Chapter 8 Eight
ANNIE
A week had passed since I tried to escape from the Xavier's estate, and a week since the incident at the dining room. Things had been going too well than I expected, with Dylan being overly nice and me craving for something better than last week. But he was a busy man, either he was in his study or he was out of town or on a phone call and when he did have time for me, I was probably passed out on the bed.
Sometimes, it felt like I had finally lost it, but after that incident, my eagerness to meet him deepened. Every night passed without him caused me some sort of issues I hardly comprended.
I waited night after night for the day he'd wrap his arms around me and claim me as his... toy.
I sat on the kitchen stool chopping some onion, I didn't mention the part that I officially became the cook after that terrible night. He ordered the maids to move to the next house and let me cook, but I knew he wanted something else — something I couldn't figure out but wasn't going to let him have his way. Sometimes I liked sitting alone, no noise, no sound, no heavy breathing, just me and nothing. It was so serene and it gave me the peace I wanted… the assurance that everything would be fine in the end.
“Angel”. I heard a deep voice making me jerk back to reality. I turned to him, why was his voice so brusque today.
“Yes, daddy”, I said, holding myself from laughing. He looked surprised for half a second and then smirked. He walked swiftly towards me and held my waist, I tried to hide my smile but it was so damn evident.
“That's what you'd be screaming soon, Angel”, he said softly but I could hear the gruff voice beneath it.
What was wrong with him?
I turned to him and he kissed my nose bringing giggles to my face. Turning back to my work, I noticed the toasts were gone.
“You snivelling old fox!” I said and he laughed. This time, it wasn't brusque or tired, he actually laughed.
“You should try to be more sensitive, milkweed”, he said letting me go and trying to take one more toast, I hit his hand and he laughed.
“Don't you dare touch my food!” I yelled at him, but he persisted knocking over the coffee I just made myself and it crashed to the floor.
“Fuck!” I said because I wore nothing on my feet. I loved being barefooted because it made me feel free. “Don't move, I'll lift you…” But I had already moved and a glass pierced deep, clinging to my foot. I whimpered, but before I could trip, he held on to me, my waist tightly wrapped around his arm.
“What are you doing, I can walk!” I insisted, but he picked me up and moved me to a safer place away from the broken cup. “There's always a kit everywhere, so…”, he muttered to himself looking for the kit. “It's there”, I said pointing at a closed cupboard, he opened it and bit his lips.
“Do you know how to use them?” I asked and he just simply nodded. “I guess it's from the numerous injuries you had in the past…”
“I have a PhD in medicine and surgery and yes, also because of the injuries”, he said it like he didn't want to talk about it so I let it slide.
“This business seemed a lot better, I guess and my father's dying wish”
“You must have loved him”, I said wincing as he applied some spirit on it. “No, I didn't, but the bastard knew too well that I would honour his dying wish and that was the last thing he said.” I looked at him, his eyes away from me like he was lost in thoughts.
He didn't want this… he hated his father… the marks on his back.
This all made sense now!
He stood up, arranged the kit and kept it back. “Thank…”
“Save it to yourself, toy, if you want to thank me come to bed tonight”, he said huskily and kissed my hair caressing my cheeks. “I need to get back to work”, he said and walked away without looking back. I watched his back, his shoulders so broad and his suit neatly strapped to his body.
For a moment, I thought of him as a young boy who built boundaries because life wasn't so fair to him. I shut my eyes and thought of how nice he felt last week.
“Oh snap out of it Annie!” I said, slapping my red cheeks.
Fuck Xavier.
DYLAN XAVIER
Why the fuck was she talking about my father and my dead dreams, I had never spoken of my father to anyone and the fact I told her I was a medical student one time made me feel… I had seen the pity in her eyes like I was some lost kid who needed to be fine.
“I'm fine this way”. I murmured, taking a cigarette and lighting it, I put it in between my lips and inhaled deeply. Life was never fair and the faster one knew and accepted it, the easier it would be for them. Taking a file case to look at the content, the name ‘Winters’ came into view. It was written in bold letters and italicised, opening the file and looking into it I smiled mischievously.
The winters and the Xavier's were just mere acquaintances and sometimes formed an alliance, but it never really lasted for long. It was like a contract signed to defeat the threat at hand and part ways. Sometimes they were my clients but never friends.
I looked at the case file again and bit my lower lip. They were owing a huge amount of money to a certain bank run by a Russian bratva and the arms and oil that was destroyed almost a week or two weeks ago was meant to pay for it. I took out my phone and made a call, the bastard answered at the third ring.
“You're growing old and weary, Winter, you didn't see my calls or you were just avoiding it”, I said and I knew he must have put a pipe in her mouth inhaling it and saying nothing.
Getting irritated, I wanted to say something but he cut in, giving a little chuckle. “I know you've heard of it already, the loans and the bank. But why are you calling, it's none of your business, oui?”
“Still as petty as ever aren't you Winter? I clicked my tongue shaking my head. The winters were going to lose everything if they couldn't pay up and they were good acquaintances.
“I'm still as tough as ever, Xavier, if you're here to mock me then do it quickly”, he said, sighing.
“I'll pay”, I said and I knew I got his attention. “I'll pay but it would come with a price”
“What is it?”
“You'll see”, I said and smirked… it was nice doing business with them.
ANNIE
Working alone looked like a bad idea at first, but I was beginning to love it. Having the house all to yourself to clean, cook brought back the old days when I lived alone with my best friend, Cammie. The maids did come to clean up sometimes, but I decided to clean Dylan's room myself.
It was still noon so I didn't expect him to come home anytime soon. I looked at the mess in the room. The ashtray, the rumpled sheets, bloody clothes, an empty gun, a glass of wine and the books are still there. I went to the books and saw a note.
Read them when you're bored, milkweed.
I smiled at the handwriting, it was beautiful and in italics, he must have put effort in writing them, because there was no ink anywhere and the note was scented. “Dylan Xavier, who are you?” I murmured as my eyes caught a file in the shelf, only a part was out and I pulled it out opening the file.
AMELIA XAVIER
Curiosity they said killed the cat and that was what was going to happen to me anytime soon, but I didn't care, I flipped the file and before I could see any other word, the file was snatched away from my hand. I turned to see Dylan… I was going to die this time and I knew it because the look on his face wasn't a pleasant one.
Dylan stood there staring at me, his eyes and aura darkened draining away any form of light around and of course draining my fucked up life away. He looked at the file and hissed like I was a traitor to humanity and deserved death.
“Dylan…”
“Looking through my things, are you, Annie?”
Annie?
Gulp.
“No, I was just arranging your files and saw this…” I let my voice trail, not finding the right words to use. He kept the file and shut the cupboard. “Dylan I'm sorry…”
He looked at me and I knew I wasn't meant to say that, he hated apologizing, it meant nothing him, but only aggravated matters.
If looks could kill, I would've been six feet in the ground dining with the devil with a long spoon. “I'm..”
Fuck what's wrong with me!
“I told you not to apologize, Angel,” he said, his voice softer than I expected which made it even scarier. He was meant to be raging and hit me and lock me up in my room, but the more I stayed with him, the more I realized he wasn't that type of person. But, his calm voice always did send shivers like water current flow altered by wind.
“I shouldn't have done that and I shouldn't have said that… forgive me “, I said in the most Christlike way possible, but he looked at me and smirked.
“Forgiveness is only for the weak… I'm going to fuck you up, toy”, he said pushing me to the bed.
“I'm going to fucking ruin you”