Page 61 of Xander

Xander: Do your worst.

Chapter

Nineteen

XANDER

I ran the backs of my knuckles over Jordan’s cheek, grazing her bottom lip with my index finger. As much as I hated waking her, I had practice, and the stadium was a forty-minute drive.

“Wake up, baby.”

Her eyelids fluttered, and Jordan stared at me with the vigor of an amnesia patient. “Wha⁠—”

I pressed a brief but firm kiss on her lips. It had her bolting upright, drawing attention to her naked state. Jordan shrieked, kicking out her legs.

Her gaze landed on the bedroom door, likely about to scream for help. Frustration boiled over me. We had rekindled our previous bond, yet she pretended like this was all being done against her will. “Don’t even think about screaming because no one’s coming for you.”

“Why the hell am I naked?” she demanded, scanning the rest of the unfamiliar room. “And where are we?”

“I helped take your clothes off before we went to bed. And we’re at my house in Lunenberg.”

“Lunen what?”

The lost tone in her words made me proud of my pick. This town might be beautiful, but it was fairly unremarkable on the top lists of places to visit. It was the perfect hideout until I sorted out Jordan’s paperwork.

I couldn’t keep this estate under wraps forever. Given my presence in the limelight and the schedule of my broadcasted games, Henry would always be cognizant of our general whereabouts. However, there was something truly distasteful about him having the address to where we slept at night.

“Lunenberg,” I repeated, motioning outside the window. Colorful houses were stacked alongside the harbor. The blue of the clear water sparkled under the bright sun like something out of a picture. “It’s a town in Nova Scotia. This estate is called⁠—”

“How did we get here?” she cut me off frantically, desperately trying to orient herself. “Why don’t I remember it?”

“You passed out. You were probably out of sorts from being dehydrated,” I explained, omitting that I had drugged her food.

What? I needed to get Jordan here without exposing the kidnapping. Technically, I didn’t lie to her because she did pass out from the drugs.

I extended the water bottle sitting on the nightstand. Her gaze flickered between the bottle and my face. When she didn’t reach for it, I returned it to the side table.

My scowl deepened as I contemplated how to get Jordan to accept this relationship faster. Despite how hard she fought me, it was still better to be with her than not. I held on to the hope that her defiance stemmed from being overwhelmed by the sudden changes in her life. Once the dust settled, she would see things differently and be more open to me. After all, who better to protect her from my father than his son? I knew his tricks better than anyone.

“I brought you here because Henry won’t look for you here,” I spoke carefully, letting her bleak alternative sink in.

The mere mention of the man who owned the deed to her life struck fear in her eyes. Jordan nodded slowly. She had spent enough time with Henry to know that running away from him would elicit harsh consequences. Sticking to the lesser of the two evils was to her benefit.

I tapped her on her lower back. “Time to get out of bed. Bathroom’s through there if you want to shower, and I already brought in your things.” I nodded at the adjacent door and then at the shopping bags. “You have twenty minutes to get ready.”

“Get ready for what?”

“My week off is officially over,” I notified her regretfully because I’d rather spend the day in bed with her. “I have practice in an hour.”

“So?”

“So get ready to leave for practice.”

Her forehead creased. “Why would I go to practice with you?”

I mirrored her incredulous look at the unreasonable question. “Because you go where I go.” Jordan had one foot out the door, and my father was trying to sink his claws into her again. Did she think I would let her out of my sight?

“People might see us together,” she protested.