Chapter 23 Guarding the Future
Nick Malone
Paris had been a battleground. The kind Nick was used to. But it was different when the prize he was fighting for wasn’t some fugitive or mobster, but Celeste. The woman he’d do anything for.
Their final day in the City of Lights began with the same quiet intensity that had carried them through the last forty-eight hours.
Fashion Week had already named Celeste’s show a sensation, the Bellerose name splashed across every headline from Paris to New York.
The proposal made the front page of every fashion magazine known. Their fairytale was alive and well.
But for Nick, the real victory wasn’t her reclaimed throne.
It was the way she’d walked away from Bastien Laurent with her head held high and fire in her eyes.
The man’s intervention during the stalker’s attack had been unexpected, sure.
But for Bastien, it was something more. Redemption. Or the closest thing to it.
Nick stood on the balcony of their hotel suite, a fresh morning breeze tugging at his hair. His phone buzzed in his hand, Graham’s name flashing on the screen.
“Talk to me,” Nick said, his voice low and steady.
“Just finished the final sweep. We’re clean. No signs of any leftover threats. Whatever network Juliette had going, it’s officially dead and buried.” Graham’s tone held that familiar professionalism Nick appreciated.
“Good. And Adrian Wolfe?”
“Still locked up and facing a mountain of charges. Parisian authorities are more than happy to keep him detained. He won’t be a problem again.”
“Excellent. Thanks for the update.”
A brief pause before Graham spoke again. “Listen, Nick. About your request… You sure about this?”
Nick’s gaze turned back toward the suite, where Celeste slept soundly tangled in silk sheets, her blonde hair fanned across the pillows like a halo. Beautiful. Peaceful. Finally safe.
“I’m sure.”
Graham released a low whistle. “Retirement, huh? Thought you’d go down swinging. Never saw you as the type to trade in your badge for the quiet life.”
“I’m not,” Nick said, his tone steely. “I’m trading it in to keep her safe. And our kid. The only kind of quiet life I’m interested in is one where they’re both breathing easy. No threats. No looking over our shoulders.”
Graham’s silence was a testament to his understanding. “I’ll help you set it up. We’ll build that private security company from the ground up. And I’ll keep an eye on Bellerose International’s security too. Make sure everything stays locked down.”
“Thanks Graham, you’re a good friend.”
“One more thing. I’ve got the final report ready. You’re not going to believe who’s been pulling strings this whole time.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
“I’ll send it over within the hour.”
The call ended, but Nick’s thoughts were already spinning. He slipped his phone into his pocket and moved back into the suite.
Celeste stirred, her eyes opening slowly as the sunlight poured in.
“Morning,” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.
“Morning.” Nick sat down on the edge of the bed, his hand sliding along her bare thigh, possessive and soothing at once. “How you feeling?”
“Like I survived a war.” She let out a breathy laugh, but her eyes held a depth he recognized. “But I’m good. It’s over, isn’t it?”
“Mostly.”
She frowned. “Oh God… not again?”
He hesitated. “Graham’s sending me a final report. Seems there’s one more string to cut before we can call this done.”
Her gaze sharpened. “What sort of one more thing?”
“I’ll find out soon enough.”
Celeste pushed herself upright, the sheets pooling around her waist. “You always do.”
The faith she placed in him made something tightened in his chest. But it also made him more determined. He held out her hand, admiring her newest piece of jewelry.
“I’ve been thinking…”
Her brow arched. “Should I be worried?”
He smirked. “About what I’m about to say? Maybe. About your safety? Never.”
“Nick…”
He exhaled, his gaze steady. “I’m retiring from the force.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“I’m not walking away from protecting you. Just changing how I do it. I’m starting a private security company. One focused solely on you and our kid. Full time. Not a side job. Not something I squeeze in between cases. This will be my life.”
Her lips parted, but no words came. Then she blinked, the tears glistening in her eyes. “You’re serious.”
“Dead serious. I can’t risk it, Celeste. Not with you. Not with he or she.” His hand settled over her still-flat stomach. “You two are all that matters.”
She didn’t just kiss him. She crashed into him with a hunger, her fingers digging into his shoulders like he was the only anchor in a storm-tossed sea. Her mouth claimed his with a raw, urgent need, the kind that spoke of desperation and defiance all at once. A declaration that went beyond words.
When they finally broke apart, her eyes blazed with a fire he’d never seen before. “Nick Malone,” her voice low, husky, filled with a passion that made his chest clench. “If you weren’t already mine, I’d be fighting tooth and nail to claim you. To keep you.”
His hand slid to the back of her neck, fingers threading through her hair, tugging just enough to draw a gasp from her lips. “Good thing I’m already yours, princess. Because nothing and no one could ever pull me away from you.”
The challenge in her gaze melted into something softer, more devastating. “Damn right,” she whispered. “Because losing you isn’t an option. Not now. Not ever, got that?”
“Yes ma’am!”
They stayed like that for a moment, just breathing each other in. Finally, she spoke, her voice trembling with emotion. “You’re really doing this?” Asking as if she needed to hear the answer one more time.
“For us. For our future. No half-measures.”
She laughed, the sound breaking through the tension. “You really are impossible.”
“And you love me for it.”
“That I do.”
Nick’s phone vibrated again. This time, a text.
He glanced down, his jaw setting. “The report’s in.”
Celeste’s expression sobered. “Then what are we waiting for?”
Nick’s eyes met hers, the promise of retribution and freedom intertwined. “Let’s end this. Once and for all.”
Nick clicked on the message from Graham, his eyes scanning the screen as details flooded his phone. Financial connections. Names. Phone records. Every piece of evidence that tied the stalker’s twisted obsession back to one final player.
Adrian Wolfe.
The man had been there all along, the one pulling strings from the shadows, his influence spreading like poison.
“What is it?” Celeste’s voice was low, but the sharpness of her gaze told him she’d read every nuance of his expression.
Nick growled. “Adrian Wolfe. He’s been behind everything—the necessary financing, leaking intel, stirring up trouble in the Parisian fashion world.”
Her eyes darkened, the fire within her flaring hot and furious. “So, he was more than just a stalker?”
Nick’s fist clenched. “It seems so.”
His fingers flew over his phone, issuing commands to Graham, setting things in motion. “I’m on my way to interrogate him now.”
“Good,” Celeste said, the word heavy with all the pain and fury she’d kept locked away for far too long.
Nick tucked his phone away and slid a hand to the back of her neck, his fingers threading through her hair. “You did it, Celeste. You buried your demons. All of them.”
Her eyes shone with a fierceness that took his breath away. “Not without you.”
He lowered his forehead to hers, their breaths mingling. “I’m yours, Celeste. In every way you can think of.”
Her mouth quirked, her voice thick with emotion. “Even when I’m a stubborn pain in the ass?”
Nick chuckled, the sound dark and low. “Especially when you’re a stubborn pain in the ass!”
Her smile softened, but her eyes remained bright. “You’re really giving up your career to protect me?”
“Not giving up,” he corrected, his fingers stroking the line of her jaw. “Trading one profession for another. One that actually matters.”
Celeste’s lips curved into a smirk. “I suppose I can live with that.”
Nick’s gaze dropped to her mouth. “You sure?”
Her fingers tightened against his chest. “Absolutely.”
Then, she kissed him.
It was like wildfire—scorching, unyielding, a hunger that refused to be tamed. Nick didn’t hesitate. He swept her into his arms, his mouth devouring hers with the kind of passion that only came from holding back for too damn long.
They tumbled onto the bed, limbs tangling, their laughter mingling with moans of pure, heated need. Nick’s hands roamed over her body, worshiping every inch of her skin as if committing her to memory.
Celeste arched beneath him, her eyes wild and wanting. “Show me, Nick. Show me what it means to belong to you.”
His eyes locked onto hers, his voice nothing but a growl. “You’re mine. Now. Always.”
And then, he took her.
His mouth traveled down her neck, his teeth grazing her delicate skin, his hands rough and possessive. Every touch was a declaration. Every kiss a promise. His fingers gripped her hips, pulling her against him with a force that left them both breathless.
“Say it,” he demanded, his voice a raw, desperate thing. “Tell me who you belong to.”
Her nails scraped down his back, her breath a hot gasp against his ear. “You, Nick. Only you.”
His satisfaction was a dark, rumbling sound in his chest. “Damn right.”
Their bodies moved together in a frenzied rhythm, their passion untethered, raw, and beautiful. The world outside ceased to exist. Nothing mattered except the woman beneath him and the fire that raged between them.
Nick drove her higher, his movements rough and unrelenting, dragging her over the edge with a force that left them both trembling. Her cries of pleasure tore through him, her body clinging to his with a desperation that matched his own.
He followed her into oblivion, his release crashing through him like a tidal wave, leaving him wrecked and whole at once.
They lay entwined in the aftermath, their breathing uneven, their bodies slick with sweat.
Nick’s fingers traced lazy circles over her skin, his voice still rough. “You know I meant what I said. About starting that security company.”
Celeste’s eyes fluttered open, a smile tugging at her lips. “And I meant what I said. You’re not getting rid of me, Nick Malone. Not now. Not ever.”
He brushed a kiss against her temple. “Good. Because I’m not letting you go. Not even for a second.”
Her laugh was soft, but there was steel beneath it. “Then let’s get the hell out of Paris and start our future.”
Nick’s grin was feral. “Just say the word, princess. But there is one thing I need to do before we leave.”
Celeste asked with a giggle in her voice “and what’s that?”
“I need to extract every ounce of information from Adrian Wolfe before they lock him up for the rest of eternity. You wanna come with?”
Celeste didn’t hesitate, “Oh, Hell yes I want to watch that bastard bake in the hot seat.”
***
They found Adrian Wolfe in a dimly lit security room, hands bound, his face already bruised from the swift takedown.
He sneered when he saw Celeste, his eyes alight with a madness that spoke of obsession, not affection. “Come to gloat, Bellerose? Think you’ve won?”
Nick’s voice was like ice. “You’re not in a position to talk, Wolfe.”
Adrian laughed, the sound hollow and bitter. “You have no idea what you’ve stolen from me.”
Celeste’s chin lifted, her voice calm but merciless. “You mean the sick fantasy you built around me? I was never yours, Wolfe. You were just another man trying to own what you could never possess.”
Nick stepped closer, his presence a shadow of fury. “If you ever contact her again, in any way, they won’t be dragging you out of here conscious. You’ll be leaving in pieces.”
Adrian’s gaze shifted to Nick, something dark and hateful sparking in his eyes. “You think you can protect her forever?”
Nick’s smirk was cold, deadly. “Oh, I know I can.”
He nodded at the guards. “Get him out of my sight.”
As Adrian was dragged away, kicking and cursing, Bastien Laurent appeared in the hallway, his expression quiet neutral.
“The man made poor choices,” Bastien said, his voice cool, detached. “He was obsessed with your family’s power, your influence and you Celeste.”
“He won’t be a problem anymore.”
Bastien’s mouth twitched. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Nick didn’t care what Bastien planned to do with Wolfe. All that mattered was that the bastard was gone.
When he returned to Celeste’s side, she looked up at him, the unspoken question clear in her eyes.
“It’s over,” Nick confirmed.
“Then let’s get out of here,” she whispered.
Nick took her hand. “Lead the way, princess.”