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Novel Catalog
Chapter_167
As soon as Yvette finished speaking, the sound of distant gunfire echoed through the woods, cutting through the stillness.
Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie immediately tensed, their minds racing. “Who’s there?” they wondered aloud.
Given what Yvette had just said, they assumed it must be Jeremiah and his group up ahead. Without wasting another second, they rushed toward the woods, eager to join their leader.
Yvette, however, seemed unperturbed by the gunfire. She followed leisurely, as though there was no urgency at all in her step.
In the woods, Jeremiah and his ten elite soldiers were in the midst of a battle. The wild boars they had encountered weren’t just a few stragglers; they were a massive herd, charging relentlessly toward the group. The soldiers, though seasoned and capable, had miscalculated. They had come to hunt a wild boar for lunch, but they’d disturbed the entire boar’s nest, provoking the beasts into a savage attack.
Everyone except Jeremiah was in a disheveled state, their clothes torn and faces smeared with dirt and sweat. The soldiers were down to their last bullets, and the boars were closing in fast.
Jeremiah, however, stood tall and calm amidst the chaos. With a heavy machine gun in hand, he fired with precision, taking down one boar after another. The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder and the frantic rush of the boars, but Jeremiah’s focus never wavered.
As the boars began to dwindle in number, only a dozen remained. Their ammunition was almost spent, and the soldiers, bracing themselves for a hand-to-hand fight, eyed the remaining boars warily. These were no ordinary beasts; they were massive, some weighing over a thousand pounds. Fistfights and close combat were inevitable.
Jeremiah’s black suit and long coat billowed around him as he stood with a fierce, unwavering gaze, ready for whatever came next. His cold eyes never left the boars, his focus cutting through the tension like a knife.
One of the soldiers glanced at the approaching boars and, with concern, suggested that Jeremiah retreat. But Jeremiah’s stance remained firm, his intentions clear: he wasn’t leaving until the job was done. The other soldiers, seeing this, squared their shoulders and took their own fighting stances.
At that moment, Emmett, Bruce, Chris, and Frankie arrived at the edge of the woods. They saw the wild boars closing in and Jeremiah surrounded by his men, looking every bit the leader.
Frankie, unable to contain his excitement, shouted, “Mr. Chavez, we’re here!”
At the sound of Frankie’s voice, Jeremiah turned, his eyes narrowing as they landed on the familiar faces, and then… the one person he had been thinking about day and night.
A flash of surprise flickered across his cold eyes, but it quickly morphed into something deeper—something warmer.
Without a second thought, Jeremiah strode toward Frankie, but it wasn’t him he was headed for. The soldiers, witnessing his movements, couldn’t hide their surprise. They thought, Is he going to hug Frankie?
But to everyone’s shock, Jeremiah walked past Frankie without a second glance and instead went straight to Yvette, who had been trailing behind the others with her usual nonchalance.
Yvette was slightly taken aback as Jeremiah’s rough fingers brushed against her skin. A warm tingle spread across her body, and she instinctively stiffened. He rested his head on her shoulder, an unusual act of tenderness that made her pause. When did this man learn this trick? she thought, half bewildered and half amused.
His voice, low and husky, reached her ears, carrying a hint of concern and affection. “Are you tired?”
Yvette narrowed her eyes, the playful glint in them betraying the cool exterior she maintained. “Not tired. I’m used to it.”
Jeremiah’s heart swelled with warmth at her response. The girl he had watched from afar, the one who had captivated him for so long, was standing right in front of him, indifferent yet undeniably close. He looked down at her, his eyes softening before he took a small headrope from his pocket.
“I learned this from a video,” Jeremiah said, his voice suddenly awkward. “It took me half an hour to get it right. And this…” He pulled out the small hair tie, “…I saw online that men with girlfriends should wear it on their hands. It’s supposed to be something a man should do for his girlfriend.”
Yvette raised an eyebrow as he carefully started tying her hair, his fingers trembling slightly. This man, always so full of surprises… she thought, trying to keep the smile tugging at her lips hidden.
Jeremiah’s fingers tightened around the headrope, and he gave a nervous cough, trying to explain himself. “I, uh, practiced on Andrew’s hair a few times. He hated it, but I had to make sure I didn’t mess it up when I did it for you…”
Yvette raised a finger and tapped lightly on his chest, a teasing smile spreading across her face. Jeremiah immediately froze, his heart skipping a beat. The touch felt like it reached deep inside him, making his body tense in a way he wasn’t used to.
Frankie, watching from a distance, felt a pang of something he couldn’t quite place. Where did the friendship go? he thought, watching the affectionate exchange between Jeremiah and Yvette. Jeremiah, the man who was all about loyalty and brotherhood, is now completely consumed by her.
But seeing Yvette, a woman who clearly deserved Jeremiah’s attention, Frankie felt strangely at peace with it. If it had been anyone else, he would have felt betrayed. But Yvette? She was worth it.
The soldiers, too, were beginning to realize just who Yvette was. When she first arrived, they had thought she was some sort of ethereal being—a fairy sent from the heavens. But now, seeing Jeremiah embrace her so tenderly and tie her hair with such care, they understood. Yvette wasn’t just a beautiful woman; she was clearly the woman who would stand by Jeremiah’s side for the rest of his life.
Emmett, Bruce, and Chris, standing at a distance, watched the scene unfold, unable to suppress their curiosity. Frankie, pouting slightly, walked over to join them.
Chris checked his watch and, with a smirk, asked, “How long have they been like this?”
Bruce didn’t miss a beat. “Ten minutes.”
Emmett, his expression unreadable, added, “Should we interrupt them?”
The others just stared at him, speechless. Emmett really isn’t afraid of anything, they thought.
The soldiers who had come with Jeremiah also gathered around, nodding in acknowledgment as they recognized Emmett. As Jeremiah’s assistant, Emmett had spent more time with the group than most of the soldiers, so they respected him.
One soldier stepped forward, clapping Emmett on the shoulder. “You guys must have suffered a lot on the way here, but you look fine now. Without Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, we might not have made it this far.”
Another burly soldier nodded. “Yeah, you not only brought Mr. Chavez’s girlfriend to safety, but you did it unharmed. We admire you.”
Emmett gave a wry smile, exchanging glances with Bruce and the others. He shrugged, a little embarrassed by the praise. “You’re giving us too much credit. We didn’t make it here on our own. Just like you, we’ve had strong support.”
The soldiers nodded, their admiration for both Emmett and Jeremiah growing with every passing moment.
