Chapter 17 Chapter Sixteen
ARA
I didn't bother with asking how it was possible that that my sisters were here. I ran the remaining distance between us and gathered them into my arms.
“Ara!" They both sobbed, squeezing me tight as though somebody was going to rip me away from them.
“I can't believe you're both here. I missed you so much. I called Neil and….” I stopped talking, too overcome with emotions to say anything.
“He sent us to a bar yesterday, Ara. We started work today." Mollie said, breaking away from our hug to look at me.
“Uncle Thayne got us a new apartment and changed our school. We now have cars, Ara!" Millie's exclamation knocked the air from my lungs.
She'd called Thayne ‘uncle’?
“The apartment even has security! He comes everyday to check in on us, too." Mollie added, and Millie nodded her head in confirmation.
They couldn't be talking about the same Thayne Slade I knew, right?
“Girls, why don't you follow Stephen to the game room? Your sister needs rest, she's been through so much. I will bring her to you, I promise.” Thayne's voice behind me had me turning around.
He was smiling and holding up his pinkie finger.
Millie and Mollie both reached for it, taking turns to do the pinkie promise with Thayne.
I couldn't believe any of it. Thayne saw them everyday? Why didn't he tell me?
He changed their school and got them cars? No. That didn't fit. It couldn't be the Thayne I knew.
My sisters didn't even spare me a second glance as they let Stephen—the escort who'd brought them in—lead them to the said game room.
My sisters hadn't been very worried when they saw me, which meant one thing; Thayne had made them assume I was totally fine.
Once they were out of earshot, I began shooting questions at Thayne.
“You'd been visiting them without telling me? You changed their school, got them cars? They're not even seventeen yet. What if they got involved in an accident? How did you know where to find them?!” He made me worry myself to no end over my sisters.
All the things I'd done in the past week, the torture and pains I'd endured were all for them.
He'd kept all of these from me because he felt I wouldn't stick to my own end of the bargain.
Why had he done any of that if he'd taken me as a collateral?
“I’m not the monster you think I am. Your sisters think I'm the best uncle they've ever had, and I changed their school because I wanted them to enjoy education better than the one their former school was offering. They have drivers who take them to school and back.” As he spoke, he walked slowly, stealing the space I'd put between us and forcing me to move backwards.
“You should have told me. You made me believe you were - "
“Cold-hearted? Ruthless? Heartless? Inconsiderate? Selfish?" He listed.
My back hit the wall, and my response came out in a gasp. “Yes."
He held my chin, and the warmth from the skin contact chased away the fatigue and hunger instantly.
“People believe what you want them to, Ara. I take care of the people I love." His eyes were on my parted lips as he spoke the words that caused my heart to stutter.
Love?
“The people you love? Do you mean -"
He cut me short, stepping away from me immediately as if I'd burned him with my words alone.
"Forget I ever said that." He said flatly, clenching his fists.
What had I said wrong? His change of attitude both shocked and left me confused.
A stout woman appeared in the hallway and nodded her head slightly to acknowledge Thayne who was busy facing off with the wall.
“Miss Ara, I have prepared your bath. Please, follow me to the master's bedroom." She talked fast, and just before she turned to start walking away, Thayne finally spoke.
“Thank you, Claudia, but I intend to spend tonight with Ara. Since we'll be sharing the bedroom now, you don't have to worry about her needs.” Thayne's voice was soft and kind, unlike what I'd observed in his interaction with Nina the evening of the dinner party.
But… Wait a minute…. Sharing the same bedroom?
“You're joking about sharing the same bedroom, right?" I asked him.
He didn't give me a response. He was already walking away, and I had to shout his name to force him to stop.
He stopped without warning and I collided into him. His hands were already around my waist, steadying me but at the same time pressing me to his well sculpted body.
“Do you know the kind of things I imagined I would do to you after I found you?” He asked in a husky voice, his other hand going to my butt and squeezing.
My body forgot at once that it'd literally been through hell and back and wasted no time in responding to Thayne's touches.
Though desire and lust was taking over my senses, I shook my head.
“I told myself I would spread out whatever we would have for dinner on your pussy and eat it right there." His dirty words sent the previously decomposed butterflies in my belly stirring to life.
“And what if it was chicken soup for dinner?” I breathed.
"I'd have it between your thighs, Ara.” He answered, licking his lips like a man preparing to devour dessert.
And then, as if this dirty conversation had never happened, he turned and continued walking.
One thing was clear: Thayne wanted me more than he admitted, but he was fighting with that truth.
I remained you where I was, not willing to go after him, into the bedroom we would be sharing.
No. We wouldn't be sharing anything. I would stay out here.
And it was what I did. I sat in the hallway and folded my arms.
Less than two minutes later, Thayne emerged from the bedroom he'd entered only a minute ago.
He was striding towards me, and I waited for him to reach before opening my mouth to tell him my mind.
But I never got the chance to say my mind because Thayne bent slightly and a second later, I was thrown over his shoulder.
“What are you doing? Put me down this instant! I'm going to scream!" I beat down on his back with my fists but it only made my fists hurt.
“Good, because it's exactly what I'm going to make you do." He growled.
What the fuck?
The doors slid open to let us through, and Thayne marched straight to the bathroom.
“Thayne, we need separate roooaaaaaagh!" I fell in the tub with a loud splash.
"Since you seem to prefer this side of me more, listen here. I've arranged our engagement party for tomorrow, and…..”
The rest of his words were lost on me as I tried to make sense of his second sentence. Engagement party tomorrow?!