Chapter 3
The chaotic shouting behind us slowly faded into a dull,
distant roar,
as Blake guided me toward his waiting convoy of armored vehicles.
The heavy,
bulletproof doors of the central SUV swung open immediately,
and the incredibly warm,
luxurious interior welcomed my freezing,
trembling body.
Blake climbed in right behind me,
pulling the heavy door shut,
firmly sealing us off from the cruel,
judgmental world outside.
He immediately reached for a thick,
heated blanket from the back seat,
wrapping it tightly around my shivering shoulders.
"Take us home,"
Blake commanded the driver,
his tone sharp and authoritative,
commanding absolute obedience.
The powerful engine roared to life,
and the convoy smoothly pulled away from the spectacular disaster we had just created.
I leaned my head against the soft,
leather headrest,
closing my eyes as the adrenaline finally began to fade away.
A single,
stray tear slipped down my cold cheek,
mixing with the drying fountain water.
Blake noticed it instantly,
reaching out with a gentle,
warm thumb to carefully wipe it away.
"I am so sorry,"
he whispered,
his tough exterior melting away entirely now that we were completely alone.
"I should have arrived much sooner,
I should never have let him lay a single finger on you."
I opened my eyes,
looking into the beautiful,
stormy gray depths of my husband's eyes,
seeing nothing but pure,
unconditional love.
"You came at the exact right moment,"
I assured him,
reaching out from beneath the blanket to softly hold his strong hand.
"They needed to show their true,
ugly colors in front of everyone,
and you helped me finally break free."
Blake brought my cold knuckles to his lips,
pressing a tender,
lingering kiss against my skin.
"They will never hurt you again,"
he vowed,
his voice filled with a fierce,
unshakable determination.
"I will personally ensure that none of them ever set foot near you,
and they will spend the rest of their miserable lives regretting today."
The city lights blurred past the tinted windows,
painting beautiful,
glowing streaks of gold and red across the dark interior of the car.
For the very first time in my entire life,
I felt genuinely,
completely safe,
knowing that I was finally going to a place where I truly belonged.
We drove in peaceful,
comforting silence for the remainder of the journey,
my head resting comfortably against his broad,
steady chest.
When we finally passed through the massive,
wrought-iron gates of his private estate,
May you like
I knew that my nightmare was finally over,
and my real life was just beginning.
