Chapter 53

Luckily he was going to get the bastard, whoever he was because the house was wired with cameras and he had his security team working on finding out who the idiot is.

"She is very stable now."

"That's very good."

"But there might be some complications," the doctor added but kept his mouth shut when Travis signalled him to as he brought out his phone that was vibrating in his pocket.

It was Matteo.

"Where are you now?"

"Olivia's place."

"You should take her back home, someone tried to attack Dawn but Sarah got injured instead."

"The person was already here before I got here and Olivia doesn't look good at all."

"Move her back to your house regardless."

"Definitely, and Dawn? Is she safe?" Travis asked.

"For now."

"Right," Travis replied understanding the situation, " and who are we looking at?"

"Gonzales."

"Gonzales? The Gonzales or someone named Gonzales?"

"The Gonzales."

"Very well, I will keep you updated on any of my findings as regards Gonzales."

"I will appreciate that," Matteo said cutting the call instantly. Travis stared at the doctor signalling him to with a nod of his head to go on with his diagnosis as he returned the phone back into his pocket.

"Well her left leg seems broken but I am going..."

"Are you using she won't be able to use her legs?"

"For now, she will need crutches but she will be able to wall without it eventually."

"How long is this eventually?"

"A month or so, depending on her willingness ofcourse."

Travis sighed in frustration wondering how he was going to tell Olivia that her legs were officially useless for some months or so, when he knew fully well that part of the reason why she had wanted her own apartment was so she could be free from him and ofcourse have the opportunity to go wherever she wanted without being monitored.

"And the baby?"

"The baby didn't make it."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

After Ivy's and Dawn's little conversation, Dawn tried Blaire's number to ask if she was done making the cupcake but there was no answer. She wondered if she had placed her phone on silent.

"I thought you would be staying?" Ivy said as they walked out of the house.

"I will be here tomorrow to check on Sarah or I can always call Matteo to keep me updated if I am unable to come here as planned," Dawn replied as she noticed Stephan approaching them, Ivy taking the hint smiled at Dawn and Stephan excusing them without saying a word.

"With the current situation you should stay here with us."

"It's fine," Dawn smiled. "I will be fine, plus Blaire would be waiting for me."

The last thing she needed right now was to be in the same environment as Stephan, things were suddenly getting awkward between them and she didn't know if she could control her mouth around him.

He could always have his security keep an eye on her and she guessed they already were except if Stephan wasn't bothered about knowing what she was up to, which she really doubted.

"I insist."

"I don't think it will be right for. . ."

"You will have your own room, if that is what you are bothered about," and he meant that, he didn't want Dawn to feel uncomfortable staying in the same environment with him plus the house was big enough. He was very sure she wouldn't even notice his presence.

"And Blaire?" Was she just going to leave Blaire again in the like the last time especially now that she and Blaire had really bonded over this baking business. She wasn't sure she could do that, the poor girl acted like all was well but Dawn knew that she really missed them both in the house. 

It was just easier for her to keep quiet about it   because over the years she had gotten used to it.

"and Blaire can have her room as well," Stephan pointed out, anything to make this woman comfortable.

Dawn stared at him lost in thought for a second, was she just going to leave her baking and come and stay with him. She didn't even discuss the business with him and she was sure he was unaware of the business. 

She wondered how he would take it, would he be supportive of her leaving his fashion company to start baking, now that she thought about it, it sounded like she had lost her mind. 

Leaving a job that was paying her well for doing absolutely nothing but sorting out errors and following Stephan to meeting,for a job that demanded all of her energy two four seven.

 What if they got into another argument about something else and then he kicks her out again or she had to leave.

She wasn't ready to keep going back and forth with him especially when it felt like he clearly didn't know what he wanted.

"I will think about it, for now you can send your security team to keep an eye on me or something."

Stephan stared at her for a moment, he thought she would instantly agree to stay with him but it seemed he didn't understand this woman. One minute she wanted to know if he was in love with her and the next minute she acted like she found him to be repulsive.

This was part of the reason he didn't want to ask her in the first place because he couldn't predict her answer and he didn't do too well with rejection.

With what had happened to Olivia he was sure something worst was definitely going to happen and the fact that he didn't know what meant that he had to be extra careful.

"I will drive you home." He could always convince her on the way and end up picking Blaire and bringing them back then have his security team pick their load tomorrow or not. He could always buy whatever she needed or order it from his fashion team.

"Are you sure about that? I don't want to disturb your work because I also brought my car."

"I will have my driver follow behind with your car."

"Okay."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 

The ride to Dawn's house was a quiet one, Dawn spent most of the time looking outside the window and at interval when Stephan wasn't looking she stole a glance at him.

"Olivia was also attached during the same period that Sarah was attacked."

"Really? Is she hurt?"

"Are you worried about her?"

"I mean she is my sister, what about her baby?"

"Travis hadn't informed us yet but he said she is not in a good shape."

"I thought she was staying with Travis," Dawn remembered Stephan saying something about that which would mean that if she was hurt she couldn't have been hurt badly since Travis men would have been there to stop the attack from happening.

"She just moved to her own apartment."

"Oh."

"You see why it is not safe for you to be all alone in that house."

"With Blaire."

"Dawn."

"Are you really worried about me or did Matteo put you up to this?"

"Both."

"..."

"Regardless of what might be going on between us, your safety is important to me."

"Is it? The way you behave and act does not prove that you care about me," Dawn pointed out staring at him as he looked straight ahead. "You abandoned me and your child for a whole month. If you can successfully enjoy doing that then..."

"Enjoy?" Stephan questioned. He didn't enjoy any part of being away from her, probably the first week but by the second week he started to feel a type of way that he didn't quite understand and it bothered him alot that he had to send some men to keep watch on her every movement.

"I didn't and I am not enjoying any part of being away from you," he confessed. 

"You don't?"

"You derive pleasure in having me repeat myself," he asked shaking his head as he stared at her this time their eyes meeting each other as Dawn looked away avoiding his gaze.

"I...I...just want to be sure about how you feel, that's all."

The car turned into her street as Stephan parked the car beside her house, he turned off the engine and stared at Dawn.

"Look at me," he ordered when he noticed she was avoiding looking him in the eyes.

Dawn turned to look at him slowly.

"You know how I feel about you Dawn," he said placing a kiss on her lips, he didn't know why he had done that but he just wanted to. He wasn't good with words, he had never been.

His actions spoke for him but in Dawn's case he understood how she felt and he could only hope she would understand him too and come to terms with the fact that this whole thing wasn't easy for him as it was for her.

Dawn was shocked by the kiss, she sworn that Stephan wouldn't kiss her lips after what he had seen between her and Damien, she thought he was mad at her but it seemed he didn't care about that but was truly worried about her. 

When he withdrew from the kiss, he stared at Dawn as her eyes were closed and from the way her lips were parted he could tell the kiss had shocked her more than him.

"If you remain like that, I might not behave myself," he warned staring at her lips as her eyes flared open putting a smile on his face.

She stared at Stephan suddenly feeling timid for no reason as she opened the car door and stepped out. She waited by her door for Stephan to come out and lock the door. 

When Stephan stepped out of the car, he noticed  there was a smell in the air as he circled the car walking up to Dawn that didn't sit well with his stomach but from Dawn's clueless face, he could tell she wasn't perceiving anything. 

Dawn was about to take a step when she felt Stephan drag her by the hand as she collided into him, her head resting on his chest.

She stared at him wondering what he was up to as he leaned in. Was he going to kiss her again? She closed her eyes anticipating the kiss as she felt his lips on her forehead instead then came a tight hug.

"Go back into the car and wait for me," she heard him mutter into her ear.

"Is everything alright?" She asked still in his embrace.

"It will be if you obey me," Stephan replied. He watched her release herself from his embrace and get back into the car. 

When Stephan was sure she was safe in the car, he stepped into her apartment and as his instinct had told him the living room was in disarray. Like someone had turned everywhere upside down probably in search of something.

He pressed the earbud in his ear then went upstairs scanning each and every room in the house, when he came downstairs he went to the kitchen and found Blaire body lying on the floor without her head, he looked around and found her head at the other corner.

Whoever had come here didn't bother to fight or anything, Blaire wasn't injured on her body and from the way her body laid on the floor, whoever attacked her did it from behind without her knowledge.

He bent down to stare at the body closely and he could see a stab wound to the chest, it was unusual for gang members to carry swords around.