He didn't meet my gaze immediately just like the last time we encountered each other alone, instead he stepped up to a mirror and began fixing his hair as best as he could. I could tell that it had been perfectly styled before the Donna shuffled it. His eyes met mine in the mirror and we both scanned each other from head to toe.When our eyes met again, he grinned a Cheshire cat grin. A sneaky, cheeky, mischievous grin. That had alarms blaring in my head."Glad you didn't run away?" he said.I froze yet again, out of all the times he could've mentioned it, it had to be now. When no one was around and when there was no chance of Julian calming me down. But before I could go into full panic mode, he continued."Lets get this straight, You hate me, I hate you. End of story, everyone's happy."I frowned as his words register."I don't exactly hate you... I just don't like you."He paused and frowned at the mirror."Hard work gone down the drain then, I suppose."He mumbled to himself in an exasperated manner."What hard work?"He snorted at my question and settled for glaring at himself again."What hard work?"I repeated and he shrugged in response before sighing and glancing at the clock. I watched his shoulders stiffen as he noted the time."Shit, let's go."With that he grabbed my hand, but I yanked it out of his grasp."What?"He questioned with furrowed eyebrows when I gave him my most confused expression."Have you never seen or done this before?"His reply was instant."If you're asking whether my brother has ever married before, then the answer's no and if you're asking whether I have another brother, the answer is also no... at least I think I don't have another brother."My jaw nearly dropped, I had never seen anyone misinterpret a simple sentence that badly."I'm asking if you've ever led a girl, anywhere?"His response was almost immediate as he glared heatedly at me, almost as if I had embarrassed him."My love life is none of your concern!"Once again, my jaw fell, this time nearly to the ground."...You aren't supposed to hold my hand while leading me down the aisle."He blinked silently before rubbing the back of his neck and giving me an awkward chuckle."Oh...How am I supposed to do it then?"He questioned in a low voice, as if he was afraid that someone could hear us."We need to link arms." I said."Oh great, increase body contact and piss off your possessive hubby." he said.I looked at him unsure because I didn't quite catch what he had said, instead for answering me, he just grumbled some more.We arrived in front of a door shortly, and right before it opened, Edward gave me quite the pep talk."Don't think it's going to be easier from now on. If anything, it will be worse and even more dangerous, but don't even try to run away, not until Julian has full control at least, otherwise what could've happened before can happen now."The door opened and the soft sound of whispering from inside stopped completely as a tense silence settled among the parties present.Several armed men stood around the carpet, protecting me from sight of the other guests. I noticed that Edward had stepped away from me when I tried to hold onto his arm.
"I was your escort, you're on your own now."With that, he walked away. I gulped as my eyes met that of everyone in the rooms, all of them prompting me to go on. Clutching the bouquet to my chest, I met the familiar pair of silver eyes. Call it instinct but at that moment I began moving, because I knew that I would be the safest once I was beside him.His face was blank as his eyes followed me, I knew from that fact that this was a dangerous event. We were nearly to the end of the territory and even when heavily guarded, there were chances of us being attacked.There wasn't even a priest that stood beside Julian, instead it was his own father. As soon as I had reached Julian, the man decided to speak up."Welcome your new Boss and Donna!"Several shouts echoed around the room along with loud chants of 'long live the boss and Donna'.Julian raised his hand and the people silenced themselves immediately. I felt his arm coil around my waist and pull me closer."Those who have already pledged, are the only ones permitted to enter the estate. Any objection to this new rule will be dealt with harshly."Whispers started passing between the guests once again as the new announcement passed between them. I felt Julian's hold tighten around my waist and glanced up at him instinctively.We made eye contact for no longer than a minute before he nodded to someone and pressed a quick kiss to my lips.The crowd became silent as Julian's father stepped closer to us."We might have to discuss that rule, son." He spoke through gritted teeth, tempting Julian to pull me a little behind himself."There's nothing to be discussed father as the new boss, that is the first change I have introduced." he answered.The men surrounding the carpet stepped forward as I was led down the carpet by my new husband. The tense atmosphere following us all the way back to the estate...My new residence.
It had been a month since the wedding and Julian had been busy. Since he was the new boss, he had to go meet several of their allies and renew their treaties so now they would serve under his name and be ready at his beck and call. Not on his fathers.This was very dangerous though and from the bits of conversation that I would occasionally catch onto, there were a few cases where guns had been involved. In each of them Julian and his band of selected members had come out victorious.That didn't change the fact, that my new husband was walking into danger freely. While fully aware that things could take the worst turn at any moment.He was kept away most of the time because of this and rarely managed to sleep properly. Edward had dropped by soon after the wedding, when Julian was away and had enlightened me with the information that no one else had the guts to relay.Ranging from traitors, moles and enemies, Julian had also been buried under heaps of paperwork and Edward had told me the whereabouts of his office in case I wanted to meet him. That was a week ago, now I barely had anyone to talk to. Dramas and books were my only amusement.Thankfully, I wasn't restricted or timed with the television as it was the only electronic I was personally permitted to posses.Other than that, I was safe to wear whatever I liked in the presence of my husband. But wasn't allowed to wear anything revealing in the presence of any other man.That wasn't as bad as it sounded actually. Since I was almost always stuck in this massive room that Julian called his own. Now ours.Donna had been moved to a safe house since I had 'taken over' her position, and Sally was to remain with her. Never in my life would I have imagined actually missing Sally, but in times where I was this alone, my thinking was valid.Edward was also busy, according to him, there was a lot more burden on his shoulders now than before. Since the second in command was new, the boss was new and a few important members of the gang had been replaced by their successors. Edward was left to analyze and check up on the new replacements. The job was given to him by none other than Julian himself.I sighed and settled my head on my knees, I couldn't even focus on the story playing on the LED. All I could do was think about Julian and how he had been, I hadn't seen him for a while now and was just itching to hit him with something the moment he got back.Who leaves their new wife on the first night? Granted that I had fallen asleep the moment my head hit the pillow, but that didn't mean that he had to disappear on me.I only caught glimpses of him every now and then.The worst part was that the man- my now father-in-law -also frequented the base and I could only hope that he didn't find me alone. I had barely been stepping out of my room lately and had little to no motivation to move from the comfortable position on the couch.The corset under my dress was still suffocating me but I had grown used to it over the years. Donna did say something about it being mandatory and the only case it could be removed in was if I was to get pregnant.I sighed and stood up before dragging myself to the shower, I could at least look around right? I won't run away and I would be supervised by the men Julian had left outside my room.
After taking what had to be the most relaxing shower I had ever had, I dried my hair and put on my dress. Soon after that, I was out of my room and on my way to explore the lair. They made it sound very dramatic.It was a huge mansion in the middle of trees, the property was owned by the gang and it stretched for acres of land. I knew for sure that some of the important members were also accommodated somewhere on this large land.The guards followed after me, they were two bulky men dressed in black with visible guns strapped to their belts, a dagger hanging from one of the hoops on their jeans. I could bet that they had more guns hidden somewhere under their clothes.Both of them were silent and refrained from talking to me, their answers to any of my questions were either nods or mono syllables. Another reason why I wanted to find someone to talk to, but strangely enough their weren't any females present. Even the person who came to check on me every hour and brought along food or new dresses or replaced and checked the essentials in the washroom, was a male and even he didn't say a word to me, I could almost bet that it was another rule and Julian had gladly followed it.A throat cleared behind me and I turned to one of the guards in silence."Where are we headed, Donna?"He asked politely, eyes not lowered but not meeting mine either."I want to go see Julian." I replied.Both the guards shared looks before replying."The boss will be back in a while Donna, would you like to return and wait inside your room?"I shook my head, it was obvious that I could only visit a few spots that were specified by Julian, others would probably scar me for life."We can look around for a bit I'm sure, I haven't left my room up till now and I really want to see everything up close."The other guard replied instantly, his voice sounding a bit guarded than the other one."You can look around in the presence of the boss, Donna, I'm sure he would be more than delighted to be present."I waved my hand in the air as if I was dismissing the idea and waving it away."If he wanted to be present then he would've given me a tour on his own and since he barely has enough time for me, I'd rather do this on my own than not at all."The guards went to interject but I frowned at both of them in suspicion, they were clearly trying to hold me back.Silently, they followed after me, opening the doors or Nodding to other guards and helping me through from one room to another. That was when a certain someone made their presence known.
"Edward?" I exclaimed."Princess?" he said."You're free?" I asked."What're you doing out here?" He said at the same time.We asked together, barely managing to catch what the other was saying over our own voices."I'm looking around." I answered.He nodded to me before turning to the guards."Leave." he ordered to the guards.They both stiffened at his command and his glare sharpened when they didn't follow immediately."But the bos~" one of the guard was saying.Edward interjected with a voice as hard as steel and the most commanding one I had ever heard, coming from him especially."Told you not to leave her alone and she won't be alone, so neither of you are needed here. Leave. Now" Edward replied.Both of them bowed their heads and left without another word. Edward stayed rooted on spot and waited till they were completely out of sight and after I had heard a door slam somewhere, he finally began talking."You could've waited for Julian to return."I shrugged in response and gave him the side eye. He sighed and nodded silently, both of us knew that Julian didn't have any time now a days and he was more than just busy with everything. He was drowning in it.
"Will you show me around?" I asked.He nodded silently and led me to a hall. There were numerous pictures that decorated it, people standing with all their glory, guns and daggers on display. It was almost like walking into a museum, except I knew that these guns were in perfect and loaded condition to be used if needed.I followed him quietly as he didn't speak a word nor turn around to see if I was right behind him. But somehow, whenever I stopped to examine something, he would stop in his steps as well. There were numerous questions clouding my mind but I knew they were not going to be answered anytime soon, especially not by my brother-in-law."What's in there?"I questioned and he finally turned his head to look where I was pointing. I frowned as he grimaced and stiffened, before relaxing as a lazy smirk took over his features."You sure you're strong enough to handle what's in there, princess?" he asked.I nodded eagerly, of course I was strong enough, or at least I hoped I was. But no amount of hoping or praying could have readied me for what I saw.Blood drained from my face as I stared at the massive room in front of me, my mouth agape as I swallowed back the scream threatening to come through.Young girls... They all looked so young, not even in their teens. All of them were buried in the walls.I stood frozen as the doors slammed shut behind me, my eyes focused on all the- dead- female children in the room. Their horrified impressions printing themselves into my memory, sad faces with tears streaming down their cheeks. Mouths parted to scream, screams that were now forever silenced.All of them had boards carved right beneath their feet, boards that gave away their names, ages and time of death. Almost like a cemetery, this one though was only for kids. My eyes went from one girl to the next, there were so many. I simply couldn't believe what I was seeing. This wasn't a work of art, it was cruelty and maybe if I didn't know that these were real people at a point, I might've praised the artist.My head was swimming, my heart was thumping and my eyes were filling with tears as they followed the trail, every next girl breaking my heart into another piece. I could only imagine the fate they had suffered before this. My breathing halted as my eyes landed on one specific girl, the b
"I haven't mentioned this before so listen closely, it is very important information for your security." Julian said.I nodded in response and hugged the pillow tighter to my chest as Julian sat across from me, on the couch. A good few feet between us, as he put aside his laptop with care."The way it operates in the lair is slightly different than the rest. When a new boss is selected an oath is to be taken by the members of the gang, an oath that binds them to my command. But, after they had taken oath on my fathers hand, father introduced a method of choice and it's quite popular with the members so I can't remove it just yet."I nodded as he pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, almost as if reminding himself of it gave him a headache."In the other gangs, an oath is taken right on the night the new boss is announced, thanks to my father, it doesn't work that way around here anymore. The members are given the time of a year to take an oath, during that year it is for them to de
His eyes raked over me in a way that would scare any maiden to death, in my case though, death wasn't an option. I was yet again, nearly bare in the presence of a man. It seemed that Edward and him were more likely to catch me off guard and undressed, than Julian was.But in Edwards case, I knew he couldn't touch me or Julian would be displeased, very displeased. I wasn't so sure about his father and from the way he was looking at me, I couldn't even force myself to relax."It seems I've caught you at the wrong time." he said.He tilted his head to a side and assessed me yet again before humming to himself. He looked away momentarily but when I made a move towards the cabinet his head snapped back to me."I would like to have a word with you." he said.I swallowed to moisten my dry mouth before nodding at him."Of course, just let me dre..."I was saying . "I'm afraid it cannot wait."He interrupted me making me frown as he met my eyes. What could've been so important that he would come all th
A hand threaded through my hair, lips tracing my cheek as an apology greeted my ear. The familiar voice and the familiar warmth made my nerves relax as I snuggled into him.His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, the soft material of his shirt rubbed against my nose as he sighed while burying his head into the crook of my neck."Have you eaten?" he asked.I shook my head in response, ready to doze back into Lala land but he kept me awake with slow and soft administrations of affection from him. When his lips connected with my neck, I jolted out of sleep and right into a panic attack.Julian pulled back with clear worry in his eyes as I became a sobbing mess. Curling up into a corner of the room, I ducked my head and hiccuped as the tears rained down my face.Julian tried to step forward, towards me, but when he realized that it sent me into a frenzy, he stopped and cussed under his breath."Amrita, Love, let me help you." he said.I shook my head without meeting his eyes through my half li
Feeling absolutely done with everything. The smallest of actions made breathing a hard task. Every time the doorknob would jiggle while I was awake. I would start hyperventilating, imagining him returning to finish what he had started.I didn't want to be alone, no matter how far I locked myself away and for how long I did, I didn't want to be left alone. It was so much scarier alone, so much worse than before. My senses were heightened when I was alone, especially in the dark.I peeked through my arms and found Julian still seated on the ground, his eyes locked with mine and he smiled. The small act encouraged me, and I hiccuped before unwinding from myself and slowly crawling over to him.He settled me against him in his lap. Arms wrapped around me and his forehead pressed against mine."Jul..jul..."I was saying.My sentence got cut off as I hiccuped again. He shushed me calmly, his hands resting on my cheeks and wiping away my tears as he whispered gently"I know love, I'm sorry." .Carefu
I opened my eyes slowly, the sound of intense typing pulling at my conscious to wake up. The first sight which I was greeted by after sitting up was of Julian. The furrow between his brows drawing my attention as I struggled between getting out of bed to remove it or sit back and frown at it, till it went away.Julian was quick to notice me assessing him with my eyes and put his laptop aside to walk over to me. It had become a routine now, after our actions of the previous night. I became even more sluggish when it came to getting out of bed and Julian took it upon himself every day to help me out and freshen me up."Come on Love, I've prepared the bath." he said.I shook my head slowly and frowned."I don't wanna move."I replied. His brows drew together in worry as I snuggled closer to the blanket, knowing the question that he was going to throw at me."Does it hurt?" he askedI looked to him and shook my head again as he approached his side of the bed. I had pulled his pillow to cover up t
"She's in danger isn't she, that's why you're pulling this shit with the training crap? You're just making sure that if you're not around then I am?" Edward asked."Yes, yes I am." Julian replied.Julian replied instantly making Edward sigh before muttering something like: "Stupid Whipped older brother."And Julian quickly corrected him saying "You mean, Boss."Huffing, both of them turned to me as I cleared my throat."Where should I change?"I questioned in a soft tone, barely containing my giggle when I spotted the sibling hating frowns -from dramas- on their faces.Julian opened another door and led me inside, He stood facing the wall with yet another frown on his face as I changed. He didn't really have to look away since he had already seen~..I cut off my thoughts as a blush rose to my face, taking a deep breath to calm my pounding heart. I slipped the corset off and hurriedly pulled on his unused tank top. As I'd guessed, it fell over my shoulders and down my chest revealing a bit too
Thanks to my 'condition', I didn't have to practice for a quite a while. Julian had been extra careful and cautious towards me. I didn't even have to ask for anything, everything was presented to me on a platter. It was easy to say that he was babying me and Edward, Oh god! He infuriated me beyond belief, acting as though I was carrying a contagious disease.This was the first time either of them had to deal with me on my periods since they were usually away on business. I was so offended by Edward's looks that I cried more than half the time around him, which ultimately led to Julian kicking him out of the room and him whining about me being too emotional. First of all, I was in so much pain. The first day had been bearable but around mid night, the cramps from both the exercise and the breaking muscle in my body, made themselves known.Leaving me groaning and whining in pain. Julian had ordered a bunch of hot gel packs, chocolates and a warm glass of milk to help me. As it turned out,