Chapter 15

**ALEXI POV

I didn’t think it would be so easy to convince her to stay, not that she had a lot of choices lined up for her to pick from. I was her only logical option, especially after I told her what David had planned. He had grown bored of her, and he wanted her dead. There are only do many places a young woman without a job or money can hide.

I’d like to say that she is a victim of her circumstances, but there is nothing about Stephanie that screams victim. She’s strong, and sometimes fierce, even when she knows that she should be silent.

“Will you come upstairs with me?” I ask her, “I can carry you.”

“Do I have a choice?” She snaps, her eyes on the door.

She wants out of this room, she just doesn’t want to admit it.

“Yes, you have a choice.” I reply, smirking, “you can always stay down here in your own if that’s what you want.”

She looks across at me, eyes wide, and then sighs, “I would like to come upstairs with you.”

“There.” I say, still smiling, “was that so hard?”

She doesn't want to admit that she needs me, she doesn't want to admit that she needs anyone, but we both know she'd be trapped down here without me, and it would only be a matter of time before she lost her mind to boredom. Stephanie isn't the sort of person to sit down and be silent, she needs something to stimulate her mind, as well as her body.

Perhaps I'll let her go in the pool, or take over the home cinema, it depends how well she behaves, and if I have any more problems with her mouth.

There are thousand things I'd like to do with her mouth, and none of them include her shouting at me. Well, one of them might, though she would be shouting for an entirely different reason.

It’s a shame I promised her that I wouldn’t touch her until she was ready, it can drive a man mad looking at something so beautiful and not being able to touch her. But I will wait, because when I do eventually take her to bed, she’ll be screaming for more. And then, she’d never want another man again.

I’d make sure to keep her happy, and content. In all the ways that I can.

But Stephanie isn’t the type of woman to want diamonds and designer bags and clothes, she is the type of woman who loves for experiences and wants to be shown the world and all it has to offer.

She’s the type of woman who I could keep by my side for the rest of my life, and I’d never glance at another female again. Not for as long as I live.

When she doesn’t respond to me, I pick her up, holding her close to me as I head for the door, leaving the plates for the servants to clean up. It isn’t my job to clean. I have too little time on my hands to be wasting it on such mundane tasks.

“Where are we going?” She asks me, clinging to my shoulders as I walk up the stairs.

Her eyes are wide, and littered with fear, but I will not hurt her. I have no reason to, not as long as she behaves herself.

“I thought that we could watch a movie.” I say, though she will be the one watching the screen whilst I take care of some business.

She smiles at me, and my heart begins to sing, it is the best view I have ever seen in all my life. She’s beautiful. More than any length of words could describe.

And she belongs to me. My little red haired beauty.

“What kind of movies do you like?” She asks, looking hopeful, “I prefer horror, the really scary ones.”

I think for a moment, “I’m pretty sure a new one has just come on. Would you like to watch that?”

She nods enthusiastically, “you wouldn’t mind?” She asks.

“Not at all.” I say, checking my watch. “I have some business to take care of, but I will stay with you.”

She looks a little deflated by my words, but she doesn’t object. Did my little malyshka think I would give her my undivided attention? The poor thing. I’ll have to make it up to her once I’ve finished work for the day.

“Don’t worry, Malyshka, I will be with you the whole time.” I say, unsure why she looks so sad. “And you can speak to me whenever you need to, my work will wait.”

“If it will wait, why don’t you watch the movie with me?” She asks, paying close attention to all the details of every room we pass.

I smile at her, “movies aren’t my thing, but I will gladly watch you.”

She blushes bright red, trying to hide her face in my neck, I like this new side of her, the relaxed side, it’s like a breath of fresh air. She hasn’t defined me once. Not that I have given her any orders.

I walk us into the small movie theatre I have at the back of the mansion on the first floor, and I watch with a smile as her bright eyes widen in shock, and then delight.

“Would you like some popcorn?” I ask her, placing her one of the chairs right at the very front. “Or chocolate?”

“Popcorn please.” She says, practically bouncing with excitement. “And soda?”

I walk to the back of the room where we keep the popcorn machine and the fridge, grabbing her a can of cola and a small box of popcorn. She had just had breakfast, so she might not eat it all. But if she does, I will get her more.

I hand them to her and grab the remote, flicking through until I find the new horror movie that I had mentioned. She would have seen the older ones. I’m sure of it.

“You ready?” I ask her, trying to hide my smile.

She is so enthusiastic about a movie, I wonder what else she likes to do with her time? I’ll have to find out.

I’ll shower her with the things that she likes, that way, she will never want to leave me. Even before I have shown her what I can do in the bedroom.

I’ll make her beg in ways that she never knew she could, and I’ll make her scream even louder.

“I’m ready.” She says, holding the popcorn tightly in her hands as she settles back in the chair.

I press play, and I watch at the movie starts, the excitement on her face remaining there, even when she jumps at the very first scare.

I sit beside her, pulling out my phone, I can work and watch her, it will be easy enough to follow the movie. It wasn’t like the plot was complicated.

The woman beside me however, I have a feeling that she is more complicated than I realised, she is afraid to be alone. I see that now.

And whilst it is something I can use against her, it makes me wonder what Made her this way, what scared her so much that she fears being on her own?

I am going to kill each and every man who has ever laid there hands on her, and I am going to make them suffer greatly, just as she suffers silently.

She is delicate and caring, but she is also one of the strongest people I have ever met. She stood up to me, even when she knew who I was and what I could do to her.

She protected the people she loved, and she did so without caring what would happen to her. Jack will die, he has to pay for his crimes. She will learn of it eventually. But until then, I will try and keep her in this happy little bubble.

And maybe, just maybe, if she thinks to ask, I will spare his life and bring him into the ranks as my runner.

Only time will tell what will happen.

But one thing I do know is that I am never letting this woman leave x

She is mine now, and I do not share.