🌸The Promise 🌸[18+]

Chapter 36

I leave Anne and baby Matthew to get some sleep. I need to find Xavier and tell him all about Andrew and Madam Roe. We need to stop this act of cruelty and save these women.

I knock on his bedroom door and wait for him to answer. I can hear footsteps and he opens the door with a surprised but happy face.
"Nova, are you okay?" He asks and I nod. But tears fall from my eyes and I can't keep the sobs in any longer.

"Oh Xavier." I cry and he automatically brings him arm around me.
Thoughts of poor Anne and her torture she's endured is all I can see.

"Let's sit down." He says and opens my door directly opposite and half carries me in.
He sits me down carefully at the end of my bed and turns to pull a chair for him. He sits in front of me and I can see the concern on his face.

"Is it Anne?" He asks and I nod.

"What did she say?"

So with a deep breath I tell him everything she told me. Andrew and Madam Roe swirl around the air as I tell him about their abuse towards Anne and what they did to her. How she was targeted and that I'm sure Andrew finds these young vulnerable girls for this purpose alone.
I can't help the sobs that wrack my body with each word. My chest heaves and finally my voice stops, my emotions getting the better of me.
I look to Xavier and I can see his jaw is clenched, his eyes are wild with anger and his fists are ready to fight.
He stands abruptly searching for something, I don't know what but his anger is radiating out of him like steam from a kettle.

"I'm going to kill him." He says through gritted teeth. "And her." He spits.
But I shake my head. Flashes of Xavier stabbing Mr Travers enter my mind and I know he was lucky to not be in prison for it.

"Xavier you can't, we need to inform the police and do it that way. We can't risk you doing anything that could get you into trouble." I say as I stand to take his hand.

"What like kill him? Like I've killed before?" He words shock me and I step back feeling uneasy.

I take a deep breath and try to clear my thoughts.

"Mr Travers death was self defense, but if you go after Andrew and Madam Roe they won't see it that way. We can't lose you, we can't lose you due to your want of revenge." I say as my chin wobbles.

I can't lose you.

But not hearing me, Xavier turns angrily to go. I know what he's going to do, he's going to go to the Taven and I can't bare thinking about what will happen. I can't let him go.

"No!" I scream and run towards him, he turns at my voice and I jump up at him wrapping my arms around his neck. He moves slightly with the force but catches himself as he catches me. My legs wrap around his waist awkwardly and my arms hang on for dear life. He's so strong that he holds me off the ground with ease as I press my wanting lips to his surprised one's.

I've quite literally thrown myself at him and in this moment I don't care.

He kisses me back as he holds me, and lights flash behind my eyes. How can I want this man when I can't have him?
But just as Xavier moves to put me down on the bed I hear someone clearing their throat. I break the kiss and look over Xavier's shoulder. Xavier curses in frustration as moves his head to see who has interrupted us.
We both look into a shocked and rather unhappy,
Mr Laywood.

Xaiver straightens up slowly and I join him. I look down not wanting to face Mr Laywood. Embarrassment evident on my cheeks as I feel them warm.

"Father." Xavier says and his voice holds some authority, like he's not embarrassed in the slightest.

Mr Laywood clears his throat again.

"I'm here to tell Nova that we will be having guests this evening, who will be staying with us till the Winterball." Mr Laywood says but his voice seems quiter than usual.

"And who are they?" Xavier ask with no emotion in his voice.

"Your brother Henry and a new acquaintance of his, Lady Cordelia Wandsworth."

I feel the mood in the room change from embarrassed to deadly quiet. I look to see Xavier staring at his father in shock and Mr Laywood staring back cooly.
Xavier turns to me and hurt is in his eyes, like he's sorry. Sorry for something I don't know yet.