AMANIYou know that feeling when everything seems to be going great in your life, then suddenly, something evil sneaks up on you out of nowhere like bad juju? Yes, that’s exactly how I feel as I throw my robe on and make my way to Will & Julia Perfumety by two forty-five in the morning, terrified as a chicken that’s being led to the slaughter.I’m already halfway there when I realize that I don’t have any shoes on, but there’s no going back. I keep my teeth gritted to hold back my whimpers of pain as rocks jab into my feet on the dark street.Thirty meters away from the company, I can already see the thick cloud of black smoke in the air and a blurry line of crimson in the distant skies. My heart almost stops beating.By the time I arrive at the gates, I’ve gone into full panic mode. I called 9-1-1 but they’re yet to arrive. How can I be faster than the damn police?Aunt Ophelia was right. Only our factories, our main area of production is currently burning. The main buildings where o
BHYRONThe chances that I might develop a heart attack soon is exceedingly high.During the short twenty minute drive to Will & Julia Perfumery, I mobilized my company’s personal fire service to the site of the incident. I’ve conjured every single horrible scenario possible. Amani trapped and scared inside one of the burning factories. Amani trapped underneath a falling building. Amani already burning to death.I know how it feels to be trapped. How it feels to struggle for oxygen. It’s a horrible feeling that still haunts me to this day. And the thought that Amani…“Who the heck let her into a burning building?” I ask one of my private detectives who’s already at the site. “Wasn’t anyone there to stop her?”“Only Miss Amani and her aunt were here, sir. According to her Aunt, she’d tried to stop her but Miss Amani was too stubborn.”I can imagine that. Amani’s stubbornness has probably grown by a thousand percent since I last saw her.Now she wants to worry me to death.***The mome
AMANIThis better be a bad dream. Or better still, a hallucination… because I would kick Henry’s dusty ass if I ever saw him in my dreams. I try to sit up but pinpricks of pain shoot up and down my spine. My legs hurt, my feet hurt, my arm hurts, my throat hurts. Everything hurts. Now, I have to deal with the one person that I’d rather die from smoke inhalation than talk to.“Careful there. You might hurt yourself.” His voice sounds like a horrific version of static in my ears. Crap! It wasn’t a dream after all.Henry tries to help me up but I give him a death stare and that has him freezing in his tracks.“Don’t you dare touch me.” I say on an almost growl.After struggling to sit up by myself, I turn to him and lift a brow; “what are you doing here?” He has the audacity to smirk at me. “You’re my wife, Amani. You’ve been particularly stubborn and annoying for the past few days, but I still care about you.”I almost choke on my own soot-flavoured spit. Unlike other people who wa
AMANIThe moment Henry and Laura exit the ward, a strange feeling of overwhelming exhaustion crashes on me and I lean back against the pillows with a strained sigh.I shut my eyes, trying to recover from that disaster when my vision suddenly darkens. My eyes fly open and my toes curl in surprise when I see Bhyron hovering over me. His sharp blue eyes are dark and intense as they rove over every inch of my body.“What are you doing?”His eyes meet mine and butterflies erupt in my belly. “Did he hurt you?”“What?”“That bastard, Henry. Did he put his hands on you?”My blood runs cold. “Uh… no. Why would you ask me that?”“Don’t lie to me, Amani. I saw you crying when I walked in.”I force myself to hold his gaze, despite the exhaustion in my limbs and the dread in my bones. I don’t want Bhyron getting involved in whatever issues I’ve got with Henry. Things could get incredibly messy.I clear my throat, deciding to change the subject; “why did you save me?”Bhyron’s eyes darken dangerou
AMANI“Okay, Aunt, how much have we lost?”It’s been four hours since Bhyron was taken to the police station and I'm currently getting ready to be discharged from the hospital. Aunt Ophelia has been acting weird ever since. By weird, I mean she’s been sending me weird glances.She heaves the one hundredth long sigh and I finally give in with an eye roll.“Okay, Aunt. What’s wrong?”She doesn’t even hesitate.“Don’t you think you were too hasty to accuse Bhyron of causing the fire? You should’ve seen him yesterday. The man damn near lost his mind. He was genuinely worried about you. Look, Amani, you know I’d always be on your side, but I really think you went too far this time.”My heart twinges painfully. “Bhyron was worried about me?” I whisper in disbelief.“Of course! If I didn’t see it with my own two eyes, I would never have believed it. He was scared to death. I think he really cares about you.”I shake off the fireworks erupting in my chest and lift my chin, staring her down;
AMANII’m convinced that Aunt Ophelia is currently the weapon fashioned against me that’s starting to prosper.Don’t get me wrong, I love my aunt to DEATH, but she’s done nothing but get me into one trouble or the other these past few days.After Duke announced that I was supposed to sign Bhyron’s bail papers by myself, Aunt Ophelia tried to follow us to the police station but he responded, and I quote;“I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to come along, Mrs. Ophelia. Bhyron only asked for Amani, but I assure you that I’ll drop her off right at your doorstep when she’s done.”That was supposed to be an assurance, but believe me when I say there was nothing assuring about his dark, deadly tone.My heart is on the verge of beating out of my ribcage as he leads us to a big ass SUV parked beside Aunt Ophelia’s pitiful Corolla. Even the driver who holds the door open for me looks scary as hell with the scar that slashes all the way across his left cheek.The ride to the police st
AMANII do the math really quick.I have one thousand dollars in my savings account and another two thousand in a checking account, making it three thousand dollars.I lift my chin, hold Bhyron’s gaze and whisper; “will you accept a three thousand dollar deposit?”His eyes narrow on me, warm and electrifying; “no.”Dang.“What does taking care of you entail exactly?”“You’ll find out when we get there.” His voice is deep and soft, and holds the promise of something wicked.I’m well aware that his mother and siblings are still staring at me like I fell from the sky. Without saying a word to them, Bhyron turns to Duke;“Please ask the driver to bring the car around. I’d like to leave now.”Brielle runs to his side; “Bhyron, are you sure you’re okay? I can take care of you if you want.”Bhyron smiles at her affectionately and pats her hair; “I’ll be fine, bed hair. I’ll call you later, okay?”I don’t even know what I find most surprising: the fact that Bhyron still calls his sister “bed
AMANII’m beginning to realize that there’s a very powerful connection between hatred and sexual tension. Because if there wasn’t, why would I hate this man with all my heart and still want to suck his dick like a lollipop while he does very immoral things to my body?Bhyron’s request hangs in the air between us like a forbidden fruit, silently begging one of us to reach forward and pluck it.He wants me. I can see the burning desire in his eyes. And I want him, too. My sex literally throbs with need.Ten heartbeat later, the car rolls to a stop and the driver’s voice snaps me out of me sexually induced reverie.“We’re here, sir.”I look away, clearing my throat as if that would miraculously rid my mind of dirty thoughts.The tension in the car is so hot, so thick, it makes it almost impossible to breathe. Acting without thought, I grab the handle and pull my side of the door open. I’m about to step out when Bhyron’s voice has me freezing in my tracks; “Don’t move.”I look at him ove