“He’s also never introduced a girl to me before,” Julia went on.
“I don’t think he had an option when it came to what he plans for me,” I replied.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked, generally wanting to know.
“He saved me when he didn’t have to,” I began, not sure how much she knew of how I came to be here now with Zachariah. “He said he’d marry me to keep me safe.”
“I know you were taken by a few of his men, and that you were given to Zach as a gift. I don’t see why those men thought that my son could be paid off with something like that, but I know he would never accept it. Yes, marrying Zach will keep you safe, but he certainly wouldn’t have offered if he didn’t already have feelings for you.”
“I never saw him before that night,” I mused.
“I bet he knew you before that night,” Julia replied, her voice soft and motherly. “Zach never does anything without thinking it through first.”
“Why me, though?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Why not you?” she countered, giving up the process of looking through the pages of the magazine she was holding. “You are one of a kind, Avidya. Zach would do anything for you, including keeping you safe by any means. There are other options out there to protect you other than marrying him. So, the better question may be why are you agreeing?”
That made me pause. Why did I agree? Was it really for my safety? Surely, I would have been just as safe anywhere else, hidden among people who I didn’t know.
“Think about it,” Julia said, reopening the magazine. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You would have certainly found a way out of this whole thing by now with how many times my son has probably asked you if you really wanted to be here.”
Would Zachariah really let me go if I asked? Without a doubt, he certainly would have.
“Now, how about we go with denim blue and smoky gray? I think both of those colors would stand together well. Plus, the blue would make your eyes pop,” Julie said, holding up a picture of with both colors that had obviously been staged for the magazine.
“Sure,” I answered, finding that I really did like those two colors together. “Just not so much . . .”
“Sparkle?” she laughed, as the picture was bright as the camera flash flashed off crystal around the room. “I agree on that.” She paused, thinking. “Inside or outside ceremony?”
“Outside,” I answered after a moment of thought. It wasn’t too cold out yet, which would make it workable.
“Sounds perfect,” Julia smiled, marking a couple of notes down on a piece of paper that sat on the side table.
Now, I was getting excited about the whole idea. I could see myself walking down the aisle in a long flowing dress as the colorful leaves covered the ground.
“Dress choices shouldn’t be too hard, depending on what your style is,” Julia said. “You can talk it over with Zach. I’m not sure he’d want your mark to be seen or not.”
I had mostly forgotten about the mark as I now glanced down at it. There wasn’t anything I could do about it unless I covered it by long sleeves. But surely if Zachariah didn’t want people to see it, he’d have told me to keep it covered, right? Or did he want everyone to see it to know who I belonged to? He had said he wanted the world to know I was his not all that long ago
“He’ll be good to you, either way,” she mused, seeming content to talk enough for both of us. “I know he’s a bit . . . different for his status, but he has never hurt a woman, nor will he. I try to keep out of his daily doings, but I am his mother, so I know quite a bit.”
“Plus, I married into the family,” she went on with an eye roll. “I grew up knowing what to expect, so Carlos’s and Zack’s habits don’t entirely frighten me. I may not like what they do, but they do keep their business behind closed doors as much as possible.”
“I . . . They don’t frighten me. Zachariah is more than expected already,” I said, fumbling over my words.
She simply smiled as though she understood. Maybe she did as she returned back to more decoration ideas.
“Why do you call him by his name like that?” she asked.
“I just do. He hasn’t told me to call him anything different,” I explained. Well, other than sir, but I didn’t think she needed to know that.
For the next fifteen minutes or so, we both looked through a couple of the wedding books. I had no idea what I wanted as my mind raced with what the possibility of what Zachariah would like. Shouldn’t he be part of all this planning, too?
I marked a few pictures as Julia’s request that appealed to me.
“I’ll make something work,” she stated. I didn’t doubt that, as she seemed like the creative type of person.
Before she left, she made sure to leave a few magazines that contained wedding dress styles and a promise to visit the bridal shop sometime in the coming days. I didn’t want to think of how much that would cost when the time came, knowing that Zachariah would want me to get whatever my heart desired.
~oOo~
Later that day while Zachariah was on the phone about something that seemed to be important, I sat down next to the window in my borrowed bedroom with one of the leather-bound journals. I flipped it over, looking at the back, afraid to open it and find out what it contained.
Did I really want to know? I wanted to know who my real mom was. Would it change how I saw things now? Would her secrets make my life any different than how I was living now? And what about my real father? Did I maybe know him, or of him somehow already?
With a long drawn out sigh, I opened the cover, being careful as though something could jump out and bite me. Laughable, I know. I couldn’t help the fear of what these words would contain.
Reading the first page that started twenty years ago, I found nothing helpful towards who this woman was, let alone to me. The cursive writing was neat and looked as though the writer was in no hurry as she wrote on the once blank pages of the book.
Most of the first book was similar. The woman never said what her name was, where she lived, or anything really personal. The most personal she got was naming a man that she had a crush on – Aaron. No last name. Could it be the same Aaron that was pictured with Lynn and the rest of the nameless people?
She wrote of how this man never seemed to look her way. She wrote her heart and soul out towards the end for the man. She was in love with him and he didn’t even know her name.
On the last page of the book, the lone words on the page towards the middle caught my attention, as most of the journal entries were only dated by the month and year.
I’ll die for him, if it’s the only thing I can do.
Chapter 25
Zachariah
“Did I say anything about letting him into my business? The business that I run?” I seethed, pacing the office from one side of the room to the other.
How could my men be so stupid! I swear monkeys could follow directions better than these morons that I left in charge while I attended to personal matters. I should have known better, but I wanted to make sure that Avidya was mentally stable enough after everything she’d been put through.
I was pleased that the bruises that her father left didn’t seem to be bothering her, although I hated her having to wear any sort of mark, no matter how temporary it was. Well, other than the mark on her arm that showed everyone who she belonged to.
Speaking of which, I still had yet to find out who did mark her without talking to me about it. Normally, none of the girls that were gifted were marked unless their handler wanted them to be. Yes, the working girls I had working under my protection were marked, but not somewhere so noticeable.
A couple of days, I had planned to take leave from the place I ran, figuring that my men could handle it themselves, made a huge disaster out of the whole thing. Two of the women that I had promised to keep safe ended up being strangled to death, while another woman was taken by one of the men that liked to play. I knew she’d wouldn’t b
e back anytime soon, if at all.
“He held me at gunpoint!” the newest man grumbled.
“He shouldn’t have been able to even draw his gun!” I shouted.
“Mr. Melendez,” Shemoli said, taking the phone from the new man that I had allowed to join my rank. A man I was considering to let go now that he showed me the perfect reason why I hated newbies. I knew the man inside and out, and he hated that I had more control over his life than his own father.
“I’ll take care of the bodies,” he went on. “There is no need for you to come all the way here just to supervise the cleanup.”
“On the contrary,” I seethed. “I will be coming down. I can’t trust half of you.”
Just because this man was one of the few men that I really did trust to not go behind my back, didn’t mean I gave my whole life to him to keep things running. I knew he hated me. I didn’t blame him since I saved his ass from his father about working straight underneath the Don himself.
“Yes, sir,” he replied, knowing better than to fight me.
I hung up before stuffing the phone into my pocket and running a hand over my face.
I was proud that I was able to run my own business, that was family approved mostly, but hated how shady the men that worked for me were. I knew their deepest darkest secrets, even when they didn’t think I knew. I had to so I could keep tabs on all of them when they were and weren’t working under my watch.
Shemoli had messed up, but he had answers to questions I needed. I just hoped that my soon to be wife would be able to tolerate him till then. I briefly wondered how far into my life she wanted to get, knowing that some of the men’s wives got in as deep as their husbands in some instances.
After calming down, I went in search of Avidya. Finding her in the window seat in the bedroom looking at one of the journals and seeming to be in deep thought, I softly knocked on the opened door.
Instantly, her eyes met mine as her cheeks flooded red. I couldn’t wait to see how she responded to my bedroom activities, if she was willing, of course.
“Get your shoes on,” I ordered quietly.
She cocked her head to the side slightly, almost like she was thinking of telling me ‘no’. Of course, I wouldn’t make her go with me, I just wanted her to.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice quiet.
“I have an issue I have to take care of, and I’d like you to join me,” I answered. I had no idea what she would feel once I told her where we would be going.
After a moment, she stood and mumbled out an ‘okay’ while going to the closet where
I gave her an approving smile as she stepped out and towards me. When she was next to me, her eyes dropped down to the floor in the perfect submissive way. Avidya was different. Her blue eyes were opened like a book that could be read over and over again.
“I like your eyes,” I stated lifting her chin up to meet my own dull ones. “Don’t hide them from me, Avidya.”
“Okay,” she breathed, caught up in my gaze.
I couldn’t stop myself as I pressed my lips to her, taking her by surprise again. I loved how she always quickly responded to my touch and words.
Her lips were soft against my own, even as he eyes slid shut in the process. She leaned into me, fisting her hands in my shirt and trying, but not well, to not pull herself into me.
I knew most women responded to me the same way, but Avidya was new to it all, and I loved the idea that I was able to bring her into my type of world on my own, at her own pace. She’d do wonderful, I was sure of it.
Pulling away, I shot her a smile and saw how she shifted her legs from one to the other, most likely trying to find some sort of friction.
“Ready?” I asked, taking a step back.
She gave a small nod, still lost in the kiss. I couldn’t help but breath out a laugh at her reactions.
I held out my hand, and she took it without prompting. I hoped in time, she would be able to give me her full trust. I planned to show her what it’s like to be my wife, to be adored and pampered, no matter what lifestyle I lived.
Chapter 26
Avidya
I was frozen in my seat as Zachariah pulled up to one of the places I never thought I’d have to see, let alone pass by, again. Why? Was he here because he had an issue he had to take care of? Or was he here because he didn’t want me anymore and thought this is where I should be?
“Relax, Avidya,” his smooth voice instantly calmed all of my fears as he opened my door and kneeled down to eye level. I hadn’t even noticed that he moved, let alone shut the car off. “You will be with me the entire time, I promise. No harm will come to you.”
Taking a deep breath, I let him help me from the car. My fear was no farther away as it was just a few moments ago. His words may only sooth me for so long, but I didn’t want to step anywhere into that building but knew I had no choice.
“No one will dare look at you,” he said, folding my hand into his own. The action made my heart warm, but my gut was filled with dread. Zachariah gave me a small encouraging smile before leading me towards the bland building.
I was still shocked, even as this placed seemed to so innocent to the naked eye. I knew what horrors were held inside. Knew what pain was held within the walls.
The door was opened from the inside as Zachariah led the way up the one lone stone step. He nodded in greeting before entering all the way into the building. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting.
Zachariah didn’t pause long as the door was shut behind us and led us farther into the building. I refused to look around me, not wanting to see anything. The yellow stained floor was clean despite the aged coloring. It smelt of bleach, and it caused my stomach to continue to flip over itself.
I watched as Zachariah’s black shoes moved, mine just a second slower. My shoulders were bunched up in worry as he contended on farther into the building.
Going up a flight of stairs, since apparently, it was safer than the old elevator, we came to a stop at the room I had first met the man I was with.
This time, the room lacked the smoke, but still smelt too suffocating to me. The dark walls felt as though they were caving in on me, making the room smaller.
Zachariah led me to the desk that I hadn’t seen the first time and took a seat in the worn out leather chair before pulling me into his lap, where I sat stiffly. Despite the warmth, I still felt chilled.
“Breathe,” he whispered in my ear, his voice warm. His arms wrapped around holding me against his chest. “Nothing will happen to you.”
I turned my fearful eyes to him, not sure how to respond. I had no idea what he expected of me as all my fear came to a boiling halt as a voice from the other side of the door reached my ears.
“Mr. Melendez,” Shemoli called through the door. “I have a Mr. Ray here to visit you.”
“Enter,” Zachariah stated grouchily as he eyed me. “I hate this job,” he then mumbled out.
I fought back tears as the door was opened, allowing both men enter the room.
From the corner of my eye, I saw that Cody was still as put together as always. It almost made me laugh to see him in a place like this, as I knew for a fact that this type of life was not him. He thought he was a man of God, which was laughable on its own.
“Why is she here?” Cody seethed, clenching his hands at his side as though he was fighting back his rage.
“Why wouldn’t she be?” Zachariah replied, keeping his voice dark and deadly as not to be tested. For some reason, this type of voice went straight to my core, causing a reaction out of my body that I had no idea how to explain.
“Do you really plan to marry my daughter? Or making her into one of your sex toys?” Cody shot off, taking a step forward.
“Don’t make me escort you out,” Shemoli threatened.
When faced with these two, I’d rather face Shemoli any day than the other man who caused me so much pain for years on end.
“What do you need,
Cody,” Zachariah spoke, gaining control.
“To find my wife,” he answered hotly. “She’s not anywhere! Are you even looking? Your father hasn’t done shit about it!”
“Watch it!” Zachariah shouted, causing me to jump at his raised voice. “Sorry,” he whispered to me. Then, turning back to my father – no, he wasn’t my father. I had to stop calling him that. He was the Devil. “I am using all my resources to find her, but it seems like Lynn doesn’t want to be found.”
“It’s all your fault, you little brat!” Cody seethed towards me.
Instantly, my eyes met his and I poured all my hatred at the man that I could with one burning look. The look alone would have made him into a burning pile of smoldering ashes.
His to Own (His to Own #1) Page 16
