INDEBTED To A Tyrant King

So Sure of Yourself, Are You?

Summer

I blink. Blink. And then blink some more in the silence that ensued his demand. Just two words. And it seemed someone pushed me into an alternative universe where I didn't know anything. Even the simple act of breathing was becoming hard. I told myself that I must be imagining what he said or may be in the last thirty seconds my hearing got impaired. There was no other explanation for what I just heard. Or may be, finally everything was catching up with me and now I was hallucinating.

“Breathe, Little Red.”

And I gulped in a lungful of oxygen like I just resurfaced from the bottomless ocean. Looking into his blue eyes I waited for him to say something, or to give me that smirk which would tell me he was playing with me. But no, he just stared back at me. I swallowed a few times and then asked on a small whisper, “I must've heard you wrong, what did you say?”

His blue eyes roamed over my face, caressed my lips as I swiped a tongue to wet them. His lips didn't tip up in amusement but I got a feeling that he was silently enjoying my sudden lack of response. Like a predator playing with its prey before he moved in for a kill. “You know what I said.”

I looked around him, noticing the dark wood panelling, the picture on the wall opposite— of dark forest, just a sliver of moonlight peeking through the canopy of leaves. Did he just walk out of that picture? I looked for something else that would put my mind at ease, enough that I could form a reply. And not feel like I was just a second away from being captured by him. My eyes fell on the cigar, now lying on the desk. I focused on it. And stiffened my spine as I said, “You can’t be serious. I can’t marry you.”

“Why not?”

Why not? Why can't I marry him? Damn it, Summer! Get yourself under control. “Can you please just…” I said, looking at him, indicating the space between us that wasn’t much left. Instead of stepping back he arched his brow at me, waiting. I closed my eyes, breathed deeply, and cursed myself when I smelled him. Fresh pine trees mixed with scent of earth after rain. I barely checked myself from leaning in and get an another whip of that heady scent. “Back off.” I said, but my words didn't come out snappy the way I wanted them. Instead they came out like I really didn’t want him to put space between us.

But miraculously, he did as I asked. He took a few steps back and then once again leaned back against the desk. Hands in his pants pockets as he regarded me. Collecting my rankled nerves and admonishing myself for getting so tangled up in him, I said, “I can’t marry you.”

“And I asked you, why not?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Do I really need any other reason not to marry you besides the obvious one?” I asked, and of course no reply came from him. I added further, “You are the man responsible for all the problems in my life.”

He tsked, his blue eyes still calm as he said, “That man would be your father, Little Red. I’m the one who's always there to help you out.”

“Like when you did three years ago, when my father had to sell out everything in our house to pay his debt, including the said house.”

“For the very last time, I did gave him an out. It's not on me that he didn't take it.”

The out was he wanted me for my father to keep his business and his house. “We are talking in circles. Are you going to help me or not?”

“I told you the prize.”

“Why would you want to marry me when you can get what I’m offering you without being tied to me for life, or is it just for a period of time?” I questioned. I was genuinely curious. Why would he bind himself to me in such a manner when I knew all along what he wanted from me. My body and submission. And I was ready to give it to him.

“Are you a w***e?” His quiet question took me aback. And I stared back at him without blinking. “Are you?” He demanded, with more force.

“No. Of course, not. How could you even say that to me?” I yelled at him, indignant and hurt.

“Wasn’t that what you were applying?” Gabriel retorted back. The vein near his throat jumping, the only indication that this conversation was affecting him. “You came here, asking for money, and in exchange you offered me your body. Am I wrong?” When I didn't say anything, he continued, “If I wanted a w***e I’d get one and a lot cheaper than what I have to spend on you. A hundred million. I could get any woman from around the world and wouldn't have to spend even a dollar on her.”

I wanted to slap him across the face, but I was a little confused of the fact that why did that thought even came into my mind. Half of what he said was true, I did came here for bartering my body in exchange of his money. “So sure of yourself, are you?” I said, taking a step in his direction. “But still, the one you wanted is here in front of you only because she doesn’t have any other option.” My words hit the mark. I watched with some satisfaction as the muscle near his left eye ticked as he stared back at me, his jaw clenched tight as if he was barely holding himself back.

But it wasn’t long that he composed himself and said, “You are mistaken, Summer.” I noticed how my name sounded foreign on his tongue as if it was the first time I heard my name, but that wasn’t it. It was the first time he said my given name, because for him I was always Little Red. “There was a time when I wanted you.” I didn’t miss the way he put emphasis on the was. “It was my condition to your father to save him, but apparently he loves you more than I had guessed and he refused.” There was grudging respect in his words as he said that. “But now here you are, and I no longer want what I had asked for all these years ago. Now, now I want you beholden to me, forever. To throw it in your father’s face that I finally have what he refused. To show him and the world there’s nothing I can’t have. For only that purpose, you’ll be mine. And not for just a specific period of time. Till death do us apart.” The way he said it, it sounded like an ominous warning. And then he added, “There is no hurry, think about it. Meanwhile, let's pray the Russians don't start sending you tidbits of your father.”

I jerked back as if he had just slapped me. I never thought that he could be so cruel, making me realise how close I was to losing my father. Shaking with rage and now fear creeping up on me regarding my father, I turned around and pulled the door open, only to come face to face, or face to stomach in this case, to the Hulk standing in front of me.

I tipped my head back and scowled at him. But of course, he didn’t took the warning I was giving him, instead he looked over my head and said, “Yes, boss?”

“Take Miss Cavanagh to her apartment. Make sure she locks the door.”

I whirled back around and said, “I don’t need your minions,” I glanced back at the hulking figure and rephrased, “I don’t need your Hulk here to drive me home. I can manage.”

“You already made a mistake by coming here all alone, don’t make another, I’d advice.” Gabriel replied, not even looking at me as he rounded his desk, sat down on his chair and put his legs on top of the desk, in front of him.

“I have been using subways and taxies since last three years, I can manage.” I gritted out, hating the fact that he was trying to control me even when I hadn’t agreed to our bargain.

“Mac would take you to your apartment. And you have three days to decide, Summer. I could easily change my mind, you know.” And then he waved his hand like I was some scullery maid and he was a Pasha.

A huge hand grabbed my elbow and softly nudged me around, out of the door. The royal blue door shut behind me, but my blood was still pumping with aggression. Without thinking, I kicked the door and yelled, “Bloody, arrogant, asshole.”

I heard a barely there snicker from behind me, turning around I looked up at the Hulk and saw his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “Haha! Amusing, is it?” I snapped and then elbowing him, I stalked down the corridor.

“Miss, you are going in the wrong direction.”

I halted and turned back around, flipped him a finger as I bypassed him. The Hulk followed me in a sedate pace, but still was able to walk beside me when I was almost half running. The Hulk didn’t say anything as we reached the main gate and I wasn’t too much inclined to make small talk, but then my curiosity poked me to ask questions when the main gate opened and Hulk walked to the man who had been trying to preposition me. And I watched as without wasting a second, in one smooth move, Hulk punched the much shorter man in the face, sending him on the floor.

“Take him to the basement.”

Eyes wide I started as two more men materialized from the shadows and then dragged the fallen one with them. Swallowing, I didn't put much of a fuzz when Hulk guided me to the row of cars on the other side of the building. He opened the back door of an Escalade for me, but I sidestepped him and opened the passenger side door and slid in. I got questions. I was still reeling from what I heard and saw. I had a feeling, but I didn’t want to know it. But a stupid part of me still wanted to confirm it.

Fuck!

“Please tell me he isn’t going to kill him.” I asked as soon as the Hulk sat down on the driver seat. He didn’t say anything, and I got my answer. “Oh my god, that man was just being a regular asshole. I had encountered several others like him, that doesn’t meant that he deserves to die!”

“Don’t tell him that or he’ll be tearing apart the city looking for those regular assholes.” Hulk replied, his eyes on the road.

I was at a loss of words. I didn’t know what to say to that. If that was the case then why the hell didn’t he came looking for me. I know the kind of power he has, then why didn’t he used that power to know where I was for the last three years. Not that I wanted him to, but…

“Don’t try to analyse him, you’d never understand him.”

I looked at the Hulk and decided to interrogate him. “And you know that how?”

Surprisingly, he answered, “I have been with him for the last fifteen years. I had questioned him for many things in the past for the things he did, but I never got an answer until when I’d see the end of it, which would surprisingly made everything he did meaningful. So I stopped questioning him.”

“He let you question him in the first place is something I couldn’t believe.” I replied.

This time the Hulk gave me a side glance and a smile tipped his lips. “I’ll give you that. Because I got a bullet mark to prove how much he hated me questioning him.”

Shocked, I just stared at him. “He shot you.” I tilted my head to the side. “And you are still working for him?” I was starting to question everything around myself. Do I even know the core principle on which this world ran? It seems I don’t.

Hulk didn’t reply, and soon we reached my apartment. I started to open my door, but he stopped me and got out. Then coming around the car, I watched as he looked around himself— on either side of the road, before opening my door.

When we reached my door and I unlocked it, Hulk stopped me with a touch on my arm. When I looked at him, he said, “He saved my life which was in danger because I didn’t listen to him in the first place, and then he put that bullet in me to tell me how I f****d up.” He gave me a small smile and added, “Lock your door, Miss.” And then he was gone.

TO BE CONTINUED...