EricaI hugged my brother- in- law tightly and realized that I had missed him. His big hand patted my back a few times before he pulled back and straightened. He was a tall man with a bearing of someone that belonged to a royal family, considering he was an heir to a dukedom before he decided to rule the New Orleans it was given. But still, he stood out different from the way he carried himself, to the way he looked. Broad shoulders, sharp cheekbones and midnight hair. The softness in his blue eyes reserved only for a few people that were important to him gave me comfort after what happened in the class.I asked, “Where is Summer?”“You will meet her at the hotel. We are having dinner together.” I fell in step beside him as he started walking. He said, “I will wait for you to change and get ready.&rdq
EricaAfter a brief discussion and a warning from Gabriel where he scolded me like a child needing to be disciplined, and an argument about me having a bodyguard, I bid goodbye to my small family and made my way toward my dorm building. I was feeling better and warm. Summer always had that effect on me, she was the only one who loved me. She was a mother to me in many ways, always making sure that I got the love that our father didn’t give me. Always there to come sleep beside me when I had suffered from nightmares or when I was afraid that the faceless monsters would come and hurt me.My phone rang as I entered my room and I picked it up after seeing it was Dane. “Hey..”“Hello, how are you?”&
EricaI was brimming with restless energy when I met Dane at the small cafe near my college. The classes were cancelled because of the untimely but well-deserved death of Professor Martinez, and I had nothing else to do except to be gawked at by the students so I decided to call Dane and asked if he’d like to come and meet me. Surprisingly, he said yes.So now here I was sitting outside, under the umbrella and waiting for him. I spotted him on the opposite side of the street and waved at him as he crossed the road and walked toward me. I stood up and gave him a hug that he returned awkwardly.“How are you?” He asked.“You lied to me.”
Erica I entered the frat house on the arm of a boy that I had met only twenty minutes ago. Because I didn’t have anything flashy like other girls I’d find here, I had worn a long sweater with a belt around my waist and another of my pink glittering flats. The boy hadn’t stopped smiling like an idiot since I told him that I wanted to join him. From his eyes I could tell that he was already high and I didn’t judge him for it as I was here to do the same. Since Gina wasn’t going to provide me with what it took to silent the filthy murmurs I needed to find another way so frat house was the one option I came up with. It’s been three days since that spectacle outside the cafe and two days since I even got a blink of a sleep. My stomach was tight with nerves, I was jumpy and my body was going into lockdown and
AntonioI was sipping on my glass of scotch as I read through my texts with the little devil who didn’t know that she was sharing her fantasies with me. And each time I went through those texts, a part of me stirred to life. Chasing her was for the vengeance that I had promised to Gabriel Wolfe a long time ago, but slowly it mixed with the need to make her my prey for pleasurable reasons too. I had given her a choice to come with me on her own, but she chose wrong. And now I’d have to resort to deceiving her and kidnapping her.I hadn’t lied when I had told her that I wanted her safe. After interacting with her, a little part of me wanted tospare her what laid ahead if I got on with my plans that included her. There were two reasons behind why I texted that picture to Gabriel
EricaIt was a slow process, me waking up. At first I felt like there was a heavy weight on my chest pressing me down, my heartbeat was fast and my body was covered in cold sweat, usually I wake up like this when I startle awake from a nightmare but this time I didn’t remember having a nightmare instead it felt like I was in a cold slumber and just woke up.I didn’t know how long I had been asleep but even as I started to come back into consciousness my limbs were heavy, my mouth felt dry and my lips were cracked, and most of the disturbing was that my surroundings were dark which made panic rush into my veins. But then my eyes caught in the beam of light that was coming from the door frame.
EricaI asked, “Why are you doing this?”I didn’t think he would answer me. But he surprised me as he replied, “Because I didn’t like how you talked to me. No one talks to me like that without facing consequences. I gave you a choice, you decided to pick the one that put you against me.”His words were like sharp little jabs at my heart. If my father was here he would say, ‘How many times have I told you to keep your mouth shut? Now you have to suffer for it. That’s what you deserve.’ I swallowed through my darkness and gritted out, “You gave me a choice to be your whore!"“And now you are. Against your wishes, I might add. Bought and paid for. One would think you should have chosen corre
Erica“Should I check?”I swallowed and looked back at him without any expression on my face and without letting him see what I was feeling inside. I knew what he was seeing. A girl with emotionless eyes and thin lips and a proud set of my features. And like everyone he would think that I was too full of myself. I didn’t mind it, I didn’t care as long as all the boxes were closed and the organ beating in my chest wouldn’t get affected and my eyes wouldn’t show it.His brows arched up on his forehead and he sat back on his seat. After a moment, he gestured at the box on the table and said, “Open it.”Taking a deep breath I turned to the table, bent down and flippe
Ephraim“Your job is to do whatever I tell you to do. Protect her.”I gritted my teeth at his absurd command, all these years I had been his shadow, spent all my time protecting him whenever he stepped out of that castle where he lived like a recluse. And now here he was telling me to protect her but not him. I’d have protected her but not at the cost of him, not if it meant letting him be in danger.I pressed on the accelerator as the car that was following us came to the side and slammed at the back of ours, for a moment I lost control of the steering wheel and the car tilted to the one side. I glanced in the rear-view mirror to catch Antonio cupping Erica’s head to prevent her head from slamming into the wind
AntonioMy office door opened with a bang for the second time that day and Ephraim stood there with Thor barking behind him. Before I could really give him a lashing to remind him of his place and for letting that dog into my office, I noticed the set of his jaw and the paleness of his face and without a second thought, my mind went straight to Erica. “What is it?”Instead of answering me, he asked, “Have you talked to Erica?”Even though I had wanted to call her, I hadn’t. And it was his fault. Because Ephraim’s words had unsettled me and I didn’t want to prove him right so no matter how much I was tempted to call her, I had refrained but now as I saw the expression on Ephraim’s face I regretted not doing so. And more than that as I slipped out my phone and dialled her number I regretted not putting a tracker on her phone after she broke the bracelet when the call ended without ringing on the other side.I had wanted to give her some privacy to talk to her family and it was the reaso
EricaI excused myself from the table to go to the bathroom, I wanted to ask Riley if she wanted to join me but she was busy talking to the guy sitting opposite her. But just as I took a step away from the table, Leo also stood up. I asked, “Where are you going?”“I’ll walk with you.”“Oh, you don’t have to.” I said, feeling embarrassed that he could easily read how I was hesitant and felt a little out of place here which was why I needed company to not look like a lost child.He ignored me and grabbed my hand as he made his way to the left side of the sitting area of the cafe where there was a door that led to a mildly lit corridor and pointed out the washroom for me. He said, “I know that your bodyguards aren't here today, so it’s understandable if you don't feel okay to roam around the unfamiliar place all alone.”I never thought about it in such a way but I guess I was almost carefree at the base level knowing nothing would hurt me, for instance no masked man would materialize out
Antonio“Sit down and explain yourself before I lose it.” I said to Ephraim as I entered the study after making sure that Elijah knew not to lose sight of her in any way and also to make sure she doesn't see him, if the former happened I’ll make sure he loses his fûcking life.Erica had asked me to stop sending men with her before too, saying that she felt like the odd one out with all the other students gawking at her because of all the men standing guard. But I had ignored her then because I knew most of them probably already knew who she was with, I was one of the men that people recognised on sight and associating with me puts her at risk so it wasn’t just to prevent her from running but also to make sure no one hurts her. And now I wanted to test her out. To know what she’ll do with her new found freedom that I was giving her. Even though it will be an illusion, for her it will be real enough.As I sat behind my desk, I folded my hands and looked at Ephraim. In the past, there ha
Antonio“Antonio...”“Mmm?”“There is this new place that has opened up in downtown that everyone is going to after the classes. Can I go?”“Of course. I told you, you can go anywhere you want to go. I’ll tell Ephraim to take you.” I replied, feeling a smile turn up my lips at the way she asked for my permission.She sat up, slipping out of my hold. And even though it annoyed me, I opened my eyes to look at her. Her flawless back was to me and I couldn't help but trail down my fingers on the curve of her spine and smiled when she shuddered. Without looking at me, she said, “I, actually, don't want him to come with me.”I narrowed my eyes on her back. Grabbing the back of her nape, I pulled her back until she was lying and then I sat up on my elbow to look down at her as I asked, “Are you planning to run away?”She rolled her eyes. She actually rolled her eyes and gave me a smile that made my cock hard, again. She said, “If I wanted to leave, I would've left that night.”It was three n
AntonioI stood near the windows and looked down at her. Ephraim had given her his jacket that she had wrapped around her to protect herself from the cold. She was looking back at the castle from time to time, and sometimes her gaze would go up to the terrace but she didn't turn to look in the direction of the bedroom which was on her left. And even if she had looked I doubted she would be able to make me out in the darkness of the bedroom.I have no fûcking idea why I said what I said. I didn't know what got into me to let her leave. I just fûcking forced her to go. But when I saw her bandaged hand... I wasn’t lying. Seeing her hurt messes with me in a way I couldn’t explain. It was like going back in the past and seeing all the blood and feeling the pain. Being helpless, that's what it felt like.I wasn't prepared to say any of the things I told her but unlike her I was mature enough to recognise the truth when it smacked me in the face every time I looked at her, kissed her, touche
Erica“What does that mean?” He questioned, his golden brown eyes frowning down at me. “What are you talking about?”I stared at him for a few seconds, if I didn’t know better I would really believe that he has no idea what I was talking about. The way he looked so confused, like he had done nothing wrong, like he didn’t know what I was talking about, like he hadn’t left me in the bed only to be with her. I swallowed against the lump in my throat as I sat up and slipped out of the bed. Sitting there with him so close wouldn’t give me enough strength to keep my anger. But even while I stood and he sat there on the bed, he was almost my height and just as big.“I saw you with her.” It took more effort than it should have to say her name. “Nicole. The way she was touching you. Kissing you. She kissed you...” I couldn't hide the pain as I said those words. And once again the image of her materialized in my mind, the same image that had been haunting me, that had forced me to slam my fist
EphraimErica pushed past me and walked away to the exit I was pointing out instead of going through the one where Antonio was standing close to. Nicole’s eyes met mine, smug and taunting. She said, “You should go after her before you lose his toy. I heard it’s very expensive.”I took a step closer to her and she sucked in a nervous breath. I had never interacted with her, apart from the times when Antonio needed another set of hands in an act that he put up in the club with her as the submissive for the night. “Stay away from her. If Antonio knew what you just did—”“Save your threats, he already made his.” Her nostrils flared as she looked over my shoulder. “I don’t understand what you see in her. She is not even Italian, also he bought her from an auction, how could you take her side over mine when she’s nothing but his sex slave.” “She is anything but that. Did you see her in chains or kneeling at his feet like you did so often?”Anger flashed in her eyes as she glared at me. H
EricaI woke up sprawled in the middle of the bed with blankets wrapped around me and sun shining through the parted curtains. Gathering my hair to the one side, I sat up and looked around the bedroom. The basket from which I had eaten number of sweet things was still on the bedside table and it reminded me of how Antonio had fed me the baked soft cookies with his own hands while I was curled up in his lap. I took my gaze off the basket to our clothes that were all over the place last night but now we’re folded and placed on the bench near the bathroom door, but there was no sign of Antonio.Deciding to get up and start the day, I slipped out of the bed and made my way to the bathroom. For the first time, I didn't sleep nakéd after sex and still Antonio had taken me in his arms, surrounding me with his big body as we slept. When I came out of the bathroom, I opened the closet door to find a selection of his shirts but there were a few dresses and jeans and tops too. I picked out a bla