He led Lily around the bar to a dingy back room, pausing to exchange terse words and a complicated handshake with the hulking bouncer posted by the entrance. The big man grunted something that might have been "boss" before allowing them to pass. The cramped space on the other side looked like the kind of shadowy meet-up spot for backroom deals that you only saw in movies. A battered card table stood in the center, ringed by mismatched chairs occupied by an assortment of seedy-looking men. The air was thick with pipe smoke and the bitter tang of cheap liquor. Several pairs of narrowed eyes swiveled in their direction as James and Lily entered. Lily fought the urge to shrink back under the weight of those appraising, deeply distrustful stares. Instead, she lifted her chin and met their scrutiny head-on, unconsciously standing up a little straighter at James's side. If this ragtag group was expecting their notorious former leader to put on airs or play it arrogant, however, they wer
Chapter 43 On the drive back from that shady meeting, James was pretty much silent the whole time, just staring straight ahead with a intense look on his face. Lily could practically see the gears turning behind those piercing eyes as he calculated his next moves. She figured it was better not to push him for details until he was ready to share. James clearly had a plan brewing for how to take down this Spike lunatic, and she trusted him to loop her in when the time was right instead of leaving her out of the loop. In the meantime, Lily tried her best to just be patient and keep her nerves under control, though that was easier said than done with the stakes so high. Every little bump or sound from outside the car had her heart leaping into her throat, fearing an ambush or attack. Spike seemed like the type of psycho who could strike at literally any moment. By the time they pulled back into the villa's underground garage, Lily felt like she'd aged about ten years. James must have
Chapter 44 Lily nodded seriously. "Got it. I'll stay put no matter what until you come get me." James held her gaze for another beat like he was sizing up how much he could really trust her to follow that order. At last, he gave a curt nod of acceptance. "Good girl." With that, he climbed out of the car, leaving Lily to let loose a shaky breath she hadn't found out she'd been maintaining. She watched through the tinted car windows as James strode away, shoulders squared and each inch the implementing figure she'd come to recognize so nicely. Once he disappeared from view, she allowed herself to slump back against the leather seat with a frustrated groan. Her body still hummed with lingering arousal from James's heated teasing, leaving her feeling antsy and unsettled. Part of her understood why he wanted to keep her safely tucked away while he made his moves. But the other part, the defiant rebel she hadn't even known lived inside her until recently, chafed at being sidelined yet
Chapter 45 The heavy footsteps paused in the sudden silence, making Lily's heart pound even harder in tense anticipation. For a long, agonizing moment, nothing happened except the faint sound of harsh breathing from the intruders. "See anything outta place?" one of the gruff voices eventually spoke up again, sounding perplexed. "Nah, just looks like a regular walk-in closet to me." There was a disdainful snort. "Barely even big enough to fit a broom cupboard in this fancy-ass place, let alone some kinda panic room." Lily didn't dare move a muscle, lungs straining against the effort of holding perfectly still and silent as the men continued their judgemental sweeping of the area just beyond the hidden door. She could only pray the panic room's seamless camouflage held up under their scrutiny. "Yeah, you're probably right," the first voice allowed after another tense pause. "Waste of time looking too hard in here. C'mon, let's take a look at the rest of the upstairs before reportin
chapter 46The escape tunnel appeared to stretch on with no end in sight inside the pitch blackness, making it not possible for Lily to decide how far she'd traveled or if she was even heading in the proper direction anymore. Her lungs burned with exertion, every ragged breath feeling like shards of glass in her throat.She tried her best to move quickly yet carefully, hands skimming along the rough walls for guidance while avoiding any unseen obstacles. The last thing she needed was to take a wrong step and end up sprawled on the ground, injuring herself or the baby.The sounds of the assault against the villa still reached her even through the thick concrete - distant explosions and shouts echoing like the muffled rumblings of a coming storm. Each faint reverberation made Lily's heart stutter with a fresh spike of adrenaline, driving her stumbling footsteps onwards in blind desperation.At some point, her palm grazed across a metal rung set into the wall at hip-height, nearly making
Lily's heart seized in her chest as she whipped around, eyes wide and disbelieving. There, not ten paces away, stood one of Spike's soldiers - a hulking brute straight out of a war movie, dressed head-to-toe in tactical gear with an assault rifle leveled directly at her face."Well, well...What do we have right here?" the person rumbled in a voice like gravel being churned. His mouth twisted into a predatory sneer under the masks as he raked his gaze over Lily from head to toe in a manner that made her skin move slowly.Two more gunmen materialized from the shadows at his call, weapons raised as they rapidly closed in to flank their apparent prize. Lily backpedaled instinctively, fingers splayed protectively over her swollen belly as if she could somehow shield her unborn child from the threat with her body alone."Please..." She hated the way her voice trembled, all bravado abandoning her in the face of such overwhelming odds. "Please, I'm pregnant, I-I don't want any trouble..."A n
Chapter 48Lily shivered as James pulled her flush against his rock-hard body. His free hand slid down to cup her lower back, fingers splaying possessively."You're trembling, baby girl," he murmured, voice like gravel. "Must've been terrifying, having those bastards corner you like that."Lily nodded, swallowing hard. Being cornered by Spike's goons had shaken her, but being in James' arms again helped calm her nerves. "I thought I was done for, until you showed up." She managed a tiny smile. "My hero."James snorted, the hard lines of his face softening briefly. "Get that Wonder Woman crap outta here. I'm the one who let things get so out of hand in the first place."His thumb traced the shallow graze on her cheek from the near miss, reminding her just how close she'd come to catching a bullet. Lily shivered again, leaning into his touch."Still, I'm just glad you found me when you did," she said quietly. "We were starting to cut it pretty dang close, huh?"His piercing eyes darkene
Chapter 49"Well, well...looks like the gang's all here."James didn't even flinch as the gruff voice rang out, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of multiple guns cocking. His arm tightened around Lily's waist, tucking her against his side.She tensed, free hand instinctively going to her belly as she took in the group of armed men fanning out to flank them. At the head of the pack was a broad-shouldered behemoth she recognized instantly - the scarred bruiser who'd terrorized her at the courthouse all those months ago."Rocco." James' tone was conversational, almost casual despite the wild disparity in firepower. "I can't say I'm surprised to see your ugly mug front and center for this shitshow. You always were Spike's dumbest attack dog."The goon's beefy face contorted in a sneer of rage, arm twitching like he wanted to just open fire then and there. But another voice cut through the tension before he could act."Now is that any way to speak to an old friend, Jimmy boy?" Another
Chapter 142: The Watson mansion was fully alive. Streamers hung cascading off of everything they could, balloons bounced merrily around various corners, and the air swam thick with the tantalizing smell of BBQ on the back porch. Today was, after all, Ave's party – but it was more than that; today was the day Lily and James had chosen to once again pledge themselves to one another.Lily stood before the full-length mirror, straightening out her simple white sundress. At seven months, she was radiant—a perfect arc the curve of her belly was, below the flowing fabric.From the doorway, the sound of a voice declared, "You look beautiful." Lily turned to see her cousin Maggie smile at her."Thanks." Lily smoothed the dress. "I feel like a beached whale, but James insists I'm glowing."Maggie burst out laughing. "He's right, you know. You look like you're about to light up his world or something." She walked over and hugged Lily. "I can't believe how far we've come since that one crazy nig
Chapter 141: Lily woke up off. She couldn't explain it, but something just seemed… off. And when she rolled over to check the time, a wave of nausea hit her. She groaned and buried her face in her pillow."Alright?" James mumbled, still half asleep."Yeah, I just feel a little queasy," Lily replied. "Probably just something I ate."James sat up concerned. "You want me to get you something?"Lily shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. We should get up anyway; Ave has that school play today, remember?"They climbed out of bed and busied themselves getting ready for the day. James went into the bedroom to awaken Ave while Lily projectile-vomited into the toilet.James had, by this time, somehow managed to dress Ave in her costume: a huge, puffy frog outfit in bright green made for the school dress rehearsal of "The Frog Prince.""Mommy!" Ave squealed as she clumped down the stairs. "Do I look like a real frog?"Lily laughed, pushing aside her queasiness. "Why, yes, my child, the fairest fr
Chapter 140: Giggles consumed the room, and James stirred awake. He opened an eye to find a little face at the end of the bed staring in at him."Daddy! Wake up!" little Ave chirped in at him.Stepping over the landmines that were on the bed, James ran his hand through the small amount of her running down her back and picked her up, digging fingers into her tummy."Morning, princess," he said by way of splaying a kiss on her forehead.Ave giggled and squirmed. "Mommy said breakfast was ready!""Oh, yeah?" said James, sitting up but not letting go of the squirming Ave. "Am I to take it that's why Mommy sent you in here to wake me up?"Ave nodded, her bouncing brown curls saying more than she could. "Yep! She said tell you there's coffee."James laughed, and if Lily knew him at all well, it was all for her benefit. "Well then, I guess we'd better not have Mommy waiting, huh?"He climbed out of bed, Ave still in his arms, and rolled out of the room. The smell of bacon and coffee wafted
Chapter 139James lay on his back on the pristine white sand beach and took a pounding from the burning Maldivian sun. His hand reached up behind him for the coconut cocktail, tasting sweetness in his mouth as the gentle lapping of waves broke almost ten meters away from shore. It was the first time he had really been allowed to relax, barring a three-month period, since they had released the secrets of the Shadow Council onto the world."Penny for your thoughts?" The sound of Lily's voice broke through his reverie. She settled herself down on the lounger beside him. Her skin was golden against the sun.He smiled, squeezing her hand, saying, "Just thinking how surreal this all is. A year ago, I was knee-deep in conspiracies and shadow organizations. Now I'm sipping cocktails on a private island."Lily chortled; that sound always hit James in exactly the right place in his heart."Life's funny that way, isn't it?" she said, turning her head to look at him with her chin resting on her a
Chapter 138: James was pacing his living room relentlessly. Elena was with Rachel. It was all over. Well yah, anyway that was supposed to mean.Lilly squinted at him from the couch. "James, honey, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet. Come sit down."He sucked in a deep breath and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry; I just… I just can't help but feel this is too easy. After everything we've been through, this is just too easy."Lily squeezed his hand reassuringly. "James, I hardly think that anything about this has been easy. But maybe, this is the way it ends. Not really with a bang, but with a whimper."There was a pounding on the door. The teenager was on his feet before James could even open his mouth. His heart pounded in his chest. This was it.The door was thrown open. To find Rachel standing there—grimy, dirty, and obviously completely exhausted but still with the fires of determination burning behind her eyes. And past her."Hello, James," came the soft-spoken voice of Ele
Chapter 137: Rachel's hands trembled on the wheel. She drove the car towards the lighthouse. It was a full moon drooping low into a mess, ever drooping across the sky to the west, throwing a queer, sickly light over the whole demesne. She could not believe the fact that she was actually doing this, meeting secretly with her mother, Elena.She couldn't bat the feeling away that this time—this time—things were different. There was no hand in the place that could have been straightened just then, and scarcely a hand for him to take.Beside the lighthouse was her mother's car. Ray closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and felt her hand shake again, then brought it quickly up to her chest and gripped hard. "You can do this," she whispered to herself.She scrambled out of the car and up the serpentine path to the lighthouse, where waves dashed to the rocks and her feet crunched over gravel.One figure stood at the top by the railing, looking out at the water: Elena. His mother.Rachel's hea
Chapter 136The world had barely had enough time to absorb the shock that came with the downfall of Shadow Council. News channels were all agog with relentless updates, while governments scurried to try and react to the development; people all around tried to understand what all this really meant and what the implications of the bombshell were that shook the very fundamentals of society.But there was so much more to it than that which James Watson could see coming.He found himself standing outside the hospital room after just a moment's hesitation on the other side of the door handle. He could see from the small window that Louis was lying in a bed, hooked up to a lot of machines, Rachel sat at his side.He steeled himself, took a deep breath, and walked in.Rachel lifted her head. Her eyes were red, red, but glittering. "James," she said very quietly. "I didn't expect you to be here.""How is he?" asked James, who had moved now and stood at the foot of Louis's bed.Rachel sighed. "
# Chapter 135: James took a deep breath and brought his head counterclockwise to his team, tired yet charged. It was time to engage their plan."Okay, let's go over this again. Hawk, are you set up with that kill switch or what?"Hawk just nodded. Her fingers danced across the laptop keyboard. "Okay, I am ready as I will ever be, but remember, this is one shot deal.""Right," James confirmed, turning towards Kelvin. "You got your contacts on standby?"Kelvin lifted his phone reassuringly. "They're all set, just waiting for our signal now."Glancing toward Angie and Agent Johnson, he asked, "You two sure about this? This is going to be dangerous."Angie made a show of rolling up her eyes. "Please. After all else we've done? It's just another Tuesday."It was Johnson's turn to chuckle. "What she said. We've got your back, James."James bobbed his head, his fear mixing in with his excitement. This was it: the last big push to finally bring down the Shadow Council."Alright then," he sai
Chapter 134: Days passed after the warehouse before a blur of debriefings, media frenzy, and shock waves that echoed across the globe. Standing smack in the middle of this hurricane, shaking the very roots of governments and institutions around the globe, was James and his team.They now sat in a safe house, courtesy of Agent Johnson—now an unlikely ally in all of this, ever since the exposure of the Shadow Council. There, in that very suburban home, the living room had now become something of a command center: there were laptops and papers all over, the place cluttered with empty coffee cups.James rubbed his tired eyes at the news playing on mute on the television. Of course, the headline scrolled by in the news: "Global Markets in Turmoil as Shadow Council Revelations Continue.""You should get some rest," Angie said before putting a hand on his shoulder. At least she looked a little better now, with the bruises from her captivity fading, but there was a new hardness in her eyes.