~ Erik ~
“What’s gotten into you? Why would you invite Daniella into the Club?” asked Vincent to me when we were left alone in the table.
This man is notorious for his keen eyesight that’s why we call him the Tactical Operations Specialist. He’d look at say, a blueprint of a castle, and in just an amount of thirty minutes he could already memorize all of the details in it. My plan, even though it is embedded in my brain, didn’t escape his inquisition. Even though he looks like the combined Shakespeare and Beethoven with his talent in Arts and Music, he is one hard core killer.
Like me.
The only difference between us is I have killed more damned souls than him, and I enjoy it.
“I have my own reasons Vincent,” I stated whilst shifting in my seat. I stared at the half-finished cranberry juice Daniella had left, specifically the trace of pink lipstick on its rim.
“Yeah right... reasons,
~ Daniella ~Here I am my head against the door; hands pressed firmly on my heaving chest, on the verge of insanity just because I have seen Erik in his vulnerable, mouth-watering state.Oh my God, what was I thinking! With his ‘amazing’ personality, I’m supposed to be immune to his charms right? Right?No, you’re not, my subconscious immediately rebutted.Okay. Okay... I’ll admit it. I’m not immune to the President’s physical elements and that was already obvious when I first met him. I’ve always found him sexy, but I never expected him to be this sexy! Like he could easily charm his way into a convent, shirtless!Shit!Mortified by the realization that I had zoned out the moment I saw him like that, I had to retreat to my room quickly. I couldn’t give Erik the pleasure of finding out I admired his lean, hard torso; the sinews, the obliques, the gorgeous valleys of his c
~ Daniella ~After our conversation with Rohan, Erik sent me back to my room for reasons unclear to me. His only instruction was to stay there until he fetches me later tonight. I, of course, complained with his boring order. I didn’t want to stay and be unproductive. Taking advantage of my words, he smirked and gave me my first assignment and that was to memorize the rooms of each floors of the chateau by heart.In the end, I stayed in my room for four hours; did some internet surfing through the chateau’s excellent WiFi on my laptop, learning the map of the floors and its rooms (yeah, by heart), and ate my lunch alone. When afternoon came however, a knock on my door sounded. It was Suri visiting me with her old-man butler bringing a basket of pastry and tea.Since the first day I met this sweet angel, I knew already she was a refined lady; wearing European clothes that Vogue would like to put on their magazines and her holding lav
~ Daniella ~“Daniella.”A woman’s voice so familiar to me called my attention after the slideshow. The light was still dim yet when I turned around to look at the woman, I could clearly distinguish Ms. Elaine’s lovely face. She was bending low to look at me with a huge smile on her face.I stood up immediately and rounded my seat taking note that I won’t disturb Erik’s sleep.“Ms. Elaine, how are you?” I strained my voice to say. I gave her a big smile and after which we kissed cheek to cheek.“I’m good. I’m good.” She bobbed her head. “Wow. I can’t believe you’re here!”I shyly looked down.“Actually, I think of you as the type of person that is conservative and virtuous, yet you surprise me by coming here and more so with the President of the Fancy Pants Club!”Oh, goodness. Here comes the interrogation that I expect from her.Sh
~ Daniella ~Once again, our ride back to the chateau was the same: silent, awkward and suffocating, but this time it wasn’t because Erik was brooding, it was because I refuse to answer him when he apologized for what Rohan did to us earlier.I didn’t want to talk about it. I want to forget all of it especially now that my skin is still burning with want... with the need to be sated. If I were to speak to him, he’d notice my trembling voice. He’d notice that I was still affected with the lesson. And he’d notice that I was partly irked of his calm demeanor... too calm for my liking. In fact I bet that’s the reason why our God-forsaken ride had already lasted for thirty minutes. Our ride was supposed to be just ten or less. Why was the car so slow?“Daniella, speak to me,” was his order when my silence continued to drag on.I was looking at my window; my hands were resting on my lap with the rhinestone purs
~ Daniella ~As the saying goes, “Take up the challenges of the present and leave the past behind.” Yesterday was a past I would happily leave in the deep recesses of my brain. I won’t allow it now to hunt me especially that today is my unveiling party. Still, Erik didn’t mention about it last night, but when I checked on my phone the moment I woke up, his message told me the exact information I wanted, but with a different twist.‘Before you go to your ball at eleven, my Cinderella, clean my bathroom first. My bed needs some attention too so don’t forget to change the linens and pillow cases. I’ll be in the gym with Enrique doing kickboxing, so make sure when I arrive, I have a full-on protein breakfast ready.’Tsk. Certainly I feel like I am in a cheap Cinderella movie where I am forced to become a maid to an evil soul. Only the difference is that this remake doesn’t have a mad step-mother but a devil and that devil is in the form
~ Erik ~The Fancy Pants Club seldom throws a party, but when we do, we really throw a party. As the President of the Club, I opt to hold two grand balls. One is done during the month of February which coincides with Valentine’s Day (under Suri’s suggestion), and the second is on October first, which will happen two months from now. Since the chateau’s formal opening a year ago, these two balls had become the talk of the town and because of that, I have received a waterfall of letters by post or by email begging me to invite them in. I am still sorting the guests out with the help of Ian, the club’s most trusted attendant.As agreed, these two parties are the only activity hosted by the club since this is the only time we get to gather outside our so-called Club meetings. However, on this very day, in this special occasion, all eight of the members are present to celebrate Daniella’s admittance into the club. All except Luca of course.
~ Daniella ~“Move your body.”“Yes, that’s it.”“Up, down, straight!”“Again!”“Up, down, straight!”“Again!”“Again!”For about forty minutes, these words were the ones that Erik kept on repeating as I attacked the red punching bag into oblivion... or at least the little effect that it gets from my lady knuckles. This is the reason why they are sore right now and this is the reason why I could feel the burn in my arms and thighs.Erik said to have a fifteen minute break so I used this chance to sit on the gym bench, out of breath with my tank top soaking wet with sweat. I drank as much water as I could to feel refreshed while I watched his back muscles flexing under the sleeveless shirt as he delivered powerful blows on the life-size dummy some distance away from me. He didn’t even mind taking a break himself.I w
~ Erik ~“Time’s up.”That’s what I said to myself vocally before I kissed Daniella.True, time is already up on my part. It has reached to zero with me willingly surrendering my self-imposed shackles.I am done with my charade. I am through with lying to myself that Daniella meant nothing to me when in truth she is everything in my dark-clouded life.Countless of times I am tormented by this bind I have placed upon myself.For the better... that’s what I always chant in my head, but it turned out to be just my fucked up alibi.I truly yearned for her, and so after craving her lips for what seemed like an eternity after kissing her while sleeping, I have finally tasted it again. Giving her a sample in her tummy wasn’t enough.But even with my shackles released, I still had a residual of doubt, especially when she didn’t reciprocate my kisses. With t
~ Daniella ~“Come guys! It is a group picture now!” Standing beside the podium, I shouted, straining my voice enough so that all Fancy Pants members could hear. Hired by Suri and Amano to be their wedding event coordinator, I had contacted a famous photographer in L.A. to capture the video and photos during the private event. The line-up of picture taking starting from the small entourage, parents and relatives had just finished. Now, it was the Club’s turn.Vincent, Karl and Alec were already in the dais, congratulating the newlyweds while Enrique was busily talking to one bridesmaid who was Suri’s distant cousin.Erik was sitting in one of the front pews in the chateau chapel, silent and rather too relaxed. Of all of the members, he was the one who hadn’t stood up and expressed his greetings. Well, at least not yet as Suri and Amano had been continuously surrounded by the jovial crowd.I straightened and rested a
~ Daniella ~It was the second day in the hospital when I opened my eyes. The first face that greeted me then was my mother, holding my hand that was free of an intravenous line. She sobbed quite vigorously. I had to try to calm her through a squeeze of my fingers on her flushed cheek. We talked after she quieted down and I was informed of everything with regards to my condition.Miraculously, I survived the car crash without any fatal injuries aside from some glass lacerations in my legs, bruises, a broken left wrist and a head concussion. The doctors wanted to make sure everything of my body processes were stable so they needed me on hospital bedrest for the next two weeks together with my scheduled wrist surgery.I was fine with that and stayed as per recommendation, but as the days passed by I noticed something was missing.Not one Club member visited me.No Erik, Vincent, Karl, Alec, Enrique, A
~ Erik ~Death had circulated my life since I was born. First was my mother, second were the strangers that Hyde had killed, and third were the Iopata dogs that I killed during our Club operations. I had known of death, too acquainted with it even that seeing a lifeless body unaffected me.The death of Rohan as expected didn’t have that much impact amidst him being a good friend of mine, but it reminded me greatly about what Daniella, my precious Sweet Rose, would soon face if she continues to get tangled up with the dealings of the Club.She was already drawn into danger because of Nikola. Experienced considerable amount of trauma due to what happened in the Iopata Mansion and Rohan. I don’t want those to happen again.Shit. I don’t want her to suffer or get hurt again.That exactly is the reason why I kept any news from her regarding Iopata and Nikola. I had instructed Karl, Vincent and the others
~ Daniella ~Nikola, if he somehow survived the mansion’s explosion and fire, must have been bidding his time. For five consecutive days, not one news of him or Iopata arrived. It was as if the man never existed. Karl had been constantly on surveillance with Iopata’s associates, but nothing significant came to the Club’s attention. With Sergio Svaneti gone, it was possible that Iopata had gone down too, six feet below the ground with its evil and destructive ways.But amidst the lack of threat, Erik’s recent possessive attention on me had quadrupled. Well, he was already one before but since the events in the Iopata Mansion, he had not let his guard down.Just as he said, he made me stay in his underground office, which by the way was an understatement. The office looked like a bachelor’s pad complete with everything a normal house needed. There was a kitchen equipped with the necessary materials and appliances for cooking. There we
~ Daniella ~Fire.A thick wall of it in the main foyer welcomed me and Erik when we reached the grand staircase. A quarter of the north wing facade had been destroyed leaving me to catch a glimpse of the garden wreck outside. Black smoke belched out from the rubble and whipped like a tornado in every direction. The atmosphere turned hot because of it. Very hot and it screamed a promise of suffocation.Panic climbed up my throat just seeing the situation before me, but Erik looked unaffected. He gripped my hand even tighter and pulled me to manage the stairs.He must have gone out of his mind, but with Nikola and Hyde possibly seeing us when we passed the open door of the drawing room, it was understandable. There were no other options available but to move forward.With my free hand, I covered my mouth to block out the thick smoke. Erik seemed too engrossed with getting us out that he didn’t care d
~ Daniella ~With Erik with me, I didn’t care much where we were. Even the fact that we were in Nikola’s bedroom. His bed. His sheets. His all. It didn’t affect me and it seemed Erik didn’t mind too.My legs still looped around his waist when he crossed the space and guided us to the foot of the bed. There, he laid me, but I didn’t climb up. I just stayed at the edge, lying but with my knees bent and legs spread to receive him.With one knee forward, he joined me, lining himself on my body and stooping low to lap on my heaving chest.I shoved aside his suit jacket and slipped my hands inside his abdomen to feel those hard, flexing muscles. Yes, I would have wanted to make love with him totally naked, but we were still playing with fire, under the enemy’s roof and in the enemy’s cold bed. In just a push of the door, we could be found out and I know it would be a bloody result.So, I just set myself c
~ Daniella ~Mr. Svaneti strode first out of the balcony with us following behind him. He had a noticeable limp in his left leg and he supported it with a metal cane engraved with the symbol of Iopata.As an old man, he wasn’t really someone to be feared with in terms of physical strength. It was possible that all the admiration, respect and submission under his rule came from his previous conquests in life. I don’t second guess his capacity to kill someone though, and I don’t second guess that he’d even feel guilty after it. No matter the warmth he showed me earlier, Mr. Svaneti as the Iopata Boss meant that he was the one responsible for all the misfortunes of many people.If I am to contemplate on it, his sons, yes, his sons were better fit to be feared by many. Not only do they have the blood to wreak havoc, they also have the youth, strength and intelligence to do so.It is just fortunate
~ Daniella ~The car ride going to Iopata’s safe house was a silent one. Of course, as expected of the son of a mafia boss, it wasn’t just a car ride. It was a limousine ride complete with goons wearing black suits as our bodyguard. There were four of them escorting us riding in a different shady vehicle, all armed and ready in case there’s a threat to their boss’ life. Mr. Startsev and Luca were nowhere to be seen, but I had a feeling I’ll be seeing them in our destination later.Sitting far to the left away from Nikola, I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to argue with his plans anymore.Earlier when he said that he will introduce me to his father as his fiancée, I vehemently opposed him and did it by not standing from the bed. Guess what he did after that? He pointed the same gun at me and threatened to fuck my lifeless body after I die. I was of course frightened to the bone and stood up as quick as I could. I saw a sinister smile
~ Daniella ~Clad in a well-ironed suit, Erik stood before me. He had an amused grin on his face, barely visible, but still there and he studied me from head to foot as if it was his first time seeing me.If it wasn’t for the chains that stopped me, I would have leapt into his arms and embraced him right then and there. I instead just stood still with my left hand pressed against my bounding heart and my right hand restrained by the cuff. A part of me was relieved that it was him, but a part of me was confused too.“You’re the boss?!” I exclaimed with furrowed brows, but I bit the inside of my lip thereafter when I thought that maybe my question came out wrong.“Wh-what is the meaning of this?” I inquired the second time. A tornado of questions attacked my head as I waited with bated breath for his answer.What came out from his mouth however cleared all of it in just a snap.“Danie