Taming the Billionaire

#9 His Precious

Elise tossed and turned. It had already been a week since she kissed Nolan, but it still felt fresh. She touched her lips involuntarily. She could still feel the lingering sensation. She shook her head to stop thinking about it anymore.

She groaned in annoyance, scratching her head. She got out of bed, feeling restless. She took sick leave after that night. She wanted to avoid Nolan and gather her thoughts. But she was more confused. She paced through the room, taking deep breaths to control her restless heart, but it started pounding even more, much to her agony. How was she going to face him when she returned to work? She wondered if she should extend her leave. But how? It wouldn't be easy.

Why? Why did she respond to his kiss? What was she thinking? At least she took her time before accepting Mike's advances. With Nolan in the picture, everything was very different. It was like she was a firefly, and Nolan was her fire.

Elise looked around, only to feel her small room become smaller. So, she went to the hall to check if Sara was still awake. But she had fallen asleep on their couch.

Elise groaned. She contemplated if she should wake Sare. But then she went to the balcony to get some fresh air. It wasn't a pleasant sight. Ugly buildings or nothing covered her locality, and it was a moonless night. She lived downtown, where there were few people. The cloudy sky made her feel damp and gloomy. She scoffed at her ill fate, turning to try her luck with sleep when her eyes landed on a premium car parked near her building. The more she drooled, the more familiar it looked. Her eyes popped out when she realized it was the same car from the morning!

What was Nolan doing here in the middle of the night? And why? Was it his car that Sara was talking about a couple of nights back? Was he visiting her locality often? What if Sara sees him? How come he was so inclined towards her? Several thoughts evaded her mind, making her anxious.

She rushed to the front of her building to confirm her suspicions. She may be in the doldrums about Nolan, but she didn't want him lurking around her locality at midnight.

She got a little closer. It could be another one. But her suspicion was confirmed when the driver's window rolled down. She hid behind a vehicle parked when she saw Nolan starting the fire to light his cigar.

She sighed with frustration. So she decided to leave and talk about it the next day at the hotel. She had to ensure that he didn't do something like that again. It was reckless and problematic. On her way back, she was shivering since she had forgotten to wear something thicker to protect her from the cold. She was in a hurry.

"You want me to warm you up, baby?" a man whistled, stopping his car beside her. Another man immediately got out of it, blocking her path. There were four of them, each looking more heinous than before.

Those guys were bad news. Their tattered clothes, tattoo-covered bodies, thousands of piercings, and evil laughs were enough to make Elise frightened. They wouldn't think twice before hurting her. So, she decided to avoid them and hurry to her apartment where she would be safe. It wasn't far away.

She avoided their comments, trying to move forward. But the man kept blocking her path. When she decided to run towards Nolan, another man halted her from behind. She turned to look for a gap to escape. But all four of them were now towering over her from all sides. Her heartbeat rose, and she felt like she was about to die out of fear and anxiety.

"Come with us, baby. We will show you the stars." A nasty-looking man flashed his filthy teeth as he traced his finger on Elise's pretty face, making her tremble in fear. "The night is going to be delicious!" Another one licked his tongue, making her even more afraid. She was shaking. She felt so scared that she was choking on her voice. But when they tried to grab her, she finally found her voice.

"Help!"

"Help!" Elise cried as loudly as she could. But before she could scream anymore, someone covered her mouth with his hand. She bit his hand, fighting back. She resisted them with all her might. But she was weak against four thugs. She kept hitting, shaking, and trying to scream. But they had little difficulty dragging her toward the car.

The door was only a couple of inches away. Elise felt like she was going to get kidnapped. They didn't have any good intentions. And maybe they would kill her after raping her. One thug left to start the engine, and the other moved to the back to get something. She knew it was her only opportunity.

She closed her eyes, putting in all her might, struggling to free herself from their clasp. She kicked the balls of the guy ahead of her and bit the one holding her hands as tightly as she could. When she finally found a gap, she ran as if her life depended on it. And it did! She screamed for help. But she had moved only a few inches when a man grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth.

The man was choking her. In a frenzy, he covered her mouth and nose tightly. She struggled for air, failing to get out of his tight grasp. She felt like the world was fading away. Her only hope was Nolan.

She didn't want to be violated! She wasn't ready to die like that either.

Tears fell down freely. She was beginning to lose hope.

Boom!

Elise felt a jerk as the man holding her was pulled away. She gasped in fear and anxiousness, turning in shock to see what had happened. More tears clouded her eyes when she saw her rescuer - Nolan.

A hard punch landed on his face, making him lose balance and fall to the ground. He groaned in pain, spitting blood from his mouth and nose. Another thug rushed to fight back. He looked scarier with his bulky body and round eyes. He attacked Nolan using all his strength. But Nolan dodged him swiftly. The thug fell on his face, followed by the sound of bones cracking as Nolan trampled him over him. Before he could resist, he broke his leg with one swift twist. He cried in pain, tapping the road.

"Elise?" Sara screamed from the balcony! She immediately rushed towards Elise, who was still shivering from shock. A few others from their building who had woken up because of the noises were also looking at them.

"Call the police!" Someone cried.

The other two attacked together, one of them successfully landing a punch on Nolan's handsome face. But it didn't budge him. He spits out the blood from his mouth, glaring at them with a killer instinct. If he hadn't scared them until then, he definitely had appeared terrifying to them at that moment.

"Let's leave!" One of them shrieked, picking up the man with a broken leg. They were rushing towards their vehicle when Nolan threw a forked lightning kick at him and dragged the man with a fractured leg.

One of them charged at Nolan, but he swiftly blocked the thug with one swift movement with his elbow and then stroked him with it.

"Who do you think you are? A hero?" the last rowdy reprimanded as he took out a sharp pocket knife.

But Nolan was quick to dodge his attack in one swift movement. All these years of training came in handy. He punched the thug in the face before he could attack him again. But the stinking man retaliated and slashed his shoulders. Nolan wouldn't budge on it, even if blood oozed out of his wound. Determined to crush the wretched bastard, he shot a punch full of force, breaking his ribs. The scoundrel collapsed right there, crumpling in pain.

"Are the police coming?" Nolan asked loudly, in particular to no one. A crowd had gathered by then.

"Get her inside," Nolan commanded Sara. She was standing beside Elise, shaking. She was terrified because of the street fight. But Nolan's voice snapped her out of the trance. She nodded in nervousness, taking Elise inside the apartment gate where it was safer. The charlatans rolled on the ground in pain, covered in their blood. Nolan watched over them, waiting for the police. He wanted to kill them. But it wasn't permissible.

The police arrested the thugs and took the injured ones to the hospital. A medic even gave Elise some medicine to deal with her anxiety. They took the statements of Elise, Nolan, Sara, and a few other witnesses to file the charge sheet. By the time it was over, it was already three in the morning.

"Inside." Nolan never even took a peek at Elise when he walked in. Sara and Elise followed him without opposing.

"What floor?" asked Nolan.

"Seventh. But there isn't any lift." Sara replied. Nolan didn't complain. He simply started moving.

"You should not leave it open like this and go out alone in such a condition at such a time. It isn't safe." Nolan lectured to both of them. He walked inside the apartment as if he owned the place.

"I need to talk to her alone," Nolan said in an imposing voice, sitting on the sofa. Sara couldn't deny him. She had to stay out when Nolan glared at her like he would eat her if she didn't leave. Wasn't it unsafe outside? But when he kept staring, and Elise didn't object, she sighed in frustration. She stomped her foot and went out. She purposefully banged on the door to show her anger.

Sara was puzzled when Nolan asked her to stay out. The event had hurt Elise mentally and physically. She felt responsible. But that man was keeping her away from her friend in her house. She was dubious about Nolan's presence in Elise's life. She wondered if it was a mere coincidence that Nolan was present in their street. But she had no bones to fight with him when he saved her friend and was their CEO.

As soon as Nolan closed the door, he pulled Elise close to his heart. As if a cloud had burst, she couldn't hold back her tears in his embrace. She didn't want to even think about what would have happened if Nolan had not stepped in at the right time.

"You should get it cleaned." Nolan insisted, hinting at her injuries.

"You are bleeding more than me." Elise looked down. How could he still think about her while he bled so much? The wound from the knife might need a few stitches.

Nolan had completely forgotten about his injury. All he cared about was her safety, and now he had to ensure she felt better. The previous traumatic experience could leave a scar on her mind. No one, absolutely no one, should be capable of touching Elise except him. He was there to make her feel safe and warm.

"Are you feeling better now?" Elise nodded her head, hugging Nolan. It was the first time she had done something like that, making his heart stop for a moment. It wasn't a good time to feel such things, but he had no control.

Nolan hugged her tightly. He caressed her back and kissed her forehead. She snuggled, feeling secure. She needed to feel a sense of security, to feel confident at that moment.

"Do you want me to stay?" Nolan whispered. Elise nodded, but she didn't know how. Sara was there. She must be frustrated while waiting outside.

"What about Sara?" She mumbled.

"I can sleep on the couch tonight. Tomorrow, both of you are moving out to somewhere safer," Nolan suggested. Elise looked up to protest. But when her eyes met his stern gaze, she gave up. After everything that happened, it would be better if they moved out of this place.

"We can't afford anything costly," Elise mumbled.

"You don't have to worry about that now, Elise. What matters to me is your safety. And that is what you should be thinking now. I won't argue about this. Please, don't make me sleep on couches every night." Nolan pleaded, but it made Elise smile a little. She felt happy to see him concerned like that.

"Call Sara inside. She would be terrified as well." Elise asked, breaking their hug.

Nolan pouted, already missing her touch. So, he dragged her closer. He looked at her affectionately, making her heart skip a beat.

"No one, absolutely no one." He drawled as she kept immersing herself in his eyes. "You are only mine," he said possessively. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if he had not shown up at the right time.

"Thank you," Elise whispered.

Nolan scoffed, feeling annoyed that she was thanking him. But when he saw her messed up hair, bloody dress, perplexed eyes, and horrible condition, he felt like ending the world.

He pulled her closer to him, hugging her as tightly as he could. He wanted to protect her with everything.

He kissed her forehead, promising to keep her safe with his life. She was his precious.