Chapter 25
Zachariah
“Did I say anything about letting him into my business? The business that I run?” I seethed, pacing the office from one side of the room to the other.
How could my men be so stupid! I swear monkeys could follow directions better than these morons that I left in charge while I attended to personal matters. I should have known better, but I wanted to make sure that Avidya was mentally stable enough after everything she’d been put through.
I was pleased that the bruises that her father left didn’t seem to be bothering her, although I hated her having to wear any sort of mark, no matter how temporary it was. Well, other than the mark on her arm that showed everyone who she belonged to.
Speaking of which, I still had yet to find out who did mark her without talking to me about it. Normally, none of the girls that were gifted were marked unless their handler wanted them to be. Yes, the working girls I had working under my protection were marked, but not somewhere so noticeable.
A couple of days, I had planned to take leave from the place I ran, figuring that my men could handle it themselves, made a huge disaster out of the whole thing. Two of the women that I had promised to keep safe ended up being strangled to death, while another woman was taken by one of the men that liked to play. I knew she’d wouldn’t be back anytime soon, if at all.
“He held me at gunpoint!” the newest man grumbled.
“He shouldn’t have been able to even draw his gun!” I shouted.
“Mr. Melendez,” Shemoli said, taking the phone from the new man that I had allowed to join my rank. A man I was considering to let go now that he showed me the perfect reason why I hated newbies. I knew the man inside and out, and he hated that I had more control over his life than his own father.
“I’ll take care of the bodies,” he went on. “There is no need for you to come all the way here just to supervise the cleanup.”
“On the contrary,” I seethed. “I will be coming down. I can’t trust half of you.”
Just because this man was one of the few men that I really did trust to not go behind my back, didn’t mean I gave my whole life to him to keep things running. I knew he hated me. I didn’t blame him since I saved his ass from his father about working straight underneath the Don himself.
“Yes, sir,” he replied, knowing better than to fight me.
I hung up before stuffing the phone into my pocket and running a hand over my face.
I was proud that I was able to run my own business, that was family approved mostly, but hated how shady the men that worked for me were. I knew their deepest darkest secrets, even when they didn’t think I knew. I had to so I could keep tabs on all of them when they were and weren’t working under my watch.
Shemoli had messed up, but he had answers to questions I needed. I just hoped that my soon to be wife would be able to tolerate him till then. I briefly wondered how far into my life she wanted to get, knowing that some of the men’s wives got in as deep as their husbands in some instances.
After calming down, I went in search of Avidya. Finding her in the window seat in the bedroom looking at one of the journals and seeming to be in deep thought, I softly knocked on the opened door.
Instantly, her eyes met mine as her cheeks flooded red. I couldn’t wait to see how she responded to my bedroom activities, if she was willing, of course.
“Get your shoes on,” I ordered quietly.
She cocked her head to the side slightly, almost like she was thinking of telling me ‘no’. Of course, I wouldn’t make her go with me, I just wanted her to.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice quiet.
“I have an issue I have to take care of, and I’d like you to join me,” I answered. I had no idea what she would feel once I told her where we would be going.
After a moment, she stood and mumbled out an ‘okay’ while going to the closet where
I gave her an approving smile as she stepped out and towards me. When she was next to me, her eyes dropped down to the floor in the perfect submissive way. Avidya was different. Her blue eyes were opened like a book that could be read over and over again.
“I like your eyes,” I stated lifting her chin up to meet my own dull ones. “Don’t hide them from me, Avidya.”
“Okay,” she breathed, caught up in my gaze.
I couldn’t stop myself as I pressed my lips to her, taking her by surprise again. I loved how she always quickly responded to my touch and words.
Her lips were soft against my own, even as he eyes slid shut in the process. She leaned into me, fisting her hands in my shirt and trying, but not well, to not pull herself into me.
I knew most women responded to me the same way, but Avidya was new to it all, and I loved the idea that I was able to bring her into my type of world on my own, at her own pace. She’d do wonderful, I was sure of it.
Pulling away, I shot her a smile and saw how she shifted her legs from one to the other, most likely trying to find some sort of friction.
“Ready?” I asked, taking a step back.
She gave a small nod, still lost in the kiss. I couldn’t help but breath out a laugh at her reactions.
I held out my hand, and she took it without prompting. I hoped in time, she would be able to give me her full trust. I planned to show her what it’s like to be my wife, to be adored and pampered, no matter what lifestyle I lived.