His Tainted Soul

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER Two

{Parris' POV}

Ring... Ring... Ring...

I sighed and stood up from the bed, rubbing my very tired eyes. Can't a girl get some sleep? I need my beauty rest, you know. But my phone continues to ring anyway. I groaned but reached out for my phone. I looked at the caller ID and furrowed my eyebrow when I saw that it was a random number. Then I look at the time.

2:36 am

I sighed and clicked the green button then brought the phone next to my ear.

"Counselor Akerstrom speaking, may I know who this is?" I said in a tired voice, suppressing a yawn.

"I need your help," A rough and unfamiliar voice said on the other line and that quickly took my attention, and just like that, all the tiredness in me was gone. "You're a lawyer, right?"

"Yes, I am. Wait, who is this?"

"My name is Bruce Stone and I need your help." He said and I heard a soft shuffling from the other line. I pressed my lips together and sat on the bed with a solemn look. I really hate it when I have to decline somebody.

"I apologize, Mr. Stone but I still have an ongoing case in the matter but don't worry. I'm sure that there are a lot of lawyers out there that could help you." He was silent for a moment and I had to look at my phone to make sure that he didn't hang up on me.

"My girlfriend was raped. She was sexually and physically abused by a gang. When we tried to take it to court, the jury did not believe us because Clarice was a former Cam-Girl but it had been almost five years since she quit that job. We tried everything but they always say the same thing. It was hard to believe. But I swear, my girlfriend didn't want it to happen. How much do you want? I'll pay you big just help us - "

"Give me your address."

****

"Hey, you still awake?" I asked as I descended down the stairs wearing a thick red coat that goes on my knees, a black scarf around my neck, a red handbag, and black high heels. I left my light brown hair down and just put light makeup on. Katheryn is sitting on the couch with a reading glasses on and a white folder in her hand. She looks really serious, not like her usual expression.

"Oh, where are you going? It's almost three in the morning, why leave so early?" She took her glasses off and looked at me. Should I tell her? I'm not sure whether I would be able to help Bruce or not. I still don't know the full story.

I shrugged. "I need to meet up with Lynne. She's going to her farmhouse early today so I need to be at her house before six." I lied, now walking towards the door of the living room. "What's that?" I asked, pointing at the folder in her hand. She looked down at it and shrugged her shoulders, looking casual. "New client?"

"Yeah, frustrated murder, nothing new."

"And yet you still look very serious." I teased, crossing my arms over my chest, leaning against the wall.

She smirks. "Of course, I want to win every case I have. You're not the only one who can do that, you know." She winked, making me laugh. I nodded my head and bowed at her a little.

"Of course, your grace. I should probably go. We don't want to interrupt you now, do we?" She just laughed and waved me off and I took it as my cue to leave.

Bruce sent me his address as well as the other information I asked him for. He also said that it's not his house and I should not be surprised if I see a lot of armed men there. Now, that left me wondering. But I decided to shrug it off for now and just think of his girlfriend's case. The perks of being a lawyer are that you have good memorization skills so every information he sends me is very clear in my head.

Name: Clarice Jones

Age: 28 years old

Occupation: blogger

That's all I asked him to send me because I need Clarice to tell me the other information about herself personally. I cannot just ask her boyfriend about the other personal stuff about her without her consent.

I looked at the address again, then furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. The address is close here. Huh? Could it be possible that we are in the same villa? Well, it's one way to find out.

I quickly put my phone inside of my handbag and headed towards the door. The sky was very dark and the cold air immediately slammed on my face as I stepped out of the house. I blew out a breath and walked towards my car, a BMW M2 CS, then I stopped when I remembered the address. It could be close to here. I probably won't need this. With that thought, I left my car and walked on my left side.

My surroundings are very quiet. So peaceful and I'm glad that I chose to live here. It's very obvious that this place is good for the people who seek silence and peacefulness. This villa is hidden too and fortunately, no criminals are hiding here.

I stopped in my tracks when my eyes landed on the big mansion beside my house. It's the mansion that I'm staring at yesterday. I walked closer to its gate and my eyes widened when I realized that this was the house on the address that Bruce sent me. Holy hell! This is the house!?!?

He is just living next door?

Wow, what a small world we're in. I shook my head and was about to walk towards the gate when two muscular and tall men walked out of the mansion. Tattoos are visible on their arms and the second thing that I noticed was the gun on the side of their jeans. I suddenly remember what Bruce told me about not being surprised when I saw armed men in this house or more like a mansion.

I clear my throat to get their attention

Both of their heads snapped in my direction and the man with blonde hair immediately reached for the gun on his jeans but the other man with brown hair stopped him by grabbing his arms in warning.

"What?" The blonde guy asked rather rudely, might I add. I inhale then take two steps towards them.

"Hi, I'm Hermione. Bruce Stone called me." I explained with a small smile, acting like I'm just talking to a kid and not to a man with a gun that almost shot me. They shared a look and the brown-haired guy nodded at his other rude buddy.

"Get in, and don't try to do something funny if you don't want to get shot in the head." The blonde guy threatened while opening the gate. I forced a smile and just nodded my head with my clenched teeth. Never in my life did a man threaten me like that. Sure, I am a lawyer and I should get a lot of threats coming in my way but not like this. He literally told me face to face that he'll be going to shoot me! My fist is inching to punch this guy.

I did not bother to look around after I entered the gate. Whenever I am in a bad mood, I tend to always look down. I don't want people to see my angry expression. My friends told me that I should keep it that way, though I have no idea why.

I stopped when I saw the door and was still feeling the presence of the two men behind me. I briefly glance at them, then knock on the door three times. We waited for a minute until I heard the door open. I look up and I'm surprised to see a man that's looking very similar to the man in my dreams.

He is tall and muscular with slick back dark hair, tanned skin, and those eyes that are bluer than the sky. Just looking at those orbs stirs something inside me. And what shocked me was the word that escaped from his lips. He sounds breathless and in so much disbelief.

"Parris,"

****

{Theo's POV}

"Theo, please, help my girlfriend. I know you could pull some strings with the jury." Bruce, one of the best spies of my mafia, pleaded. Bags under his eyes and hair tousled clearly stress out on what's happening with her girlfriend's case. I ignore him and continue to walk down the stairs. I'm so fed up with this. It seems like he is the only one who is doing something about it because I haven't seen his girlfriend make an effort to win her own case.

"Theo please, man, I'm begging you." I fumble in my suit's pocket for my car key. Then face him with a cold look.

"I told you this before and I'm telling you again now, Bruce. I won't help you. We had an agreement but you broke it by killing one of Matthew's men. I told you that I would take care of it now, solve the case on your own or find a lawyer so you can stop bugging me. If you continue this... you know what's going to happen."

His jaw tightened but remained silent and I took as my cue to leave.

"If Hermione was in her case..." I stopped dead in my tracks. My feet are automatically glued to the floor even if I try to lift them up to walk. It happens every time someone speaks her name, it's making me weak. "Would you be able to endure that no one is helping her? Protecting her?" I fisted my shaking fist. Anger and madness. I'm full of those but yet empty at the same time. My uneven breathing fills my ears. I can't stay calm.

Breath. Theodore, calm your monster.

Slowly, I turned to him with my pressed lips. His angry expression changed to nothing when he saw my expression.

"I don't need to think that because if my wife was here, she wouldn't be sexually assaulted like what happened to your girlfriend. Do you know why? Because I would never let any harm come to her, unlike you I can protect my wife with my life!" I grit out. He tsk.

"Oh really? So why did she die?" My mouth clamped shut by his retort. "Just admit that you're just like me. You couldn't protect her. That's the reason why you're like this. Because you're still blaming yourself for your wife's death five years ago. So don't act like you're any better because just like you, I couldn't have protected my girlfriend from being hurt. So, if anyone here should understand what I'm going through, it should be you, man." His voice became a little calmer but what he said didn't faze me. I've heard a lot of people saying those things to me but it did nothing to change me or make me feel any better.

"Don't talk like you know my wife, and don't ever compare her to your girlfriend. My wife was so much better than your girlfriend will ever be. You haven't even seen her and you talk like she was your high school best friend." I chuckle bitterly, then look at him with a cold glare. "If I ever hear you speak of her again, you know where you'll be seeing yourself."

"I wonder what she would think of you if she was here. I'm sure that she would be very disappointed -"

Before he could even finish his sentence, my fist connected to his face, filling my ear with a small cracking sound but I'm not yet satisfied so I punch him again, twice, and watch as his back collides on the floor. Blood is flowing down his jaw and his left eye is swollen leaving a purple and blue bruise. He wiped the blood off his jaw using his left hand while glaring at me.

I was about to punch him again when a hand grabbed my shoulder, pulling me away from Bruce.

"Theo, stop!" I harshly pushed Kyle and he stumbled but quickly regained his balance. Then look at Bruce again.

"You're lucky Kyle is your cousin because if not, you'll be already six feet under." Then I storm off towards the door. But as soon as I opened it, all the anger I felt suddenly vanished within a second and was replaced by disbelief, shock and I don't know whether to be happy or what.

Standing in front of me is the girl who always haunts me in my sleep. The girl who I married six years ago and has been gone for almost five years now. Those gray eyes, and her light brown hair that looks more longer since I last saw her. Her beautiful face that I saw every time I closed my eyes. It's her.

Am I hallucinating again?

Our gaze met and I swear, my heart literally stopped beating for a second. The way she looks at me is still the same but what confuses me is the shocked look that's very obvious on her expression.

"Parris,"