Chapter 15
Zachariah
Excitement ran in my veins. Not much made me feel such excitement, but this, this could never compare to anything else I have yet to experience. I didn’t think this situation could be thrilling.
If it had been anyone else, I certainly would not have to the lengths that I have so far. For some odd reason, Avidya deserved everything I was doing and more. Just from seeing her, knowing just a little bit that I so far knew of her, she would be treated like she deserved to be in my house.
The walk-in closet in the master suite was filled with clothing that I thought would work wonderfully for her, thanks to my sister-in-law. She was, after all, the one that had the best eye for style and knew what I like on my women that I tended to bring to parties that my family was well known to throw. Also, she knew the best fabrics that were comfortable to wear in and out of the house.
Avidya was different. She was pure, and I couldn’t wait till I had her under my roof, fully under my protection. I knew there were threats out there; I would keep her safe.
Now, I just had to wait for the right moment to bring her home. I didn’t want to push her too fast, too far, and not before she could get some information out of her parents about where she came from. It nagged me that there were no papers, no documentation, of where she came from or from whom. I had my theories, but they didn’t lead me to answers to the unanswered questions.
Marrying someone would happen either way; it was invertible. I knew it would have to happen sooner or later and on my timetable. My own father knew that trying to push me to marry some nameless woman would just make me pull away from the family.
I didn’t want to marry, didn’t want to have a reason to carry on the family name. I knew without a doubt that Avidya was mine in all ways.
My promise to her to not touch her would stay. I would never dream of pushing myself on her, no matter my lifestyle. She’d be begging me to touch her.
My cell phone rang, drawing me out of my daydream as I sat at the kitchen counter, looking down at the scattered papers that covered the countertop. I had looked these papers over so many times, yet I still couldn’t piece this all together. I was missing something, but what?
“Hello?” I answered, not paying attention to the number that popped up.
“I hear you have picked a wife,” my father’s voice came through without any other greeting. Typical of him.
“Where did you hear that from?” I asked out, not giving anything away.
“You know well by now that I just know things,” he laughed, not giving away who told him. He had men in places just like I did, to keep their ears opened for every little thing.
“Doesn’t mean what you hear is always right,” I said, pushing away from the counter and going to get a bottle of water from the fridge. I also made a mental note that I needed to get someone to go shopping for me once again. I detested shopping.
“Well, who is she?” he asked, tired of playing the roundabout game. He never was a fan of me dodging his questions.
“Avidya Ray,” I replied, holding my breath. How long would it take him to figure out who she was?
“Zachariah,” he sighed. I could picture him shaking his head at my actions once again. “Why her?”
“You know why” I answered. He knew how I came across her just weeks ago, but he had his own part in all this. He wasn’t the Don of the family without good reason.
“That doesn’t mean you need to marry the poor girl to get answers,” he stated.
“I know that,” I said, my voice calm but it had a demanding edge to it like it always did when I did business. “There are others after her, and . . . there is a need to protect her from what she doesn’t know.”
“You have feelings for her,” dad stated without missing a beat.
“Of course, not,” I answered quickly. “She needs protecting, and I can give that protection she needs until we bring an end to this issue.”
“She has protection already,” he stated.
“That notion was killed the night she was taken,” I responded, my anger rising. I had no idea why I was so upset about this issue. It really didn’t matter in the long run. “You know that, and there is no one new posted for her protection. It’s only a matter of time. Shemoli and Gemini shouldn’t have even gotten her, let alone into that house!”
“Things happen, and it was all taken care of, wasn’t it?” he asked out calmly.
“No, it wasn’t,” I stated, squeezing my eyes shut. Shemoli was still alive, and I was certain he laid hands on my girl, which he would be paying for sooner or later. One thing we didn’t agree on was how things were handled inside and outside of the family. There was little I could do about it unless I wanted to be killed on the spot. I didn’t fancy dying.
“I know you don’t like the way things work, but Zachariah, you have no say. What was done was done for a reason,” he spoke, knowing just what to say in a way to keep me from losing my shit. He knew me as well as I knew him. “Anyway, bring her to dinner tomorrow. Your mother will want to meet her.”
“Yes, sir,” I answered, knowing that was a request.
Just because dad knew Avidya by name didn’t mean that he knew her personally. Cody made sure that the girl was kept as far away from what he did as much as he could. Sooner or later, it was bound to leak into his home life.
I knew my mother would be thrilled with the turn of events. She wasn’t well known to keep her nose out of other people’s business. Picking up the phone, I called my personal housekeeper and shopper. Avidya would need something that she felt comfortable in to meet my parents. It was the least I could do when throwing both my parents on her at once with hardly any warning.