Chapter 31: Close call

The moment Xavier dropped his keys on the table, his phone buzzed. He gritted his teeth in irritation as he glanced at the caller. It was Magnus.

After much hesitancy, he answered the call. "Magnus he called out in a deadly tone.

"Xavier" Magnus called out too.

"The audacity for you to call me while hiding like the scared rat you are. You know you are as good as dead if I ever set my eyes on you"

"You see Xavier, you fight hard, but I fight smart. The truth is I never left San Diego. Not when Rachael is right under my nose" he confessed and Xavier froze.

"What do you mean by that?" Xavier snapped at him.

Magnus chortled. "You think keeping her in your house surrounded by your weak men can stop me from getting her? Think again. What happened with Emmeline can repeat itself, but this time I'll be doing the shooting" he spoke in a mocking tone that made Xavier's blood boil.

"don't you dare," he said between gritted teeth.

"You have 30 minutes Xavier," Magnus said and abruptly ended the call.

"Fuck!" Xavier roared, hurling the phone to the wall, forcefully. He wasted no time as he grabbed his key and headed out of his office.

His heart thumped at the thought of Magnus laying his filthy hands on Rachael. He couldn't bear anything happening to her especially when it was connected to him. It was something he had gone through once and wasn't ready to go through it again.

The instant he got out of the office building, he entered his car and zoomed off. With the way he drove, it was inevitable he was going to get chased by the cops, but he didn't care. All he could think of was Rachael's safety. Even though he had some of his men protecting the house, that couldn't stop Magnus. He knew what Magnus was capable of doing and he never for once underestimated him. If he said he was going to break in in 30 minutes, then he was.

Xavier's eyes were still on the road as he dailed Rachael's number, placing it on his ears and waiting for her to answer.

"Xavier" she mumbled into the phone.

"Rachael where are you?" He asked impatiently.

"At the garden, I like the......"

"Rachael listens to me" he began. "Go inside the house and don't come out until I come home" he ordered strictly.

"Why?"

"Don't ask any fucking questions, just do as you are told" he yelled over the phone out of frustration.

"You don't have to act so...." She was about to complete the sentence when a gunshot was heard and she screamed instead.

Xavier panicked. "Rachael go inside and shut the door," he instructed and dropped the phone. His hands gripped the steering wheel of the car, increasing the speed he drove in.

His phone chimed and he picked it up again. “10 minutes” the message read. Xavier already knew it was from Magnus.

"Fuck!" Xavier hit the steering of the car angrily. If Magnus was anywhere around, Xavier wouldn't hesitate in snatching his soul out of its body.

He repeatedly kept checking the time while still driving at full speed. When he got closer to the mansion, he took out his gun from the center console of his car and cocked it, prepared to bring Magnus down.

On getting to the mansion, Xavier alighted the car and scanned the area before making his way inside. He opened the door and headed straight to Rachael's room to see if she was okay.

"Who's that" he heard her soft voice when he knocked. Relief washed through him. He got to her before Magnus did.

"It's me Xavier" he mumbled and the door was opened immediately. She looked terrified with beads of sweat present on her forehead. A gasp evaded her lips when she saw the gun in his hand.

"It's okay I thought you were in danger," he said regarding the gun.

"Well I am, I heard the sound of a gunshot outside," said Rachael, panicking.

"It's okay. Probably my boys were training at the field" he lied because he didn't want her to worry a bit.

His phone beeped again. Even without reading the message, he knew it had to be Magnus. "That's a close one"the message read which caused Xavier to grit his teeth in anger.

"We should go on a trip" he blurted out of nowhere and Rachael stared at him perplexed.

"What trip?"

"like a vacation. To clear your head and also mine. You need it, judging from the fact that you lost your mother" he uttered, but that was not the real reason. The only reason he wanted her to leave San Diego was solely because of the devil named Magnus. The idea was to place Rachael in one of his houses in Chicago, heavily protected. That way, Magnus will find it hard to get to her.

"I didn't know you cared so much, but I seriously don't see the need for a vacation"

"I insist" Xavier added firmly.

The last thing he wanted was to tell Rachael about her safety being at great risk. That could do nothing but throw her off. If she found out Magnus was still after her, that could only appall her.

"I don't want to go on a vacation. I can't leave Chloe here?"

"She can come too," Xavier added already impatient. All he waited for was her consent. The moment she gave him that, the arrangement would be made Instantly.

"No, she can't. She has plans to join the navy and I don't want to delay her"

Xavier stood hands akimbo as he walked away from her, breathing out sharply.

"Is there a problem? You look tensed?"

"No" he snapped, but soon realized how hostile he acted "No' he added more calmly this time. "But you are coming with me to work tomorrow"

"I don't get any day off?" She asked with a frown of disapproval on her face.

"Just trust me on this"

"But..... "

"No questions" he pointed at her before turning to leave.