Stalked Ch. 05

Xander got to his knees and held onto me, squeezing me into his chest and breathing me in. He rested his chin atop my head and sighed heavily.

"Thank God I found you, baby girl," he breathed out.

I just sobbed and held onto him. I could hear the other men moving around Stassa screaming. My entire body was racked with sobs and I held onto Xander like he was my lifeline. When I finally pulled away from his chest to look at him, he kissed me softly, not using his tongue but moving his lips with mine. It was sweet, slow, and just what I needed after so much pain and loss.

A man clearing his throat interrupted us and we both looked up at one of Xander's comrades. He was a tall blonde guy with blue eyes.

"What should we do with her?" he asked Xander.

"Tie her up and put her in the back. Same with him." He pointed at Pope's bloody body crumpled on the ground. I relished seeing him like that.

The men moved to do what they were told, while Xander looked back at me, squeezing me tighter. He nuzzled his stubbly face into my neck and I smiled. It was the first time I'd smiled in weeks, my cheeks protesting. He stood, taking me with him still wrapped around him like a monkey. He walked me to the SUV and got into the back with me. His men shoved Stassa and Pope into the back behind Xander and me and they piled in.

We drove for hours, not even stopping for a bathroom break. Still dark out, we eventually stopped at a building just outside the desert. It wasn't my house or a hospital so I was confused. I looked at Xander with a raised brow.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"This is where you'll get all fixed up, baby. A doctor works out of this building and he's going to help you feel better, ok?" he soothed, smoothing my hair back from my face gently.

"Okay," I whispered.

He held my hand as we walked in, the SUV peeling out of the parking lot and leaving us. I looked at Xander but he explained they were taking Stassa and Pope to a designated location and coming back for us later. I nodded and let him lead me into the large building and up a couple of flights of stairs. We entered a large room full of hospital machines and tech. An older man turned toward us and introduced himself as Dr. Wright. I introduced myself and let him get right to work. Dr. Wright led me to a hospital bed and hooked me up to an IV with fluids. Then he gingerly touched my face and I winced in pain.

"This is fractured," he informed me. "You'll need some pain medication, which I can provide. It will have to heal on its own, so very minimal physical activity."

I nodded and told him where the rest of my injuries were. Xander stayed by my side the entire time, comforting me with his presence. But when the doctor wanted to check my genitals, I wanted Xander to turn away. He did as I asked and turned away, but stayed close by.

After the examination, Dr. Wright gave me a sad look that confirmed it was pretty bad.

"There is some tearing and bruising, that will heal on its own as well. Refrain from sexual intercourse for at least a month," he explained.

Xander tensed and became stiff as a board. He fisted his hands into balls and his knuckles turned white. I could hear the grinding of his teeth from where I lay. He turned back around slowly and I saw the flames shooting out of his eyes. He was furious, livid. I was angry too, but more exhausted than anything. I just wanted to rest and for Xander to hold me. That's all I had been dreaming about for the past few weeks.

Once the doctor left to get the pain medication and give us a moment of privacy, I looked at Xander, still fuming. "How did you find me?" I asked, curious.

"It was very difficult, to say the least. Maz made sure you'd be hard to find and I have to give it to him, he did a good job at that." He clenched his jaw, a tick forming there. "They kept you in the house so we couldn't get a satellite image of you for weeks. But once you left earlier in the day, we caught a picture of you and that fucking bastard on top of you. We pinpointed your location from there and found you quickly after that. It was just a matter of getting to you in time. We sent out a drone that got there before us and it followed you to the trailer park. We got to you right in time." He looked relieved and then angry again.

"I'm glad you found me." I smiled.

"Me too, baby girl," he breathed and leaned over to kiss my forehead.

The doctor came back and gave me some pain medication and a bottle to take home with me. He said it should last a few weeks, just enough time for me to heal. I thanked him profusely for helping me and Xander and I left the building. We got into the SUV waiting for us, minus a few of the guys. The blonde guy with blue eyes was driving.

"Thanks, Luke," Xander told the driver.

"Yeah, thank you, Luke," I told him as well. I was thankful for him and the rest of the guys.

"No problem, glad we could get you home safe and sound," Luke said behind his shoulder.

A few hours later, we pulled up to my house and I sighed in relief. The first thing I was going to do was take a nice hot bath. Xander helped me out and we walked into the house, it looked the exact same as when I had been taken from it. Xander helped me upstairs and filled a bath for me. He helped me out of my clothes and ground his teeth together when he saw all my bruises and marks. I had bite marks on my neck from Greg, my face was black and blue and swollen, and between my legs was angry red and shades of green and yellow from healing bruises.

I looked up from my body at Xander with shame in my eyes. He took the non-bruised side of my face and caressed my cheek with his large hand. "I will make every single one of them pay, baby. You hear me?" He looked at me intently with raw emotion in his eyes.

I nodded and he leaned in to kiss me but when I jumped back a little, he stopped and pulled away.

"I-I'm sorry," I told him, ashamed of myself for shying away from him.

"It's okay, you need some time. I understand that. I will be here for you always, I'll never leave," he promised.

I smiled. "Same old creep, huh?"

He laughed heartily and I relished in the sound of it. I stepped into my bath and sunk down into it with a sigh. It was piping hot and felt so good on my bruised and battered body. It stung in between my legs a bit, but I gritted my teeth and dealt with it. I wanted that part of me to heal more than anything. I wanted to thank Xander and show him that...That I loved him. I gasped and Xander swung his head to look at me with worry.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"Nothing, I can't tell you yet. I'd rather show you and I need some time before I can do that, ok?"

"Of course, baby, of course. I'm going to go get you some pajamas, ok?"

I nodded and sunk further into my hot bath. I lathered myself in soap and scrubbed my skin until it was raw and red. I wanted all the filth from that house and those men off of me. Xander stopped me when he came back in, taking the scrubby from me and using his rough hands to finish washing me. He grabbed my shampoo and scrubbed my scalp and washed my hair for me. He even conditioned it too. Then he massaged my sore muscles until I felt like I was going to pass out.

"Time for bed, little rabbit," he whispered.

He helped me out of the bath and helped dress me too. After brushing through my extremely knotted hair, he brought me to my bed and tucked me in, laying next to me. I wasn't sure at first if I could handle him touching me. But I would feel awful punishing him like that, not letting him hold me. So, I scooted closer to him, turned around, and lay my head on his chest. He sighed and rubbed my back gently until I fell asleep.

I woke with Xander spooning me and I shifted. When I felt his cock stiffen, I bolted upright and started panting. Xander jolted upright as well and grabbed me, pulling me to his chest and soothing me.

"I'm sorry," I cried into his chest.

"Don't be sorry, I'm the one that should be sorry."

"You can't help it, I'm just so fucked up, I don't know," I admitted.

"I'm going to be here for you, baby, I'm not going anywhere. I'll help in every way I can. Please don't be sorry," he breathed into my hair. "I'll kill every one of those fuckers for you, don't worry about that."

"I want to be there," I said with a certainty that just felt right.

"What?" he lifted my chin to meet his gaze.

"I want you to train me, teach me how to fight and use a gun. Then I want to be there with you when you kill them. I want to kill them too."

He thought about it for a few moments, so still. Then he said, "Okay, we can do that. Your training starts today. It'll keep your mind busy, which is a good thing."

I got up after hugging Xander for a bit longer, showered and got dressed, and headed downstairs. Xander showered while I made coffee and turned my laptop on. It was dead from weeks without use, so I plugged it in and sat at the island to write in my digital diary. I was a few pages in when I felt Xander behind me. I closed my laptop and turned to face him.

He looked so sexy standing in front of me in his black sweatpants and t-shirt. His chiseled muscles showed through the material and I bit my lip. His strong arms surrounded me and I pressed the good side of my face into his chest.

"You ready to start, baby?" he asked.

I nodded and he pulled me up gently, leading me to the basement. He showed me some moves, starting with my stance. It took longer than I expected to perfect it and by the time we were done hours later, I was dripping sweat and exhausted. My muscles were sore and I was a bit shaky. Xander laughed at me, telling me I needed to get my stamina up to par. I swore at him and we headed upstairs to take a shower.

Then it dawned on me, that I hadn't even asked what he had done with Stassa and Pope. I shivered at the thought of them but I had to know.

"Where are Pope and Stassa?" I asked hesitantly.

"At my house, in my basement," he replied. "That's where they'll stay until you're ready. I was going to dispose of them today, but I figured you'd want to be a part of it."

I thanked him and let him help me undress and get into the shower. He got in with me and washed my body so tenderly, it made my heart swell. I wrapped myself around him and let him hold me under the hot water. He rubbed my back and shoulders, making me groan.

We finished and he helped me get dressed in some yoga pants and a band t-shirt. Nirvana. I didn't even listen to them really, but I liked the shirt. I guess I was one of those people. I lay on my bed, wiped out and wanting to sleep, even though it was too early.

"You've got to eat something, baby girl," Xander reminded me. "Then you can sleep."

I nodded and followed him downstairs, sitting at the island and watching him cook for me. He pulled out a nice red steak and a small bag of what looked to be brussel sprouts. Gross. The pan sizzled as he put the meat in the oil and he started chopping the vegetables.

"Where did you get the food? My fridge had to be empty."

"From the grocery store, silly," he replied with a grin.

"You go grocery shopping?" I asked incredulously.

"I am a human being, you know. I have to eat like everyone else," he laughed.

"Whatever. Just feed me." I winked at him and he winked back, flipping the steak.

He finished cooking and set a beautiful plate in front of me. I ate every single bite, even the brussel sprouts, which were delicious.

"Thank you so much," I told him earnestly.

"Anything for you, baby," he said with another wink.

He poured me a glass of red wine and I sipped it with a sigh of relief. It was so good and the warmth spread through my belly. After the wine, my lids started to droop and Xander helped me up, taking me upstairs and to bed. He crawled in with me and held me tight for a few minutes.

"I have to go do a few things tonight, baby, I'll be back by morning, ok?"

"No, please stay," I said in a panic.

"I have to, sweet girl." He smoothed my hair back out of my face and kissed my forehead. "I'll be gone only a few hours. And my men are surrounding your house, protecting you while I'm away."

I nodded and tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat. I didn't know what to do without him. But I knew I had to be without him sometimes; I had to be strong. So, I watched him get up and leave the room, blowing me a kiss at the doorway. He closed my door and I listened to his footsteps down the hall until they faded. I sobbed into my pillow, hard and long. I cried so hard, I fell asleep after an hour or so.

I opened my eyes and felt behind me and realized Xander still wasn't there. I jolted upright and looked around my room in a panic. I got to my feet and searched the bathroom first, not finding him there. So, I ran down the hall and downstairs and didn't find him there either. I started to hyperventilate just as Xander walked in through the back door.

He rushed over to me and squeezed me close to his chest, kissing the top of my head and whispering apologies into my hair. "I'm so sorry, baby. It took longer than I expected. But I'm here now," he soothed.

I cried until my throat felt raw and Xander lifted me into his arms. He took me upstairs and filled a hot bath for me, placing me in the tub. The hot water helped melt away the fear and panic. I stopped crying and apologized profusely to Xander. He swept his hand in the air like he was erasing my words.

"Don't apologize. I'm here for you like I said. I'm not going anywhere. You're mine, baby."

I felt a fulfilling calmness at his words. I was his, nobody else's. No one would touch me but him. Then I thought about my feelings for him and the thought that popped into my head yesterday. I couldn't love him, could I? Maybe I was just still in shock. But I knew that wasn't the truth, I really did love him and want to be with him. I must have had some kind of Stockholm syndrome or something like that. It was entirely too fast to be feeling the way I was. But nonetheless, I did. I just couldn't tell him yet.

"What is it?" he asked, smoothing his knuckles across my good cheek.

"Nothing," I replied too fast, looking away from him.

He grabbed my chin and made me look him in the eyes. "I know what it is, baby." He smiled wickedly at me and my cheeks reddened.

"You do?" I asked, puzzled how he could know what I was thinking.

"I told you that you would fall in love with me quickly, don't be ashamed," he said as he leaned in slowly to kiss me softly.

I let him kiss me for a beat then pushed him away, blushing. "I don't love you, Xander. Don't get a big head," I warned him.

"Yes, you do. And I'm okay with it. You should be too."

I shook my head and got up and out of the bath, exasperated. I dressed by myself this time and crawled into bed. I needed to sleep but I knew Xander wasn't tired. He still laid down next to me and rubbed my back until I fell asleep. I slept soundly in Xander's arms and didn't even dream.

***

A couple of weeks later, Xander and I had been training every day and my body was starting to really heal. The bruises were fading, turning nasty shades of green and yellow. My cheek was no longer swollen but deeply bruised.

Xander had called my family, consisting of my mother and grandmother, and let them know what had happened. They had no idea I was even kidnapped, as I didn't keep in contact much. They came to visit last week and sat with me in my living room for an hour or so. It was awkward to see my mother, to say the least. My grandma was so worried and kept hugging me. I let them know I was okay and that I would see them again soon. That persuaded them enough and they left. It was nice to see my grandmother, of course. But I could live without seeing my mother, that's for sure.

As soon as she saw Xander, she judged me. I could just see the word slut floating around in her eyes. What she didn't know, is that Xander was my one and only. I didn't date often and rarely gave it up for guys. She probably thought he was one of my many boyfriends. But I didn't care what she thought.

Xander and I had just finished our training for the day and sat down at my kitchen island to eat a dinner Xander had prepared for us. We ate quickly and went to get dressed and ready. I had been sleeping a lot the past couple of weeks, not even leaving the house. I just trained, ate, and slept. Tonight was the first time I was going to be leaving the house and I was excited.

"You ready, baby?" Xander asked, helping me slide on my leather jacket. He wore black jeans and a dark charcoal gray t-shirt. It was like the guy never got cold. I guess I wouldn't either with all those muscles.

"Yeah, let's do this," I replied, smiling.

We got into Xander's big ass truck, he had to help me, and off we went to Xander's house. I had never seen his house before, but I was excited to see it. We drove for fifteen minutes or so and pulled into a long driveway leading to a huge cobblestone house. It was gorgeous, with a white picket fence around the front yard and a beautiful wrap-around porch.

Xander helped me out of the truck and we walked up to his front door. We walked in and I was in awe. His decorating skills were impeccable. Everything was rustic and chic. Nice leather furniture and nice low lighting. He let me take my jacket off before guiding me to the basement. I halted at the top step, my heart pounding in my chest. I hadn't seen Stassa or Pope for weeks and I didn't know if I was ready just yet.

"You want a glass of wine before we go down?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes, that would be good," I said nervously.

He walked me to his beautiful kitchen and I sat down at the dining table. I analyzed the chandelier above me until he gave me my wine and I sipped liberally, draining the glass a little too fast. It went straight to my head and helped steel my nerves to face my captors.

"I'm ready," I let Xander know.

He nodded and lead me down the basement stairs. It was a finished basement with the same leather furniture and low lighting. We rounded the corner and there were Stassa and Pope. They were tied down to chairs with buckets underneath them. They looked pale and emaciated, what I looked like after being rescued.

"Haven't been eating much guys?" I smiled at them both.

They wiggled in their restraints and screamed through the duct tape over their mouths. I relished in their struggle because it wasn't too long ago that I was in a similar boat. I walked over to Pope and punched him right in the face, his nose bursting with blood, spattering across my face. I wiped it off on my arm and punched him again just for good measure. He glared at me. I walked over to Stassa and ripped the tape off her mouth roughly.

"Fuck you!" she screamed, panting.

"And fuck you too, Stassa," I spat right in her face.

Her face turned bright red and she struggled in her restraints more than ever.

"You're not going anywhere, don't you know that?" I asked her, cocking my head.

I slapped her hard across the face when she opened her mouth to answer me. She probably would have said something snooty, so I nipped it in the bud and shut her up. She looked like she wanted to kill me when she looked back at me and I smiled broadly.

"You caused all of this, you stupid bitch!" she yelled at me.

I had barely moved when Xander's hand flew out of nowhere and slapped her across the face.

"Watch your fucking mouth," he spat at her.

Her eyes widened and I could tell she may not have feared me, but she did fear Xander. I wanted her to fear me too. So, I bent and started to untie her wrists and ankles from the chair. I knew she'd try to run as soon as she was free, but I didn't plan on letting that happen. I had something special in store for her.

"What are you doing, baby?" Xander asked, grabbing my hand as I untied the last ankle tie.