Chapter Nine
Cards set. Champagne present. Attitude shifting.
Now was the time to ask. Any questions I had. Any thoughts that had bothered me. Anything that had kept me up at night.
But to be honest, the only thoughts that kept me up at night were of why the handsome looking casino owner was so rude to me. And I think that has been answered.
"You wanted to ask about Papa." He started, shuffling the cards. The cards set on the table, I accommodating the love seat as he lounged across from me, just like we had on the first night.
"You will have to understand our family system." He looked up once, distributing the cards. "Papa Riche started the estate from a single pub. Single handedly built it from the ground. First a casino, then added the hotels and resorts and turned it into an estate. He's the most senior member of the family. Everyone obeys him."
I gathered the cards laid out for me, thinking of my next question.
"How does the estate organization's ownership work?" I started the game, grabbing the full glass of champagne set on the table. For some reason, Nova had ignored the whiskey sat on the bar counter, instead going for a chilled champagne bottle from the fridge.
"So basically, you're asking who the leader is." He stated, sipping from his own glass. I nodded cautiously.
"Papa Riche made a system. All the males from his family get to lead a different component of the organization. Then he decides who will be named the next Papa of the estate, as we call it. Meaning he is the boss of the entire estate. Just like Papa."
We reflexively played the game, not concentrating on it more than the wine glasses dandling from our hands.
"He's your father? Papa Riche I mean." I tried to make out the connection between him and this powerful man he spoke of.
"Grandfather. I have three uncles; my dad was the fourth. They each led a separate component in their time, and Papa chose my youngest uncle as the next Papa. No one calls him that yet though, since the original Papa Riche is still around." He smoothly explained. A smirk illuminated his chiseled face as I lost the game to him, chuckling before going to gather the cards.
"So, Papa wanted you to lead the Casino, and your cousins, the other components, and everyone gets a fair shot at becoming the owner of the estate, right?" I tried to understand how his family business worked, words on the edge of becoming slurred from the added effects of the expensive wine. He nodded his head, leading me to carry on.
"So why do they think you're unworthy to lead the casino? Papa obviously saw something in you to give you this position." He let out a sigh, still shuffling the cards.
"Last generation, the uncle of mine that became the estate's owner, he was given the leadership of the casino. It's more of a belief, you could say, that whoever leads the casino, leads the estate. My cousins obviously don't like that. So, they're trying to come up with ways to show I'm not eligible."
I gulped the last drop of champagne from the glass, gesturing him to add more. This was some strong stuff, it had an effect on me sooner than I had expected it to. Gently, I laid down my next question.
"Nova, do you even want to be the next Papa?"
I watched as his expression change. From casualness to pain, eyes shining from an emotion I had never seen him exhibit before. He sighed deeply, filling my glass and then his before finally answering, "All I want, is not to let my family down. And by not sleeping around like all people my age are, as lucky as I have been to have had this condition set for eligibility, I feel like I am doing just that."
At that moment, it made sense. His attitude. His fear. His need for the plan to work. He wants to prove to people he was worthy, and perhaps he thought the only way to do that was for this plan to work.
Poor Nova. Sat at what some might call the peak of life, still not content with himself.
But after his revelation, I grabbed the bottle sat at his feet, grabbing the cards with a twinkle in my eye, softly saying how I was going to teach him a new game, making a promise in my heart to do whatever I can to never let him feel unworthy again.
xxxxx
We followed the same routine for two more days, ending the night with a game of cards, and random questions thrown between us. I asked him if he had any siblings, he asked me if I had any tattoos. I told him how my father never drank beer, but always the cheapest whisky, he told me how he always wanted to, but never got the chance to travel. I told him about the day my father had shouted at me for the first time. He told me how he never knew who his mother was, and that was the reason behind him not into the idea of cheap affairs, so his children would never suffer like he did. I told him how my life suffocated me, he told me his did too.
We were both more alike than I could have ever thought. And that silenced my raging mind, and dragged me to him more.
The third night in, I prepared dinner as usual and set the table. I heard him burst through the door, instantly shouting my name, heavy feet carrying him towards me. His face glowed at that moment, a look of joy radiating from him features, a wide smile set on his lips. He stopped just in front of me, hands gently coming up to grab my arms, as he stated, "They believe it Rose. I heard them today. They all buy it."
And I wouldn't have done what I did if it wasn't the look of pure joy dripping from his features. I wouldn't have let out a squeal and wrapped my arms around his neck. I wouldn't have hugged him as tight as I could, continuously mumbling 'I knew it, I knew it' while his arms encircled me, lifting me off my feet, a low laugh rumbling through his chest.
Or that's what I like to tell myself.
When he finally set me down, my entire body tingled, flutters swirling throughout my belly. His hands still gripped mine tightly, as he focused his eyes at me, and softly stated, "I want you to come to an event with me."
My eyes shot open at that statement, mind coming to a jarring halt before starting again. That wasn't part of the deal. This would just overcomplicate things.
"And before you get all tangled in your thoughts like I know you do. Hear me out." His hands still gripped mine, a smile appearing. "It's an opening party here in the casino for a new resort we added to the estate. Among other people, my whole family will be there. I want to show them to you. Especially Papa. Any doubts anyone has would burn away the moment they see you."
Before I could tell him that it might have an adverse effect, he quickly stated again, "It won't ruin anything. I promise. Once they see you, it will be confirmed I'm with you. There's no way they would be able to deny it."
With his face beaming, eyes hopeful, and my heart plummeting a tad, I focused on his shining eyes, deciding to trust him completely. I simply nodded my approval, enjoying the excited 'yes' that escaped his raspberry lips.
xxxxx
The next day, despite the cocktail dress adorning my frame, the slight makeup I had put on accentuating my features, and the plenty of pep talks I'd given myself, my heart still felt heavy. I could sense something bad was about to happen. But for now, I decided to focus on straightening the beautiful material of the dress Nova had sent over for me, along with a bag full of makeup I had never used before, and a few pairs of casual clothes for me to wear later on. He thought inviting anyone over to help me get ready would be dangerous, so I was left with my own inexperienced hands to make myself look presentable.
He had left me alone for a few hours, allowing me to shower with ease, before dressing in the well-made navy-blue dress with a flowy skirt, resting just above my knees. I was not comfortable showing this much skin, but there were a lot of things I wasn't comfortable with at the moment, along with the heels that had come with the delivery. Instead, I focused on fixing my hair, running a brush through it, deciding on leaving it as it is.
Soon, I heard Nova call my name from the dining room, after he had dressed in his walk-in closet. I walked out, straightening my shoulders, before taking confident strides towards where he was calling me out.
His head was first bowed, as he fixed his tie in the dimmed lighting of the room, but when he finally looked up, sensing that I had arrived, his entire face changed expression, going blank momentarily, and his breath quickening. There was something in his eyes, something I had only seen traces of before during our card playing and drink sessions, now making a full-fletched entry. His eyes twinkled with it, as he lost all sense of thought for a moment, before finally clearing his throat, bowing his head to hide the slight tinging of color appearing on his face, much to my amusement.
"You look beautiful." He said, his voice raspier than usual, eyes yet again coming up to rest on me. The flutters made another entry in my belly, a small smile forming by his sweet words. He cleared his throat again, slipping on his blazer.
"We should be off. Don't want to be late."
xxxxx
If I died tomorrow, I would gladly go, knowing I had experienced an event in the 'Celebration Hall' of The Riche Casino. The lobby was just the beginning, as my mouth slightly parted, head turned to take in the grandeur of the hall filled with people, hand resting on Nova's forearm as he guided me through the crowded, yet majestic space. Gold colored arches helped structuralize the high room, a collection of various paintings done on the ceiling. A wide fountain bubbled in the center. A live orchestra played towards the front of the hall as people drank, ate, conversed and drank some more.
My heart thudded wildly, feeling overwhelmed in the presence of so many people, in an entirely new atmosphere. My shield could help me a lot, but it could not help me here. This was the first time for both of us. Nervously, I called out to Nova.
His face turned towards me rapidly. He must have seen the terrified expression on my face, because he instantly stopped, concern written on all his features.
"Hey Rose." He said, gently holding my forearms, "You're okay, baby. You're with me. You'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to you."
My expression didn't change still, looking for reassurance. Hesitantly, he tucked his forehead against mine, completely ignoring the fact that we were surrounded by people, gently whispering, "I'm right here with you. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me."
His voice held so much conviction, I completely believed him, my muscles relaxing suddenly, as I nodded my head gently, looking into his deep eyes. He grabbed two flutes of champagne from a waiter passing by, handing one to me, a gentle smile shining my way, before he grabbed my hand and continued walking.
We found his family shortly after, standing in a wide circle, chatting and laughing among each other. My heart thudded rapidly. Nova had told me to stay quiet, to let him handle the situation, and with my nerves, I was very glad he took the lead.
His hand gripped mine as he reached the group, a resonating sound of cheer coming when he joined them, and then all eyes shifted towards me, and then our conjoined hands. Eyes twinkling from the lights, the drinks and the thoughts running around their heads. As Nova casually slipped into easy conversation, I looked from one face to another. Some women smiling at me, some aged men, who I guessed were his uncles back to chatting with each other, and a few men near Nova's age, lost in conversation. The gazes of the younger men would slip to me every now and then, especially a tall dark-haired guy, who simply sipped on his drink and stared at me, giving me shivers. His cousins.
Lastly, I came upon the face of the one guy who was oldest of them all, sat in a wheel chair, but still contributing to a conversation. The starter of this organization. Papa Riche. Next to him stood another very mature looking man, hand resting on the wheelchair handle, as he chatted with him. This had to be the current owner of the estate.
Papa's eyes eventually landed on me, his experienced gaze widening before a smile broke on his wrinkled face. He gestured me to come over, and I whispered to a Nova lost in conversation as I moved. Telling him I’d be back.
When I reached him, his entire face had lit up, as he took my hand between his slightly quivering ones, glass clad eyes taking me in.
"The Flemming's girl?" He asked in his shaking voice, the man stood on his side thoroughly inspecting me.
I nodded my head with a smile, as he continued to hold my hands lovingly and smiled at me.
"Ahh I knew it. Could always recognize a Flemming. You're a great beauty aren't ya? Your father and I were great friends back in the day, despite the age difference. "He happily rambled on, and I actually enjoyed his accent and his words as he directed them towards me.
"I'm so glad my grandson found you, that daft thing. Scared of commitment cause of his mother I tell you. If you're anything like your mother, you'll be the best thing for him. I can tell." I still smiled at his words, a pang of guilt rushing through my chest as he spoke so sweetly to me. Before I could answer, the person standing next to the wheelchair stepped in.
"Stop scaring her Papa. You heard Nova. They're good friends."
Papa shook his head rapidly, smiling, "Ya don't see what I see. Soon I will be saying I told you so, Ben."
The guy shook his head, turning his attention to me, "Benjamin Riche. I'm Nova's uncle and the current owner of the Riche estate." I shook his hand, smiling at him, adding a quick, "I've heard a lot about you."
My nerves went away as I listened to Ben and Papa talk about this and that, nodding to prove my interest in the conversation. Their conversations were interesting, mostly business related, but with a sense of ease to it.
Half an hour later, I walked towards Nova, informing him of my departure to the restroom as he quickly looked me over, mumbling 'I'll come look if you take too long' with a slightly drunken smirk, as I ignored his statement and sauntered off.
The night had been going well, and it would've gone perfectly, if I hadn't been forced to take a detour on my walk back to Nova. As two cold hands pushed me into a wall, a warm breath fanning over my surprised features.
As I looked up, I saw that one guy from the group, the one staring at me, Nova's cousin.
As I started to struggle and call for help, he placed his hand over my mouth, pushing me into the wall. "Now, now sweetness. What's the rush? Where you headed?"
I squirmed yet again, disgusted by the alcohol lacing his breath and his hands on me.
"Ah look at you. No wonder Nova keeps you all to himself. You're just so feisty, aren't you? Mind if I have you to myself for once?"
My eyes focused at that moment, mere seconds away from slamming my knee to his crouch and kicking his shin. I had been assaulted before in my life, I knew how to manage.
But before I could take action, a growl sounded from my left, and then the guy was laying on the ground with a fast-moving male beating him to plump. Nova.
"You bastard. How dare you touch her?" He shouted, words loud and clearly directed by the expensive alcohol, continuing to punch him repeatedly.
I took action, instantly kneeling before him, taking a hold of his right forearm ready to finish the bleeding man beneath him.
"Hey I'm okay. I'm fine. Just stop Nova. Just stop."
His head whipped in my direction, eyes laced with anger softening when he looked at me, tinged red at corners from the alcohol running in his veins. He got up from his beaten-up family member and grabbed my hand tightly, swiftly dragging me away from the scene that was steadily attracting a crowd. I kept my head low and tried my best to ignore the harsh looks thrown my way, slightly shivering from the sudden events.
He didn't stop for an instant until we were within his suite, only releasing my hand then to cover his face with his, taking deep loud breaths to calm himself. His head snapped to me, hands gripping my waist as he looked me over.
"Did he hurt you?" Concern coated his face, inspecting me for any signs of distress. I rapidly shook my head, still shocked from the events that had taken place so suddenly.
He then lifted me in a hug, tightly holding me to his lean form, still breathing deeply. My head landed just above his heart, as I closed my eyes and took in the rapid thudding, relaxing in his hold.
"I was worried when you didn't come back. I went looking for you." His chest rumbled from his words, and I snuggled deeper into his warm body. "And when I saw him with you, I completely lost it. How dare he touch you? I was going to end him. No one is allowed to touch you." Slurred words left his lips.
His other arm came beneath my knees, as he smoothly carried me to his bedroom. He gently laid me down on the soft material of his bed, riding of his blazer and shoes before following suit, molding me so my head landed on his cheat, his arms holding me close.
"I won't let anything happen to you."
At that moment I realized my heart had not sensed danger. It had plummeted by sensing something worse.
It had sensed the beginnings of deep affection.