Chapter 8
Zachariah
I knew it would happen. It would only be a matter of time, but I knew that Avidya was going to run. She certainly surprised me, which only she somehow was able to do. I expected her to leave the building, running and crying for help. No one near my building would have helped her, at least not the way she wanted. She would have been a little roughed up before being returned to me. All because she was marked as mine, and the men would see that instantly.
Shemoli stood guard at the front entrance, as it was his shift to monitor who came and went. He was the perfect bodyguard, too. And one I used often for big gatherings that I attended. Jonas, of course, tried to warn her to not to go. I had most likely frightened her with my anger, but it tended to happen. More so when it concerned her.
Instead of trying to find a way out of the building, she tricked us. It took searching the entire building complex, over three hours doing so, to find her. I had men looking on every level, in every room and in every nook and cranny.
She was nowhere! How the heck was that possible?
I was sure she wasn’t looked over by any of my guards, as my men knew what would happen if so. They knew if they wanted to keep on living to not even think about touching my property other than to deliver her back to me.
After searching everywhere I could think of, even the janitor’s closet and still no sign of the girl, I went back to the apartment, thinking maybe she went back there.
But she hadn’t.
I had no idea what I was going to do. Was there anything I could do? I didn’t even know what I would do when I did find her. Because I would. She would not get away that easily from me.
Jonas’s text came through minutes after I searched the apartment, causing a breath of relief and frustration at the same time ghost past my lips.
Found her. On roof
~ Jonas
I didn’t bother to reply, taking the stairs up to the roof exit. She was smart, that was for sure. I certainly would never question any of her answer’s she’d eventually give me.
Once more, I had no idea what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I found.
Jonas lifted his chin towards the left, where Avidya sat, basically unresponsive. Tears fell from her eyes as though she didn’t even notice them. Her knees were bent, her arms trapped between them and her torso. She sat there, staring off into the brightening sky. What was she thinking about?
“Avidya?” I called out to her, but she didn’t answer. Didn’t even jerk at my presence.
After getting no response from her, I did the only thing I could think of. I pulled her into a hug, hoping it would at least bring her out of whatever she was in. Once she was against my chest, her tears only increased.
I had seen many women cry; it comes with what I do. Sometimes, I get off on their tears. Being a Dom, it was just as it was. Some of the women had asked for it in some way. But Avidya’s tears hurtme, which shouldn’t have been possible. I hardly knew the girl further than the surface. With her crying so hard, so desperately, was not something I knew how to handle.
I held her as she cried, mumbling incoherently while doing so. I didn’t say anything, just held her in my arms. Maybe after she’d get it out of her system, I could get some answers. I owed her a few myself. It took about half an hour, and although she still hiccupped, she had calmed quite a bit.
I was able to stand up with her clinging to me. I could have made her walk, easily, but I didn’t want to lose the contact with her just yet. I liked her holding onto me. She was warm and fit perfectly against me. Right then and there, I knew she was mine to keep, even if she didn’t agree.
I knew I couldn’t make her love me, but I would show her that I did care about her after I got things in motion. She was mine. No one would take her from me.
I wasn’t the type to fall for anyone. I loved myself. Only myself. It was a risk to love anyone, so I didn’t. I learned to hide the fact that I loved my own parents to any degree. With Avidya in my arms, hands around my neck and head laying limply against my shoulder, her fight gone, I couldn’t help but want more. More of this. More of her.
And I would have more. She was mine.
After getting back to the apartment, which was as I left it – door opened, I went straight to the bedroom.
“Leave us,” I whispered to Jonas. I could handle this from here.
Jonas was great at what he did, and he looked at the girl like she was his niece. Since he had no family, with being orphaned young, he was the perfect guard for me. I never had to worry about his running off to a family, or him worrying about their safety.
“I’ll be in the hall,” he said with a nod of his head. He knew what would come, and I hated that I had to do it. I’d let her come back to herself first. I wasn’t a monster . . . . mostly. I sat on the edge of the bed, Avidya wrapped around me. One hand ran the length of her arm, feeling her warm skin.
“What were you thinking?” I whispered out, not expecting an answer as I leaned my cheek atop her head.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered tiredly.
