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Chapter 77: Nothing Good Happens in a Club
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2022-10-26 14:06:26Related chapters
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 78: Everything is Right Again…For Now.
I snap forward uncomfortable with his touch. It's not his fault. My head is screwed right now. I'm a mess. I shouldn't go out of the house and most certainly shouldn't have alcohol.With a quick breath I bring myself back to the situation and turn ready to apologize for freaking out, but a large beefy body stands between me and the man I've been dancing with tonight.The man reaches out and slams his fist on the man's chest. My mouth falls open as I watch the scene, and my dancing buddy holding his hands in the air like someone's pulled a gun on him or he's about to be arrested."What are you doing here?" I ask, pulling on Vincent's security detail's arm. I force him to turn and face my direction. I've only met him once since Vincent doesn't use him all the time, but there's no mistaking his identity.The security guard, whose name I can't remember, smiles. "Mr. Valiant feels more comfortable if I stand watch."Dancers swarm around us and we stand out like two unmoving poles
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 79: It's so wrong
It's wrong, but I miss him, and even though my head says I need to stay away, my heart can't bear the thought. I want him with everything I have. I need him.His fingers score across my body, pushing my shirt high enough I raise my hands and let him pull it over my shoulders and past my head. I've missed this man and my heart soars being in his arms. He touches me and it's as if no time has passed, but also I've gone a lifetime without him. Vincent squeezes my breast, flipping my bra up and resting his head against my chest."Missed you so much, Mackenzie. I tried to stay away and let you leave me, but I can't. It's too late. Whatever your problem is, we'll work through it."I jerk away, infuriated he doesn't even remember what the problem is. His WIFE. In doing so, my hand hits the door knob and it rattles, reminding me where we are. I peek out looking through the window to the empty hallway."V, the window. What if someone sees?""Roman will keep the hallway clear.""What
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 80: A White Knight in a Black Car
"Thank you. I don't know what happened. The van came out of nowhere." My light was definitely green. I'm sure of it.The older man shakes his head. "It's not your fault. He was trying to beat the light but missed. Never even put on his brakes. I think he sped up, the bastard."Fifteen minutes later I sit in the back of an ambulance as one paramedic finishes checking my blood pressure for the second time."Your blood pressure is good even though you saw a bit of action today. Huh?" he asks with a smile, trying to diffuse the stressful situation, but it doesn't help.I only nod, watching as people pick up the pieces of my precious baby from the middle of the road and casually toss them onto the curb where they land in the grass. It's a murder scene with none of the blood."Your airbag didn't deploy. You're going to be okay, but if you'd want, we can take you to the hospital.""No, that's okay. Do you think I can drive my car home?"He presses his lips together. "I heard the
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 81: One Hell of a Bad Day
I stumble on the first step going down the staircase of the apartment building."Fucking eh."All I need to complete my Monday morning is a montage with The Bangles singing "Manic Monday" as I take my first steps down the sidewalk.Manic isn't the way to describe it. I don't have a thesaurus handy, but as I storm off toward the looming skyscraper a few blocks away, the words that come to mind are bad, horrible, the worst, tragic.I'd woken up late and jumped in the shower, but there wasn't enough time to blow dry my hair so it hangs wet behind me. My heels clatter on the sidewalk, my feet already hurting, but I left my sneakers at work on Friday and didn't have another pair other than a big bulking pair of rain boots that would look even more out of place walking the four blocks than three-inch Payless knock-off Manolos.A grate takes up half the sidewalk in front of me, one I walk over every day and never have a problem, but at the exact moment I'm about to pass over it, a b
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 82: Asshole Boss Alert… again
EVEN NOW ANGER over our conversation makes my footsteps heavy, each one falling to the concrete with my broken heel. But if I'm being honest, I am more pissed at myself than I am at Vincent. I like him too much. I excuse too many of his actions. I let the jerk of a boss into my heart and the only one hurt by it is me.Now that I am no longer in his home or curious about what we need to discuss, I've found other things to contemplate. Half of me worries his idea of discussing it later will include him trying to work out a demented arrangement between him, me, and his wife. Something I'll never agree to, not in a million years.It doesn't matter how often I remind myself Vincent is a cheating asshole. No matter what I say inside my head, a little voice is always waiting to argue with me—one that says to hold on and wait it out. See what he has to say. For whatever ridiculous reason I trust him. After everything I still want to believe.I want to blame it on hitting my head in the a
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 83: Favorite Shoes and Assholes
Vincent's swallows, looking at whatever meat sits between his two pieces of bread. "Another peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich, I assume?"I smirk. He has no idea of the adventure that's waiting for him in his next lunch. "No, Jock bought strawberry jam this week, and I told him you loved it with bananas."His pinched face displays disgust at my suggestion and I keep my excitement hidden. I so got him. Then my mistake hits me. I've played my cards too soon. Now Vincent knows my plan and he can get his own lunch again tomorrow rather than eat strawberry jam and bananas.Damn it.Although would he really get his own food two days in a row? Isn't that beneath him? He probably made the law secretary get it for him today.Vincent stalks toward me, the sandwich held in his hand, but he stops a foot away. For whatever reason I find it disappointing."Your games were funny last week, but I need an actual assistant. Someone who will do the work I hired her to do around here."
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 84: An Unplanned Trip
Just when I think I've finally gained the upper hand in a situation, Vincent throws me for a loop. "A trip? Where? How long?" I leave out the part of demanding to know if we'd be driving. Puking on Vincent Valiant could be the highlight of my week.He rests his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. "Pack enough for three days.""Three days where?" There's a big fucking difference between attire for Alaska versus Florida.Vincent turns and walks back to the elevator, leaving me alone in the garage without answering my question. Ugh. How did getting a car turn into me mad at him? ...WE WALK across the airstrip together as the pilot lowers a set of short steps from a small plane at the Lansing Capital City Airport. A light drizzle falls on the area mimicking my mood. A full day later and Vincent hasn't told me where we're going, even though he eyed my enormous suitcase skeptically as Davis put in the car on the way to the airport this morning.Screw him and his judgment over my
Last Updated : 2022-10-26The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 85: It's Quaint
The problem stems from me liking it too much. It's normal, nice, almost cozy. I could relax here and I fit. I could be a part of his world. It's a dangerous place to fall because as he's reminded me, I don't fit in with Vincent and I'll never be part of his life."It's quaint."He raises an eyebrow at my backhanded compliment and passes by me, throwing his jacket over one of the work chairs. He drops his laptop on a bench seat behind the work table. Of course he came prepared to do maximum work on this trip.Unbeknownst to him, so did I. Kind of. In my own way."And no."Huh? "And no what?" I ask, looking at him from my spot in the middle of the plane."I know how you hate when I don't answer your questions so, no, we're not taking this to our destination.""Then where are we going?" How do we not take a plane to a destination? Does he plan to circle the city for a few hours and then land again?"We'll take this to DC to meet our connection."I follow him to the back
Last Updated : 2022-10-26
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The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 171: Epilogue
My enormous stomach stretches against the seatbelt in Vincent's expensive car. I'm no longer just showing a small bit as my due date creeps ever closer. The trees have budded along the highway as his car continues to travel north."Vincent, where are we going?"He smiles. "Our weekend place," he gives me what I suspect is the first semi-honest answer he has the entire trip.When we left this morning, I asked if I needed to pack a bag, but he said it was only a day trip. If I am being completely honest, my first thought was he bought the home in Okemos and planned to drive the fifteen miles to get away for the weekend. But we've been driving for over an hour at this point, passing my family home along the highway to continue north."I can't give you any more than that, Mackenzie. It's a surprise." He says turning off the highway.I hold back a sigh. They never do any good, anyway. "And you know how much I hate surprises.""Yes." His hand falls to my knee and squeezes, rubbin
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 170: Doctor's Orders
"I promise you, Mr. Valiant, your wife and baby are perfectly fine. I don't even see signs of a concussion. She's one lucky woman." The doctor's smooth voice does nothing to lessen Vincent's irritation."Can't you check them both again?" he grinds out annoyed he has to ask.The steady beeping of the baby's heart monitor, a large device they've wrapped around my tiny stomach, beeps consistently. "Vincent, I am fine."He looks back at me in the hospital bed and squeezes my hand. "I know, baby. I just want them to check you again."The doctor sighs, smiling at me as if apologizing I have to put up with the man for the rest of my life, but I wouldn't have it any other way."They've looked me over three times. I'm perfectly fine," I run my fingers over his arm, but it doesn't lessen his scowl."Your wife is right, Mr. Valiant. We've run every test. She and the baby are healthy. I'm going to write up her release papers as soon as I leave the room. Go home and get rest. That's the
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 169: November Winds
"I'm sorry we can't go on a honeymoon right away,""Vincent, I promise I understand. Really." He's an important CEO of a billion-dollar company. I don't expect him to take off whenever he wants. He can throw together a quick weekend wedding, but we can't drop everything and go on a three-week honeymoon like he's promised without notice. We have plans to make.I wrap the sheets around me tighter, the northern winds of November howling outside the window. We've been newlyweds for exactly twenty-four hours, and after I sneezed four times yesterday, Vincent decided I need to take Monday morning off to lie in bed and stay warm. He's obnoxiously worried about me catching a cold while pregnant. Any other time I would find it annoying, but the baby is involved so I'm listening to his heavy-handedness. This time."I'm sure I'll forgive you for not whisking me away on a honeymoon immediately during the three weeks we're on the boat in the Bahamas over Christmas." He thought of the best way
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 168: Two Weeks Later
Another two weeks laterA gust of wind batters the outside of the car, but the frigid temperatures we're walking into aren't enough to sway Vincent. He allows Davis to open the black limos door and then reaches for my hand when he exits."Is your mom going to kill us?" I ask as I step out into the freezing temperatures of northern Michigan in the late fall and wrap the white fake fur shawl around my shoulders."Probably," Vincent says with a devilish smirk, meaning he doesn't care what his mother will say. I wish I had his self-confidence.At least we'll go down together. "Good because my mother is going to murder me in my sleep."The newest personal protection guard—I'd never get used to that name—steps up to my side. Nicki is tall and her body thin, but she's never once looked at Vincent inappropriately over the last two weeks she'd been protecting me.When Vincent introduced her and brought her into the team, I hadn't argued. Safety isn't something I can take for granted
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 167: Too Early to Tell
Two Fridays laterMy eyes have just begun to close as I settle into the post-work catnap. The doctor said it wasn't a big deal I hadn't experienced any morning sickness or other complications during the pregnancy and I should consider myself lucky. But from the way I dozed off at my desk every couple hours the last few days at work, the exhaustion part of being pregnant is hitting me hard and making up for lost time of the first trimester.I still can't believe I'm pregnant. I've seen the evidence, we have the pictures to prove it, but besides being tired I don't feel different. Even though it is too early, I definitely haven't felt anyone moving around in there. Because I lack so much evidence, it is hard to picture me with a baby. It's even harder to picture my big rigid Vincent as a father. Not that I have any doubt he'll be a great one, I've just never seen him with kids. I rarely even babysat myself. Only once or twice in high school. I spent a couple of nights watching the Wa
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 166: You Can't Hid Glam Wear
Without thinking about, it I place my hand on my desk and the metal in the ring that sits so heavily on my finger hits against it with a clink. It draws my attention back to the fresh addition to my finger and I smile as I stare at the beautiful piece of jewelry.I tried not to wear out of the house this morning. It was Monday and even though Vincent's employees handled his email well, I couldn't imagine it would get the same response as the newspaper article outing his previous wife. I prepared for a full-on tizzy. To my relief the article didn't publish as expected. Vincent answers my text with only a smiley face—so unlike him. I figure it cost him a pretty penny, but he worked his magic.Me walking through one of the company floors wearing a big ass ring on my finger would only add to the clusterfuck I was sure our day would turn into at any moment. Therefore, in the name of less drama I tried to leave the item on my nightstand, but Vincent must have swiped it. He followed me on
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 165: Book Deals and Broken Promises
Vincent moves my feet off the couch and sits in the space. I don't like him being so far away, so I reposition myself until I'm leaning next to his body and getting into his personal bubble.He leans back on the couch wrapping one of his muscular arms over my shoulders. "Today's been shit. Huh?"He'd spent most of Sunday on the phone with his legal team and public relations employees. Everyone in Valiant Industries had quite the weekend. Even though he said he didn't plan to take action against Tiffany, he wants to stop the book from being published. Vincent doesn't elaborate on how he plans to make that happen, but I have faith in him.His legal and PR teams worked for hours and now had a course of action moving forward. Tiffany might strike the first blow with the article about her book, but Vincent wouldn't take it lying down. Tomorrow morning his office would release a statement countering the article and hopefully combatting any speculation. There will still be rumors and ta
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 164: Agreements
By the next morning we still haven't come to an agreement on the house. I want to continue living in the penthouse and Vincent wants to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a weekend place fifteen miles out of the city—a home we won't officially move into until the baby is school age.Something warns me if I don't put up a big fight, Vincent will buy the house and just not tell me about it right away, so I make him promise in the car on the way home he won't do anything without getting my permission first. It's his money, and I feel bad bossing him about his own bank account, but a house is a big damn deal. You can't just buy a house. I'm only half sure making him promise will work, but it's time for me to stretch the trust part of our relationship."You're hiring the chef who made the sandwich and the chocolate cake. Right? I ask biting off another piece of my breakfast bagel."We are hiring and yes."All the meals we tested were delicious, and my core heats remembering the
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 163: A Ruined Evening Fixed
The early Saturday morning sun wakes me the rest of the way after Vincent's alarm starts the job by rattling on his bedside nightstand. Who sets an alarm for Saturday?Vincent rolls over and wraps his arm underneath mine cradling a breast in his hand. I snuggle my back to his chest and reposition my head on the pillow, hoping I can fall back to sleep and he can do whatever he incorrectly believes is important enough to wake up early on a weekend."I'm sorry last night was ruined." He kisses the back of my neck sucking lightly."You mean when your wife broke in here and tried to steal what I strongly suspect was an engagement ring?" We'd talked about many things the night before but never got around to that topic.I'd planned to ask him, but after finding out Tiffany's demands for his sperm and then the sex, the thought completely fled my mind. We lay in bed together for another hour as Vincent held me tightly, but eventually he slipped from under the covers.Hours later I fou
