Chapters 32 - Dangerous Intentions.

"Daphne, don't do something you're going to regret. We can settle this like reasonable adults."

Xavier was trying to negotiate his wat out of the problem, he knew Daphne would never hurt him, that as much he knew but he couldn't say the same about Amelia and he was not willing to take any risks. Besides, Daphne looked wild and demented and with her swinging around the gun everywhere in such a careless manner, he was more frightened about stray bullets hitting Amelia than even himself. If he got close enough to her, he could tackle her, but she looked too unreasonable for him to even try it.

"Step away from her Xavier. It's her I want, not you."

Daphne warned as she pulled the trigger.

"You're going to have to go through me first because I'm not going anywhere."

"Daphne please don't do this! Let's just settle whatever problems we have amicably."

Amelia begged and Xavier pushed her further back, he didn't want her to escalate the problem.

Daphne laughed.

"Yea right!! The only thing I want to do right now  is to make you feel the same pain I felt six months ago when I lost my baby."

Xavier caught movement from the corner of his eyes but he couldn't look because he didn't want to draw attention to Daphne.

Daphne didn't think her plan through, she thought Amelia and Xavier had become lax with their security, what she didn't know was that was a complete lie.

It started when Lorenzo had shown them the letter and postcard Daphne had sent from Mykonos. Xavier had the letter investigated and traced, it wasn't from Mykonos. Rather, Daphne had paid someone off to send the letter in her name. That was when Xavier had become deeply baffled, he didn't know why Daphne made such move but he knew it was an attempt at making them lose their guard.

So that was what they pretended to do. What Daphne didn't know was that a security detail always tailed Xavier and Amelia wherever they went and they were always at least a few blocks away. Xavier and Amelia also had a modified smart watch to send distress signals whenever they needed help.

They had never been alone or without security, Daphne was the one who had been tricked.

He was just thinking of the best possible way to get out of the situation with minimal casualties and with Amelia being pregnant, things were a lot more harder.

"Get down!!!!"

Everything that happened right after that moment felt like it was in slow motion to Amelia. Xavier had pulled her down while crouching over her and she had heard a gunshot and squeezed her eyes shut, maybe even two and it had rocked her to her core.

Few seconds later she opened her eyes slowly, to see Daphne being tackled to the floor by two of their security team. Daphne even looked more baffled than Amelia.

"The smart watch?" Amelia asked as she looked at her husband's wrist and he nodded.

Amelia sighed in relief, when Xavier had given her the smart watch and called for security details to tail them everywhere they were going to, Amelia had felt her husband was overreacting.
But he was right, all his fears about Daphne had been confirmed at last.

"I didn't think you had time to push the distress button."

She added as she sat on the grass bended over and breathing heavily. She was fine, her baby was fine, that was the only words going through her mind to reassure herself.

"Yea, I'm okay..."

She murmured and then looked up and found Xavier's arm stained with blood.

"Oh my God! You're shot!!"

She exclaimed and Xavier looked at his shoulder and shrugged.

"I think the bullet just grazed me, it's more of a flesh wound."

She raised up Xavier's sleeve to examine the wound. It was right, it was just a flesh wound but he was still bleeding a lot. She picked up the blanket and pressed it against the wound for a few seconds.

"Can you guys call an ambukance?"

Amelia said to one of the security men still lurking around and he nodded his head.

"We already did ma'am."

Meanwhile, while Xavier and Daphne were busy engrossed in each other, Daphne was being heaved up by two hefty men. Her gun had been pushed away from her and she was as defenceless and harmless as fly.

Daphne was thrashing and fuming at the same time while spewing curse words.

"I'll get you for this! I swear I'll get you for this!!"

"Leave me alone!!! Stop touching me."

"Have you contacted the police?"

Xavier asked and one of the men nodded.

"The nearest unit would be here in the next three minutes."

"Good job guys. Please take her away."

The men nodded and started moving Daphne away and she screamed as they carted her away.

"The only thing you'll be getting is jail time!!"

Amelia screamed after her and Xavier held her back to keep her from going too far.

"Hey, hey, it's okay."

He said as he cupped her cheeks and she looked into his eyes. Never before had Amelia noticed how time was so much like water; that it could pass slowly, a drop at a time or even freeze, or rush by in a blink. The past few seconds, minutes or hours had been nothing less than horrifying and she knew they were moments she could never forget.

"If anything had happened to you..."

She said as tears streamed down her eyes. Xavier shook his head as he wiped her tears

"Shhh. Nothing happened to me."

"No, no let me finish."

"If something had happened to you I would have been shattered, completely and totally shattered. I wouldn't even be able to live my life knowing you won't be there Xavier."

"I cannot afford to lose you!!"

Her tears turned into whimpers and from whimpers to loud sobs as Xavier pulled her into a hug. He had never been so scared in his entire life.

"I was so scared. I was terrifued of losing you and the baby."

He whispered into her ear as he hugged her as tight as her baby bump would. Let him.

"I was so scared of losing you too. I felt like I was going to wet my pants Xavier. I have never felt so helpless like that in my entire life!!"

She exclaimed as she broke free from the hug and Xavier bent to kiss her belly.

"I'm just happy our little one is safe. If one of those bullet had even as much as touched a hair on your body, I would make sure she suffers dearly for it."

Xavier said as he looked up from his bended knee and kissed Amelia's fingers.
Amelia ruffled his hair as she smiled at him, she was just so relieved it was over, more than anything she was extremely relieved.

It was finally over.