CHAPTER ONE: FLIGHT
"What are you going to do, Bamidele?"
I looked at him—the man I loved—disheveled, his breathing rising and falling like a broken swing.
"I don't know, Lola," he said quietly. "These people are going rampant. They won't let me off the hook."
I could see the struggle in his eyes. Fear, anger, and something heavier.
"And you're pregnant, Lola. I don't know how to handle this. I want to protect you… and the life growing inside you."
"You can, Bamidele," I said, forcing calm into my voice. "We can run when things are beyond our control."
He shook his head slowly.
"Running is not in my nature. You know me. This is my father's legacy, and I will protect it. I will protect everyone tied to it. I won't run—I will face this."
His voice carried absolute determination, the kind that left no room for argument.
I had always known Demi was trouble. Convergence Group was one of the most powerful companies in Ekiti State, sitting at the top with countless businesses under its umbrella. Demi—a notorious gang boss—wanted to take it over. He offered thirteen billion, for a huge company worthing one fifty billions, but my husband was not a man who could be bought.
Once a gang boss himself, Bamidele had been sent to handle a drug smuggler—Demi's younger brother. The encounter went wrong. In self-defense, my husband killed him.
Demi never forgave that.
He demanded the company in exchange for peace. When that failed, he demanded something worse—me. A week in his custody.
A deal that felt more like a death sentence than a negotiation.
"Yes, you will face this, Bamidele—and I am right here beside you," I said, my voice steady as I looked into his eyes. "We will face this together."
I loved this man deeply. Enough to face both the worst and the best of whatever lay ahead.
"Come here, Lola," he said softly, drawing me closer. There was a tenderness in his voice that reached into my soul, wrapping me in a sense of security I hadn't realized I was desperate for.
"I don't know what my life would be like without you," he continued. "Believe me, I will make all of this stop. I will protect you—and the life growing inside you. I will make everything better. Just bear with me for now. This is my promise."
I placed my hands on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath my palm.
"And I am ready to face it all with you, Bamidele," I said quietly. "I love you. You won't go through this alone. Even if I don't know where to start or what to do, I know one thing—I want you to know you are not alone."
He pulled me closer, and we kissed—brief, desperate, full of unspoken fear and hope. When we finally pulled apart to catch our breath, the world seemed to hold still.
Then—
GBAM.
A loud crash shattered the silence outside. Bamidele's most trusted assistant, Leke, burst into the room, disheveled, his clothes torn, blood trickling from his lips.
"Quick, boss! Get the lady to safety—Demi's men are here!" he shouted, urgency sharp in his voice.
"No, Leke. You get her to safety. I will face them," Bamidele said, his tone rough, unshakable.
"No, boss. You secure the lady. We'll hold them off so both of you can get out," Leke replied with determination.
"Yes, Bamidele… Leke will do that. Let's find a way and get out of here," I urged.
"Please, Bamidele… promise you'll keep me safe and stay safe yourself," I pleaded, my heart pounding.
"I will. Lola, I won't run from this lowlife son of a gun. Trust me—I will come back whole, just…"
GBAM!
Another loud bang rocked the left corner of the room, shaking everything violently. Bamidele held me tight, steadying me against the tremor. Leke moved fast, fetching two AKs and Automatic Pistol/Machine Pistol. He handed the pistol to me and gave the two AKs to Bamidele—because he loved to fire together, side by side. Leke took another AK for himself.
"Hey, Bamidele! Come outside!" a loud, masculine voice bellowed from outside. "You dare! Why are you running away?"
"Go now, Leke. I entrust her into your hands. Nothing must happen to my wife or my son," Bamidele said resolutely.
"Trust me, Boss. I will ensure the safety of the lady and the young master," Leke assured him.
Bamidele moved closer to me, planting a short, lingering kiss on my lips.
"Be safe for me, Lola… and my child. I will come find you after this. Trust me, I will make this end," he whispered, then turned to Leke.
"Move her to Adore Villa. Secure the Villa with twenty from Wing A and forty from Wing B," Bamidele commanded.
Wings, he explained, were the gang and thugs trained and disguised as security. Originally forces under his father, Bamidele had converted them into a structured business entity. Some were now security; others held positions in the company. They were divided into four wings: Wing A, the strongest with 99% success in combat; Wing B, next with 70% success; Wings C and D, less effective.
The building we were in had been secured only by Wing C—we never expected such a sudden attack.
"Why would you use Wings A and B just for security?" I asked, confusion and fear tightening my chest. "You should secure yourself first, Bamidele. Rest assured, they won't breach the tight defense of Wings C and D with me."
"No, Lola. Listen to me," he said firmly. "You have to be safe for me. I will deal with this scum and—"
GBAM!
Another loud explosion echoed outside the building, cutting him off.
"We don't have much time left. Go now, Leke. I will come back for you both," Bamidele said, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead as he gently guided me toward the back exit.
GBAM!
The front door shook violently under another blast.
Then—I felt it.
A sudden, warm gush between my legs.
"My water… Bamidele!" I gasped, panic flooding my chest.
"What? Lola, calm down," he said quickly. "We'll get you out of here."
"No… I can feel it," I screamed. "I'm due."
"Bullshit," he snapped. "Leke! Get her out of here—now!"
He lifted me into his arms and ran, boots pounding toward the underground parking space. Gently, he placed me in the passenger seat and gripped Leke's shoulder as Leke took the wheel.
"Be safe for me, Bamidele," I said through clenched teeth. "I won't bring a child into this world without his father."
Bamidele didn't answer. He only adjusted the AK in his hands.
Three armed men burst from the shadows, charging toward the Rolls-Royce, gunfire erupting in a violent barrage.
"Go now, Leke!" Bamidele boomed.
He fired—fast, controlled—dropping all three men before they could reach us. The car screeched forward as Leke sped out of the parking space.
I closed my eyes, whispering silent prayers—to the Creator, to fate—to protect the father of my child and grant me a safe delivery. Fear and tension clawed at my heart, but I refused to surrender to them.
Not tonight.