by ChaShiree M.
“Hey, handsome. You’re back early. Did the guys get on your nerves?” She asks as she is wrapping her arms around my waist. Taking a second to hold and savor having her in my arms, I lean down to kiss the top of her head. Once again I give thanks for the moment she walked into my restaurant. Oh, too soon she unwraps herself from me.
“Seeing as how you didn’t stay, I am going to assume you didn’t eat. Want me to make you something?” I love this fucking girl.
“No Kitten. Come here for a sec. I need to talk to you.” She quirks an eyebrow at me and I see a fleeting moment of worry cross her face. As she walks back to me, her cell phone rings. I want to tell her not to answer it, but this gives me a moment of reprieve.
“Hey, mama. What’s...WHAT?!!! Oh, GOD. Is she ok? No. I will catch the first flight out. Yes. I will message you with the details. Tell her I’m coming.” On alert, because I know something is wrong, I go to her side.
“Tabby. What’s wrong?”
“Cymion. My sister. She was in a car accident and is in the hospital. I have to go to her and I need to go right now.” Oh, hell no. There is no way she going without me. Especially, knowing how fucked up her family is and she is carrying my fucking kid.
“OK. Let me call Hank and let him know we are leaving.”
“No. Loki stay here. You have a business to run and I will be fine. I need to go to my sister and as soon as I know she is out of the woods, I will be back.” She says as she is running around the room throwing things inside of a duffel bag.
“Tabitha, you are seriously bent if you think you are leaving here without me. Especially, knowing what I know about your family. Sit your little ass on that damn couch and wait for me to pack a bag.” I wait for her to sit while shooting daggers at me the whole time. Like I give a shit. Stubborn ass.
Racing around the room I grab a couple of changes of clothes, toiletries, and walk back out of the room ready to go, only to find her gone.
TABITHA!!!!
6
Tabitha
I snuck out of the house when Loki turned his back to me. It is something I will have to pay for later, but I’ll make it up to him. All guys like make-up blow jobs, right?
My flight to Boston is uneventful and my mama is waiting at the airport to pick me up. Well, her driver and her. She doesn’t drive and I’m not sure I have ever seen her behind the wheel of a vehicle.
“How is Cymion?” I ask after a placating hug.
“Oh, she’s okay,” my mama says nonchalantly.
“What?” I ask incredulously.
“She is in the hospital, but she’ll be fine. The accident wasn’t that bad.” I am getting angrier and angrier with each word she says.
“You made it sound like she was dying,” I say through clenched teeth.
“Well, I didn’t know the seriousness of the accident when I called. No matter, you are now home where you belong. Did you not bring any luggage?” She asks as she raises an eyebrow.
“No mama. I didn't have time, because I thought my sister was dying.” I now know that whatever is about to happen isn’t going to be good, as we walk out of the terminal into the parking garage.
“Oooh, Gerald take us to Saks.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he says dryly as he shuts the door behind us. I cross my arms over my chest sullenly.
Why did I leave Loki behind like that? I wish he was here to rescue me from my own stupidity. How insane is it that I would need rescuing from own mother?
“Mom, I don’t need anything. I will be going home tomorrow.”
“What? You can’t! What would people think?”
“What people?” I ask.
“We are having a small dinner party tonight and you must be in attendance. I have someone I’d like you to meet.”
“No way, Mama. I have a boyfriend.” I say loudly.
“Boyfriends come and go, but an appropriate husband lasts forever,” she says waving her hand dismissively. There is absolutely no way that any other man would do for me. Loki is my life and I will not give him up.
But, I do know my mother. Any arguments on my part would be met with equal veracity from her. Simply put, there was no point. After three fucking hours of shopping, I plead a headache as soon as we get to my parent's house.
“Dinner is at seven-thirty. Do not make me come after you. You should wear your new black dress and the heels.”
“Yes, mama,” I say. Trust me when I say it’s easier this way. I really do have a headache and I’ve been nauseous all day.
Before laying down, I try calling Loki. It goes straight to his voicemail. I try to keep from imagining the worst of him, but all I can picture is him fucking his hot pastry chef, Taryn. Her dark as sin hair would be stark against our crisp white sheets. I don’t know why I am jealous of her or any other woman for that matter, He has never given me any reason to think he would cheat on me, but apparently, it’s worse when I am not with him. I try to push the images of them together from my mind, but I am unable to.
Giving up, I set the alarm for seven and lay on my hot pink twin bed from my childhood. Though honestly, I’ve not lived here for almost three months and surprisingly everything is exactly as I left it. I thought for sure they’d get rid of everything and make my room in to an unused gym or something.
At seven, my alarm goes off and I get ready with a half-assed attempt, but I still do it. I put on the old lady black dress and the almost orthopedic heels my mother picked out. I look much older than my meager eighteen years in this outfit and I am not wearing any makeup, and I barely ran a hairbrush through my hair. My face is pale even though my headache is gone and. my nausea is in full bloom. I’m certain it’s because I’d rather be doing anything else than meeting this man my mom is thrusting at me.
At seven-fifteen, I head downstairs. Cocktails are in full swing, and though I am underage, I grab a glass of white wine from a server. Why are there servers? There are only about ten people here, besides our family. My mom is so over the top.
I stand in the corner as if I am an old school wallflower staring at the ridiculous opulence of the keeping room. The room adjacent to the kitchen is prominent in most colonial homes until dinner is announced. I head to the dining room with the others. I don’t know a single person here besides my parents, even the housekeeper has changed.
“Darling, there you are,” my mom says gripping my right arm hard above the elbow. I wince from the pain and know she’ll leave a bruise. She turns me in the opposite direction and I come face to face with what can only be described as evil. I shiver a little from only looking at him.
“This is Desmond Wilkes, Desmond, my youngest daughter, Tabitha.” He takes my left hand and shakes it, holding longer than necessary. A chill comes over my body like someone is walking over my grave in the future. That’s a thing right?
“Pleasure to finally meet you,” he says winking at me. Ewww. I shudder.
“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Wilkes,” I lie.
“Excellent. I’ll leave you two to get acquainted over dinner. I made sure to sit you next to each other,” she says before releasing my arm and walking away. Of course, she did.
He takes my arm, the same arm my mom released and holds is just as hard, if not harder. I jerk from his grasp and make my way to the table myself. Hell no. My mama birthed me, she can manhandle me to a certain extent. This dick not so much.
Once seated with blood red cloth napkin in my lap, I dig into the salad set before me. I eat everything but the tomatoes. Just the thought of them makes my stomach turn.
Desmond tries to talk to me, but I am not interested. I give him only one-word answers and couldn’t be any clearer, than if I shouted my disdain for him from the rooftops.
When my super rare steak is set in front of me, I almost drool. I am craving this and it’s going to be great, then it happens. A large creepily soft hand touches my bare thigh below where my dress had risen to when I sat down. Instantly I see red as his hand, Desmond’s hand squeezes my th
igh hard, before trailing up further. I grip his wrist, stopping him before he can reach my panties.
“Are you insane?” I ask in a whisper.
“I am just getting a feel for what I’ve been given by your foolish parents.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your parents bartered you to me for shockingly little on my part. You are mine now. I may wed you, but more than likely you will be tied to my bed to use for my pleasure.”
I laugh wryly. “You are insane. I am a grown woman who is not now and never for sale,” I say, rising.
“Sit your insolent ass down this instant. You will learn,” he says grabbing my arm.
I turn to him without sitting down. I faintly hear the front door slamming shut as I try to wrench my arm away from him, but he won’t let go. I feel a weird tugging in the pit of my stomach, my throat goes dry and I know that I need the toilet. Like right the fuck now. But Desmond isn’t letting go and I know what’s coming, but I can’t stop it. I mentally shrug before puking all over him. This was the Exorcist. It is an Oscar-worthy power kind of puking. My mother shrieks as does Desmond, who releases me immediately. I rub my wrist where bruises are already forming.
A false apology ready on my lips, I swallow it down when Loki burst into the dining room. I grin like a loon.
Loki.
My Loki.
I am saved.
7
Loki
Finding a red-eye flight to Boston was easier than I thought it would be. I vaguely realized as I was running to the airport a couple of hours behind her, that I had no idea where her parents lived. One call to Perry fixed that. I explained to him what happened and he offered to come help. I didn’t want him to leave his heavily pregnant wife, so I declined.
The entire plane ride was a test in patience. On one hand, I am more than a little pissed that she left without me, even after I told her not to. Obviously, she doesn’t get how this works. My job is to protect her. To shield her from pain, heartbreak, and anything else unnecessary. Her and the little life she is baking for us are mine, even though she doesn’t know it.
However, I also understand her panic. I have learned over the past few months how close she and her siblings are. They too have been closed in and controlled by their family. Her sister went as far as to marry a man twice her age at their behest. I know it is my greatest fear that they will do the same to her. Having an inkling of my woman once again getting trapped by them, and somehow forced into a life she doesn’t want makes me see red. The only bright spot is knowing she is carrying my son and that makes her undesirable to people like them.
Pulling up outside their house I have to begrudgingly admit to being impressed. It is indeed a hell of a place. The outside reminds of a plantation with a bright feeling to it. Noticing all the cars in the driveway, my guard immediately erects. Kitten has told me about these parties. She says at some point she always expects to be brought out and paraded in front of future husbands.
Knowing this, I practically sprint to the front door. The door opens after I ring it and a very straight-laced woman answers.
“May I help you?”
“I am here for Tabitha.”
“I’m sorry but the family is in the middle of… excuse me...you may not go back there.”
The fuck I can’t. I was going to sit here and let this uptight bitch keep me from my woman. My ass. I practically run through the foyer, as the adrenaline carries me the whole way. Turning the corner, I can hear what sounds like my kitten and she sounds upset. I can barely make out the words, but then I hear a man saying something to her. Getting to the edge of the room in time, I see some dead bastard remove his hands from her arm as she upchucks all over him.
That’s my girl. She looks up, sees me and is smiling from ear to ear. I round the table and head straight to her when the walking corpse makes himself my target.
“You little idiot. Look what you did,” he says as his irritation grows. He is so fucking dumb he doesn’t notice his life is in danger until it’s too late. My hands grab his suit jacket and wrench him from the chair. It’s as if I am no longer in the room with Tabby and her family. Hearing him talk to her like that transports me to a faraway place, where I am a warrior engaged in a battle to claim my spoils. My woman. I am covered in a red haze as rage envelops me. Her own family is standing around letting him treat her as an object.
“Who the fuck are you calling an idiot? I suggest you apologize to my woman right this second for doing whatever you did that made her release the bile she developed just for you.” In the background, I can hear the outrageous shriek from her mother and decide she is about as annoying as a fucking flea.
“Your woman? This is what turns you on, Tabitha. Neanderthals like this? You are out there whoring yourself to……”
The fuck. Apparently, they are bred dumb as a fucking doorknob in Boston. He doesn’t get to finish his statement before he is met with my fist to his face.
“I don’t know what kind of bent fuck backward world you come from here, where real men allow other men to disrespect their woman. I can assure you this is not it. Don’t ever in your pissant miserable little life address her, think of her, or breathe her name. Because I will know and I will come for you.”
My rage is barely contained when I feel her arms wrap around me from behind. I hold her hands there and allow the touch of her to calm and bring me back.
“It’s ok Loki. I’m ok. I’m tired and don’t feel good. And I really want to see my sister. Please take me from here.”
She is asking me not to put my need for retribution before her. I will not put anything before her. We walk out the dining room, much to the chagrin of her mother who is still shrieking. As we are leaving, she is standing to the side of the entrance demanding Tabby go and ‘fix the mess she made,’ like she is talking to a fucking pet or something. If it wasn’t for the softly spoken request of my pregnant woman, she too would get a piece of me. Verbally of course.
Finally, we are in my rental after grabbing her bags and make it to the hospital. I am not sure what I expected when we walked in, but it certainly wasn’t for her sister to be in the room alone. I thought she said she was married.
“Cym….oh my god...I am so glad to see you are ok. I was so scared when mama called me.” Tabby says as she hugs her sister while being near to tears.
“Tabs, what are you doing here? You shouldn’t have come back here. I am so sorry they dragged you back.”
“Calm down Cym. I only came for a day or two tops to see you. What happened?” Apparently, that was the wrong question because she begins to cry and the tale is...well….shit.
“I found Kenton in bed with another man. I mean, I always knew he didn’t marry me for love and I didn’t love him either. I married him to make mom and dad happy and assumed we would eventually fall into a pattern of sorts, you know. We would have a couple of kids and live a normal unaffected society life like mom and dad. It wasn’t what I saw for myself, but I was never strong like you Tabby. But, never in a million years did I imagine this. He yelled and threatened me to keep my mouth shut. I would NEVER tell someone anything about that. I am mortified myself. I left that night and went to a hotel to think about my next move. The following morning, I decided it was time to end the farce and talk to a lawyer. Maybe see if mom and dad would help. All I remember is feeling something slam into my car from behind, a crash, and then nothing else. I woke up here.”
I don’t know her, but I want to beat her husband's ass as much as I wanted to bash in twat boy’s face back there. What kind of people are they? No wonder my kitten came to me.
“Cym. Oh my god. Why didn’t you call me?”
“You are living your own life with your own personal Viking God. I didn’t want my shit interfering. Speaking of…..I assume this is Loki.” Tabby looks at me sheepishly. Her cheeks are red right now and I know she is thinking about the comment her sister made.
“Yes. Hello. I’m Loki. It is wonderful to finally meet yo
u, Cymion.” We shake hands and are interrupted by the door opening.
“Sorry to interrupt everyone. My name is Detective O'Brien. I was wondering if we could talk for a second about your accident?”
“Sure.” He looks at Tabby and I. “If you would excuse us.” I am not impressed with the breeding of the men in these parts, so I don’t trust him either. But Cymion voices it first.
“I would rather they stay.” He looks none too thrilled, but who gives a flying fuck what he wants. She walks him through the same story she told us and at the end of it he drops a bomb.
“I don’t believe it was an accident, Mrs. Richards.” The girls both gasp.
“What do you mean?”
“We found evidence that there was tampering done to your brakes. I believe you were meant to be run off the road. Is there somewhere safe you can go while we continue the investigation?” Oh hell. There is no way we are letting her stay here.
“She will be in Minnesota with us Detective. Here is my card should you need to reach her.” That should take care of it. I look to my baby and she is smiling at me through tears. She walks over to me and puts her head on my chest.
“I love you Loki. Thank you.”
“I love you too baby.” Both my babies, I say silently.
8
Tabitha
Convincing Cymion to leave Boston for Minnesota was easier than I expected. We stayed at a nearby hotel for a few days, until her doctors felt it was safe for her to travel. Her piece of shit husband hasn't been to see her once, or for that matter neither has our parents.
Thinking about the assholes gave me time to think about what happened at my parent's house. It has been a few days and I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened. I knew my parents were God-awful, but this went way beyond that. Selling me to a man? It's 2019 for fuck's sake.
She sent me a text shortly after we fled the house. Come back here right now. You can apologize and make it right with Mr. Wilkes. When I didn't respond back to her, they got more frantic. He'll take you even considering what happened. We can't pay him what we owe. You might as well make this easier on yourself and come back now. Still, I don't respond and her final message was another thinly veiled threat. Don't make him come after you, you deserve less than he'll offer you.