Chapter 21 Twenty One
ANNIE
The basement had become a usual place for us; Dylan and I. It was either sex or training and it was quite helpful except with the scars that were on my palms and waist caused by pressure from a certain body. Even though I had learnt to do some stunts, those scars …those scars were like a brand on my body that I belonged to only Dylan Xavier and no one else.
I didn't even belong to myself
“How long are those Winters going to stay here?” I asked, putting on my dress and wiping off the invisible dirt from it.
I turned to face him but his back was turned and he shrugged.
Dylan shrugged.
“Well, soon, but that doesn't matter to you”
“I think it does, after all, I'm your toy,” I said and moved to his front so he could zip my dress. I could feel his heavy hands sweep my back , his fingers gently zipping up my dress. He stood and held me, my waist getting lost in his hands. I shivered.
“Yes you are, I didn't forget that… just don't get involved with my kind of politics,”
I understood what he meant. Getting involved with people like Dylan Xavier was a nightmare on its own and they knew how to trap their victims and make them suffer. His kind of politics was what killed Amy's mother and he didn't want anyone to meddle in it except him.
I shrugged, maybe I wanted to be involved with it.
Dylan Xavier had shown me so much of his bright side that I forgot what kind of devil he was, I gulped loudly. I wasn't going to forget it again.
“Amy would be hungry, I'd go make brunch,” I said escaping from this intense feeling with the pretense of making brunch
Scoff. What a lame excuse.
Closing the door to the basement I exhaled, I had gone this far and it was almost July. I hated that I loved the warmth of this place and had grown so accustomed to the metallic smell of blood, cigars and wine.
And so fond of sex.
I rolled my eyes going upstairs, I just needed to focus on Amy and my worries would be half over.
“Amy!” I called searching for her, then I saw her outside, sitting in the gardens with Owen doing something I couldn't decipher.
“Even she has found someone,” I muttered, hating that I was jealous of a ten year old and her crush. “Amy, let's make chocolate!” I shouted from a distance. She looked at me and smiled innocently. “Coming!”
“Come Owen let's make chocolates with Annie” I heard her say, her cheeks full with smiles. Owen nodded casually, his eyes not leaving what he was doing.
“Kids” I mumbled going into the house.
These days I've been spending time with Amy and it was worth it; I helped her study, cooked, and even watched her play. Sometimes I would take a pen and book and scribble on it… just anything to take my mind off Dylan Xavier, but it didn't help. His scent was everywhere even in the kitchen where he rarely visited. The flowers smelled like him and he couldn't leave my mind.
I sat watching Owen play with Amy while scribbling nonsense on a book. “What do you think you're doing?”
Someone said in my ear, startling me. I shut my eyes. He really needed to learn how to announce his presence first.
“What am I doing, Mr Xavier?” I asked, still scribbling on the book. “You're avoiding… Why are you avoiding me?”
So he noticed.
I shrugged now looking at his face but not his eyes, those eyes were too piercing that it could kill. “I'm not avoiding you, I mean how can I? You literally own this house”, I said exasperated. It was his turn to shrug.
“Come,” he said, walking away.
“I'm not coming to the basement”. As stubborn as I proved to be, I had never contradicted Dylan and the one time I did, my mental health was in danger. Well that was around the first time I came to his estate, but I was used to this now.
Half expecting him to drag me and punish me, instead he let out a rasped laugh surprising me. “My wild flower is now used to the basement. I just want to speak to you somewhere a little more private than the basement,” he said smiling mischievously.
Slowly, I stood and he took my hand, surprising me even more. We went deeper into the garden though not crossing the Xavier's mansion gate. “When would we get there?” I asked and he said nothing. So we just kept walking in silence.
After what seemed like eternity we reached a beach. “Is this still within the mansion?” I muttered awed by the scenery in front of me. “Yes,” he said and my eyes widened.
“You probably haven't reached this place, have you?”
“I haven't” I looked at him hating that I loved this. “What kind of person are you?” He smirked and kissed my lips lightly. “The kind of person that could do anything to make you happy”.
My heart had never done this way before but I suddenly felt cold. I looked at his eyes and they were soft for a second before it returned to that piercing gaze. “You're lying” I blurted out and he but his lips. “I don't care, Annie. Don't you understand? You're my woman”
Or toy?
We sat in the sand and some maids served food. “This is beautiful” I muttered and he clicked his tongue. “You're beautiful”
I looked suspiciously at him and smiled. “What's the matter, Mr Xavier?”
Dylan drank his wine before looking up at me. “You seem close to my daughter”
“She's a sweetheart”, I said shutting my eyes and feeling the cool breeze brush my skin. “Aren't I a sweetheart?” He asked and I laughed.
“Of course you are. I mean someone who abducts, chains and punishes girls is a real sweetheart,” I said sarcastically.
“You're the only one though” he mumbled playing with his wine. I looked at his face and that was when I realized, Dylan Xavier was jealous.
“You're jealous,” I said and he rolled his eyes. “You're giving her all your time, I practically abducted you so you belong to me…”
“Xavier is jealous!” I said laughing and he said nothing and for the first time, his cheeks were bright pink. He looked like a school bully who just found out that he was in love. “Just eat”
I smiled wantonly and poured the content in my cup on his face. He looked at me dumbstruck. I snickered closing my eyes not seeing it coming.
Splash.
I opened my eyes and he was chortling. I took the fruit creams and pied his handsome face. We played in the sand like new lovers while the sun went down and the moon came up. We lay at the bank of the river letting the water take us in and out. “I've never seen you so happy” I muttered and he said nothing but I knew he was happy.
Suddenly I remembered Amy hadn't even taken lunch. “Fuck! Amy's been at home all alone… I need to get back,” I panicked looking for my dress, but he held my hand stopping me. “I've sorted that out, come and stay with me”
I calmed down lying next to him. “You think about her a lot_” he sighed drawing closer to me. “_ what should I do so you'd think of me this way, Annie?” He asked softly that my heart stopped beating for two seconds. “I …I don't know,” I said and he pulled me to him kissing me. “Then I'll take it anyway. I want you to be mine, milkweed, I…”
You love me? No. You don't
His voice trailed and we said nothing for a while, just kissing and touching.
Dylan took off my underwear and started necking me. “You're mine whether you want it or not” he muttered slipping inside of me.
Heaven.
DYLAN XAVIER
Whether I was overwhelmed or it was lust, I didn't know. Something was driving me to do something this crazy and I enjoyed every bit of it. Slipping into her I remembered this moment when my late wife, Anastasia and I did this. She was the brightest whenever we came to the beach and her death…
No! Don't think of her.
“Anna” I muttered shutting my eyes.
Before I could understand what was happening, Annie had thrown me off her. I looked at her, she was upset and I realized what I had done.
“I…I…” I stuttered.
“I don't want to hear it,” she said sucking her lower lip.
“I feel guilty because she died. I fucking killed her,” I finally said aloud and she stopped sucking her lip. “I get fucked up all the more just thinking of it, Annie, don't leave”.
Annie heaved, sitting back on the sand. “Talk to me”
So we've gone this far?
Sigh.