How is it possible that in one day, one man could change the way Halle saw everything?Over six hours had passed since the Officers had left, Halle hadn’t said a word to the man who sat on her bed.His eyes were on her, following her every move as she began to clean every inch of her apartment, looking for a way to distract herself from the lies she’d told and what she had just pulled herself deeper into.This has become much more than a hostage situation and because of her ‘soft heart' that her mother often said would get her killed one day, now she was in a situation that would definitely get her killed.Halle felt bile rise in her throat. She never lied to anyone! Sure she told half-truths or sometimes switched up stories but only when it was necessary but yet this man had made her lie so many times in a span of just a few hours since coming into her life.Is this was they call a toxic relationship?Halle bit her bottom lip to keep herself from groaning out loud, unfortunatel
His lips came back down on hers, his tongue delving into her mouth and tangling itself with her tongue.It was like a battle, they pushed and pulled, bit and nibbled until Halle was flushed and out of breath, he pulled away slowly, breathing just as hard as she did.“Halle…”Halle wished she had something to call him, his name. She wished she could moan out his name and make it sound as sinful as he made hers sound.Her eyes slowly cracked open, brown eyes were just a few inches above her, boring deep into her with a burning gaze that made her lower belly burn with a need that she still didn’t understand.His hand moved down to her thighs, slowly went up her dress, and caressed her bare skin. His hot fingers touching her in ways no one else has.Halle moaned from the burst of pleasure she felt from his touch, her hand grabbing fistfuls of his hair and bringing him closer.She wanted those probing fingers of his higher, but he never moved them from the top of her thighs, he kept
Halle awoke with a start. She gasped for air as she felt her back drenched in cold sweat and her hair matted to her forehead. Her heart pounded like she’d just run a marathon and her sleepiness had completely left her. “Halle?” She heard a worried voice from her side, a warm hand holding her shoulders and trying to shake her out of her unexplained state. “Flower…” He called out again. His baritone voice was enough to bring her back to her senses. “What’s wrong?” His hands moved up to her face, bringing her face closer, cupping her chin, and brushing tendrils of her curls away from her face. He was here, with her on her student bed that could barely contain two people. In his brown eyes were embers of worry, he didn’t let go, not even when she had forced a reassuring smile and tried to pull away from his grasp. “Nightmare?” He inquired, his eyes didn’t leave hers. It only then occurred to Halle that his eyes were bright, with no sign of sleep in them. Sunlight was seeping past t
THREE YEARS LATER... “I’m done for the night,” Halle announced, her eyes heavy with sleep and her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. She had succeeded in pulling off five all-nighters without passing from exhaustion or ripping out someone’s head from the annoyance of this cursed week.It was their boss’s birthday five days ago and he had chosen to make it a one-week celebration, Halle at first had considered her final exams and how much time she would need to read and prepare for them. That was until her boss, Gregory, told her the perks of working overtime.After considering the amount of money she would make from those five nights alone she accepted without hesitation but feeling the tremendous pain in her shoulders and thighs she was now beginning to regret her decision.“you’ve worked harder than you have in a long time, I feel like giving you a raise,” Gregory said humorously, his eyes holding their usual glint of lust as he spoke making Halle roll her eyes in exasperation.“Just
Halle’s apartment was only two years old, she was one of the first tenants to move in, the building called to her like a siren when she had gone house hunting, the apartment was bigger than the last one she left, it had more than enough space to contain everything she owned and even more. It had a living room and a bedroom separate, a big kitchen that could survive her working on her cooking skills, and despite it being way above her budget, she paid for it as a treat for herself…Greta began to visit more often after that, well that was until Simon came into their lives.Halle hated to admit it but the fact that her friend and boyfriend didn’t like each other gnawed at her, she’s tried so hard to finally make things work for herself and in turn also help them in as many ways as she could, couldn’t they both at least just be happy for her? Even though they had to pretend.Greta was well on her way to becoming a famous reporter, she uses that as an excuse now to stay away whenever she le
EMAIL SENT!Halle stared at the screen of her laptop for the longest time, she had just sold her soul… maybe she was overreacting…it wasn’t that bad.It was good money and if they gave her the job, shed be set for life, maybe one day after her graduation she would be able to go home, to her mother and show her that she could actually make something of herself, something great.By carrying another person’s child, came the nagging voice at the back of her mind.Halle had just sent out her application to the email address Simon had given her, filling up every information they had asked for and never hesitating as she pressed that button. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she began to question every single thing she’s been taught as a child.“Surrogacy is an honorable job,” Greta sighed, “I don’t understand why you look like you just signed a deal with the devil himself,”Maybe because she felt like she just did?Greta was here the second Halle sent her a text about the job offer and ev
Halle really wished she could enjoy her weekend as she had planned to. In her five days and nights of horror, Halle pictured herself constantly on her bed, in a warm bath, a hot bath…under a hot shower. Yet here she was, practically paralyzed from exhaustion on her bed and waiting for an email. It was a bright Sunday morning, the best day of the week for Halle as she had absolutely nowhere to go, there were no classes or shifts at the Matten Bar. Everything should’ve been perfect and relaxing but Halle found her mind drifting as she brushed her teeth, as she took a shower, and put on her clothes, she still thought about checking her email. It had only been a few hours, Halle managed to get proper sleep but not nearly enough considering the amount of sleep she had already missed out on in the past week. Greta and Simon had left sometime in the early hours of the morning, she knew because she felt a peck on her cheek ad remembered the scent of roses, Greta’s favorite scent. She had
Their coffees came before Halle could ask the thousand and one questions that were in her head. Marta stayed quiet, and elegantly she opened the cup of coffee that was brought in a ceramic china mug with a little lid on it and added two spoons of sugar to it, and stirred. It was only after she had put the spoon down and taken the first sip of coffee did she finally raise her head to look at Halle. Halle waited patiently, the steam coming from the mug in front of her warmed up her face and the scent of the coffee was strong, earthy...It was quality coffee, Halle could tell from the scent that assailed her nostrils and calmed her nerves. “Mr. Stone highly recommended you for this job Halle, but I had to do my research first and be sure you were the right choice, after all, this matter is of the utmost importance,” Martha said with a serious tone and then took another sip and let out a blissful sigh. “Is Mr. Stone the person in need of a surrogate?” Halle couldn’t help but ask, Martha
“Do I really need to be blindfolded for this?” Halle asked with a warm chuckle. Xavier just grinned mysteriously in response, guiding her by the shoulders through what sounded like a set of heavy doors given the echo. “Patience, Flower. I promise, it’s worth the surprise,” he assured her, amusement and excitement dancing in his tone. Halle smiled and cooperated as he led her slowly ahead a few more steps. Her heart swelled, trusting Xavier so completely even when she couldn’t see. After everything they had endured, Halle knew without doubt he would never lead her anywhere dangerous again. “Just a little further,” Xavier coached. “Watch your step.” His sturdy hands on her waist aided Halle in navigating what felt like a small staircase. A few more shuffling paces forward and they finally halted. Halle quivered in anticipation. “Can I look now?” “One moment…” She heard the smile in Xavier’s voice just before he moved behind her and untied the blindfold at last. “Now you can open your
When Halle awoke late one night from another vivid episode of panic, Xavier recognized a shift had finally occurred. He gathered her quaking frame close while she wept, exhausted and heart sore. “Shh I have you, just breathe,” he soothed until the tension slowly left her muscles. Halle clung to him like an anchor amidst stormy waters even once fully awake. “I’m scared, Xavier,” she admitted in a small voice once sufficiently calmed. “Scared she’ll find us again.” Xavier steeled himself before answering gently. “Then it’s time I put real end to this. For your peace of mind, and our son’s future.” Halle’s arms tightened around him briefly at the implication. But she simply nodded bravely when she pulled back. “Just promise me you’ll come back safely. I can’t lose you.” Her palm cupped his bearded cheek with profound tenderness. Turning his head, Xavier pressed a kiss into her open palm. “I will always come back to you Halle,” he avowed passionately. His piercing gaze bore into hers,
Xavier paused in the open doorway, gazing at the scene before him – Halle curled protectively around their three week old son as he nursed, her expression tired but content, Damien was at the edge of the bed, curiously watching and asking questions, his wide eyes innocent and childlike, just like it ought to be. Xavier’s heart swelled at the simple domestic sight, still scarcely able to believe he had nearly lost them forever.Halle had begged for Damien to be close, so the second they left Halle’s birth country in Africa, he had Monty bring the young boy out from hiding and back with them, where he belonged. After Halle had been safely recovered and gave birth, Xavier wasted no time whisking her away to a secluded estate where they could focus solely on healing without fear of Martha’s lingering reach. And healing was no small feat after the trauma Halle had endured. Though her physical wounds were minimal, the psychological toll left lasting scars.She was plagued regularly by v
Halle drifted slowly up towards consciousness, clinging to the last visages of a dream where she was enveloped in tender warmth and comforting strength. Even semi-conscious, she instinctively recognized the sensations cocooning her now were real, not imagined. But after endless days and nights of torment, believing rescue could only manifest as a fantasy, Halle desperately avoided opening her eyes fully. What if this beautiful illusion shattered the instant she woke up? The possibility made her heart seize with renewed panic.No - the arms cradling her were solid, the scent of juniper and fresh rain surrounding her unmistakably Xavier’s. This precious peace was real, it had to be. Halle focused on steadying her breaths, mentally grasping for fragments of memory through the haze still clouding her thoughts. Flashes filtered back now – the frantic escape attempt, searing contractions hitting, Xavier appearing through her delirium of pain like a saving vision…the sweet sound of her chi
A FEW HOURS EARLIER… The scorching sun beat down as Xavier surveyed the sprawling, dusty streets from the backseat of the nondescript sedan. It had taken tremendous resources and calling in more favors than he could count to get boots on the ground in this remote country so quickly. But nothing could deter him from his mission – finding Martha and making her pay for taking Halle.Taking the woman he loved and then sending him papers to sign while at it. Xavier gritted his testy as he thought about the phone call he had gotten from his aunt, she’d sent papers to his mail…asking him to sign over everything to her, that was her endgame. If she couldn’t get it from Damien as she’d originally intended, she’d get it directly from the man himself. Xavier had agreed to her deal but…he wasn’t really going to sign those paper. Stone was his legacy and he’ll be damned if he let’s and overly ambitious bitch take over and ruin everything he’s built. His mind wandered inevitably to images of h
Too spent to argue, Halle permitted him to gently help her ease down onto the padded nest now warming her chilled legs. Though hardly ideal accommodations, at least she was off the frigid concrete floor. Monty seemed satisfied with his efforts.“I must inform the Don that you have been found before he burns the brothel down,” he announced. Before Halle could wrap her mind around the significance of his deliberate phrasing, Monty had disappeared back down the cellar corridor with a final instruction tossed over his shoulder – “Try to focus your energies, I will be back as fast as I can.”Xavier…was here, for her. Halle couldn’t hold back her relieve tears but of course that feeling was short lived. Then Halle was alone again with her body’s urgent demands. She closed her eyes, trying futilely to center her wild thoughts through the intensifying contractions. But it was impossible to find any inner calm or fortitude. Not with her heart pounding anew wondering how much longer until
Halle’s heart hammered violently in her chest as the first contraction seized her swollen belly. There was no denying it now – the terror and physical exertion of her escape attempt had triggered full blown labor. Her child was coming, ready or not, even as Martha’s henchmen battered viciously to break in.“Shit!” Halle cursed under her breath as she held her belly, the pain hitting her unexpectedly and making her whole body sway and her legs shake. Leaning heavily on the dusty desk, Halle fought to stay upright and quiet through the painful tightening. But despite clenching her jaw, a low moan still escaped through her gritted teeth. The dampness soaking her dress kept spreading. “Why are you so impatient…” Halle cursed through gritted teeth, trying her best to stay up right so as to prevent any complications. From down the cellar corridor came another resounding crack – the stubborn old door’s hinges were splintering rapidly under the men’s force. In mere minutes they would be
Halle awoke with a gasp, her heart already racing. Today was the day – the day she would finally attempt her escape from this nightmare. She lay still for a moment, focusing on slowing her breathing and gathering her courage. The gloom shrouded the cramped room, but Halle’s eyes discerned the packed bag hidden beneath her cot containing the supplies she had managed to secretly squirrel away over the past week. The last week had been utter torment, forcing herself to endure her mother’s assaults and the groping hands of repulsive men trying to lay claim to her while pretending total resignation. More than once she had nearly faltered, the will to fight slowly being crushed out of her. But she would gently caress the swell of her belly. She could not – would not – let this place and its monsters claim another child if there was any hope of escape.Moving slowly to avoid any sounds of creaking, Halle eased herself up to sit on the edge of the mattress. Her heavy, cumbersome belly m
The days dragged by in agonizing torture as Halle remained trapped in her personal hell. Time ceased to hold meaning within the dingy confines of the small room that had been hers as a teenager under her mother’s cruel control. The peeling walls oozed with memories of past suffering, the very air thick with hopelessness.And now, heavy with her unborn child, Halle felt more trapped than ever. Her mother’s daily visits always ended with fresh bruises blossoming on her skin, dark reminders of her powerlessness. When not enduring her mother’s rage, Halle spent the empty hours curled miserably on the cot, arms wrapped around her belly as if to shield the precious life within from the darkness pressing in around them.On the fifth night, Halle lay tense and sleepless, every creak of the old brothel putting her nerves on edge. She stared dry-eyed into the gloom, too weary even for tears. The baby’s steady kicks were her only comfort.When the familiar scrape of the main door opening reached