by Jones, P. A.
It must be the emotional fear. But I couldn’t tell him the truth. I started eating breakfast. The taste was as good as the smell; he was a good cook.
He stood there watching me until I finished the breakfast. I liked the way he took care of me. I felt vulnerable, but at the same time special. When I saw him standing there, I could see many layers of personality in him. From the outside a rough, weathered man, but from inside, as much caring as he could get.
He handed me a tissue on the bed as I finished my breakfast and then took the dishes back to the kitchen.
I should go and help him. I didn’t like being a helpless and dependent woman. I slowly put my legs on the ground and, with the help of the corner of the bed, I stood. For a second it was good, but then I lost my control and fell hard on the ground with a thumping sound.
Tristan came running, I could hear his footsteps closing fast. “Are you out of your mind?” The next thing I knew, he lifted me in his hands, swiftly.
“I wanted to help you,” I said, a sharp pain was shooting from my knee to my brain.
“Did I ask you for any? You are not moving from here. Doctor said two days rest and you are going to spend those two days here in this bed.” He put me back on the bed.
“Drop me at home, please. I’ll ask Carrie to help me.” The last time I’d fall ill, my mother had been there. It was way in the way past, a few years ago. "I can’t take advantage of you.”
“I’m not listening to you, babe. I asked Carrie to come here. And you are going to stay here until you get well.” He sounded determined, like a stone.
“But I’ll get bored. You don’t even have a TV in here. I have that in my bedroom,” I complained.
He looked around for a while. “Okay, we can do one thing.” He bent down toward me and slid his hands under my body and then lifted me like I was a feather. he carried me to the hall and put me on the couch. “Enjoy the TV from here. I’ll get you a remote and a sheet.”
I looked at him with an appreciative look. He was a man of few words.
Before I could thank him, the doorbell rang.
“Let me check.” He went ahead to check on who it was. I tried to peek from the couch. A girl in her Nineteen was standing outside with a bag in her hand. She instantly hugged Tristan.
“Hello, Tristan, how are you?”
Tristan wrapped her in his arms and then pushed her away, holding her at arm’s length. “Hey, Trisha, how are you? Aren’t you suppose to take few days off?”
So this is the Trisha he was talking about. I looked her up and down, from her head to her nails.
“I brought you some food I prepared. I hope you don’t mind,” She looked inside and the moment she looked at me, I saw a flash in her eyes, like she was surprised to see me there, "Sorry, I didn’t know you had a company. I’ll come back later.”
“It’s all right, come in. This is my friend, Nikki,” Tristan assured her and walked in. While coming in, Trisha closed the open space in between them; she was walking so close to Tristan that her breasts were touching his arm. Why is she behaving like that? A desperate feeling to snatch Tristan away from her churned inside my stomach. What is this? Am I jealous of her?
Tristan pulled up a chair for her. “Have a seat. How are you feeling now?”
“Thanks to you, I’m good.” She grabbed Tristan’s hand and spoke in a seductive voice.
“Don’t sweat it. I’ll do it again if I need to.” He smiled back.
What the heck is going on in between them?
“So sweet of you.” She brushed her cheeks on his hands.
Is this a puppy show going here? Why is she getting so close to my Tristan? A danger bell rang inside my head. What was I thinking?
Tristan pulled his hand away; his face twisted a bit. “You didn’t have to bring anything, Trisha.”
“It’s the least I can do for you.” She looked at him with her dreamy eyes, like she was ready to seduce him.
“What are you twenty or nineteen?” I asked.
“Does it bother you?” She looked annoyed.
“No, not at all. Just asked, looking at you.” I smiled at her childishness.
“She is nineteen,” Tristan replied; he looked awkward.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” I pushed it a little further.
She looked at Tristan. “Not yet.” She looked back at me; her eyes were shooting daggers at me now. “Do you have an issue with me?”
“No, not at all, just asked.” I controlled my laugh again.
“Okay, Tristan, I’ll leave now. Let me know if you want me to cook dinner for you. You look pale after the fight.” She touched Tristan’s arm where he had been stabbed.
“No, that’s fine. It’s okay.” He pulled his arm out of her hand. “I’ll see you at the bookstore, then.”
“Yes.” She waved goodbye and walked out.
I couldn’t control it anymore and laughed out loud. I was so amused by that girl that I almost fall off from the couch.
“What was that about?” Tristan asked as he came back after shutting the door.
“Nothing, I was just checking how madly in love with you she is.”
“What rubbish. She is my employee.”
I rolled out again, “Seriously? Are you dumb? She was practically all over you.” I was laughing, but inside there was a little twitch about that girl. I didn’t like her.
“Shut up and watch the TV.” He tossed the remote at me and walked in his training room.
***
I was half asleep when he entered the room. He came close and checked my forehead. He bent down and placed a kiss on my forehead and put something on the table near me.
Before he could turn background, I grabbed his hand.”Where are you going?”
“Are you awake? I placed the tablets near you. Take one right now,” he said in his magnetizing voice.
“What did the doctor say?” I asked. I was getting bored sleeping in the room alone. Tristan had gone out some time ago and before going out, he put me in the bedroom.
“Nothing to worry about, you would be back on your feet in no time, but only if you take the pills.” He smiled confidently.
“So I can go home now?” I hated to be a burden on him.
“No, you are not allowed. Get well first and then you can go home.” He grinned.
“But...I want to go back.” I pleaded with him.
“I know one thing. You chose to come here when you needed someone and I’m not letting you go out until you’re back to normal.” He looked damned serious.
I threw a cushion at him, "Then watch a movie with me.” I got down from the bed and started walking outside. “I’ll make you watch the worst movie of the millennium so you’ll send me back home.”
He picked me up before I could walk four steps and pulled me in his arms. His manly cologne surrounded me and wrapped me in memories of him. He lifted me again and took me out on the couch.
“Anything for you, sweetie.”He hopped on the couch near me. “So what are we watching? I bet you’ll cry at the end of movie.”
“I don’t cry watching stupid romantic movies,” I said.
“Then why are we watching one? Can we watch something action-packed?” He chuckled. “At least you wouldn’t cry at the end.”
“No way are we watching any violence today.”
“I think you grew up watching faces getting smacked by the bully at your dad’s club.” He laughed again, but he didn’t know he’d poked the wrong vein. He reminded me of the horrible things Chase promised for my son. A feeling of hopelessness sunk inside my veins and dripped into every cell of my body. I felt like someone was dragging me into cold water. Stephen was standing in front of me trying to pull me out with his tiny hands, but then he couldn’t do much and I released him in fear that he would also drown with me.
“Hey, Nikki, what happened?” Tristan held my face in his palms, “Why are you crying, sweetheart?” He wiped the tears off my face. “I’m so sorry. Let’s watch a
romantic movie.” He wrapped me in his arms and started a movie on ‘HBO’.
I gathered myself together; it wasn’t time to show my emotions to him, but how could I hide what I felt for my son? How can I tell you the truth, Tristan? I felt like I was stuck in my own head and there was no way out of there; the walls around me were shrinking. I could only watch myself dying in self-pity and remorse.
In an unexpected reaction, I hugged Tristan and rested my head on his chest. His fingers twined through my hair, his other hand slowly moving on my back, but there was no erotic touch to any of it; he was giving me hope and strength. He was a very nice man and, unfortunately, I was going to use him for my own purpose.
“Am I evil?” The words came out of my mouth without a thought.
“No, you’re not,” he said, without raising any question. His hand continued to give me hope and strength. "Look what is coming on TV.” He finally stopped on a channel.
I looked at the movie. It was a classic, nineties movie. I liked old movies and that one I hadn’t watched before, so we continued watching it while I was still in his embrace and he constantly moved his hand over my back.
The movie was about a man who’d lost his wife and son in a and flood finds them after three years of searching. And finally, they find peace in a remote village. The son they had was about Stephen’s age.
The movie scratched my fear deeper and a sudden flood of emotions burst through my heart. I’d had a dream to be happy with Stephen and his deceased father. That I’d live happily with them far away without the sea of people around. I looked at Tristan, and he was enjoying the movie.
“Do you know, I had a dream, a dream of having a happy family like in that movie. A husband, a son and me. I wanted to spend my life cooking for him, waiting for him to come home after work. I would wait for him in the door and when he came home, he would hug me and lift me in his arms and then I would serve him dinner. Just three of us, living far away from the world.”
“Why are you talking in past tense? I hope one day your dream will come true.” He looked at me and kissed me on my forehead. I felt the warmth of his kiss, and it calmed my mind from my worries. I felt like an angel had touched me and took away all the fear. He was different, but I wasn’t the right person for him.
“I’m sorry, Tristan.” I couldn’t say anything. I walked away from him, inside the bedroom, and crawled under his sheet, feeling his presence around. He didn’t follow me; he remained outside. A few moments later I dived on the wings of sleep, still thinking about the angel I'd just found. He remained a mystery to me, but I was out of hope to solve that mystery. Maybe in my next life, Tristan, my next life.
Chapter 6
Nikki
“He was looking super hot in those shorts,” Carrie giggled. “I could eat him alive for lunch.”
I punched her. “He is marked.”
“Are you a were-wolf?”
“Yes, I am one,” I howled. “And if you ever set your eyes on him, bitch, I’ll kill you with my fangs.” I giggled; I was feeling happy inside. It was nice to be taken care by a man. I’d never had that feeling in my life. After my mother died, my dad became the single parent, but for him it was only about money and he was only good at giving me whatever I wanted.
“Nikki,” she called.
“Yes?” I turned to her. She was super serious. “What?”
“Were-wolves don’t have fangs, vampires do.” Then she laughed like a maniac. It took her almost two minutes to control her laugh. “Anyway, is there anything more to this relationship?”
“No, I was just kidding. You can have him anytime.” Though I said those words, my heart sunk for a moment at just the thought of sharing him with someone else. No, Nikki you can’t afford any feelings.
“I don’t think so. You should have seen your eyes when you were staring at him.”
“No, I wasn’t staring at him.” At least I didn’t know if I was. But then my emotions took over. I held my head, Tristan was piercing into my life like a bullet. “I don’t know, Carrie. I don’t know what to do.”
“Then you’d better know soon or else you are walking away from your main goal. You need to get back with Stephen, lady,” she said.
“Don’t worry, Carrie. There is not a single moment when this mother doesn’t think about her son. I’ll forget breathing, but not about him. If it wasn’t for that bastard, Chase, I would have been right on my plan. I just don’t understand what he wants ...” I bit my own tongue, I was saying what I shouldn’t have.
“What? Did Chase say to you.”
There was no time to back out now. “Yes, he threatened me, said he’d hurt Stephen. He wants me, otherwise he would tell everything to Dad.”
Carrie pushed the brakes so hard that I almost got tossed on the hood. The car behind us stopped with the loud sound of screeching brakes. “What? Did he really?”
“Are you all right, ma’am?” An officer came running towards our Range Rover.
“Sorry, Officer, just a hiccup in the brakes. Sorry for the trouble,” I apologized. “Can you please take it easy and pull over?” I asked Carrie, clenching my teeth. I knew Carrie cared for Stephen as much as I did, but hitting the brakes wasn’t an answer for that. She could have killed us on the highway.
“Take care, ladies.” The officer went back to regulating the traffic.
“Are you out of your mind? The car behind us could have hit us.” I shook her shoulder.
She was still looking at me frantically.”Did you just say Chase threatened you?”
“Yes.” Reality sunk in. "Three days ago, he cornered me and threatened to hurt Stephen and tell Father about me knowing where he kept him if I don’t do what he wants.” My eyes were dry, but my mind was crying in fear. Stephen was the only reason I was alive and I couldn’t survive anything happening to him.
“But what does he want from you? I don’t think he’s shown any interest in you before.”
“I don’ know. I’m surprised, too, I don’t know what he wants from me suddenly.”
“You have to take some steps here, Nikki,”
“What steps, Carrie? I don’t have any other option than doing what Chase wants.”
“No, Nikki, you can’t. You can’t give up to that monster. No, I won’t let this happen. You have to do something. Why don’t you talk with your dad? You should tell him. He will take care of Chase.”
“I can’t.” Tears rolled down my cheeks. Telling my dad would mean losing Stephen forever. “He will move Stephen somewhere else and about Chase, he won’t believe me.” It was a hopeless idea.
“No, but you can’t just give up to Chase, He will make you to do things you have not imagined.” She held my hand; she was shaking in fear. “And if you don't speak to your dad, then I will.” She looked adamant.
“But…” It was a really hopeless decision. We were standing on the highway and talking about how to kill my dream, but she was right. If I gave in to Chase, I might just lose all the dignity I had left. Both ways, it was a dead-end. Please, God, how am I going to get out of this situation?
“Is there any chance you can make your dad emotional about Stephen and you and then tell him about this jerk?”
“You’ve known me since we were kids, Carrie, and there is nothing I can do to make him feel anything. He just doesn’t care what the heck I do.” Trying to make him emotional was a totally hopeless idea.
“Maybe work for him a couple of times, agree with him, make him happy and then ask the favor,” she said.
She had a point; if only I could get a chance to make him happy and ask a favor. But how am I going to do this? “How?”
“Think of it in simple ways, Nikki. I think the peace of your mind is precious than getting separated from Stephen for few days. The worst that can happen is that your dad moves Stephen away. But if Chase starts using you for his unknown wicked needs, you don’t have a chance. You’ve got to make the first move here.” She made sense, but my heart wasn’t ready to accept
that Stephen could be far away from me, may be in another city.
“I understand you, Carrie, but I miss him so much. I don't know how am I living without him. He was only one year old when I last saw him. He was so little, in need of me, and my dad took away him from me. He is just a little kid. It seems like yesterday that he was in my arms, calling me Mamma.” Tears fell down my cheeks, "I miss him so much…” Overwhelming emotions choked my throat.
Carrie hugged me tightly. ”But what if you lost your dignity? And what if he tells your dad after using you? Would you be able to live happily after that?" Her hug was consoling me like a sister. "So you have to talk to your dad, at any cost.”
I cried hard in her arms, but what she was telling me made sense, after all. I had to talk with my dad and somehow manage to kill two birds with one stone. But, hell, I didn't know how I was going to do that.
“I think you are right. I need to talk with my dad.”
Carrie released me and started the car.
Traffic on the highway was at it speak; it was fast, But my mind was running faster than that. My mind was checking all the possibilities, how I could make Dad help me. The path looked dark, but I hoped for a tiny light at the end of the road. Please, God, let me be with Stephen.
***
I knocked on my dad’s office door. I remembered the last time I entered his office without knocking; it was few years ago. He shouted at me in fury. That day, I didn't care about his anger. But today, I couldn’t afford his anger at any cost.
“Come in.” His deep, authoritative voice flowed from behind the door and the door opened slowly. He had set up an electronic switch which he could operate from the desk.
I slowly pushed the wooden door as I entered his office.
Dad’s office was on the top floor of our house. I should call it a mansion, actually. It occupied half of the floor and contained a mini-bar, a small putting green and a big, mahogany wooden table. A custom-made glass screen covered its surface, which acted as a touch screen for his personal computer. As much I knew, he controlled his whole business from that single table. I’d wondered many times about asking him why he would put all his illegal business data in a computer, but never had enough guts to ask it. Pretty risky.