CHAPTER TWO

This side of Lucien is something I was very afraid of, something that shook me to my core.

With Lucien's threat James bolted up right, scrambling to his feet with a b-line for the door, grabbing the arm of his girlfriend and pulling her with him as they made their way out of my office.

My heart sunk in my chest. They had left me alone with a fuming Lucien.

I nervously met my eyes with his, eyes he had already pinned on me as he burned his daggered gaze deep into my skin.

His left hand clenched at his side whilst his other hand still held his gun aimed towards the door that my two guests had just left from.

Lucien was shaking, his rage so visible that his usual blue eyes had now looked a stormy grey with anger. Without so much as a warning he gripped my upper arm tightly, and with a tug he pulled me up and off my chair harshly.

"OWW LUCIEN, WHAT THE FUCK!" I yelled at the uncomfortable sting of a pain from his fingers being wrapped tightly around my skin.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT PIECE OF SHIT" He spat out clenching his jaw with an excessively repeating tick.

I averted my eyes to the ground at his scolding. Although we were now the only occupants of the room, I had felt humiliated, he was making me feel shame at my own judgement or lack thereof.

"Another bodyguard María? REALLY? THEIR NOT PAID TO FUCK YOU" He yelled directly into my face.

I felt so small, he was making me feel so little with his towering form, and demanding demeaner. I gulped visibly at the look of pure rage that still masked his face.

Although it wasn’t all in his delivery but in his words itself. They had cut me deep.

Hearing him say it like that had badly hurt.

Is that what he thinks of me? Does he think I sleep with all his men?

Because I don't. I never have.

The only time I let a man touch me, was now! In this room, right before he had barged his way in.

I tugged my arm back in an attempt at freeing myself from his firm hold.

To no avail, I failed without the slightest bit of release.

With no luck of removing myself from the situation and that disappointing look he was throwing at me was fuelling a rage of my own. He doesn't have any kind of right to be angry with me. We were no longer together. I was not his nor he mine, anymore.

"WHAT'S IT GOT TO DO WITH YOU?" I screamed losing control of the anger and damn right humiliation that had been pulled to the front of my emotions.

I felt so emotionally weak. It had felt like a whirlwind of so many different feelings and emotions wanting to be released all in one.

I took in a sharp breath, Willing my tears at bay. I was trying my hardest to not break down in front of him.

"I needed to teach that bitch a lesson" I ground through gritted teeth, my voice coming out was barely a whisper and in return Lucien looked down at me with a look I can only describe of as one of disgust.

"And what lesson is that princess? Huh? how to throw your pussy around to men it doesn't belong to?" He spat with a voice laced with definitive disgust.

With the way he was looking at me I wanted nothing more but for the ground to swallow me up. I wanted it to shield me from him, to save me from this whole humiliating situation I had put myself in.

Yeah, I was hurting, I was hurt by the words that came from his lips, but how else was I to prove my authority in this place? How else am I to do that? I had thought scaring people with their own fears would be the perfect solution. I needed to show that I can stand up for myself, that people can't treat me like shit because they have some deluded mindset that I can’t defend on my own.

My reality is that people think I'm weak. They think I'm weak because I don't get involved in the Valdez or Garcia run business, it’s not a choice I made of my own. My anger was boiling within me. He had no right; He has no right to be in here acting this way.

Using the hand that I had free from his hold, I balled my fist so tight and slammed it down against his chest with all my strength.

"GET OFF OF ME, YOU DON'T OWN ME LUCIEN" I screamed, becoming frantic.

It took a second and I had instantly regretted my actions as I was pushed with so much force that resulted in my back colliding with the wall behind me, enticing this burning pain to spread across my back.

I winced as He pressed his body firmly against mine, trapping me between the wall and dare I say it his warmth. Lucien has never acted this way with me before, He has never nor will he ever hurt me, or so I had thought.

Right now, I'm not so sure. I undoubtedly was quickly becoming terrified to the point that my body was trembling. In this moment right now, I was afraid of him, never in my twenty-five years of knowing him would I have ever thought that I would one day fear him.

Lucien restrained both of my arms tightly against my chest, forcing me still and rendering me incapable of escaping from his hold.

A whimper left my lips, my now aching back being pushed further into the wall behind me.

With the force he had used in slamming me to this god damn fucking wall I could only imagine that it was going to leave a bruise.

I'm not afraid of Lucien.

Lucien would never harm you.

He wouldn't! Not ever!... I mentally coached myself.

But who was I fooling? No one raises their voice to Lucien let alone punch his chest. No one betrays him in any type of way, like he now delusionally believes that I have.

I was afraid, scared of what his next actions would be. I didn't want to get caught up in his eyes and his intimidating stare. I was clueless, not knowing what to do in this situation.

so, I did the only thing I could and avoided eye contact, diverting my eyes with a turn of my head to the side.

My ribs were breaking with the pounding of my heart.

He was so close I could smell his cologne; I could feel his hard chest pressed against mine with every heavy breath he or I took.

If I wasn't so frightened of him in this moment, I would be admiring how handsome he really was and revelling in his close proximity that I had literally daydreamed about.

Lucien gripped my chin tightly between his fingers and thumb, roughly forcing my eyes to his. His stormy grey eyes searched my own, for what? I'm not sure.

They held anger but also… sadness, pain? Maybe I was overthinking it, Lucien doesn’t feel the same way towards me that I do of him. At least I didn’t think he did anymore.

I brushed that thought off turning my attention back to him as he dropped his hand from my chin, gently sliding a strand of my hair and tucking it behind my ear with his fingers.

I unwillingly bit my lip nervously as he Leaned in, his face merely a centimetre from my own.

"That's where you're wrong princess. I will find a way to ensure Everyone knows your mine. That's a promise María'' He whispered, his breath fanning the skin of my cheek and ear.