Mine | ✔️

Chapter 47

Happy New Year loves! Please make 2022 your bitch :)

Alex's P.O.V

"Make sure you rest that foot, alright?" Dr. Depretis said as he waved goodbye to us. Wheeling her out to the car, I help her get settled in.

"Are you alright?" I asked as I helped Scar into the car. "I'm alright, thank you," she replied with a reassuring smile. As we drove, Scar fell asleep, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

How am I supposed to protect a baby? I can't even protect the woman I love.

Picking up the phone, I called Josiah. "Josiah, any updates?"

"The prisoners are still sedated, sir. Your cousin Dante is awaiting your return," he replied.

"Good. Tell him I'm on my way home. I want security to be reinforced five times more than usual. I'm not taking any chances and risking their safety," I said. "Have the builders finished their work?" I asked.

"Yes, they're packing up their tools and heading out now," he replied.

"Good. Tell them the money will be wired to their account within twenty-four hours," I replied.

"Yes, sir. Anything else I can do for you?" he asked.

"Yes, tell the maids to make sure the house is in order by the time I get home. I'm ten minutes out," I replied.

"Will do, sir. I look forward to Miss Johnson's return," he said as I ended the call.

Maybe I should have increased security by ten, not five. God, if something happens to either of them I'll never be able to forgive myself. What if I-

"Stop thinking so hard, will you?" Scarlett asked as she awoke, gently stretching.

"You're awake,"

"Yeah, and you're gripping the steering wheel like you're about to run someone over. Calm down, will you?" she said with a chuckle.

"I have to think about you and your baby. Your security and safety is of the utmost importance. If something happened to you I-," I started, but she cut me off by placing a hand on my thigh.

"My disappearing suggestion is still on the table," she said as she gave my thigh a light squeeze.

"No, it isn't. It never was on the table to begin with," I replied.

"Alex, you're stressing yourself out with this. You'll get hurt. Hell, you could die protecting me and-,"

"You're worth dying for, Scarlett. Letting you go and helping you disappear seems to you like the easy option, but running away won't fix this. Not this time. The only way this ends is if-,"

"Cade dies," we both said at the same time.

"What if we fake my death? I died and therefore the baby died and Cade won't have anything to come after anymore,"

"And when he finds out that you're alive, the torture you and your baby will face is not something I will allow. I can't risk it, Scarlett," I replied as I pulled into the driveway.

They've already failed level one security.

"When I say up the security," I snapped as I gout out of my car, slamming the door and walking up to Josiah and the guards standing around him, "I mean up the fucking security! You let this car drive in without even checking to see who it was! Do you understand how important their safety is?" I snapped.

"My apologies, sir," Josiah said with his head low. "It won't happen again,"

"It better not, or I'll order the firing squad to shoot you till you're unrecognizable," I spat. "I want the first level of security to check all incoming and outgoing vehicles. No one leaves or enters without ensuring they aren't a threat. Is that clear?" I asked angrily, my patience running thin.

Scarlett's P.O.V

As Alex slammed his door shut, I watched as he walked up to his guards, yelling at each and everyone of them. "He yells a lot, you'll get used to it," I said as I rubbed my belly soothingly. "Oh, look, he's coming back," I said as Alex walked towards the car. "Nevermind, he isn't," I added as he turned back around, punching one of his guards in the face.

Ouch.

"He's also kind of violent. Anger issues, you know? But you'll get used to that too," I said with a chuckle.

Fuck this, I'm not going to sit in this car forever.

Grabbing the crutches from the back seat, I open my door. Grasping the one door handle tightly, I gently slide out of the car and brace myself on one crutch. Turning slowly to get the other, I tuck it under my arm and begin to move off slowly.

He can close the door himself.

"Scarlett?' he asked as he turned towards me, rushing to stop me.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked quickly.

"You can keep yelling at your guards, my child and I are hungry," I said as I went to move around him.

"Josiah, accompany Scarlett to the kitchen. Have the maids make her something and do not leave her side," he snapped to one of his guards. A man who was slightly shorter than Alex, stepped forward and walked behind me as I entered the kitchen.

Well, this is going to need some getting used to.

"Miss Scarlett! Welcome home," Maria said as she greeted me with a hug.

"Hey, Maria. It's good to be back," I replied with a smile.

"Oh my goodness! You're expecting!" she exclaimed as she looked at my small bump. "Who's the father?" she asked.

"Uh, I um-," I started as tears formed in my eyes.

"Maria, do not badger her with questions. Both of you, leave us," Alex said as he walked into the kitchen. As both Josiah and Maria left, I felt Alex's arms around me as I cried into his chest.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so emotional," I cried as I clung to him.

"Shh, don't apologize. I'll have a talk with her later," he said as he softly petted my hair. "What would you like to eat?" he asked.

"Mashed potatoes sound nice. Maybe some fried chicken or fish or something on the side," I replied as I pulled away from him.

"I can send one of my men to go get it from that restaurant you had liked," he replied.

"Yeah, that would be great," I replied with a soft smile as I wiped my tears. As he snapped at someone over the phone to get the food, he turned back to me and helped me stand.

"I have something to show you while we wait," he said as he carried me and my crutches up the stairs. "I had some construction done while you were in the hospital," he said as he stopped in front of a door that was not too far away from his bedroom.

"What's in here?" I asked as he helped me balance on my crutches. Opening the door, tears welled up in my eyes.

"You said you thought it was a boy, so I had them paint the room in light blue. That's also a handcrafted crib from a rare tree in France," he said as he pointed towards the crib. "The dressers are also the same," he said as he pointed to the two dressers in the corner. "I was also advised that there was a need for a changing table and toys, so there you have it. That door over there connects our room to this room so you can get to him quickly, if you're comfortable sleeping in the same room, of course. If not, I'm willing to move rooms so you can have that one," he said as I walked into the bedroom, admiring all the thought he had put into this.

"You-you did all this for me?" I asked as I turned to face him.

"I told you I'd help you raise him," he replied as he walked towards the window. "There's even a child safety lock on the window that we can take off once he's older. And all the corners on the dressers and crib and such are protected so he doesn't lose an eye once he starts running around. The toys are big enough that he won't choke to death on them, though I should switch some of them out with softer toys so he doesn't give himself a concuss-," he started, but I cut him off as I walked up to him and kissed him.

"Thank you," I replied as I pulled away from him.

"Of course," he replied as he brought our lips back together.