Chapter 2

My knees were shaking. My heart was beating in my chest like it had never before.

Standing in front of Elijah Smith was harder than I'd expected it to be.

I kept my eyes planted on his blood red tie, refusing to lift them to meet his gaze.

The second my grandpa handed me to the man, I tried to look calm and collected but I knew I was failing to do so.

Being in his presence alone made me want to pass out.

Elijah, one of the most feared business man in the city, had my hand in his as the Priest tried to make him repeat the vows. The man standing in front of me made no attempt to follow the Priest's words, creating a very tense and awkward atmosphere.

The Priest, realizing that saying the vows was not going to happen, he immediately proceeded to the main statement.

I tried to distract myself from him touch, but it was getting harder with each passing second. I couldn't stand the touch of a person let alone a man his size and reputation.

I refused to look up at him, but I could feel his cold gaze piercing my head.

"Do you, Elijah Smith, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" The priest asked.

"I do." He answered in a deep voice, one that sent chills running down my spine.

"And do you, Ella Williamson, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The priest asked, forcing my eyes towards him.

The Priest looked at me through an uncomfortable gaze, waiting for me to give him my answer.

I slowly nodded my head, saying my I Do with no words.

The Priest looked more uncomfortable and unpleased with the way I responded so he asked again.

My eyes fluttered a bit as I looked towards the first row of my family's side. Elizabeth said she would tell the priest...

I felt a mad squeeze on my hands and my eyes automatically jumped to the tall man standing in front of me.

I made the mistake of looking up and our eyes clashed. The second his dark eyes bore in to mine, my knees felt weak.

The coldness radiating out of him made me feel like I was locked in a freezer.

The longer my silence went, the harder he squeezed my hand, forcing my face to contract in to a pained expression.

"Miss Williamson?" The Priest called out, his tone almost begging me to say the I do out loud.

But I wouldn't. I couldn't.

I nodded my head again, this time, more aggressively while I tried to desperately pull my hand out of his death grip.

Elijah's grip never loosened and I was unsuccessful in breaking out of it.

"Move on!" His sudden voice startled the Priest and I.

Not wanting to drag along the ceremony, the priest followed Elijah's orders and soon announced us husband and wife.

The second the Priest said Elijah and I can now share our first kiss, I wanted to run. Forget family pride, I wanted to get myself out of there as soon as possible.

I wanted to flee but the images in my head forced me to freeze.

My vision was starting to get blurry and my ear was starting to ring. Voices whispered in my head, familiar voices that tried to bring me to my knees. My nightmares are filled with these voices. It made me feel like I was reliving that night all over again.

Through my blurry vision, I saw Elijah moving closer to me. The second I felt his right hand move up to the back of my head, a fully blown panic slammed in to my chest.

Letting out a silent gasp, I stepped away from him and tried to get out of his reach.

Sweat was coating my forehead and dripping down the side of my head. 

I blinked my eyes several times to try and stop the tears from flowing down my face. I felt a strong squeeze on my right hand and looked down to see that Elijah was giving me a waring through his grip.

I tore my eyes away from his tattooed hand and glanced at the crown. 

The number of people along with the man standing in front of me was overwhelming me.

I could feel my breath getting shorter and shorter. The wedding dress I had on was getting tighter by the second, making it harder for me to catch my breath.

The silk scarf around my neck felt like it was choking me.

I need to get out of here. I need to run. I need to hide.

I tried to snatch my hand out of Elijah's grip but the man only help on tighter. Not giving me another second to escape, Elijah forcefully pulled me towards him.

My eyes widened when I crashed in to him. Even though my eyes were filled with tears, I could see the cold gaze in his eyes as he once again reached for the back of my neck.

His touch make me want to scream. But before I could open my lips, his silenced me with his.

Elijah slammed his lips against mine, swallowing my protest. 

My eyes were opened wide and my heart stopped beating for the few seconds our lips met.  I tried to pull away from him, but his grip was too strong. Elijah refused to let me go until he was satisfied with his sudden attack.

The second he finally let me go and I was able to get air into my lungs, I thought I was going to really pass out.

Elijah looked down at me like he was passing down a warning... a massage.

I was his now and the look on his face dared me to do anything stupid, like trying to runaway again.

The wedding hall was dead silent as the two of us stared at each other. 

Elijah's eyes haunted me like the ones that haunt me in my dreams. So, remembering what my grandfather said, I dropped my eyes away from his and settled them on his red tie again.

Feeling my submission, Elijah finally pulled away from me but kept my hand in his before he turned to the crowd.

My breath was still very shallow but I as able to focus on Elijah's grip rather than the repeating image in my head.

***

I managed to hold on until I was away from everyone. To my delight, the reception was very short and no one wanted to personally address me except for my sister.

I kept my eyes planted on the floor and refused to look up at anyone. I was too busy trying to think of my happy place. I was trying to distract myself.

I wanted to be alone and my mind provided a safe place. But when the reception was over and Elijah pulled me out of the hall and over to his car, my panic started returning again.

A man standing by the car held the back door open.

"Get in." Elijah ordered.

I looked in to the back seat of the black car. The last thing I wanted to do was get in to this car.

'At least it's not the trunk.' A voice hissed as me.

"IN!" Elijah ordered again, startling me out of my thoughts. 

Nodding my head, I slowly got into the back seat of the car and scooted to the other side. My shoulder was firmly pressed against the door of the other side, leaving a wide space between Elijah and myself.

Wiping my sweaty palms down the front of my white dress, I kept my eyes out the window.

Elijah hopped in next and the man standing outside closed the door before he jogged around the front of the car and got into the drivers seat. 

"Straight to the house." Elijah ordered, his deep voice filling the silent car.

The entire  way to 'the house' my hands were trembling and I was continuously bouncing my right leg up and down. Nerves were swarming my body and tears were burning the back of my eyes.

I have no doubt that my eyes were already bloodshot.

Sitting in such a small space with one man next to me and the other in the drivers seat was beyond my limits. I could barely be fine with holding on to my grandfather's arm as he walked me down the aisle, let alone be in a car with two strangers.

I took in a deep breath and tried to calm myself even though it felt impossible. I played with the one end of the silk scarf hanging down to my chest. I felt more anxious when we got to 'the house'.

Large gates squealed open and the driver slowly drove through them and down a long drive way. The driver stopped the car in front of the mansion and hopped out to open the door for my now husband Elijah.

Elijah got out and walked towards the mansion, leaving me in the car with little time to compose myself. When I didn't follow after Elijah, the driver peeked into the back seat with a puzzled look on his face.

"Mrs. Smith?" He called out.

Nodding my head, I made my way out of the car and slowly walked after Elijah.

My entire body was shaking at this point. My teeth were chattering and my hands were trembling. The clicks of my heels echoed through the cold night, keeping Elijah insured that I was indeed following him.

Elijah made a bee line to a wide stairs and I followed after him without looking around my new home. It's just a new golden cage that's slightly larger and shinier than the last one.

Dread was settling at the pit of my stomach with each passing second.

Elijah didn't spare me a single glance as he led me to his room. I stood by the door and watched as he walked over to a tall table with a few liquors on display and fixed himself a glass.

With his back turned to me, I got a chance to closely look at him. I must say, even his stance is intimidating. The man is tall, masculine and possesses a dark aura that would make even the bravest men nervous.

He threw his head back and swallowed the entire drink in a single breath before he took a deep breath. Elijah poured himself another glass before he glanced at me over his shoulder.

"Come in." Elijah said, startling me a bit.

Trying my best not to look as terrified as I was, I slowly walked into the room and stood still at the center. My eyes roamed the room. looking for a place to escape. 

I located three doors, two of which were closed. I couldn't care less about the closed doors. My eyes were focused on the open one, which led into a bathroom, also known as, a very nice place to cower to.

"What's your name?" Elijah asked, forcing my eyes to him. I soon realized that he was watching me as a predictor watches its prey.

A small frown graced my face. I know for a fact that he already knows my name. He's been a long time business partner of my father and surely  he knows the name of the woman he decided to marry.

"You're name?" He asked again, this time his voice was laced with an undertone of warning.

My hands shook as I tried to sign, preventing me from actually spelling my name.

I could see that my silence was starting to annoy him. So I tried to move my hands again but my muscles refused to work.

Having enough of my silence, Elijah slammed the glass he was holding down on to the tall table and stalked over to me.

This is a nightmare.