm.
“How many?”
“Three vehicles.”
“Victor?”
“Not personally.”
Elias looked at me.
“He sent men.”
I pulled my daughters closer.
“Already?”
Marco looked toward the security monitor.
“They're requesting entry.”
Elias almost laughed.
“Requesting?”
“They claim Mrs. Miller was abducted.”
My stomach turned.
“He'll tell the police you kidnapped us.”
Elias stared at the monitor.
Then he handed the phone to Marco.
“Let them upstairs.”
Marco blinked.
“Boss?”
“You heard me.”
I stared at him.
“Why would you let them in?”
“Because I want Victor to receive a message.”
“What message?”
Elias pulled a chair beside my bed.
He sat down.
Then he looked directly at me.
May you like
“That you're no longer alone.”
---
