Chapter Five
I had told myself that if I spend one more day in this hellish solitude that I would commit suicide. Suicide? Nah.
“I'll just talk to Nicholas instead. It's Basically the same thing.”
I walked to the door and slammed my fist on it.
“Nicholas! Nicholas! Nicholas!” I yelled repeatedly. “If nobody comes up here in the next 10 minutes, I'll jump down from here!”
Immediately, the door flew open. There he was, in an immaculate white shirt, pressed pants with the ironing lines running down the front and a million dollar smile.
He walked into the room and shut the door behind him. “What is this about jumping down from here?”
“Where is Roman?” I crossed my hand over my chest.
“You didn't answer my question.”
“As did you!”
He grabbed my arm. “Don't try anything funny, princess. Nothing is stopping me from putting a bullet in your brain.”
“Might as well be my fucking guest and do it alright!” I screamed at him.
“You have a foul mouth on you.” He grabbed my face and squeezed hard.
“Leave me alone!” I slammed my fist against his chest. “You're impossible!”
“And you're stubborn.” He shot back.
“I wouldn't have to be if you weren't such a control freak!”
“Control freak? That's an odd way to describe me.” he started walking forward.
I let go of him, taking a careful step backwards. “Stay away from me.”
“You know I can't do that.”
“Go to hell!”
“We're already in it, darling.”
“What kind of a man kidnaps someone on her wedding day and traps her in a godforsaken tower to die?”
“Me.”
“I didn't have anyone to talk to but the second I did, you chased him away.”
He caught my arm now. “That's because I don't want any man apart from me near you. If that happens, I'll kill them.”
“You!”
One minute, I was glaring at him and the next, I was pressed against the wall, his lips crashing on mine. It was heated. It was messy but it was so damn addictive.
“Nicholas.” I murmured breathlessly as he pulled away.
“Don't say anything.” He brushed his lips against mine again.
I felt his arms lift me and I wrapped my legs around his torso, the same way I did the first night we met.
“I want you, Adrianna. I will kill any other man who tries to take you away from me.” He said, claiming my lips again in a passionate kiss.
My heart was still pounding from our fight-turned-truce. I watched Nicholas wear his vest over his head. There were tattoos on his back. I nearly got up to touch them.
“Do you need anything?” He asked in a calm voice I never knew he had.
“Um…” I pulled the sheets up to my chest. “I…”
He turned to look at me. “I don't want to be locked up anymore.”
His brows furrowed. Beige his mood would change, I took his hands and laced out fingers together. “Please, just promise me. I won't talk to the other security guards or any other man around here but please, don't lock me up in here anymore. I'll die.”
Nicholas's jaw tightened and for a second, I thought he'd argue but he didn't.
He bright our linked hands to his lips. “Fine. I'll bring someone to keep you company.”
My eyes went round. “What? You're serious?”
“Yes. Claire was her name, right?” He asked, standing to his feet.
That's right. Claire! Claire, my maid.
“Yes!” I said with tears in my eyes.
“You'll have Claire and another maid to keep you out of trouble while I'm away.”
“Trouble? Have I ever been a bad girl?”
He chuckled, pulling me closer. “Should I remind you again?”
My cheeks pinked. “No.”
Usually, Claire was an amazing company. We knew what we were thinking almost all the time and her jokes were an A-lister. I wasn't sure of this other maid. Nicholas said her name was Julia and that she would be a decent company. It turned out to be true. Indeed, she was.
Julia had a sharp tongue and would glare at every guard that looked my way while Claire with her motherly vibes would do everything to keep my sanity in check. I loved them for that. Well, that was not the only thing I loved.
Nicholas’s crashing into my life like a storm was something I couldn't resist. My skin burnt under his touch like he was registering his heat with my body. Every touch, every kiss, and every whisper in the dark left me wanting more. This kind of pleasure was the highest sin but I wouldn't mind being damned.
One evening, Nicholas walked into my room in a dark tuxedo.
“Hey.” He said with a smirk.
“Where are you going looking sharp like that?” I asked with a mischievous grin.
“Well, there's an event tonight.” He replied, sitting on my bed.
“Event? What kind of event?” I asked suspiciously.
“That's the thing.” He took my hand and pulled me close. “It's a secret.”
I blinked. “So I'm not supposed to know?”
“No, you're supposed to but…” he covered his hand over my eyes. “Blindfolded.”
A scoff escaped my lips. “You've gotta be kidding me.”
“Do I look like I'm joking?”
I pushed his hand away. “You said blindfolded like it was the most normal thing in the world.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Heck, no!”
“Just trust me, Adrianna.”
He was pouting now. Damn it. What did he have to say like that? Now, I'm blushing!
“Fine. I'll go,” I pushed back the bed covers. “But this better not be some kind of cult or I'll kill you.”
The next few minutes, I found myself dressed in a sultry blue gown and with a blindfold tied over my eyes.
“How generous.” I said when Nicholas led me out of the car.
“Why, thank you.” He said with a smile in his voice.
“I was being sarcastic,” I said with a hiss. “Christus. This is ridiculous.”
“You'll survive. You've seen worse.” He said.
“Ugh! I hate it when you're right.”
He chuckled, guiding me carefully. I could hear muffled sounds and footsteps but without my sight, I felt blind.
Finally, we stopped. Why did we stop?
“Where are we?” I whispered.
“You'll see.”
“Not with this thing on my face I'm not.
“Bow.” He whispered to me.
“Excuse me?”
“Bow, Adrianna.” His tone was sharper this time.
“Jeez Luiz.” I reluctantly bowed. “Now what?”
There was no response.
“Nicholas?”
“Shh.” He replied.
“Oh. So now, you can talk.” I hissed.
“Quiet.”
Throughout the event a particular name was being mentioned and whenever it was, the hall would erupt with applause.
I clenched my fist, every instinct screaming at me to rip off the blindfold.
“That's it.” I yanked off the blindfold and regretted it.
The light hurt my eyes and I squinted, trying to adjust to it. I finally focused on the figure on stage and my blood ran cold.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the sculptor.” The anchor said, passing the mic over a tall gentleman in a blue fitting suit.
“Papa?”
The man standing before me, the one everyone was bowing to, was my grandfather. The same man that practically shoved me into Dante's arms and abandoned me on my wedding day.
His cold eyes met mine and for a moment, I couldn't breathe.