Victor laid in his king-sized bed, sweat dripping from his forehead. His whole body shook as he tried so hard to snap out of the nightmare that had held him captive. He could still see his face, his eyes as he took his last breath. He gave him a warm, loving smile and whispered, "I'm sorry." He was only a boy, and he didn't understand why the man would apologize when he was dying and to him for that matter. Vic was forced to watch as the life left the man's body and broke down crying, his whole body shaking with fear.
"Nooo.." He gasped, sitting up straight. He rubbed the sweat off his face. He could still feel his heart beating.
"Fuck!" He smashed the bedside lamp against the wall. He had been having the same fucking dream for as long as he could remember. It was the same thing over and over again and every time it broke him even more, darkening his heart even further.
He didn't bother to check the time, he already knew it was a little after 2 am. With a heavy sigh, he dragged himself out of bed and slipped into his slides walked out of his room to the gym. He needed to get his mind off the dream he just had and the only way to do that was to punch something or lift some weight. He put on his headphones and tapped on Eminem's Lucifer then walked to the punching bag. He decided against wearing gloves then began punching the bag with intense force, trying to distract his mind. It seemed to be working because he slowly got lost into the beat as the music blasted through his ears.
**
Vic stepped into the shower coming from the gym, his whole body dripping off sweat. His muscles were aching from the intense workout he did a few hours before. With a twist of his wrist, he turned on the shower and let out a relieved sigh as the cold water hit his toned body.
Over 20 minutes later, he walked out of the bathroom, wiping himself dry. He lotioned his body before slipping into a black tuxedo. No matter how shitty he felt, work was one thing he never skipped. It was the only thing that made sense in his dull life.
Victor made his way down the stairs, the aroma of the freshly brewed Espresso Italiano hit his nostrils. The helper was just finishing setting the table. He sat down and muttered a thank you before digging in.
"Be home early today, I've invited the Muraus for dinner." Of course that had to be his father, ruining his appetite so early in the morning. He placed the cup of coffee down, as it suddenly loses its taste. Elijah should have been a president, the way he loved dictating his life, he would have excelled at the profession.
"Did you hear what I said? I sa-"
"I heard you the first time, father." He said, his voice full of annoyance. He wanted to scream and cuss his father out. He wanted to tell him how tired he was of always living in his shadow but he didn't have the energy. He swallowed his words.
"I will be there." He pushed his plate away then stood up and walked away.
**
The Dube family hosted the Muraus for dinner. Natalie, with her flawless skin and silky black hair, beamed as she greeted Victor while the parents exchanged pleasanteries.
"Natalie darling," Elijah said, "I'm glad you and Victor can finally get to know each other." Vic snorted, concentrating on his phone. The old man never missed a chance to ruin his mood. Now that he was here, he wished he could have spend at least another two hours at work. Or maybe visit Tariro. His cock twitched at the thought of her name. He knew where she stayed and everything about her. Maybe he should pay her a visit after the boring dinner.
As they sat down, Natalie started sharing her interests with him, trying so hard to make a conversation with Vic. He pretended to listen, his expression neural. He was bored to death and every time she opened her mouth to speak, she was ticking him off the wrong way. Everything about her got on his nerves. She wasn't the kind of woman he would go for. She was too naive and weak. She wouldn't be able to handle him at all.
**
After dinner, Elijah stood up, his voice booming across the table. "I think it's time we allowed the young couple some time alone. Gloria, why don't you show Mrs. Murau the garden?"
Gloria nodded, exchanging a knowing glance with Victor. "Of course."
The adults excused themselves, leaving Victor and Natalie alone at the table. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for while until Vic spoke up.
"Would you like to me to show you around?" He asked, awkwardly.
She smiled as her eyes lit up. "Yes. I would love that very much."
Vic mentally slapped himself. He was hoping for her to refuse. But it was a good thing that she agreed, he was going to tell her where to get off, away from the parents. He stared at her, wondering if her cheeks never hurt from all the smiling she does. He sighed and stood, leading her outside.
Victor and Natalie walked side by side, strolling through the beautiful gardens of the estate. He kept a reasonable distance between them. He didn't want her touching him, he hated physical touches.
"I'm so glad we have some time alone," Natalie said, her voice bubbly. "I want to get to know you better, Victor."
Victor stopped walking and buried his hands in his pockets. He stared at her, his expression cold. "Why are you doing this, Natalie?"
She sighed, her mood changing. "I just grew up knowing that my husband will be chosen for me. I got used to the idea that's why it doesn't affect me that much anymore. But I'm glad it's you I'm going to be saying I do to. You're handsome and....I've always had a crush on you."
Victor chuckled, amused by what she just said. "You're naive and it's not cute. Sweetheart, I'm a walking nightmare. I suggest you get over that little girl crush you have. It will save you from a lot of heartaches. I will never look at you like that. You know that this is a business deal right?"
Hurt flashed through her eyes but she did her best to hide it. His words broke her. "We are going to get married so we might as well try to be a normal couple. You will get to love me, eventually." She whispered the last part.
This time he laughed, shaking his head. She was more stupid than he thought. "Were you not listening to me at all? I'm incapable of loving anyone except for my mother. If I cannot love my sisters, who are you to me? Don't get your hopes high. You don't even turn me on. You are not the type of person I would go for. Strong women fascinate me. Anyway, have a good night. Tell my father that I have business to take care of." He walked away. He knew Elijah was going to be furious when he learns that he left but at least he tried.
Natalie started at his tight ass as he walked away, his words still ringing in her ears. How can he be so handsome, cold and mean at the same time. He was so dreamy and she used to have some nights where she would just dream about her. On some days She would daydream about how his lips tasted like. She was happy when her father told her that her husband was going to be Vic. Her dreams were finally coming true. She sighed disappointed. She had never been so insulted in all her 23 years of living. His words made her feel so small and worthless. She sucked in a deep breath then put on her best smile and walked back inside.
Elijah was the first to speak. "Where is Victor?" He couldn't even hide the anger in his voice. He knew very well that his son was no longer around. Couldn't the boy just wait a few more before embarrassing him?
"He said he had an emergency to take care of." She said, fidgeting with her fingers.
"But I specifically told him that tonight was important. He could have attended to it after dinner." Elijah snapped at the wrong person. "I'm sorry, I just -"
"It's okay. I understand." She quickly walked away, searching for her mother.
"My friend, I understand that this will be an arranged marriage but I want my daughter taken care of. She is my only daughter so you have to understand how protective I am of her. I don't want to see her crying because of your son. I want to see her happy , always." Mr Murau said.
Elijah faked a smile. "You don't have to worry about that. We will take care of her."
Mr Murau just stared at him then changed the topic.
**
Victor stood by the door, contemplating on wether to knock or just go in. He decided on the latter and shot the door handle then walked in. With his hands deep in his pockets, he searched for her bedroom then made his way inside. There she was, fast asleep in her small bed. She was a deep sleeper. She couldn't even hear her walk in or was it because his gun had a silencer?
He stepped closer and slowly peeled the sheet off her. His eyes darkened as he stared at her bare thighs. She was only in her panties. Parts of her skin was red from the previous night but she looked even more beautiful like that. He was going to add a few more scars on her delicate skin. She looked good with those, at least to him. He ran his fingers down her thigh. She slowly turned in her sleep then finally opened her eyes.
Tariro jumped off the bed startled. She didn't expect to see anyone in her room. "You! What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Her whole body was shaking with fear.
"Through the door.." he shrugged, looking at her like she had just grown a pair of horns.
"I locked it before I came to sleep." She snapped. "How the fuck did you get in?"
"Careful, Little One. You should mind how you speak to me. I'm going to fuck your pretty mouth for cussing at me."
Tariro's clit responded to his words. She huffed, frustrated. Her body was in pain for crying out! Why was her coochie responding to his words. But who could blame her? He looked so yummy with that suit on like he was ready to be eaten.
Her eyes moved from his body. "Why are you here?" She asked with a low tone
"To fuck you. Get on the bed, ass up." He ordered
"That was a once off thing. I was desperate for money and-"
His jaw ticked annoyed. He hated it when people gave him a runaround. He glared at her. "Little one, I'm going to punish you for defying me. Now get on the bed."
Her body responded to his command and she found herself doing exactly what he said. She was annoyed by the way she was getting wet for him. He walked closer to her and ripped her panty off. He almost smiled. She was wet for him. He...#REMOVED
**
"How did it go with Victor?" Christine, Natalie's mother asked while stroking Nat's hair.
She let out a defeated sigh. "He is so mean and cold. He said I was naïve and that I'm not the type of woman he would go for. Am I ugly?"
"No, baby. You are not ugly. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Just give it time, he will come around eventually."
"That's what I said and he said he will never look at me like that. I was excited when dad said I was going to marry Victor but now I'm not so sure anymore. I don't think he will ever fall in love with me. He made it clear that this was a business deal."
"You can't expect him to fall in love with you on the day. Maybe you just caught him in a bad mood. Give him time and remember why you are doing this. Your father needs this union. The deal is important to him."
"But he has a lot of money. I don't know why he would -"
"Natalie." Christine warned. "You will be fine. Everything will fall into place."
Natalie got off her mother's lap. She wasn't in the mood for company anymore. She wanted to be alone.
"I want to sleep now mom." She got under the covers.
Christine stood up without protesting. She knew her daughter took well to understand that she was now mad. She kissed her forehead and bid her goodnight before she left the room. Natalie laid awake, her mind drifting off to Victor.