Niklaus' lips meld against mine as his hands dip low on my back. His fingers brush across the curve of my backside until they meet the hem of my short dress. My left leg is hiked around his waist as he presses me against the nearest wall. I can feel his thick erection straining against his jeans as he grinds his pelvis into my opposite leg. His lips part from mine only to travel down my jawbone, tasting the skin of my throat as he whispers the things he is going to do to me. My core pools with sexual anticipation and I moan in approval. But suddenly, his warmth is pulled away from me. My eyes whip open in shock as I see my father straddling Nik on the floor, his hands gripping the younger man's throat. Niklaus thrashes from beneath my father, but the older man out-weighs the Hale man and Nik slowly begins to stop fighting. I throw myself on my father's back and attempt to pull him off, but suddenly I'm on the floor. Nik is nowhere to be seen but it seems I have replaced him. My father is hovering over me, his hands now on my throat.
"Daddy... What are you doing?" My lungs begin to hyperventilate as his grip becomes tighter. My hands go to grip his bicep, as if my small palms could radiate my sense of fear. "Daddy, stop, it's me Violet." My windpipe begins to close and my vision begins to blacken. My survival instincts begin to kick in and I fight, my nails digging into his skin, my legs kicking every which way in an attempt to land a blow. "Daddy, you're hurting me!" I cry out softly, my voice sounding as though I've swallowed a pound of sand and rocks.
I gasped loudly, my heart hammering in my chest just as it had in my dream. Slick perspiration dripped down my cleavage and down my back as I sat up in my bed. With my hand over my heart, I slowly stood with wobbly legs and made my way to the door. Opening it slowly, I tiptoed through the very same hall I had grown up in to find my way to the kitchen. Being in this room made me feel bittersweet. For so long, I had wished to back home in New York, and now that I was, I longed to be back home in Chicago. My now relaxed heart felt a deep urge to weep, but we had gotten past our crying phase. It had been two weeks since I had last seen Niklaus and it had been two weeks since I had last spoken to my father.
Trying to mend our broken relationship, my father had offered me a new car (as long as I never drove it myself and always had a driver with me), a small black kitten named Osiris, and the ability to take online college courses. Having accepted the last two gestures, I had spent my two weeks back at home playing with my new kitten and studying for my Gen-Ed's. But no matter how many things my father tried to buy me, nothing came close to the hole left from Nik's absence. There were times I had woken up from a light sleep at the sound of Osiris' bell, thinking it was Bear, the puppy I had left back in Chicago. There were morning I would awaken to the sound of my door opening and my heart fluttered with the excitement of seeing Niklaus, only to realize it was a maid bringing me my breakfast. All of this weighed on my mind as I tried to psycho-analyze my dream as I descended the stairs to the kitchen. Once I had entered, I blindly made my way to the fridge. Pouring myself a glass of orange juice, I felt a presence behind me and turned on my heel.
"Good morning," He said, a smirk on his face as my jaw fell slack. This man looked eerily similar to Niklaus Hale. Both of them having the same long, curly hair and similar facial hair; however, this man was an inch or two shorter with a more circular face and a more playful demeanor.
"Who the hell are you?" I questioned, placing my cup of OJ on the counter.
"I'm-"
"Liam Rolland." A familiar voice said from the kitchen door. I turned to face my father who stood with a man near his own age. "Liam, this is my daughter Violet, Violet this is-"
"Liam Rolland, yeah, I got it." I interrupted, taking a long drink from glass. "Well, nice meeting you." I attempted to head back upstairs to my room before my father caught my bicep in his hand, prompting me to stay.
"Actually, Michael and Liam are here on your account." My father said, pulling a chair out for me to sit directly across from Liam at the dining room table.
"I'm confused," I admitted, biting the inside of my cheek.
"Michael and Liam were instrumental in my pursuit to finding out information regarding the incident that sent you to Chicago. While working together, I grew to know Liam very well and he become a trusted confidant. The two of you are around the same age, so after everything that went down last week, I called Liam to see if he was available."
"Available?" I questioned, cocking an eyebrow. Feeling a great sense of unease begin to bubble in my empty stomach.
"The two of you will be formally courting starting this evening, I have made reservations for the two of you at the Rainbow Room." My father smiled, happy with the strides he was making toward giving me freedom.
"You're kidding," I said breathlessly.
"I am not, I've made reservations for the two of you at the Rainbow Room tonight-" My father said, his brow furrowing as I interrupted.
"You can't be serious! After the tantrum you threw over me and-"
"Hey, you stayed with the Hales in Chicago, didn't you?" Liam questioned, obviously trying to help alleviate the growing tension in the room. I gave a curt nod, unsure of where he was going with this. "I heard that Niklaus Hale is on a manhunt for some chick he fell in love with a couple months ago. Did you see her while you were staying there?" My heart fluttered with the prospect of Niklaus coming for me and I gave another nod.
"Something like that." I whispered softly, my head now in the clouds.
"This conversation regarding the Hales is over. Liam will meet you at the Rainbow Room at eight PM tonight, you will be dressed and on time by seven forty-five. Gentlemen." All four men rose from their seats and I stared after them in shock, both from being forced to date a man I just met at my father's arrangement and from the fact that Niklaus was looking for me.
That night, I got myself dressed in a simple pair of ripped boyfriend jeans and a loose pink sweater. As I was putting on my Vans, a guard knocked at my door in indication that it was time to leave. Each of my brothers gave me a sad, weary wave as I exited the house and hopped into the SUV that sped off down the narrow roads of New York City. When I finally arrive, the guard helped me from the vehicle and walked me inside. Liam was already waiting for me at the table and I almost felt guilty for my casual attire as he was dressed in a fine suit. Upon seeing my entrance, Liam stood from the table and pulled out my chair for me. I thanked him and sat down, but not before my eyes met with my father who was sitting with Liam's father, Michael, a few tables away. I took a deep breath, praying for some strength to get through tonight as I skimmed over the menu.
"You look beautiful," Liam noted, his own eyes skimming over the menu. Setting the menu down, I stared at him for a moment, biting the inside of my cheek. "Do you usually stare this much or should I take it as a compliment?" A blush ran over my cheeks and I shook my head.
"No, it's just... You remind me a lot of someone." I twisted an edge of the tablecloth in my hands nervously and with no interest in dating this man, I wasn't sure how this night was going to pan out. The waiter came a short time later to take our order before going back to the kitchen to deliver the ticket to the chefs. I wasn't sure what to say or even if I should get to know this man, as I doubt Niklaus was going to enjoy the idea of me on a date with another guy despite my objections to it to begin with. But Liam took charge of the conversation and asked me questions regarding my personality, my likes and dislikes. After awhile our conversation dwindled into silence and I passed the time by tapping my shoes together beneath the table.
"You're not into this, are you?" Liam chuckled, running his hands through his hair.
"What?" I feigned shock, shaking my head, "No, I'm just shy." Liam rolled his eyes playfully and leaned back in his chair.
"Look, I'm not 100% feeling this either; but if I'm going to be honest with you, I overheard my father on the phone with Talon. They've made an agreement to combine our families, if it were my father's choice, we'd be tying the knot right now, but your father wanted to take things slow."
"My god," I groaned, sliding down in my chair slightly at the thought. Was there a way out of this? I mean, I was barely allowed to leave my room most days much less leave the family home, therefore, I could never run away. And even if I could get out of the house, where would I go? I have no money of my own, no car; I would have to ditch my phone so my father wouldn't be able to track me. Say everything did go well; I was able to leave the house, get away and be with Niklaus... But that meant I would never see my family again. My father would view my escape as me picking sides; the idea of not being able to see my brothers, my mother, or even my father ever again made my heart weep in my chest. I let out a deep sigh of utter frustration and Liam chuckled.
"Me too," He nodded toward the waiter who brought our food and ground fresh black peppercorn and sea salt as we desired. As we began taking our first bites, Liam's eyes flickered slightly behind us, seeing that our fathers were deep in conversation before lowering his voice. "You're the girl, aren't you?"
"I beg your pardon?" I questioned, cutting into a piece of buttery chicken breast.
"You're Niklaus' girl, aren't you?" He cocked an eyebrow, as if it were plainly obvious. My cheeks reddened and I looked away, unwilling to let the answer fall from my lips; it didn't matter anyway, Liam already knew. He smiled widely, a triumphant glint in his eyes as he took a drink to wash down his food. "That's who I remind you of, eh?" I gave a curt nod and Liam shook his head, laughing softly to himself.
"Do you know Nik?" I asked quietly, my eyes flashing to my father's as he glanced at the table. Once he looked away, Liam gave his own nod.
"I met Klaus two years ago at a Sebastian Coleman party, guy drank me under the table," Upon seeing my saddened expression, Liam frowned softly, tilting his head to the side, "You love him." A tear escaped my eyelid and I quickly wiped it away. Taking a deep breath, Liam threw back his glass of bourbon before pulling out his phone. His fingers pressed rapidly against the screen before he slipped his cell under a cloth napkin and moved it slowly toward me. With my brow furrowed in confusion, I lifted the napkin slightly and looked at the screen where a texting app was opened, the contact at the top read: Niklaus Hale.
"Liam, I can't put you in the middle of this, my father hates Nik-" I whispered, but Liam placed his index finger against his lips, signaling me to be quiet and send a message. With my heart in my ears, I discreetly took a picture of myself and sent it into the conversation. A texting bubble appeared as Niklaus typed and my heart thumped rapidly in anticipation.
What the fuck? -N
Hey there, still dressing like you're going to a funeral? -V
The phone began to ring and I felt the blood drain from my face. Liam noticed and quickly dug into his pocket, pulling out a wireless headphone.
"Stare at me as you talk so it looks like we're having a conversation, okay?" Liam instructed and I pretended to fix my hair in order to place the earbud into my left ear. With a nod, I accepted the call.
"Is this some sick fucking joke, Rolland? How the fuck did you get a picture of her?" Niklaus seethed, his voice rocking with rage.
"It's me." I said, my small sentence breaking down the middle at the sound of his voice.
"Fuck," He whispered, "Baby, fuck- Ты в порядке? Вы ударились? [Are you okay? Are you hurt?]" I laughed softly, tears filling my eyes.
"You're speaking Russian, Nik, I can't understand you." I giggled to which Liam smiled softly.
"Did he hurt you?" Nik whispered softly, "Fuck, Violet, I'm so fucking sorry for how everything went down. I swear, I planned that when my father put me in charge, I was going to sit down with your dad and do it all right, I fucked up and I'm sorry-"
"It's okay," I said softly, wishing I could be there to hug him, to comfort him. "But I have to tell you something."
"I'm going to be angry, aren't I?" He said, phrasing it like a question he knew the answer to.
"The reason I'm calling from Liam's phone is because our fathers made an agreement that our marriage would combine the Rolland and Maddox families." I said, my voice low enough that no one could here, but moving my mouth so that if my father looked over, he would think I was speaking to Liam. Niklaus' line was silent and for a moment, I thought he hung up.
"Nik-"
"Son of a fucking cock-sucker!" He yelled as several sounds of glass breaking came through the earbud. "Take my girl away from me and give her to someone else just to prove a fucking point, watch me sit down and fucking take it!"
"Nik, I don't have much more time." I warned, noting my father's eyes on the clock across the room. Niklaus took a deep breath before he continued.
"I have something to tell you, too." I could imagine him running his fingers through his hair anxiously, something he did often when he was stressed. "After you guys left, I cleaned myself up and took over; my father stepped down. I have a team of strategists in the next room throwing out ideas on how to get you back here."
"End it." Liam said quickly and I noticed my father beginning to stand.
"Nik, I have to go-"
"I love you, Violet." Nik said softly, his voice a mixture of adoration and pain.
"I love you-" The phone call ended as Liam snatched it from beneath the napkin and stuffed it back in his pocket. Our fathers approached the table, grinning down at us.
"Have fun?" Michael asked as Liam stood and reached for my hand, entwining our fingers as if we had made a miraculous love connection. I smiled up at him and nodded, my eyes meeting with my father's.
"You have no idea."