Chapter 23 Twenty Three
ANNIE
I was all dressed waiting for Dylan Xavier. He was always a fast dresser but today seemed different. No. He had been wasting time since after that night and usually came out scenting like clean wine and dark chocolate.
I sat on the bed in silence waiting for him.
After what seemed like hours but was only a quarter of an hour, Dylan came out, a towel wrapped around his waist and a wet hair. This was the first time I actually noticed how disheveled his hair was when it was wet, making him look more like a sexy ruffian who liked boxing.
“If you keep staring I might let the towel fall off my waist, since you like this porn you're seeing,” he said and I shook my head, he was always so full of himself and I liked it in a strange way.
“You should dress, we're late,” I muttered trying so hard to keep my eyes on something else but he was everywhere. “Why should I ?”
“Let's go before it gets too dark,” I said, tired of moving my eyes so I just placed them on his body. He was drying his hair. “You seem to forget who you're with, Annie,” he said so calmly that I shivered.
A dark but calm aura.
“I haven't but I'm not used to it”
“Says the person that was poking her nose in my business one late night months ago”
Fuck him.
“You say it like I wanted to get abducted”
He shrugged. “Maybe”
“You know you're fucked up” I suddenly felt annoyed. He was acting like I wanted him so badly_ I did.
“I know milkweed, so are you”
I stood even though I didn't know what to do. “Say that to my face, Xavier!” I cursed irritated by his calmness. Before I knew it, I was pinned to the wall and he bent so his face could meet mine… that was how short I was.
He stared at my eyes.
“Yes Annie, you're fucked up that's why I like you a lot” I wanted to be vexed and God knows I wanted to kick him where it hurts the most, but his eyes… I lost my breath.
I always did.
“You're still not dressed, Dylan,” I mentioned and he grinned giving my neck a quick kiss and turned back to keep dressing.
He was everything sexy
Fuck!
Who wouldn't be thrilled.
I was finally leaving the estate and I couldn't be anything but happier. Dylan decided to drive and I sat beside him eating chocolate ice cream. “You can't feed someone you love, can you?” He said, surprising me. I laughed. “Who said I love you? And no, you won't get any”
Using one hand to drive, he pulled me to his chest and took the ice cream and popped into his mouth. I let out a muffled scream, he was suffocating me. “You don't talk to a Xavier like that,” he said laughing.
“We'll die if you don't drive well!” I said, hitting his arm until he let me be.
“Does it matter if we die?”
The question came shockingly that it took me some minutes before I realized it was a question.
“It does… I want to see Amy grow up at least,” I said and I could swear I saw him smile softly.
“Yeah… we should”
We?
I stared at the place where we stood. “Dylan, what the fuck are we doing in a tattoo parlour?” I asked and he shrugged.
“Well I want one and I was…”
I chuckled slightly. “I heard tattoos have hidden meanings to them, I guess nothing really special has happened… I mean except you and…”
“Well I'll have one and then we'll head to wherever my milkweed wants to go,” he said in such a sweet voice. I smiled.
The parlour seemed pretty good and clean_ it wasn't meant for just anybody. Rich men, mafia lords, bratva… I clung closer to Dylan holding his hands tight as we passed the men.
“Mr Xavier, you're here, make yourself comfortable,” someone said, leading us into a room.
I turned to face Dylan, “you know them?”
“Of course I do, I practically helped them run this place when it was at the point of collapse”. Dylan had a long history with so many people and then I realized how he operated… he made more friends than enemies and as for enemies, he made sure to kill every last of them that there would be no one to hold a grudge against.
Classic him.
“What kind of tattoo do you want, Mr Xavier?” I didn't realize someone was standing before us.
“What do you think I should do, milkweed?” He asked his voice in a low gruff.
“I don't know, a rose? Or a bird…” I let my voice trail trying to think of something meaningful.
“I love birds, freedom, flight, survival and a will to live, poetic but true”
I shut my eyes and opened them, my heart skipped two beats in half a second… I was falling deeply for this man and he knew it which was dangerous.
“So you'll do birds in flight?” I asked and he smirked. “Anything for you”
He looked at the man, “a rose at my back and birds in flight on my right arm”. The man nodded and left.
Before he started we were served strawberries and fruit wine. I watched Dylan gulp down his wine, his Adam's apple moving up and down.
Oh God, what was he doing to me?
It's just an Adam's apple!
It was time to do his tattoo and he removed his shirt tossing it on my face, I giggled holding myself not to throw it back at him. Then suddenly my eye caught those marks… those scars that refused to leave. This wasn't the first time I had seen his scars. I suddenly had the urge to ask but held myself.
“My father would hit us when we were younger, life wasn't really a bed of roses for us and he wasn't the best father_” he scoffed and looked at me, it was like he knew what I was thinking.
“_ different punishments he even had his own room for the slightest mistake we made, mother was terrified but claimed she loved him… I was the black sheep, the one who was careless and had no proper life, then one day when I decided to free myself from his hold… he died”. Dylan sighed and stared at his wrist for the time.
“He was murdered actually but everyone said it was me. What could I say, nobody would believe me. Mother married sometime after his death and had a child, a girl who would end up like me or even worse like my brothers,” he finished and shut his eyes.
“That's sad Dylan”
“Life's not fair to anyone, sweetheart, rich or poor… just learn how to move on”. He opened his eyes and stared at my brown own. “They're things you can't let go, Dylan”
He shrugged and let out a little laugh. “Then move on with it, one way or the other, it'll pass. The scar has already been imprinted, there's nothing you can do about it except to move on”
Until we reached a spa, we didn't say a word. The drive was quiet and void, but I snuggled close to him even though he was driving. He was Dylan Xavier after all.
“We're here, milkweed,” he muttered, leaving me and shutting the car. I sighed and made to open the door, but he had opened them and gave me his hand. “What's this?” I asked quite surprised, he laughed and brought me out. “A beautiful lady deserves beautiful things”
He kissed my lips gently.
“You're insane,” I said in a breathless whisper. “I know,right?”
The spa was elegant and well lit, a significant contrast to Dylan who loved dimly lit rooms. “This… this is fancy, Mr Xavier” I complained jokingly.
“Well I can afford it, so spoil yourself, my darling Angel”.
My legs were shaking with excitement because this was my first time, I couldn't afford them then, but now I was going to really spoil myself.
“I'll pick a dress for you while they treat you,” Dylan said and I blushed. He knew his kind of women so well that I couldn't argue with him_ he had more taste in fashion than I would ever have.
Dylan sat waiting for me as I was done dressing. “Mr Xavier,” I called and he turned. He said nothing just staring at the black dress that seemed so possessive_ I've never seen a dress that had a possessive aura but exuded calmness. “I think I might get blind if I keep staring, yes?” He said and I laughed freely hugging his neck.
“If you keep hugging me that way, we might be in the news, milkweed,” he breathed into my ear and I giggled, still not letting go. “Does it matter?”
He shrugged, “You're still a wanted criminal, my love”. I pushed him a little, he had said it like it wasn't a big deal… with so much ease.
“Let's go see who I wanted you to meet”
The drive to the restaurant didn't take up to ten minutes and was smooth until we got in.
“You always show up whenever you wish, brother”. Dylan and I turned and he flashed a smile at me. “Does it matter what time I came? The fact is that we're here seeing each other,” Dylan retorted and I already hated his guts, the man standing in front of me.
“You must be Annie, I've heard so much about you,”
“And you are?”
“Lucian, Lucian Xavier, your master's favourite cousin”
Favourite cousin?
Scoff.
I had already seen the conflict between them. They hated each other and I was glad that they did.
Lucian wasn't like Dylan, he had bright eyes that sparked when he smirked mischievously. He was broad and wore a black turtleneck with a maroon long suit Jacket. Something told me that was his style.
“Let's sit, should we?” Dylan asked, taking my hand and taking me to a table. The restaurant was empty not because it was already past late, but because one of them had bought the entire reservation.
The two discussed their type of politics but I could swear on my life and Cammie's that he kept glancing at me which made me uncomfortable.
It was 1:00 when we left for home. The drive was a quiet one and I liked it just fine.
“You didn't like today, did you?” Dylan asked when we were in bed.
“I actually did, but that your cousin, Lucian, was it, he's such a pervert”. Dylan let out a short exaggerated laugh.
“He's everything vile, Annie, I noticed that too,” he said, kissing my hair.
“Just stay away from him, he craves everything I have and Anastasia…”. He shrugged, stopping himself. He suspected he was the one.
“I'll fight him if he dares me!” I said trying to sound motivating.
“You're as weak as a baby goat, milkweed, I'll protect you”
I felt safe by his words and snuggled close to him. But there was something else I felt.
Anger.
Dylan thought I was weak, but I was going to show him how strong this “milkweed” could be.