by Hazel Gower
“Why are you hurting yourself?” He gathered my hands into his own, bringing one up, he kissed each knuckle repeating the process with my other hand. Stiffening in his hold, my stomach flip-flopped, but I still wasn’t a hundred percent sure if all this was real or some cruel joke.
“This is all so weird. Why did you take me, and please give me a real answer and not that silly ‘you’re mine’ crap.” I was proud of myself for keeping my voice firm and clear.
Richard let go of my hands and moved them to stroke my back in a soothing motion. “The Silverman’s have what I call a gift. Some in the family call it a curse. The story goes, in the old country, we helped save a group of gypsies, and they gifted us with prosperity and the ability to know our soul mate.” He sighed loudly, closed his eyes and took a deep breath in then slowly let it out. I watched him, transfixed by his every movement. “Awesome, lucky us, I’m sure you’re thinking.”
I didn’t think that at all. The more he spoke, the more I was sure he was loco and had a few screws loose. I was starting to feel sorry for him.
“Yeah, the gypsies forgot to mention when we find our soul mate, we turn into possessive cavemen. You, Bailey Rodgers, are my mate. My soulmate.”
I stared up into the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. Set in a masculine face of perfection. What a pity that the guy who held me so tenderly was a crazy loon.
Chapter Two
Richard
My mind was reeling. I’d found my mate, and she’d been so close all along. My damn brothers had even met her. The youngest two had gone to school with her. She had been so bloody close, and she’d needed me because she was friggin blind, er, vision impaired. When I asked if she was blind, I didn’t expect she would say yes. I thought she’d tell me she was disorientated so she couldn’t see as she was scrambling to get away.
I could barely believe what I had done. I’d gone crazy and kidnapped my mate and in the process of her stumbling away from me, she’d gotten hurt. She could hurt herself so easily. What the hell was she doing out without protection? Why the hell was she at such a busy event where she could get hurt so easily?
Holding my little Raven haired beauty tighter as my mind flashed a million deadly possibilities of what could have happened to her at the huge schoolies event, I knew I’d get her security of her own ASAP. I stroked her back, needing to touch her and soothe my worries.
After I’d told her about the curse and that she was my mate, Bailey sat in my hold quietly for a while until she sighed and patted my hand that wasn’t stroking her back, the one that sat on her lap. “I’m sure your brothers or parents are on the way. I bet the nice security men who followed have contacted them to tell your family you’ve escaped or slipped. Do you have pills you’d like to go get? I’ll sit with you while you take them.” She kept patting my hand.
Fuck, she thought I was crazy. “I’m not insane. You’re my mate. My soul mate. That’s what I’m telling you.”
“Oh, I believe you,” she said in a sweet surgery voice as she clutched my hand before letting it go. “How about I go talk to the security man… er, Cole, I think you said his name was, and we’ll call your family?”
“I’m not fucking crazy,” I roared. She flinched in my embrace and I groaned at what I had just done. “This is not how I pictured meeting you and how it would go. I stuffed up. I know. How about I call my parents and they’ll come around and tell you I’m not insane?”
“I think that’s a great idea. May I also call my friends to make sure they don’t worry?” She stared at me, and this time, I saw that her eyes never stopped. They went back and forth flickering. Her head was turned to the side and she looked to be really concentrating.
Ignoring her question, I asked my own question. “What can you see?”
She sucked her bottom lip in and bit it, my cock jerked in response eager for her full mouth around it. “I can see that you’re very handso… I can see your dark ocean blue eyes.” I smiled and she sighed. “You have a dimple,” she reached up and gently touched my cheek. “Right here. Only one side from what I can see. You have high masculine cheek bones and a day or two days’ worth stubble.” I held my breath as her fingers feathered over my skin coming to rest below my lips. “You’re very handsome.” She dropped her hand, but her face was bright red, and she turned her head from my gaze.
I grinned. She may think I’m a loon, but at least she was attracted to me. I needed to get her to believe me. As much as I’d like to think we wouldn’t be disturbed and that I could change her mind, I knew I needed to put Bailey at ease. Trust was a huge thing they would need to build, and I wanted to keep it between us.
With Bailey’s head turned shyly away from me, I could see my cousin, Ryder. in the hall of my home storming towards me.
“Do you want to tell me why the hell I had to call in favours and tell the precinct I’d handle the call that was made against some crazy guy fitting your description kidnapping a fucking seventeen-year-old girl?” Ryder roared before I could say anything. He stood in his civilian clothes at the end of the couch looking pissed.
“Seventeen?” I stared at Bailey and felt even more stupid.
“Only for two more days,” she whispered.
“Fuck!” It really was a curse. Goddamn gypsies.
*****
Bailey
Ethan looked pissed. He came storming in five minutes after Ryder, which didn’t make sense how he got here so quickly when he should have been in Brisbane. Frowning, I focused my gaze seeing Ethan’s face red, his lips thinned so much they looked almost non-existent, and his eyebrows furrowed.
“Let me fucking go so I can get my sister.” Ryder, who was a Silverman that I’d only just met, held my brother. “What the hell are you holding me for? That’s my baby sister there. If you’ve harmed one hair on her head, I’ll…” I tuned out as he now threatened the men in the room.
I’d felt better when Detective Ryder, Richard’s cousin, introduced himself and assured me that Richard wasn’t crazy, just a bit eccentric. I eased off Richard’s lap and inched towards Ryder, but Richard was having none of me leaving the sofa and yanked me back down onto his lap.
It was nice to know Richard wasn’t crazy, but it still didn’t feel right. Richard was more than just hot. He was one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t recognized him. Richard had even made it into a couple of the top one hundred lists. A lot of the Silverman men were on those lists. I didn’t believe for a minute the crap Richard spouted about me being his and him thinking I was beautiful and wanting to get to know me. Girls like me didn’t end up with men like Richard, eccentric or not. Guy’s like Richard didn’t date or end up with women over a size ten. They didn’t date girls that just finished high school, and they definitely didn’t date blind or vision impaired women.
Wiggling, I tried for the umpteenth time to get out of Richards hold, but again, I had no success. “Let me just hold you a little longer, please.” His deep masculine voice whispered in my ear, and I shivered as a shot of pure desire raced through me. The longer I was with Richard, the harder it was to resist him. Now I knew he wasn’t crazy, and this supposedly, wasn’t some cruel joke, but my body suddenly felt like it was okay to succumb to Richard.
Holy crap, I was attracted to my captor. I was turned on by Richard. Stilling in his embrace, I closed my eyes and took deep calming breaths. I needed to get myself under control.
Ethan’s voice became clear. “I don’t care what he thinks Bailey is to him. Not only is she currently only seventeen, but she’s also bloody well on holiday. He is way too old and experienced for my sister. I want him away from her now. He’s not to come near her again. I want a restraining order on him now.”
Hey, Ethan was being a bit drastic. Why did he get to choose who she saw again? If she wanted to be with Richard, she could. Argh, what was she thinking? She may be the one going a little crazy. “Ethan. Ethan. Stop.” I struggled, but this time, Richard let me
up. I stood, but he followed, staying close behind me. “Ethan, I’m fine. Look, let’s just forget all about this and I’ll go. There is no reason for you to band me from seeing people. I’m eighteen in two days. Old enough to decide who I want to see again, and who I want in my life.” Placing my hands on my hips I focused on the hallway and slowly walked towards the exit. I’d heard enough, and I wasn’t worried about Richard anymore, so I intended to go.
Ethan grabbed my arm. “Bailey, what has gotten into you?”
I knew what he was talking about. Usually, I never questioned my brother. Well, not more than any other teenager. I never pushed him or defied him. I knew what he’d given up to raise me so I tried to be as good as I could, but lately, I was sick of being the good, obedient girl. I wanted to start living my life. I wanted to make my own decisions.
“You, him, everyone.” I pointed to him and behind me. “I love you, Ethan, but I need to start living my own life. You need to start living your own life, too. I need to make decisions.”
Ethan then let go. “You do make decisions. You’re staying in a hotel with a boy you’re dating. That was your decision. I assure you it wasn’t mine.”
What? How did Ethan find out I was giving Toby a chance? I hadn’t mentioned anything to him. Growling behind me got louder the more Ethan spoke. By the time he’d finished, Richard was swearing.
“This week was supposed to be mine. I’ve already put up with Britney humiliating me over and over again since we arrived. I compromised on where we stayed and Britney coming. And bloody hell, Ethan, how did you get here so quickly? You weren’t in Brisbane, were you?”
“I was staying the floor below you. I just want you safe,” he mumbled
“Argh, I can’t even go away for schoolies without you following and guarding me. Crap, I really am Burden Bailey.”
“No. No, you’re not. Who calls you that?”
“Who the hell do you think? Britney and her gang. I can’t believe this, Ethan. I thought you trusted me.”
“I do trust you. It’s just that well, er, it was good I was here. Look what happened. Richard here took you.”
Anger and hurt welled within me, and I knew I needed to get away before I said something I’d regret. “I just wanted to be a normal, seventeen, eighteen-year-old for just a week. That was all I asked.” Focusing my gaze before me, I carefully walked towards the exit.
“You’re all I have left,” I heard Ethan whisper, and I suddenly felt lower than a slug for my childish behaviour.
I’d apologize to Ethan later, but first, I needed a minute or so to myself. I needed to gather myself and regroup. I couldn’t stand people staring at me, but my sole focus was getting out and into the elevator and back to my room.
*****
Richard
Ethan and I came to an agreement. I think my parents showing up and Zeck coming over, whom Ethan knew, helped. I was to leave Bailey alone until she was at least eighteen. Then I was allowed to see her, but only if she wanted to see me—and no more kidnapping her. I was to respect her wishes. I had gotten one promise out of Ethan—he was going to move Britney and her friends to other rooms. I told him if he didn’t, I would move Bailey from that bitch and her followers myself. Ethan had said what he’d just heard was the final straw. This was the last time he would be seeing Britney and her mother. I didn’t care what he did with Britney and her mother. All I cared was that they were away from Bailey.
I may have promised her brother that I’d leave her alone at least for the next two days until she was eighteen. I never said anything about not ‘talking’ to the boy she was ‘seeing.’
Three of my security men now watched Bailey. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. I’d waited to damn long for her. Bailey and her two girlfriends were shopping, I’d been told, and the guy, Toby, was in the apartment playing video games with his mates.
Cole stood behind me with a newer security man. I had been training him to help my cousin, Stephan, and his fiancée, Jade, for when they moved here at the start of next year.
“I’m going to tell you again because I think since meeting this girl only yesterday, you’ve got a screw loose and need it wacked back into place.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I narrowed my gaze at Cole. “I told you it’s the curse.”
Cole threw his hands up. “Oh, yeah, because you telling me about that doesn’t make you sound crazy at all.” The sarcasm was thick in his voice, and I decided it best to just ignore him.
Cole had been telling me I was crazy and was cracking from all the pressure I was under as soon as my family left. I, of course, had gone into full caveman mode, ordering guards for Bailey, getting Cole to look into Bailey and her brother so I knew everything I could about them, looking into information on her vision problem, and finding ways to help her. Zeck dealt with my clubs last night and tonight, Mason was going to look after them. I couldn’t work, not knowing my mate was so close yet out of my reach. I needed to focus on what I needed to do to get Bailey to be mine. Ethan, her brother, would be no help, and I knew my caveman act from yesterday didn’t win over her friends. I needed any competition gone.
Standing before the door, I knocked a couple of times and waited. The door opened after a couple of minutes and just the boy I was looking for answered.
“Hi…What do you want?” The boy crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me.
Chuckling at his attempt to look tough, I smiled and stepped into the apartment. “I came to speak to you.” I gazed around and saw three other guys now standing from the floor in front of the TV. Behind them, I could see a decent sized balcony.
“I don’t have anything to say to you—so get the fuck out.”
“Oh, I think you’ll want to talk to me, Toby Laxson.”
Toby’s gaze flickered behind me to my security and back to me again. “Alone?”
“Sure. You and me on the balcony.”
His gaze went back and forth again before he sighed and walked to the balcony. “You have five minutes, Mr. Silverman.”
Good. That was all I needed.
Standing on the balcony, I stared at the young man before me. He wasn’t as tall as me, maybe just six feet. He had sandy brown hair with eyes that matched. He was a decent build, not as big as my cousins or even my brothers. Toby studied me too, and I knew I was intimating him as his shoulders slouched, and he cast his eyes down when I stared at him.
Smirking, I ran fingers through my blond hair. “I came to tell you that Bailey is mine.”
“What?” Toby’s gaze shot up to stare into mine, and his fists clenched at his side.
I didn’t back down. “I said Bailey is mine. I’m giving her a couple of days, and then I’m coming to claim her.”
“Oh, my God. You are insane.” His eyes were wide, and I could see he truly thought I’d lost it.
I shrugged. I didn’t care what he thought of me. The only person from now on I cared about besides my family was Bailey. “I came here to tell you that in a couple of days, I will start my courtship and to warn you that you won’t win her. So don’t even try. I’m giving you a warning that I will do everything in my vast power to make Bailey mine. I’ve waited too damn long. I won’t fight fair to get what’s mine, and make no mistake, Bailey is mine.”
With that said, I turned and walked inside, but not before I heard, “Holy crap, he’s certifiably insane.”
Turning at the balcony door I stared at Toby. “I’m not insane. I just know what I want and Bailey is it. So enjoy the next couple of days and say your goodbyes. ”
Having said what I wanted, I left. I probably should have felt guilty for intimidating someone so young and telling him I was going to take his girlfriend, but I didn’t care, Bailey was mine. She was made for me. Bailey was the other half of my soul. The one woman who could make me happy. I had been yearning and dreaming of her for years, and I wasn’t going to play nice when someone thought they could have what was mine. I had gotten from Ethan that their r
elationship as a couple was a new thing, and if I had my way, it wouldn’t blossom into anything.
Going back to my apartment, I went straight to my office so I could continue my plan—operation ‘get Bailey,’ my mate.
*****
Bailey
Today had been awesome. I’d awoken to no Britney in the apartment and only my closest friends. We had gone to breakfast, and I’d opened birthday presents. Ethan then came and surprised me by telling me he hired a bus and was taking all my friends and me to Movie World. I had a ball, going on as many rides as I could, bought every photo, and had my photo taken with every character I could find. I even had Daffy Duck smack my arse. I didn’t think the day could get any better. Then we were told to come back, shower, and change to get ready for dinner at my favourite restaurant, Hog’s Breath, and then we would go to a nightclub after, and we would have it all to ourselves.
I assumed the nightclub was owned by the Silvermans. A way for them to apologize for Richard taking me the other day. I hadn’t heard anything from Richard since I walked out of his penthouse suite. At first, it hadn’t bothered me, but the more I thought about, it the more annoyed I got. If I was really what he’d been going on about to him, I knew he would have tried to at least see me again, but I hadn’t seen or heard from him. Shaking my head, I ignored the nagging feeling that came up whenever I thought about Richard and focused on my surroundings.
I didn’t need him or anyone else. Everyone that was important to me was here right now in this club, and I was having so much fun. The music was loud and my closest friends were all with me. Even my brother was enjoying himself. It was the best birthday ever.
Inching closer to Toby, I frowned when he stepped away from me. I tried again and he moved away from me. Stopping, I focused on him and noticed him looking anywhere but at me. What the hell was going on?
