LUCAS’ POV

“Damn Audrey!”

That was the only thing in my mind as I opened the paper that contained our contract agreement. She always chose the wrong time to tell the world that we were dating. I could feel my hands begin to vibrate and I sighed. Once again, I had forgotten to take my medication.

I dropped the paper on the table before us and looked up to make sure that she was listening. Her deep blue eyes were still fixed on me and I smiled. She was very attentive. My father would love that.

“Sleeping arrangements first,” I announced. “My sleep is very important to me.”

She smiled and I continued immediately.

“On regular nights, you would sleep in my room and I would sleep in the living room,” I said. “On not so regular nights, we could share the bed.”

“Not so regular nights?” she asked, her eyebrows arched at me.

“Would get to that later,” I frowned.

I wondered if she was surprised, surprised that the son of one of the richest men in America couldn’t afford a house with two rooms. She didn’t seem to show any sign of surprise though. Her eyes remained fixed on me, waiting patiently for my next term.

“For our feeding and upkeep,” I muttered. “I would take care of that for the period our contract lasts.”

“Thank you,” she cut in. “I believe I can take care of myself.”

“If you say so,” I grunted and read on. “My work schedule is pretty tight. As early as six in the morning, I would be out, and I’m usually back late at night. I’ll expect you to take care of the house in my absence and prepare something decent for supper upon my return.”

“Take care of the house?” she frowned. “You mean clean up?”

“You can add my laundry if you like,” I shrugged. “I never wear my clothes more than once so they won’t be hard to wash.”

“I’m not signing up to be your slave, Lucas,” she said. “I also have a life to live.”

“We would make it work somehow,” I replied with a dismissive wave of my hand. “You would be required to go on regular dates with me. We would hold hands, smile and take pictures, and occasionally, you would be coming with me to my office. I would make sure to inform you prior to the date, and you can do well to prepare yourself for my father’s high IQ questions. If you can get off on a good start with him and he really likes you, then we wouldn’t need to go through this torture for six whole months. Is that understood?”

She nodded glumly and I continued reading my terms.

“For our evening schedule, dinner would be by 9pm. Bedtime would be immediately after dinner. Sex is twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays…”

“Excuse me did you just say sex?” she asked, her voice a little above a whisper.

“Light sex on Thursdays,” I nodded. “Something more kinky on Saturdays. I make use of ropes, cuffs and horse whips. If you’re not cool with anyone I can cross it off the list and find a suitable replacement…”

“This is a contract marriage for heavens sake!” she cried. “There is no sex.”

“Lower your voice,” I muttered. “Sex is a very important part of every relationship so I’m afraid we can’t do without it…”

She stood up immediately. “I’m afraid that’s the end of our discussion as well.”

“Wait!” I grunted. “Once a week then.”

She rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse from the table, prepared to leave and I knew immediately that she was not going to budge. I knew her type very well – the good girl that never gave her body to any man just like that. I also knew that she was perfect for the role I wanted her to act and as such, I was not willing to give up on her.

“We’ll have it your way then,” I grunted.

“We’re not having it at all!” she cut in.

“I mean we’ll have it your way,” I said stressing the last words. “No sex.”

“Good,” she muttered and sat down again.

“Not like you wouldn’t beg me for it later on,” I laughed. “They always do.”

“We would see about that,” she scoffed.

“Oh I love challenges,” I smiled, my eyes lighting up with an evil glint. “That is all I want from you. Now, what do you want from me?”

I watched as she produced a paper from her purse and instead of reading her terms out for me, she slid the paper across the table to me. I caught it and opened it to read.

“Couples therapy session once a week.” I looked up at her and she nodded.

“Reasonable donations and regular visits to Steve McLaren’s orphanage home.” I frowned at her and she shrugged.

“West Coast book club meetings once a week,” I grunted. “Come on. There’s no fun activity here.”

“Its not fun spending the next six months of my life with a stranger,” she replied. “I think we’re even on that.”

“Fine,” I grunted, hurriedly folding the paper. “You have another copy of it right? I would be taking this one home. I’ll type everything and send you the document to sign via mail.”

“Okay then,” she smiled. “Nice meeting you Mr. Storm.”

“The pleasure is mine, Miss Hail,” I smiled back.

“Its Hall,” she corrected. “Samantha Hall.”

“I’d prefer hail,” I said. “Storm and Hail. They go together well don’t you think?”

She was about to say something when I noticed two men on leather jackets moving towards me from the corner of my eyes. I turned around quickly and saw the pistol.

“Samantha!”

I tackled her to the floor as the sound of gunshots rent the air. She fell easily, her slender body compressed to the ground under my huge frame and I could see the fear in her eyes when she looked at me.

“Lucas?”

“Shhh!” I warned. “Close your eyes.”

She whimpered and made to protest but I gently placed my finger over her eye. She obeyed and kept them shut and I stood up from the floor immediately. I had some unfinished business to attend to.

I caught sight of the two men making their way across the outer lawn and I knew that I couldn’t let them escape. If they did, they would tell whoever sent them that they couldn’t complete the job and he would probably send more people after me. I needed to end it there and then.

I ran outside the garden and found them immediately. They were already halfway through to the gate and even from the distance, I knew I could gun them down with my eyes closed.

“Last chance!” I cried bringing out my gun. “Stop right there and I’ll spare you.”

Sadly, they didn’t take me by my word. They kept running until they got to the gate and just as they were about to escape, I pulled the trigger. Two quick shots were more than enough to bring them to the floor and I walked over to where they lay groaning to assess them.

“Who sent you?” I asked.

“Please don’t kill me,” the first man cried immediately. “I needed the money. He gave us a lot.”

“Who?” I asked again.

“Andres Hernandez,” the first man whimpered.

My hands balled into fists and I gritted my teeth in anger. I should have known that my bastard brother who wanted the company would want to have me dead. Suddenly, a new wave of anger washed over me.

“I would not forgive you,” I said cocking my gun and pointing it at them. “But God would. Say your last prayers.”

I watched as they whimpered and begged for mercy and without further ado, I pulled the trigger. They went silent immediately and I looked up to see that Samantha was watching from the gate, her mouth covered in shock.

“Samantha!” I called.

Lighting flashed at that exact moment, illuminating the dark garden for a second and I could make out her pretty face. She backed away slowly, her eyes fixed on me and in the process, her purse fell to the floor.

“Oh come on,” I grunted, throwing my hands in the air. “They would have killed me.”

She turned immediately and bolted away, abandoning her purse that had fallen on the floor. I stared at her as she ran. I could have caught her easily if I wanted to, but I didn’t. She didn’t deserve to spend the next six months of her life with a monster.

I walked up to the gate, picked her purse and opened it. Her credit card, ID card and few important documents were inside and I knew that I had to find a way to return it back to her.

“They came again eh?” a familiar voice said behind me.

I spun around immediately and met his dark gaze. Rudolph Robbins or R.R as I liked to call him. We had been best friends since high school and he was the only person in the world I could trust. He knew about my situation with my father and my brother and was even there the first time Andres had tried to assassinate me. He had shielded me with his body, taking three bullets to the shoulder and we had barely managed to escape. Two weeks later, and a repeat occurrence. Only that this time, he was not there when it happened.

I nodded and watched as the expression on his face changed. He removed the band from his hair and it fell across his back.

“And you’re still not convinced that Andres is behind all this?” he asked, staring intently at me.

“It is him,” I muttered pointing at the dead bodies of the two men. “Gathered that much from them before they died.”

“Should have killed the psycho when I had the chance!” he grunted. “But no, he’s family and you can’t spill his blood. Well, wait till he spills yours.”

He turned around and headed away and I stared into space. My mind was not on Andres, or on the fact that he had sent his thugs after me. My mind was on Samantha Hail, my contract wife that I had just lost.

“Want to wait here till the police come around and start asking questions eh?” R.R frowned at me.

I heaved a deep sigh and followed him as he made his way out of the garden. I was still deep in thoughts. Samantha Hail. There was something about her that I couldn’t lay my finger on, something that made her very much different from every other woman I had tried getting into a contract with, and for the first time in my life, I prayed. I prayed to God that things worked out between us.