the devil watching over me

chapter 5: the mayor

Gracie’s POV

“I wonder when he will be back” I muttered to myself. Its been two months since I last saw him and I had things I wanted to ask and say to him. Like why did he save me? Why was he keeping me and treating me well? Can she go visit the garden and the lake? can he sleep with me again? It was only one time but I missed the warmth. I brushed off the thoughts and my mind wandering landed to the man I saw today. An unfamiliar face. who is he?  I wondered. That man was oozing of authority. Is he someone like Leonardo? He was very beautiful but not as much as Leonardo. I concluded my thought.

I was laying in the bed staring at the beautiful crystal chandelier in the room when I heard the familiar voice again.

“you have been staring at it for too long” an unamused voice came out from Leonardo.

I jerked up at sat up straight looking at him. He was leaning on the door looking at me with an irritated expression. Did I do something wrong? I shuddered at the thought.

“you are back” my voice squeaked out. My fingers fiddling with each other with nervousness.

“unfortunate for you it seems.” He frowned. He was wearing a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up, his tattoos peeking out. His shirts unbuttoned up to his chest revealing a nice tan chest. Wearing black slacks trouser his hair dishevelled he look tired but beautiful nonetheless.

“n-no I was waiting for you” my voice came louder than I intended it to causing him to raise an eyebrow.

“that’s new. Why were you waiting for me?” he asked as approached me. It took him only 5 strides to reach me, bless his long legs. He took my chin in his fingers and made me look at him. Before I could say anything, he spoke first.

“the colour has returned to your face it seems. I guess they have been feeding you well.” He said giving me lopsided smile. I blushed remembering how I stuffed my face with food whenever it was brought to me. i always squeaked the plate clean whenever food was served to me, it was inevitable since I was always fed just stale bread and potato. He let go of my chin.

“okay tell me now why were you waiting for me?” he asked crossing his hands. I was still sitting on the bed with both of my hands-on knees. I kept wiping the sweat on my palms I was getting since he entered.

“t-t-thank you.” I managed to speak.

“for what?” I hear him say.

“for bringing me out of the cell and giving me food and letting me stay here…” he didn’t let me continue.

“you do realise I was going to kill you right? Don’t tell me you forgot.” He says in a gruff voice.

I look up at him. He still had this frown on him. Its like that’s all he knows, to frown.

“but you didn’t. my mother used to say that its only right and good manner to give my thanks when somebody helps me or does nice things for me. and I am thankful to you for many more things.” I managed to give him a little smile.

“your mother is a stupid one. If you want something you take it, either by force or killing for it. Help? Saving? You think its for free? Nothing in this world is for free….” He leaned down until his face was inches away from me.

“you have so much things to do for me little one. And I doubt you are gonna like it a bit. I will make you like it though don’t worry about it.” He whispered in my ear making me freeze in my place. The voice was sinister and full of hidden motives. He began making his way out…

“wait...!” i had one more thing to say or more like ask.

He stopped in his tracks and looked at me. raising an eyebrow.

I gathered all my courage, my knuckles turning white from all the force I was gathering in my fist and blurted out, “c-can I p-please go v-visit the g-g-garden m-master?” I didn’t realise I was closing my eyes. I was waiting for an angry voice lashing out on me but instead I heard a chuckle. i opened my eyes and blinked few times surprising seeing him laugh a little since he always seemed to be pissed all the time but that lasted for a few seconds only and he quickly masked his face with a stern expression again.

“you are allowed to go in the garden and everywhere under this premises but not outside the gates. Understood?”

I nodded my head vigorously too excited to be granted permission. Without saying anything else he walked out of the room. I let out huge exhale. I have been really tensed the moment he walked in.

I was getting ready to go out when the maid who takes care of my needs comes in. I looked at her confused.

“master told me to accompany you in the garden.” She said while her head bowed down. Even after being here for four months I couldn’t get used to this kind of courtesy.

“please lily you don’t need to do that.” I tell her with a small voice. Lily looked in her mid-thirties. She wasn’t much of a talker and she was quite strict with everything. She made me feel like a small child.

“little miss the sun is going to set soon, we have to hurry if you want to enjoy the garden.” She told me monotone.

I just nod and follow her. I have never been out so I wasn’t really familiar with the gigantic house. We passed like three rooms until we came out the hall and two semi circular stairs visited the scene. We took the right one and walked down. I looked up to familiarise with the surroundings. The ceilings were painted with men, women which looked like straight out of history books. In the middle of the painted ceiling stood a large crystal chandelier. It was much larger than the one in the room and I wondered how people can actually make this. I realised there were many things I didn’t know yet. In the past four months I have been surprised by many things even though i was just in the room. we walked to a large hall, passing the large hall i looked to the right and there seems to be way leading to somewhere. i could hear noises coming from the right side of the hall.

“that’s the kitchen.” Lily tells me without looking at her or towards the kitchen. She just walks straight ahead. Lily open the large door and we find ourselves outside the house. She turns left and I follow her barely keeping up with her. She sure walks fast. I think to myself. After walking for five minutes my beautiful scene makes contact with my eyes. The garden. Without realising I run ahead and sits down on the green grass once I enter the garden. All the scents of the flowers heating me. I inhale sharply and exhales slowly. I look and smell each flower in the garden and then I see the white roses. Of all the flowers here, the white roses were the most beautiful of them. I sit down beside it and kept watching, admiring the work of the nature.

Noah’s POV

“are you f*****g kidding me Mr Leonardo de luca?” I hissed thinking how obnoxious how this whole meeting was.

“I think the deal is quite good Mr mayor.” The mafia Infront of me says holding his whiskey glass while twirling it.

“you are aware that I’m the mayor of London and you are asking me to join hands with you? More like look over the crimes you will be committing in the near future?” I ask again to confirm the ridiculous deal he was striking fuming with anger by now.

“in return we give you protection and if you’d like you get to earn extra than what you are earning right now.” the man who look like the right-hand man of the mafia says. The man sitting Infront of me just sipped on his clean raw whiskey.

“and what made you f*cking think that I was gonna accept this outrageous deal of yours?” I shout at them. I have been through these many times. I made my way up with pure determination and hard work. I was determined to work for my people. The last underground mafia had tried to do the same when I first became the mayor. They think I’m easy just because I’m young but because I’m young I know what’s right and what’s wrong and it would be over my dead body before working with these criminals.

“I have to say Mr mayor I don’t like your tone.” I hear Leonardo say while he scratches his forehead with a gun he’s holding. And in seconds my men have their guns out pointing at them and his men has guns pointing at us. The atmosphere has become really tense but im not afraid nor does the man infront of me looked like anything but afraid. we exchange a really heated glare with each other before I break the silence.

“I think the discussion is over. Im sorry that I will have to refuse your offer Mr Leonardo.” I walk towards him bringing out my hand for handshake. Never breaking the glare, he takes out his hand and we shakes hand. Me guards and his guards had still their guns drawn out, no one moving an inch. I waved at my guards telling them its okay and they withdrew. As soon as they withdrew his men too withdrew.

“have a good night Mr mayor” he says before we break off the handshake. God I hated that accent of him.

I walk out of his office vowing to myself that I wasn’t going to let him be. I had heard of William jones being thrown over but this man seemed more of bad news than William jones was. I heard he has been going around killing william’s old partners and families defying him, buying the officials and bribing them for the past four months that’s why it was no surprise when he invited me. well too bad for him, he thought wrong if he thought he could buy me. I know he is no ordinary man so I have to take my steps carefully.

I looked at my watch 8pm. I had missed my dinner and I was hungry now. I couldn’t wait to get home. I was walking the long hall when I spotted a figure. I stopped and to my left was window with the garden in view. I looked out the window and was awestruck by the scene. There sat a girl in the green grass surrounded by flowers. I couldn’t help but be mesmerised by her. She was smiling with a flushed cheek, a pinkish blush on her pale white skin, pink plump lips. She was making something with the flowers. She looked up saying something to the maid who was standing beside her. Brown golden locks flowing over her shoulder and her waist. She picked up the flower crown she made and she put it on herself. She didn’t look over than 18. And unbeknown to me I felt myself walking towards her. When I reached the garden, I signed my men not to follow me. I walked to her who was making another flower crown.

“that’s a very nice flower crown that you made.” I spoke.

She jerked her head looking to me clearly surprised at the unknown guest. She looked scared.

“im sorry if I surprised you.” I tell her feeling guilty of the intrusion I made while she was enjoying.

She blinked her ocean blue eyes and after a while she shook her head. “i-its okay.” She says timidly.

“whats your name?” I ask wanting to get to know the beauty in front of me. she looks at me and then at her maid and as if looking for someone. After hesitating a bit she tells me.

“Gracie.”

“nice to meet you gracie I am Noah. Noah Davis.” I leaned down and put my hand forward for a handshake.

After hesitating a bit, she shakes my hand. I frown feeling the roughness of her hands and her palms. That’s the hand of someone who has gone through a lot. I wonder who she is and what was she doing here. Judging from her looks and accent she definitely didn’t belong with the man inside the house. I was gonna ask something when I heard a familiar voice say lazily,

“I think you are touching something that belongs to me. better put that hand away if you don’t wanna lost it.” Leoanrdo says looking at the contact my hand was making with her. Although I wasn’t planning to let go yet, as soon as gracie heard his voice she yanks her hand away abruptly. I look at her and I can see she is clearly terrified from leonardo’s presence.

I stood up and looked at him. Our heights were almost similar, me being 6’2. I wished I could do something but this was his territory, the enemy’s territory. I sighed and walked out before hearing Leonardo say to gracie, “you have been a very bad girl principessa”