Escaping the Contract Marriage

The File and The Dream

Darian's POV

I wasn't prepared for all that I was about to see. Colin took a seat next to me, as I waited for the file to load. When it finally did, my computer was bombarded with hundreds of pictures of one man and multiple different women. Some of the women's faces showed up more than once. "There's got to be thirty different women here", I muttered in disgust, as I scrolled through the photos. What is the matter with this guy? His wife is more f*****g gorgeous than any of these women. One particular woman caught my attention though. She stood out from the other women and was in at least ten of the photos. She was a young Italian woman, very pretty. Holy f**k. I know who that is. "She's the prettiest one", Ella's soft voice said, from behind me.

Startled, like we were caught invading her privacy, Colin and I spun around to face her with apologetic looks. But she wasn't looking at us, she was still staring at my computer screen. A look of impassiveness on her beautiful face. "I'm sorry. We should have asked first", I apologized, as I took in her beauty. She had long black hair that stopped right above her ass. She had these beautiful gray eyes that lock you in a trance. And even standing before me in a gray tank top and sweat pants, she is still more breath-taking than any of the women in these photos, who are wearing fancy dresses and lots of make-up. She is naturally breath-taking, something you don't see every day. How could he be so blind to what he had right in front of him?

She started slowly limping toward me. I could tell that her adrenaline was beginning to wear off. "It's okay", she said softly. When she reached me, she put one hand on the back of my chair for support, eyes still fixed on my screen. She spoke so softly that you almost couldn't hear her, "The rest look like hookers, but not her." I peeled my eyes away from Ella and put them back on the screen before speaking, "That's because it's the Don's daughter." She let out a dry laugh, catching my attention immediately. She pulled the chair out next to me and slowly slipped herself into the seat. "Now it makes sense. He didn't want the Don to know that he was f*****g his little girl", she laughed again and shook her head. Colin and I both studied her. Is she okay? She seems so calm right now. "It appears so", I managed to choke out. She finally looked at me, locking me in that trance. "How do I contact him?" she asked. The question just about knocked me off my ass. "The Don?' I asked, for confirmation. She nodded her head. She was serious.

"Ella, don't you think you're in enough trouble? Do you really think getting involved with the mafia is a good idea?" Colin asked. "First, I'm not in trouble. I didn't f*****g do anything wrong. I'm in a f****d up predicament. As for involving the mafia, I believe the Don should know who is screwing his daughter. Maybe he will take care of the problem for me. Who knows?" she shrugged. She's right. She didn't do anything wrong. As for involving the mafia, that is entirely her choice. She is right about that as well. They will probably take care of Micheal for her. "I'll see what I can do", I spoke up. Her gray eyes connected with mine again, shinning with hope and gratitude. "Thank you, Darian", she whispered to me. The way her lips moved had me hypnotized. "You're welcome", I nodded. My name should not sound that good coming from anyone's mouth. f**k.

"El, I called your dad and let him know what happened", Colin said, reminding me that he was still there. Ella stood up, her entire body tensed. "Why?", she asked. I watched her body language, and something wasn't right about this situation. "He's your dad, he deserves to know. He's on his way and will be here in the morning", Colin said. I sat back in my seat, watching this play out before me. "No. Call him back and tell him you were lying, Colin", she said. What? Why? Ella was vibrating with emotions. I watched them all flash through her eyes. Hate, fear, anger, and betrayal. "I'm not going to do that El. He cares about you. He's your dad", Colin deadpanned. "Is that what you say about your own father?" She snapped. "Your father isn't my father, Ella. Why do you have to be so hard-headed?" Colin asked, resting his head on his hand. Really? You aren't going to ask her why? "You're right. My father is worse", she said. "Call him back, Colin", she said slowly. Colin didn't say anything, he just had his eyes closed, while his head still rested on his hand.

I watched as the last of her patience snapped and she lunged for him. I quickly jumped up and grabbed her around the waist and chest, pulling her back flush with my chest. "Call him, Colin", she screamed as she lashed out in my arms. I have to admit she was f*****g strong for someone who is injured the way she is. She shouldn't have this much strength. Colin made eye contact with her, "Why?", he finally asked. Ella slumped a little in my arms, a broken sob leaving her, "He will send me back". That broke me. How could a father do that? Send his daughter back to a man that tried to kill her and still currently wants her dead. "I won't let him", I whispered in her ear. Meaning every damn word. Colin didn't hear me, but she did. And it must have been something she needed to hear, because the fight left her and she dropped to the floor sobbing, taking me with her. I rocked her as she cried. I don't know why her sobs hurt me so much. Or why I want to make them stop, but I do, so I will sit here and hold her, until she is ready for me to let go.

Colin didn't say anything as he got up to leave the room. He had better make that phone call. "I don't know why your father would do such a thing to you. But I promise you, I won't let him send you back. Even if I have to take you away from here", I whispered. She sobbed harder as I rocked her back and forth, she held my arms in a death grip. Scared for me to let her go. After a few minutes, her sobs turned into sniffles and hiccups. I just sat there and held her, running a hand up and down her arm in a soothing motion. "I'm sorry", she murmured, as she frantically tried to scoot away and stand up. She landed back on her ass with a hiss. "f**k", she whined. "It's okay. You don't have to apologize for anything, Ella", I said softly. I watched as she leaned on the chair for support. She didn't say anything, she only shook her head and breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath. "Do you need help? I can help you into the chair, or take you to the couch or your room", I offered. She took a minute to steady her shaky breath. "Please. My adrenaline is officially spent, and now it hurts like a b***h," she breathed out, with a light laugh. I chuckled, "Where do you want to go?" I asked. "This chair is fine", she said, tapping the chair she was leaning on.

Ella's POV

"Thank you. For everything", I said, after Darian helped me into the kitchen chair. "You're welcome", he said, with a warm smile. My stomach growled, causing Darian to chuckle, "How about I make something to eat? I'm hungry too", he offered with a smile. I nodded. He stood and walked to the fridge as Colin walked back into the room. Colin looked at Darian with a raised eyebrow. "What? We are hungry. Are you?" Darian asked, gesturing to us, then Colin. Colin nodded at him, then turned and looked at me with an apologetic look, "He didn't answer. I guess he is already on the plane", he said, solemnly. I just shook my head and laid it down onto my crossed arms on the table. "Ella, I'm sorry. I won't let him send you back", Colin said. I didn't reply. It's not his fault, he wasn't aware of what happened while he was across seas. But I was too mentally and physically exhausted to talk about it. Slowly, I began slipping away. The sounds around me are fading. Colin's apologies, the noises Darian was making in the kitchen, all of it faded, until only one noise remained. One sound, clear as day. A pistol being loaded. I jumped straight up, almost falling from the chair. Then I grimaced and cursed as pain shot through my leg.

"Hey, you okay?" Darian asked as he crouched down beside me. I cleared my throat and tried to calm my racing heart. I nodded my head, "Yeah, um, I-I must have dosed off", I stuttered. The sound was so clear, like it was right next to my head. I couldn't mistake it. But, it's only Darian and I in the kitchen. Darian tilted his head as he studied me, "Did you have a bad dream? Or feel like you were falling?" he asked. "I heard a sound", I breathed out, looking over at him. "A sound?", he asked with an arched eyebrow. I nodded, "The sound of a pistol being cocked." He tensed up, then stood. "I'll make sure it wasn't real", he said. He pulled his gun from his side and began a sweep of the house. It didn't take him long to walk through the house and quickly around the house. "All clear", he said as he walked back into the kitchen. He grabbed mine and his plates from the counter and brought them to the table. He made French toast, eggs and bacon. He set my plate in front of me. "Thank you. I'm sorry you-", I started but he cut me off, "Don't be sorry for anything. Please. And you're welcome", he said.

"Can I ask you something?" Darian questioned, taking me from my thoughts. "Sure", I said with a nod. "Was he abusing you before tonight?" he asked softly. I sat there, thinking, what's the best way to put this? As I opened my mouth to speak, Colin walked back into the kitchen. Making me promptly close my mouth. Colin isn't good at talking about mental abuse because he believes he doesn't do it to Jill. When I'm sure he does. "Your food is on the counter, bro", Darian told Colin.

I took a moment to get a good look at Darian, now that my shock and adrenaline had worn off. He was a truly handsome man. His forest green eyes accented his jet black hair, and sharp jaw line. He had to stand at least 6'2", with broad shoulders and a toned chest that stretched his shirt to its capacity. His arms were wider than my hands. I'm sure if I tried I wouldn't be able to wrap both my hands around his biceps. Darian looked back at me, locking eyes. We didn't utter a word. A small smirk formed on his lips and a spark shined in his eyes. He knew what I was thinking about. A deep warmth spread across my face, making me look away.

"Everything okay over there?" Colin asked, bringing us back to reality. We both nodded our heads. "Yeah", Darian answered. "Good. We need to discuss a course of action, Ella", Colin said, looking at me, and taking a bite of his food. "How do you plan to deal with Micheal?" he asked. Honestly, at this point, I don't know. He was scared enough to shoot me over the evidence I have. Which, was just him with another woman. One woman, who is tied to a very powerful man. Would Micheal make a deal with me and actually stick to it? Probably not. I'd probably be better off sending the pictures to the mafia and letting them handle it. I mean that option is viable. I wouldn't have to get my hands dirty. But then again, after he shot me, I kind of want to get my hands dirty.

"Ella?", Colin said, breaking me from my thoughts. I shook my head trying to clear them. "I don't know yet", I answered. "Well, we will need to come up with something soon", he said, taking another bite of his food. I noted that Darian kept quiet as he listened to us. He also kept looking over at me, as if he was trying to figure me out, and read my mind.

When I finished up my food, I stood up to take my plate to the sink. The pain was almost unbearable. But, that's the keyword there 'almost'. So, I pushed the pain down, and started walking to the sink. "I can do that, Ella", Darian said, his voice and eyes were filled with concern. "No, it's okay. You've already done so much for me tonight. Besides, the more I move the quicker I will heal", I said, with a shake of my head and a small smile. I mean, damn, he just met me and he's already helped by cleaning my wound, holding me down for the extraction of the bullet and cauterization of the wound. He held me as I cried my heart out, then did a sweep of the house when I was imagining sounds. I feel like I'm taking advantage of this gorgeous man. I rinsed my plate off and put it in the dishwasher.

"Thank you, Colin, for all of your help tonight. You too, Darian. Oh, and thank you for the midnight breakfast. It was delicious. Goodnight guys", I said, turning and leaving with a limp. "Good night, Ella", they said in unison. I made my way to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then headed to the guest room to get comfortable. It was more difficult to get comfortable than I thought it would be. I propped two pillows behind my back so I would be slightly slanted, and one under my leg so that it would be elevated. There was a knock on the bedroom door. "Yeah, it's open", I called out. When the door opened, Darian was standing there. He looked over my body and studied the way I propped my leg up. "I was just checking on you to see if you needed anything. And, to make sure you elevated your leg", he said, pointing at it with an arched eyebrow. "I'm okay, Darian. Thank you", I said, with a smile. He nodded, "If you need anything, just holler", he said. I chuckled, "What part of the south are you from?" I asked, taking him by surprise. He grinned "Florida." "Deep into Florida, huh?" I asked. He chuckled, "Yeah, deep in Florida. Goodnight, Ella", he said, turning to leave before he stopped and turned back around, "I mean it, if you need anything at all, just call for me", he added. "I will. Goodnight, Darian", I said with a warm smile. He nodded, "Night, then", he said low, as he walked out the door and closed it behind him. I settled into bed and got as comfortable as possible before allowing the darkness to consume me.

A hand travels up my leg and body, wrapping around my neck and squeezing. I look around but it is so dark that I can not see anything. "See how easy it is?" A familiar voice sneers. Oh no, Micheal. "To come in here and take what belongs to me. What's mine to take", he said in a dangerous tone. I shook violently, this can't be happening. No, no, no. His free hand travelled down my chest over my bare breast and stomach, until it was in between my legs. I'm naked? How? When? "You're mine", he roared, thrusting himself inside of me without any mercy. I screamed.

I woke up in a frantic state, grasping at my throat and body, and checking the room to ensure that I was indeed alone and it was just a dream. There was a light knock on the door that caused me to jump, startled. "Ella?" I heard Darian's smooth voice drifting through the door. "Are you okay?" he asked with another light knock. "Yeah", I rasped out. He opened the door and looked me over. He furrowed his eyebrows as he took in my sweaty and disheveled appearance. "What happened?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. He put his wrist to my fore-head. "You aren't running a fever. So why are you sweating?" he asked softly, as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?", I asked, still catching my breath. His grave expression deepened. "You were whimpering, then I heard you scream", he explained, not taking his eyes off me, "What happened?" he asked again. "I'm sorry it was just a bad dream", I said. "I can see that. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly, as he brushed some of the loose strands of hair behind my ear. I shook my head 'no'. "I want to lie down in the living room," I said quietly. He studied me for a minute before he nodded and reached down, scooping me up into his arms. I squealed a little at the suddenness of it, "I didn't mean you had to carry me", I whispered. He chuckled "You need to stay off your legs more than you do", he sighed as he carried me down the hall. "I'll be right back", he said, after gently setting me on the couch. I nodded my head and watched the muscles in his back move as he walked away. Then I laid my head on the back of the couch, dozing back off. My mind is a complete mess. Why would I dream of Micheal raping me to consummate the marriage? We never had s*x. After finding out that he cheated on me the day of the 'wedding', I decided then that I wasn't even going to give the marriage a chance. I was forced into this s**t. He didn't care about me from the beginning. He cheated on me every single f*****g day for three years. If that doesn't prove he didn't want to try, I don't know what does. So, why now? Why the dreams now?

I felt a cold rag touch my forehead, jerking me awake. "Hey, it's just me. You're okay", Darian cooed, as he continued to dab my face with the cool rag. After a few times of blinking, he came into view more clearly and I smiled at him. "I grabbed the first-aid kit. After sweating so much, we need to change the dressing on your wound", he said softly. "Thank you", I whispered. He gave me a soft smile that made my heart melt. This man is breath-taking.

"The dreams. They will eventually stop", he said, after ringing out the rag and continuing to dab my face and neck. As his finger grazed my neck, I gasped from the sensation. "When? When he is dead?" I asked, my voice cracking a bit. He frowned as he stopped dabbing my skin and put the rag back into the bowl of water. I watched as he bit the inside of his cheek and motioned to my injured leg. I positioned my leg so that it would be easier to slide the pants leg up, however, Jill's pants were too tight for me to do so. "You are going to have to pull them down", he said softly, with a slight red tint to his cheeks. Is he blushing for me? He helped me stand, then ever so gently pulled my pants down to my knees, then helped me sit back down."When your mind is ready to heal",he finally answered my question. I watched as Darian struggled with himself not to look at my underwear, but continued to lose the battle with himself. Like his eyes were drawn to my bare legs. Heating my body as they traveled up my thigh. He cleared his throat, "After my first tour. I was plagued with nightmares, some night terrors. Memories replaying in my head over and over", he said. "Did you ever dream of things that didn't happen?" I asked, as he used an alcohol pad to wipe the wound. "Sometimes", he answered, looking up and locking eyes with me. "If you want to talk about it. I can tell you that it does help", he said, breaking eye contact and continuing tending to my wound. "I-I c-can't", I stuttered, with a slight headshake. "Okay", he nodded as he helped me stand and pull my pants back up. His fingers were soft against the back of my thighs, almost drawing a moan from my lips. What the hell is wrong with me? "Then tell me what you were going to say earlier, before Colin walked in and you stopped talking", he reasoned. I sighed as I laid my head on the back of the couch. "He did abuse me. Granted, it was more mental than physical, but yes he was abusing me before this incident.", I answered honestly. He frowned and furrowed his eyebrows, "Why didn't you want Colin to know that? Is it because of his protectiveness?" he asked curiously. "No", I whispered, then sighed, "Colin can be verbally abusive, and he doesn't think it's verbal abuse. So he wouldn't take anything I said seriously on that front. Please don't say anything about it to him. I don't usually tell anybody about that side of Colin because it usually gets ugly. And I really don't have the strength to deal with his s**t at the moment", I pleaded. "Your secret is safe with me. I won't say anything. But that's not to say that I won't have anything to say if it happens in front of me," he said, with a serious look. I smiled lightly. "Thank you. And it's not really my secret", I joked. He chuckled, "You're right it's not. But it's still safe with me", he said with a smile on his perfect face. We stared at each other for a moment, lost in each other's eyes. His green eyes sparkled at me, a look I had never seen in a man's eyes before. I am not sure what the look is either. Interest? Respect? I don't know. "Get some rest, Ella. You need it", he said, as he covered me with a throw blanket. "Thank you, Darian. Again", I whispered. He gave me a soft smile, "You're welcome".