Chapter 19

Allison's POV

I gulp, willing my heart to stop beating so fast. I can't believe that I'm being attacked inside a noodle shop, of all places.

Who even is this person, and what the hell does he want? The hand clamped heavily over my face is making it difficult for me to breathe. I go very still, hoping that will make him let down his guard enough for me to escape. It doesn't. Instead he leans closer, leering at me.

"That's a good girl," he says, leaning even closer.

The stench of garlic hits me like a punch, and I can feel tears pooling in my eyes.

"Now," he continues, "you're going to keep being a good girl. You're going to follow me out of this place, and you'll act natural so everyone thinks we're together. Do you understand?"

Wait a second, am I being abducted? In this fist-size noodle shop, and by a homeless looking man with bad breath no less?! 

When I don't respond, he clamps his hand tighter over my nose and mouth, giving me a rough shake.

"Do you understand, bitch?" he hisses in a harsh whisper.

I gulp again, nodding. Best to play along until we're back in the dining area. I can get help then. Whoever this man is, I can tell that he's stronger than I am. I can't take him down with brute force, so I'll have to be smart to get out of this situation.

He removes his hand, but before I can breathe in relief, he grabs my upper arm so tightly that it's a wonder how my bones don't crack. Tears spring up in my eyes from the pain, but I blink them back.

No way in hell am I giving this guy the satisfaction of seeing me cry. He steps closer so that we're walking side by side, and I feel him press the tip of a blade against my ribs. A silent threat.

I gulp, trying not to let my legs tremble as he leads me out of the bathroom area. As we walk through the dining area, I feel the knife pressing in closer, like he intends to put a hole in my side right there and then.

He's trying to get me to the exit without anybody finding what he's doing, I realize.

Hell no!

I'm not going to let some sicko take me to who knows where. As we walk past a teenage couple, I pretend to stumble, my hip knocking against their table. This makes him lose his balance, and the hand holding the blade slips. Seizing his moment of distraction, I drive my elbow into his stomach and shove him away.

"You bitch!" he yells, doubling over.

People turn to stare, but I'm not looking at them. I'm looking for Xander Black, and I can't find him. I can't see him at our table, and I don't know where he could have gone…

"Xander!" I call out.

That's all I'm able to shout before the man grabs me from behind and shoves me against the wall. My back hits the wall so hard I'm surprised my spine doesn't crack.

He lifts one large hand to slap me, but before the hit can land, Xander appears between us. So fast that I almost don't see it, he slaps the man's hand away and follows that up with a strike to his chest.

The kidnapper that had looked so strong to me topples like a sack of potatoes, falling to the floor with a thud.

……

I stand to the side as Xander makes a call, summoning some of his agents to apprehend the man. He and I are probably going to be long gone before the agents arrive. We can't have anybody asking questions about why we're together, least of all them.

I watch him walk back to me, his movements graceful like those of a predator. He had been so beautiful, taking down that man. He is so beautiful now, despite the anger in his eyes and the vein pulsing in his clenched jaw.

"I'm sorry," I say as he reaches me.

He looks at me, his anger giving way to obvious surprise.

"Sorry for what?" he asks.

"I'm sure this isn't how you thought the date would go," I reply.

"It's not how I imagined it would go," he agrees with a shrug, "but I don't see how that's your fault."

He stops in front of me, looking me over carefully.

"Did he hurt you?" he asks.

I stare at him. I know that Xander Black has a strong sense of responsibility, and that this is simply concern for the mother of his child, but it still feels strange to see him showing me concern at all.

Perhaps that's why, despite the fact that I'm throbbing with pain in a number of places, I just shake my head and say "I'm alright."

"We should go somewhere else," he says. "Is there anywhere else you want to go?"

I blink at him in surprise.

"You… still want to go ahead with the date?" I ask.

"Of course," he replies. "Don't you?"

"I do!" I say quickly. "How about a drive, then? Around the city?"

It's a favorite pastime of mine, to drive around the city with no destination in mind.

I expect him to brush the idea aside or say it's silly, but he doesn't.

Instead, he's driving us around the city minutes later. 

I lean back in my seat and close my eyes with a smile, savoring the cool breeze rushing past my face and blowing strands of golden blonde hair around my face.

Feeling Xander Black's gaze on me, I open my eyes and look at him. He's looking at me with a soft expression that is unlike him. It's the sort of look I would wear if I was watching a lovely sunset.

"Mr. Black?" I say, confused.

He blinks, as if waking from a dream, and turns away to look back at the road in front of him.

"Rides make you really happy, don't they?" he says.

I feel a smile stretch on my face.

"Yes," I say cheerfully, "they really do."

He's watching me again, and I can't read the expression in his eyes.

"Then," he says, "let's do this more often."