Xavier~
"Have you reached home?" As she answered the call, I heard a strong, masculine voice on her phone.
"I am going to find Jordan Lucas," she glanced at me before speaking into the phone. I maintained my focus on the road, feigning not to hear her, but my curiosity was piqued. Who was this man that had her so terrified she broke into a cold sweat when his number flashed on her screen?
"Bella, please stop this nonsense. Do you even see the time? You're going to search for a gangster at eleven o'clock in the evening?" The irritation in the man's voice was palpable.
"Don't worry about me; I'm not alone. I'm with Mr. Thompson," she replied, hesitating to meet my gaze again. But I continued to act as though I couldn't hear the words.
"The icing on the cake is that you're chasing Jordan Lucas with that murderer! Bella, I told you to stay away from that bastard, but you ignored my warnings. I'm coming back tomorrow, and we will have a conversation." The anger in the man's voice escalated as soon as he realized she was with me.
She placed her phone back into her purse, her fingers trembling slightly as she stared out of the window, lost in her thoughts. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, to pry open the door to her personal life. But a voice inside reminded me I had no place in her world anymore. Still, the tension between her words and the way she acted around me had me on edge.
"Where are you taking me?" Her voice finally broke the silence as she realized the car had stopped in front of a red-light area.
"I warned you not to come with me, but you insisted." I unbuckled my seatbelt, irritation bubbling under the surface. She had resisted going back home despite all my efforts to keep her away from this place.
Instead, she stubbornly sat in my car, determined to follow me.
I had tried reminding her about Alan—hoping that her love for her son would be stronger than her desire to meet Jordan Lucas—but that hadn't worked. So, I blackmailed her by asking to meet Alan, thinking it would stop her. But she surprised me by agreeing without hesitation. Maybe her obsession with this case was stronger than I'd thought, or maybe she didn't trust me to handle it alone.
"Jordan Lucas turned out to be a cheap gangster." Her voice cut through the tension, filled with frustration as she surveyed the shady area. I almost laughed at her comment.
"Miss Luis, stay in the car until I return," I said, unlocking the door.
"No, I'm coming with you." She grabbed her purse, unbuckling her seatbelt before I could stop her.
I sighed. "This environment is unsafe for a well-known woman like you, Miss Luis. At least give up your stubbornness now," I snapped, frustration bleeding through.
"Mr. Thompson, don't worry; I can handle this." She stepped out of the car, ignoring the surrounding dangers.
As I watched her disregard my warning, my frustration intensified. Men stumbled around, drunk, while women stood at doors, calling to them. Her being here wasn't just dangerous—it was wrong. I felt more than just a need to protect her. There was something else—something I didn't want to admit.
As we walked toward the address I'd been given, my thoughts bounced between Jordan Lucas and Bella's stubborn presence. The stable caretaker had mentioned that a man named John had bought all the winning polo horses from the stable and sold to a special man. That was the only lead I had on Jordan's whereabouts. His obsession with the best horses was the only vulnerability I'd ever discovered about him, and now it was the key to finding him.
Bella's persistence reminded me of how she forced me to dig deeper into my memory. She hadn't let me walk away, pushing me to remember Jordan's weakness. Because of her, I remembered Jordan and those horses. During the organ trafficking case, Jordan's lawyer had produced a fake alibi, claiming Jordan had been away at a horse race when the crime took place. That detail had always stuck with me—Jordan's obsessive love for horses.
But before I could fully process it, a slurred voice broke into my thoughts. "Come with me, baby." The intoxicated man was approaching Bella too closely.
"Stay away from her!" I punched the man in the face without thinking. Bella's shock was evident—she hadn't anticipated my reaction. But the sight of her being harassed had unleashed something raw inside me.
"Do you want to see anything else?" I asked, tightening my fists as I tried to control the anger coursing through me. But controlling myself was proving impossible. Why did I care so much?
I hated how every man's eyes followed her—how they wanted her. But there was more to it. It wasn't just protection—it was something darker.
"Mr. Thompson—"
"Bella, not now." I cut her off, seizing her hand and pulling her closer. I could feel her trembling, but I didn't loosen my grip. The way those men leered at her only made me tighten my hold, refusing to let her out of my sight.
I wrapped my arm around her waist, drawing her even closer as we entered the depths of the red light area. My mind screamed at me to let go, to put distance between us. But I couldn't. Not when every man in this place was staring at her like she was a prize to be won. Shielding her like this felt... right.
When we finally reached John's house, I let go of her, tension still thrumming through me.
"Please keep your mouth shut and let me handle this," I whispered in her ear before knocking on the door. She nodded silently, still trembling from the encounter. Her body's warmth lingered against me, but I forced myself to focus.
"Are you John Martin?" I inquired as the door opened, revealing a man with bloodshot eyes and a thick alcohol odor surrounding him.
"Yes, what do you want?" His voice was a growl, and his posture radiated irritation.
"My name is Charles, and I'd like to buy the winning horse from this year's race."
"No, that horse is already sold," John muttered, reaching to close the door in our faces. I was about to argue, but Bella stepped forward.
"Please don't say no to us. We've come a long way with so much hope," she whispered. Her voice worked like a charm. At the sight of her, John's drunken eyes widened, and suddenly, he was filled with smiles.
"Come inside," he said, throwing the door wide open.
I turned to look at Bella, but seeing her smile at John only stirred my anger again. How could she smile so seductively at a man like him?