Another week had gone by, and nothing was heard from Anthony. It seemed like he had just vanished into thin air. Sandra's finger flickered as she typed his name in the search bar. Nothing important came up. The media had no new news on him. She looked up to the wrinkled forehead of her best friend. Her eyes watched as her friend's teeth dug into her bottom lip.
"Is there something you can do?" She questioned.
"This has to be some violation of human rights!" She persisted.
Her once jovial friend stared at her with the sober eyes of a pitier.
"There is nothing I can do." Her friend voiced out in a hushed tone.
Frustration washed over her.
"What do you mean by there's nothing you can do?"
"I mean there is nothing I can do. " She repeated as she dropped the contract on the table.
"why?! " Sandra cried in frustration. Her fingers wiped back the tears that dropped on her cheeks. Tanya was her last resort. She had tried every means possible, but it all seemed to fail. It was like the entire world had gone against her.
"Babe..." Tanya called out as she placed a palm on her arm.
She looked up.
"The Maven family has never lost a court case. Heck, they're hardly ever even sued to court. They control the entire country. I have never met anyone that could go against them. We all fear for our lives. A family with four great lawyers is not one to to with." Tanya explained.
"that is also why your father's death wasn't charged as a murder case."
" I know that, but there has to be a way." Sandra replied, digging her teeth into her fingers. There had to be a way.
Her eyes lit up as she thought of the best idea she could bring up.
"What if....." She said, pulling a finger forward.
"What if?" Came the question, with a voice of impatience.
"What if we run to some nongovernmental organization that deals with human rights. They could help... "
"that could work.... " Tanya pondered as she nodded repeatedly.
Sandra's smile broadened in victory.
"Except for the fact that Anthony's elder sister donates heavily to every NGO you can think of. Why do you think the society loves them? They give. And they just don't give, the give largely."
Her lips bent in a frown.
"your case would die, even before it was brought to life. No organization would want to lose their biggest donor. "
With little to no enthusiasm, Sandra pulled the cup of coffee to her lips.
If only she had chosen to study law, she might have stood a chance.
"I'm really sorry I can't help." Tanya apologized. "You know I really want to." She sighed.
"I get it."
"At least he's not always in your hair, plus your family is safe."
"safe?" Sandra scoffed.
"he always has his people around us. They're everywhere."
"well, they're not here now." Tanya replied.
"Turn around."
Tanya's head slowly spun, and her eyes widened as she saw a man with a tattooed face staring at her. He raised his finger, and passed a little wave. Tanya slowly reciprocated before she turned back.
"Why didn't you tell me he was here?!"
"It didn't sound like a good idea to me. " She shrugged.
"yes. It is totally not a good idea to inform your best friend that your 'owner' has a hitman watching her! "
" You would have chickened out." She shrugged again.
"Exactly why you should have told me!"
Sandra's lips parted to speak, but her phone's ringtone stopped her.
She looked at the phone, and then to her best friend.
"Who is it?" Tanya whispered.
"An unknown caller." She whispered in return.
"Take it."
"No." Sandra refused.
The phone rang thrice, and on the fourth time, she hurriedly shut it down.
Her palms placed on her chest, felt her racing heart.
"It could just be a random caller, right?" Tanya tried to soothe.
She did not respond. Her brain couldn't organize words properly. At least not yet.
"chill, girl. You're just on edge today. It could be your mom or sister calling you from a different number." She soothed again, in a lower tone.
Both sat frozen in their seats as the tattooed man walked towards them.
"You better take it," he warned as he dropped a ringing phone on their table.
With trembling hands, Sandra picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Turn on your phone." Came a mysterious voice from the other end.
The call ended immediately.
She dropped the phone on the table.
"Who was it?
"Definitely not my mom, or sisters." She replied as her fingers hit her phone's power button.
As soon as her phone lit up, a messaged popped up.
"Seven pm." Sandra read out loud.
"What?
"Seven pm." She repeated. "The caller said to check my phone. The message in my phone says seven pm." She explained.
" What does that mean?"
"There's only one way to find out."
"You're thirty minutes late!" Sandra screamed at the man, as soon as he arrived before her. Her palms molded into fists and she felt him scan her entire existence. How dare he keep her waiting for that long? "Turn around." Was that all he could say? "No." Her reply caused him to pull a hand towards his chin. A slight chuckle escaped his lips. "Turn around." He growled. With a grudging resistance, Sandra found herself bowing to the man's orders. "Too exposive." He commented. Sandra rolled her eyes. " It's my favorite dress." She proclaimed, tugging at the edges of her pink and white,long Caribbean dress. She felt it made her look like a princess. He had ordered her to dress in something nice,and she had done so. "I don't care. Get it changed." "No!" Right before Sandra could think of any other mode of action, Anthony's hands gripped hers as he tugged her into her - his house. The entire room seemed spacious, and empt
Pregnant? Wow... Sandra could not even fathom words as she sat at the table. "Congratulations,my darling." Came the voice of the elderly woman. Sandra looked up, and to her surprise, the woman was beaming at her. "Thank you." She calmly replied. Her hands stretched forward as she grabbed a napkin. She knew the game he was playing. With that announcement, she had to get pregnant, and quickly at that. Two could play at that game. "Where did you meet?" She asked. Sandra beamed at her. "It's of no importance, mom." Anthony quickly cut in. "It's no big deal, hun." She said, placing her hand on her supposed fiance's arm. He glared at her. " As a matter of fact," she started, turning to Anthony's mother. "We have know each other for over fifteen years. " "fifteen?" "Yes" Anthony quickly replied . " I'm surprised you don't remember her." He taunted with intense stares to his mother. "Oh,honey. I'm so sorry I can't recall who you are. Have we
"You wouldn't dare dump me in the trunk of a car." Sandra sizzled at the man who had turned his back to her. "Don't waste my time." He said to Dio, ignoring her. Dio pulled out a gun from his jacket, as he closed the distance between them. "Don't fucking touch me!" She screamed, shoving his chest. Dio chuckled. His long, large, tattooed hands grabbed her wrist. Her knee stubbed his groin. With a grunt, the butt of his gun clamped her jaw. Tears stung at her eyes as she watched Anthony chuckling at the side. Blood had made its way to her mouth. "Don't make it rough, if you don't like it rough." Sandra wanted to hiss at the statement. Reluctantly, she stretched her arms forward in submission. "Chain me, if you must." An hour had gone by when the trunk of the car finally popped open. Sandra's reddened eyes met with that of her master's. "Get her out of my car." He ordered. They proceeded to pulling her out of the trunk. In no time, she
"You're getting married?" Jordan asked wig a raised brow. "Yes." "Wow." He expressed, rubbing his chin. " I can't believe Francesca finally got to you " Anthony scoffed. "Francesca can go fuck herself in the ass. " Jordan gulped down the words tugging at his throat. He had honestly thought Anthony would find love in Francesca. He hated her,true,but she was compatible with his friend. Anthony needed someone who would always obey and agree to his decisions. "Who is she?" "The bride,I mean. Who is the she?" "Do you remember Caleb?" "Caleb?" "Caleb Martinson,my driver" " Oh,yes."" "His first daughter." "Why her?" "She's perfect." Jordan raised a brow in surprise. "It doesn't concern you." Anthony said, waving his worries off. "I need you there by 8 pm, at the central cathedral. This Saturday. Don't be late." He instructed as he rose to his feet. Jordan watched as he handed one of his men the paper and
"Francesca...." Sandra said out in a slow motion, feeling the name on her tongue. "You work for Anthony?" She questioned, scanning the lady's outlook. She did not seem like a worker. She looked like her own fucking boss. Her hair was spun in a bun, with two curly strands in front. Her nails were perfectly trimmed and painted. She was wearing a three piece suit, while Sandra was dressed in white. Plain white. The bitch looked like the fucking boss, while she looked like the assistant. "As a matter of fact, I do. I am his personal assistant." Great! Anthony's assistant just had to be the hottest person on the planet. It made her head spin. Who would see that beauty and not want to shove his dick in her ass? "Can we leave now?" She asked, pulling Sandra out from her trance. Her smile was intoxicating. Her accent screamed elegance, and Sandra could not help but feel stupid, naive, and unworthy. "Let us leave." She finally managed to reply. A guard pulled t
"Fuck! fuck! fuck! fuck! Fuck it!!!" Francesca screamed as she tossed the wine glass in her hand. Her right hand grabbed the cigarette in her hand with extreme force. "Fuck!" She cursed one more time, tossing the wine bottle across the room. The workers scattered in fear. Beads of sweat had built themselves on her forehead. Her palm wiped across her face as she pushed the smeared, wet hair backwards. She needed a drink. Then another drink. Then another. And the a smoke. She snapped her fingers. A cleaner walked forward. "I need a drink." She said, tapping the table as she rose to her feet. As she turned, she realized the cleaner had shrunk in fear and confusion. "What the fuck are you staring at?!" She roared at him. His Adam apple bulbed as he gulped down the saliva in his throat. "Get me a fucking drink!" "Which one?" The young man stammered. Her eyes narrowed at him in frustration. "Anything that takes pain away..." She groane
Yes! She wanted to scream yes. She wanted to feel his hands within her, around her. She wanted him on her. Her eyes squeezed as she imagined him on her. His large hands pinning her to the bed as he grinded her. Sweat trickling down his perfectly chiseled jaw as he moaned her name. His pink lips kissing her,right before his tongue made magic. His tongue.... She was sure it was beautiful. She knew it would work magic. The sudden urge to see his tongue rose up in her throat. She wanted him to tie her in cuffs,spread her legs and made creampie burst within her. Her teeth gritted each other as the imaginations flooded her. "No..." she ground out, biting her words. Her ears tingled as she heard a light chuckle. Her eyes slowly pulled themselves open as she turned to view his face. His full, pink lips pressed each other as his jaw clamped shut. Hadn't he smiled a second before? Sandra found herself tugging at her trousers in disgrace. The rest of the ride home was expec
D-Day. It was finally the day. The day she would become a Mrs. The day her surname would change. The day her life would change.She had anticipated that change for years,creating random images of what her groom would look like,what he would say and how he would act. She had expected a dream come through,and not the nightmare she was living. She had always wanted a wedding. The topic wasn't new to her and her mother. They both wanted an extravagant wedding for her. How silly it felt that most of their desires and aspirations would come through, but yet it felt like the most horrible day of her life. "You need to arc your back, Ms Sandra." The dresser stated as she pulled the corset tighter. Sandra felt her insides crumble. Tears stung at the edges of her eyes. Her palm quickly wiped the edge of her face. She wasn't sure what was causing the tears. She guessed some of the pain could be attributed to the corset,but she was sure a great deal of the pain came from her insides
The ride home was extremely quiet. Ryan had come back for her three hours after he had left, and they were finally getting to head home by 3:39. Who knew she would still have to meet other family members even after their casino stuff? She huffed her anger out her nose. "Is all well?" "No." She grunted. The silence took its course. She folded her arms across her chest. "What's wrong?" He asked, placing his hand over hers. She flinched a bit, before regaining herself. How could she explain that she wanted to be alone? Her head was running at three hundred and thirty metres per second. She needed to soothe and calm herself. She was angry, frustrated, sad and mad at herself. Why was it so hard for her to find a peaceful ground? What would it take for her to live a normal life? She was finally getting her life back on track. She had forgotten Anthony and his nuisance. She had her best friend and this amazing guy with her. And all of a sudden, every
"Baby, are you okay?" Ryan asked, placing an arm on her shoulder. She clamped her fingers together, trying to force a smile. "Yes, I am." She replied, turning to him. Her lips spread. "Coleman" Anthony called out, digging into his meal. Sandra looked at her table to find out that a plate was before her. When did that happen? "Mavens." Ryan greeted. "Do you have any intention of introducing me to her?" He asked. Ryan smiled. "baby,meet one of my many brothers. Anthony Mavens" Sandra's frown grew deeper. He was pretending not to know her. Ignoring all they had shared. The same way he had dumped her before. "It's a pleasure meeting you." Anthony said to her with a grin. He stretched out his hand. She stabbed the meal before her. "Same" she replied with a wide smile. She searched his eyes. He really seemed not to recognize her. She stared deeper into his eyes and no flick of recognition passed by. Reluctantly,she sighed. She turned
The long awaited weekend had finally arrived, and Sandra was sitting peacefully like the passenger princess that she was. Earlier that day, she had completed the low cut dress she intended on wearing to the dinner. Adjustments had been easy to make. The makeup artist she had booked arrived ten minutes earlier than expected, and luckily, they had gotten everything done at least five minutes before Ryan arrived. He had arrived in a black tux with his hair gelled backwards. It gave his face a more defined shape. His tattoos all covered up made him seem so innocent. His doe eyes took the form of a bunny's. She could see fear, panic and excitement behind the walls of his beautiful eyes. How important was the dinner to him? She smiled lightly as she recalled his reaction to her present look. He hadn't gasped or gushed, but his eyes had held her body longer than she expected. "Why are you smiling?" Ryan asked. She turned to him, quietly placing her palm on his thigh. She felt
The door slammed in her face as soon as Tanya left the room. Sandra, feeling choked by the repercussions of her actions retreated slowly into the vacant chair her friend had just occupied. Her heart seemed to have sank to her stomach. She clenched it tightly, hoping to hold herself in place. She hadn't really meant what she said. She hadn't. Tanya wasn't a monster. She wasn't a saint either, but she was far from a monster. She sighed. In a way,she was right. Tanya was hurting these men and their families. Innocent people who had done nothing to deserve the sour plate of injustice she had dished for them. But was the truth worth her friendship? She collapsed further into the chair. Tanya was the only person she could ever run to whenever she was in trouble. Tan was her backbone. Her hope. Her candle in the midst of the darkness. Her doorbell rang, capturing her attention. Her nerves grew alert as she quickly rose to her feet. She quietly tiptoed to the door, avoiding any s
She looked around the room, searching the environment. The woman sitting on the other side of the table seemed to have her lips moving but Sandra's head was spinning too fast for her to grasp what was being said. Her lips quivered and she quickly covered them up with both her hands. She was sure her eyes would be reddened. The tears were already at the brim of breaking off. "I'm so sorry, my dear," A voice said, as she felt a palm resting on her shoulder. She looked to find out it belonged to the woman at the other edge of the table. "Get your hands off me." She growled, glaring at her. The woman, with fear in her eyes, quickly retreated as she tightened the grip on her baby. "I was only trying to help" She defended. A snarl escaped Sandra's insides. She couldn't understand why she was mad at the woman. Heck, she should be grateful that the woman just saved her from such a blatant liar like him. Her shoulders fell even harder as she tried to process her t
"Hi," Sandra greeted, wrapping her arms around him. He enveloped her and she took a whiff of his cologne. Gosh, he smelt nice! "I love your cologne," she complimented, pulling away from him. "thank you. How are you?" He asked, holding her left hand. She felt her cheeks flush a bit. "I'm okay. A bit flushed and stressed." "Why?" He asked, scanning her face. She smiled as she noticed his eyes trailing her out look. "I just finished my workout and the heat did not make it all too bearable. " "I understand that," he replied, pushing off the strand of hair that covered her face. She flinched back, pushing the hair to its original position. His brow creased in confusion. "You look good." He complemented. She forced out a smile, knowing he was feeling rejected by her actions. "The cargo and top go together. Blue is a really nice color," he continued. It was the first time in months where she wasn't wearing a crop top, sweater
Applying the face wipe on her chin, Sandra giggled at Tanya's remark over the phone. "Trust me, it's how they all behave on the first date. They're all sweet and charming until three months later. Boo, believe me. You will sit your god-damned ass down and wonder if that was the same man you met that night."she emphasized with a hiss. She scrunched her nose at her friend's remark. Ryan was obviously a nice guy,and she felt it was too early for Tanya to start having superstitions and thoughts of him not living up to standard. Her lips lifted up in a snarl. It was either ways too early to give him much credit. "I'll try to be careful," "You'd better. Just play along, and if you eventually get tired, hand him over to me. He has what I need. Paper. " Tanya said with a tight laughter so funny that Sandra had to shake her head. "It's not always about money," she replied, picking up her phone. "It is always and will forever be about money. Forever."
"What do you mean?" Tanya questioned over the phone,causing Sandra to groan. She tugged down the edge of her tight, black dress as she stared at the mirror. "Girl, I need you to talk to me." Her voice boomed through the phone's speaker. Sandra took a quick glance at her phone. "What do you want me to tell you?" "I need" she stressed cautiously " you to tell me who the fuck you're going out on a date with! I need details." "why?" She asked, smacking her lips together. "why? Are you seriously asking me why?"She scoffed,"You can't just drop a bombshell on me, and run off. " "what do you mean?" Tanya's groan filled the room. "you're a twenty two year old virgin who has refused any and every offer from literally any man that crossed your path since Anthony. All of a sudden, I get a call at two am-" "it's seven pm over here," Sandra cut in. "whatever" she waved off the remark. "I get a call from you, and all you say is 'I'm goi
The cart screeched loudly as she pushed it through the mart. Her hand molded into a fist, before she rubbed at her darkened eyes repeatedly. Sleep had recently become only a wish for her. Who knew being a boss could be so traumatizing? She bent her arm, checking the timepiece. Just ten am. Another cup of coffee wouldn't be so bad. She picked up a toilet roll from the shelf. It had been a while - two years - since the day her previous life ended. The life that had scarred her. Well, two years was definitely enough to break down, cry, build back and get the itching tattoo that irked her. Her attention diverted to the arguing couple who were spitting words at each other. The two angels beside them held teary eyes in silence. "You piece of shit!" The woman slammed her husband with a slap to his face. She watched in horror as he spat out words which were too obscene for even her. God, those children would definitely need therapy. She rolled her cart off