The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress
[Book 2] Chapter 69

Knox

POV

As the chopper circles the building, my eyes focus on one thing. The man that's towering over Lorelai. She's hurt. I can see blood on her clothes and her clothing is torn. I see him kick her and I hear her scream as she rolls over onto her stomach. I see him grab her wrist only to let go when she bites him and they both look up as the chopper begins to descend.

"Son of a b***h" I roar, lan trying to hold me back as I begin to climb out.

"Knox you go storming over there, you'll get her hurt."

"She's already hurt" I yelled, climbing out, just in time to see the man bend down and grab a knife from his boot, quickly placing it at Lorelai's throat as she stared at me, her body trembling. She doesn't move. She looks like she's about to fall over and I can sense she's in pain. I feel my heart skip a beat, even as lan steps up beside me.

"You came" she whispers and my heart seizes.

Did she think I would abandon her? That I would leave her to her fate? I glare at the man who holds her captive, feeling the urge to murder. He smirks. "Come any closer and I'll kill her" he threatens.

My hands twitch. lan remains calm but I'm ropeable. The chopper turns off, our bodyguards stand behind us. I can sense the man is beginning to panic, which isn't good. His hand is shaking. He draws blood as Lorelai inhales sharply. "Let her go" my voice is cold and dangerous.

This man has no idea who he's messing with. Lorelai's eyes are shimmering with tears. She looks like a mess. I have this overwhelming urge to take her in my arms and I can't. All I can do is stand there and wait for the perfect opening. The man's eyes gleam. "I want the chopper," he says, narrowing his eyes "and she's coming with me to make sure you don't try and stop me." "Think again" my voice is frosty.

He laughs "I have the advantage right now. There's no way you're going to risk hurting your fiancee" he digs the knife in, causing Lorelai to make a strangled sound as I close my eyes in anger "So stop pretending that you're this big bad alpha male. I want the chopper" he repeats, beginning to shove Lorelai forward, one hand wrapped tightly around her arm "and you're not going to stop me."

lan meets my eyes, silently communicating. I'm grateful the man doesn't seem to possess a gun. There doesn't appear to be any sign of Karen. I exhale, stepping to the side. I give Lorelai a reassuring smile. She looks like she's about to be sick. "You can have the chopper but let her go," I say quietly.

He sneers "You think I'm stupid enough to fall for that. I need this girl as leverage. Otherwise, you'll try and take the chopper down. I want the pilot to start the chopper back up" he orders, tightening his grip around Lorelai's arm as she lets out a sob that almost causes me to become undone "I want him to do it now."

I meet the pilot's eyes as he sits in the cockpit, subtly nodding my head. lan begins to move aside, while the man keeps his eyes firmly on me. That is exactly what I want him to do. "You know I'm going to pay you back for every bruise, every scratch, and every scrape that she has on her" I spit out as he chuckles.

"We've had a wonderful time together haven't we Lorelai" he taunts "It's such a shame we didn't get to have any fun in the bedroom or separate room but there's always after we've gotten out of here."

I see red. He's not laying another f*****g hand on her, let alone getting in the damn chopper with her. He makes the mistake of raising his hand with the knife and lan strikes from behind, tackling him from the back while I throw myself at him from the front, grabbing Lorelai and shoving her behind me as I attack. I throw a flurry of punches at him, knocking the dagger to the ground and kicking it angrily behind me. The man goes down, while I continue to throw punch after punch, Lorelai sobbing in the background. My rage continues to grow. What this bastard has done, I can only imagine and my knuckles go raw as I throw hit after hit, while lan steps back, watching closely, without intervening.

"Son of a b***h" I yell, kicking him as he lays there, gasping, unable to move, his face bloodied, his body twitching "Cowardly, pathetic, scum of the earth!"

He wheezes. I kick him in the kneecap and he lets out a loud howl of pain. It's not enough. It's not nearly enough. I want him to suffer. I want him to suffer badly. I grab him by the collar and lean in close to him. "Did you touch her?" I hiss.

He knows instinctively what I'm asking even as Lorelai's sobs grow louder. "No" he denies, shaking his head but I know he tried.

He has that look in his eyes. I slam my fist into the side of his head, sending him falling back to the ground. I let out a roar of frustration and pure rage.

Finally, lan decides to speak, just as I'm about to stand on the man's hand and break it.

"Knox," he says sharply as I turn to him in annoyance, gesturing behind me with a motion of his head "I think you should stop and check on Lorelai" he adds gravely as I stand there, glowering down at the man who is barely conscious. Lorelai. The woman I had come to save, who stood behind me weeping and barely holding herself together. How could I have forgotten about her in my rage? I turn and see her hugging herself, tears trailing down her cheeks. Within seconds I crossed the hard ground and swept her into my arms embracing her tight, ignoring the blood on her, feeling the shivering of her body as she pressed against me, my hand gripping the back of her neck in a wave of protectiveness.

She's alive. I close my eyes in relief. My fiancee is alive. I had something to be grateful for. I cup her cheek and pull away, my eyes raking over her anxiously. She gives me a weary smile.

"Are you okay?" I whisper, as she closes her eyes and sways slightly on her feet.

Stupid question I thought scolding myself. She inhales deeply and then nods glancing over at the man who is looking up at a ferocious-looking lan who is staring down at him, daring him to move.

"I'm okay, just a little sore. There are two more of them but..." she begins to hyperventilate and I move to hug her again as she begins to sob even louder "I killed one of them Knox. I killed one" she wails.

My eyes meet lan's. He gives a subtle nod. His foot kicks out and he knocks the man unconscious. Without a word, he and his bodyguard walk into the building.

"How many?" I ask.

"Three" she whispers "There were three and Karen but...but she's gone" she stammers.

Three. A small number. Karen had been relatively sure that Lorelai wouldn't be able to overpower three males. I'm impressed that she killed one and fought them off until we could come to her rescue. Ian will have no problems taking care of the other one if he needs to. I take my jacket off and wrap it around her. She's shivering and I know that part of it's not from cold. She's going into shock. The paramedics we brought begin to hop into action now that there is no longer a threat to their safety.

They rush over and begin to check her vital signs. I hold onto her hand as she refuses to let go.

"Knox," she says fearfully.

"They just need to check you over, don't worry, I'm here," I told her regretfully.

She won't relax. She flinches every time they try to touch her. I sit on the ground and put her on my lap and only then, will she allow them to take her blood pressure and check her pulse. She won't leave my side. I hold onto her so tight that I fear I might be leaving bruises on her and she doesn't utter a sound or protest.

I could have lost her. That's all that's running through my mind as I continue to hold onto her. A few minutes more and she might have been dead. She clings to me tightly as the paramedics meet my eyes.

"She's going into shock. We should get her admitted to hospital as soon as possible. For now, try and keep her warm."

I nod. lan comes walking back out, his face inscrutable. "One dead, one unconscious" he says, shooting a glance at a silent Lorelai.

Three. Just like Lorelai had claimed.

lan waves a dismissive hand. "Get her out of here. I'll stay here and organize the authorities and another chopper. She needs to be looked over" he said, glancing at Lorelai with a sad smile "I'm glad we were able to replace her in time" he added "She did good. Nobody is going to blame her for what she did in order to survive. No sign of Karen though" he added frowning.

"Not surprising. She left and went into hiding" I said as I gingerly stood up, holding onto Lorelai who put her head against my chest "which means we have to try and replace her all over again."

"That can wait" lan said quietly, gazing at Lorelai "take care of her first Knox. She matters more" he added.

I stroked her hair and headed towards the chopper. The pilot nodded towards me. Part of me wished I had killed the men who had hurt Lorelai but another part of me was just grateful to have found her. I placed her gently inside the chopper and then climbed in, sitting beside her with the paramedics. One of them put a blanket over her. Her eyes anxiously rested on me. "I'm here" I whispered to her, as she began to slowly relax and her eyelids began to flutter closed "I'm here and I'm not leaving you. You can sleep now" I promised her as she fought to keep her eyes open "You're safe. Sleep" I murmured and she closed her eyes, her chest beginning to rise and fall in a steady rythem as she succumbed to the exhaustion that was overtaking her.