Chapter 11
I turned to the last chapter of my Mills and Boons novel debating if I should read it or not. I mean, the book was so fricking good the thought of finishing it alone was lonely! Just like the last one and the one before that, this one was my favorite. It was funny though; I was anything but a hopeless romantic. In fact, the thought and sight of love makes me gag. Literally, I actually gagged in front of a happy couple once.
Did they see me?
Yes, yes they did. I was sitting right next to them on the bus.
But did I mean to do it?
No, no, I didn't. It was a gag reflex. For gods sake! They called each other "Pooch-bunny." "Pooch-bunny!"
Anyway, the point was, Mills and Boons novels were the exception for me. And this book in particular, kept me sane throughout yesterday. Putting myself under house arrest in this five star hell hole was too much stress. It had been twenty four hours, two minutes and twenty seven seconds since the little question and answer session I had with my boss. Needless to say, I had locked myself in my room ever since.
It was simple really, how could I experience living with criminals if I avoided them altogether?
You're probably wondering what I would when my "second job" as Mr. Alexander's "mini me" officially begun.
With much deliberation and although it would've been fun getting on Mr. Alexnder's nerves, keeping it professional was probably the best solution. Maybe doing so might get him to trust me enough to live in my own home and adopt a puppy like I had planned. Either way, what's done was done, and he was my boss weather I liked it or not.
I DID NOT LIKE IT, just for the record. Or HIM or ANYONE IN THIS GOD FORSAKEN HOUSE.
Well, except Aurora, she was a sweetheart. From time to time, she would come upstairs for a little chat and even fixed up the TV. But that wasn't the only reason I loved her... sneaking me breakfast, lunch and dinner so I didn't have to go downstairs, took the cake.
Knock! Knock!
My stomach replied Aurora's before my mouth did it's job. I was so hungry, I could eat a mattress right now.
However, my huge smile turned into a confused frown when she closed the door behind her... empty handed. When the quirky blonde smiled apologetically for the second time in twenty three hours, I had a very good understanding what it meant.
"No," I whined, shaking my head.
"I'm sorry. He said I should call you downstairs. He's waiting for you."
"Roar, please just sneak me some food and tell him I ate before he got up. You know, like you did last time."
She shook her head and widened her doe-eyes. "He was already at the kitchen waiting for me... with that intimidating glare... and raised eyebrow."
I sighed and sat upright knowing it wasn't Aurora's fault. I've known him less than a week and even I was a familiar with his don't-fuck-with-me raised eyebrow.
"I'm not hungry, Roar."
"Really?" she smiled coyly, looking at my grumbling belly. "'Cause another part of you disagrees." I sighed again, placing my hand on the greedy little thing. "Please Eli, I can't tell Mr. Alexander no. Literally. He's my boss."
See Eliyanna, that's professionalism.
I looked at Aurora, knowing that I couldn't let her suffer because of this stupid thing. Plus, my mattress was literally starting to look good right now.
The journey to the dinning room had my heart exploding with crazy emotions. All of them pretty negative by the way.
Remember, Eliyanna, be professional. Soon, all of this would be over. Just like in prison, you could get out on good behavior.
Yeah right! You out on good behavior, Eliyanna? Please, only when pigs could fly.
Have I mentioned how much I hated the voice in my head?
What if--
"Oww!" I yelped, when I felt my face connect with a cold hard metal. The pain was so fricking excruciating, I thought my head would split in half. It was literally the second most painful thing I've experienced, next to bumping my small toe on the edge of a drawer. "Son of gun!" Rubbing my forehead I glared at the arched wall in front of me.
How the hell did I not see that?
"Eliyanna," I jumped at the sound of the familiar voice. Low and behold Roman was seated at the opposite side of the dinning room, with an Ipad in one hand and a cup of coffee on the other. "If I knew how blind you were, I would've specified the contract. How the fuck am I supposed to keep you out of harms way, when you randomly connect your face to objects and your ass to floors?"
You know that feeling when you're in so much pain, the mere sight of anyone pisses you the hell off? Now imagine being told exactly what Ro- I mean, Mr. Alexander just told me.
Keep it professional, Eliyanna. KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL!
"I'm sorry, sir," I forced a smile. In an attempt to lighten the mood, I added, "Maybe, when you're buying me clothes, you should buy me a helmet till I get used to this craziness."
He nodded, "Yes, Eliyanna. That's actually a good idea," and reached for his phone on the table.
Hmm... who knew he was capable of banter?
For a moment, I felt myself relax just enough to walk calmly towards the dinning table. However, I was still cautious enough to take the furthest seat, even though, my plate was obviously set up next to him. That sexual threat still whispered in my ear and I just couldn't risk it. Biting my lip was an involuntary habit of mine that ticked him off. The whole of last week I was wondering why it did and yesterday I finally knew.
"Hello?" Mr. Alexander said to the person on the phone, pressing it between his ear and shoulder. "Yes, pass the phone to Margo please." When I extended my arm so he could pass my plate, he pulled out the chair on his right and pointed to it.
"You're still an asshole," I mumbled, under my breath. "Good to know."
"Did you say something?"
Keep it professional, Eliyanna.
"No sir," I smiled, reluctantly getting up from my seat. When I felt the pressure of my teeth against my lips, I quickly pouted it, then sat next to him.
"Eat," he commanded. For the first time since I arrived at the table, I noticed just how full it was. There was every breakfast food I could ever dream of eating: cereal, eggs and bacon, toast, sausages and some others I didn't know the exact pronunciation of. Sticking with what I knew, I grabbed some scrabble eggs and sausages then dug in. Mr. Alexander, - still with his phone between his ear and shoulder - took my glass and filled it with orange juice. "Yes, Margo."
"Thank you," I mumbled, taking a huge gulp of the cool liquid. However, it didn't make it halfway down my throat before it came back out. I coughed vigorously, trying to register what Mr. Alexander said on the phone. Did I hear him right?
"Yes, Margo, that's what I said. When you're bringing Eliyanna's dress bring a helmet as well."
Yep, yep! I heard him right.
After he hung up with Margo, Mr. Alexander looked at me disapprovingly, already finding my stunned eyes on him. He poured water in another glass then passed it to me. "Drink this before it runs up your nose."
I blinked once. Twice. Thrice. "Mr, Alexander, I was joking." I said through gritted teeth.
"Spitting out orange juice while we're eating is not a joke, it's rude," he scowled at me.
"No! The helmet. I meant it as a joke."
"Good, then take it both as a safety precaution and a punishment for your stupid joke."
I bit my lip hard trying to swallow back my very negative insult. This was going to be so hard!
"Mr. Alexander, I will not wear a helmet."
"For the next three days, you will."
"No, Mr. Alexander--"
"Ms. Holland, you will wear the helmet even if I have to duct-tape you in it myself. Don't waste your breath."
He replaced my plate with an "orange-juice-less" plate of eggs and bacon before serving himself some waffles.
Stay calm, Eliyanna and let it pass. You can handle being Iron man's wife for a few days. Keep it professional. Remember the goal: get him to trust your obedience; it might be your get out of jail free card.
Now more than ever, I believed nothing was impossible. I mean, if someone actually told me I would be living with Roman Alexander or "The Garza Wolf", I would give them a medal for excellent lying. But here I was, sitting next to both of them all wrapped into one person with a big fat bow on top.
I wonder how he did it? How could he be so good and evil at the same time?
One of the two had to be an act. I mean, all the things he did for the less fortunate couldn't have been for nothing, could it? But then again, he did kill those men RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. Without even an ounce of hesitation. Didn't he---
"Ask what's on your mind," Mr. Alexander said casually, his voice like a knife through my thoughts.
"Huh?"
"Ask what you wanna ask, Eliyanna, instead of staring at me like a fucking deer caught in headlines." Wiping his mouth and turning to face me, he continued, "I will not give you this chance again."
Remember what I said about being professional? That didn't involve this right? Because there was no way in hell I was losing this opportunity. "When you killed those men..." Pausing, I scanned his face for approval. I didn't know why though, my nosy ass was gonna ask the question regardless of what emotion the answer was gonna inflict in both him and I.
"Yes?"
"--Didn't you feel anything?
"No," he replied blankly. If I didn't see the dead-ness in his eyes when he answered, I wouldn't have believed him. How could he be so heartless?
"You took two lives between seconds, Mr. Alexander, and you felt... nothing?"
"0.5%," he answered, nonchalantly.
"Huh?"
"Those imbeciles total 0.5% of the blood in my hands. I didn't feel shit then and I don't feel shit now."
"I can't believe that. How could you not feel any emotion?"
I stayed up night after night because I was overwhelmed by them.
He chuckled, as if I was dumb to find his numb feelings impossible. "You know what? Come to think of it, I did feel an emotion."
Hope! Maybe he wasn't that far from the Roman Alexander I and everyone idolized. "Really?" He nodded, smiling as if he was proud of himself. Yes, you heard that right, it wasn't a smirk or a short chuckle it was a smile.
"Which emotion?"
"Anger. Does that count?"
Odd... but it was still something. "Yes, anger is good. Why anger?"
His toothless smile lifted a bit pushing in his dimples. Looking deeply into my eyes, Mr Alexander said, "Anger that I couldn't revive them... then slit their throats again," in the most horrifying voice I've ever heard my entire life. It literally took me back to the night I met him face to face and the scariest part was he meant it. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice even though the deepness never wavered.
"And slit it again...," he repeated through gritted teeth, as his forced smile faded.
"And again..." It was as if he was reliving that same exact moment.
"And again..." I could feel it... the rush he felt when he killed those men. He fed off of it but it gave me goosebumps.
"And again..." His eyes said it all; the way they darkened into a deeper blue each time he uttered those two words.
"You're a psychopath," I blurted out, my eyes widening even more at my stupid words. "I'm sorry." He finally snapped him back to reality as he cocked his head to side and gave me a lazy smirk.
Reaching his thumb out he slowly rubbed my cheek. For the second time, I didn't realize he was rubbing away unwanted tears, until I saw the wetness on his fingers. "Hey," he said gently, lifting my head up. "Never fucking apologize for speaking your mind. Especially if it's the truth. Just because I'm Roman Alexander, doesn't mean I'm not 'The Wolf'. In other for this to work, you need to understand that I'll continue to be who I am regardless. I'm not as hardhearted, ruthless or psychopathic as those clueless idiots write about. I am all of the above and more. I need you to prepare yourself for that."
"But all the people you help--- all of that can't be for nothing... I don't believe you."
"That's the point," he replied, biting into his cream covered waffles. "Now, eat."
"What made you like this?"
His eyes flashed with an unrecognizable expression which the stubborn man quickly masked. "That's enough, Eliyanna. Eat," he repeated through gritted teeth.
"No. What happened to you?" I insisted, desperate to get the answers I had been asking myself for a week now.
"If I tell you that, I'd have to kill you."
"You gave me the permission to ask you, sir."
"Permission revoked," he replied, cutting up his waffles.
"I need answers, this has been tormenting me. This is not a joke! Do you hear me? I'm not a joking," I insisted, as more tears ran down my eyes.
"Neither am I, Ms. Holland. If I tell you, I will literally have to kill you." I stared at him for any sign of amusement but all I saw was the slow throbbing of his upper head vein; an involuntary action I could now confidently associate to his irritation.
Dear God, he actually meant it.
Why are you surprised though? This was the man who was gonna buy you a helmet because of a joke. "Do you want to know now?"
"Well, not anymore," I answered sarcastically, trying to wipe my tears.
"Good. No more questions."
Turning to face my food, I tried to concentrate on digesting it but it didn't taste the same anymore. I wish I hadn't started this stupid conversation. It left me with more questions than answers. And even worst, my mind turned back to the face that hunted me for almost a week. I didn't want to think about it. In fact, I tried so hard to dig and bury it deep down.
How stupid was I? To think I had succeeded.
Just like my freely running tears, I couldn't stop my mouth again. "How about the maid." His cutlery dropped from his hands and he looked at me with obvious irritation on his face.
"What maid?"
"You said you're not keen on killing women, but the maid..." I trailed off as the image took over my brain. I needed closure. I needed to put it past me before we could move forward with this -- this arrangement. I needed answers, dammit!
"Terra?"
Was that her name?
I nodded anyway.
Something flashed in his eyes. For the second time though, I didn't realize what it was... "You thought I killed Terra?"
... but unlike the first time, it quickly registered before he masked it with anger. I saw it though... I saw that I hurt him. The raging man snatched an apple from the table, took a rough bite before marching out of the dinning room.
I winced hard. And no, not because of the irritating screech of his chair or the wordless way he exited the room, but because I was pretty sure he was picturing my head as the apple.
A/N
Hey my loves. I hope enjoyed this update. A lot has happened and I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Like what the hell was that Roman? Haha.
What did you guys think of Eliya's decision to keep it professional. I mean, with someone as strong minded and no-nonsense like Roman, would that really work?
Any predictions on what Roman's plans are?
Any predictions on what will happen next?
Any predictions on what the Garza organization is about?
Are you curious, my cookies?
I'm really excited to write more for you guys so don't forget to add this to your libraries and reading lists. This book is just starting and I can't wait to get to the good stuff.
Please don't forget to vote and comment. Especially comment; I love hearing what you guys think. Your support is my motivation.
Xoxo... TimaBelle.