AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 13
Presley
My mind is reeling as I attempt to get a good night’s sleep after what I found out today. After the tour, I had been allowed to bathe and work out, normal routine stuff, though I felt eyes on me the whole time whether it was from Stefan or his staff. Lunch was on my own, but I had been sitting down to dinner with him, which had been mostly silent. That was fine by me because I had nothing to say just yet. I enjoyed the food and just couldn’t wrap my brain around the idea that I was engaged to a complete stranger who had paid millions of dollars for me in Brazil and yet was not a slave or even much of a captive. I wasn’t being given a way to leave, but I wasn’t being locked up either. I had good food and a soft, excellent bed to sleep in. I wasn’t even being forced to sleep with Stefan, though I had seen his bed chambers. My mouth had fallen open at the sheer luxury of it. No hotel suite had anything on it.
But one thing I do know is that Stefan Dalca must be 50 shades of insane for thinking he could just point to a girl, buy her, bring her home, and marry her. Not to mention the fact that I have no clue why he wants to marry me. What is it about me versus any of the other women? Or women he could meet, for that matter. Even if he didn’t look the way he does, women had to be all over him just for his money. I doubt he has a lack of choices unless he is so insane that he has ruined his reputation. If only I knew who he truly was, maybe I could figure it all out. But I am not exactly schooled in all the world's billionaires. And I am guessing that is the kind of cash he has. Whether it was from inheritance, business, or criminal activities, I don’t want to know right now, not while I am trying to trust that I am at least safe here.
I prop up on my elbows, feeling restless as I think about the fact that he seems to know at least a little about who I am. I don’t know if whoever took me had this information already from the I.D. and everything else on me, or if there is something more to it. If he bought me because he recognized my face or my last name. My father is an oil man, after all, and a lot of people would kill for his fortune or some kind of access to it. He is practically the unspoken king of Texas, and everyone either loves him or loves to hate him. He wouldn’t necessarily be unknown in other countries. And I can’t say I haven’t been in the news a time or two for things that my family would rather the press and the world did not know.
In my opinion, I had never done anything that bad; I just wasn’t little miss perfect the way they expected. My sisters can be that for them. Both of them are in college to do great things, or rather, things my family believes are great. My brother is set to inherit my father’s business. So, that leaves me, the youngest, to make my own choices. Academics and a stuffy existence are not exactly my style. I don’t want everything decided for me. Sure, I want to be successful. I have a drive, but I don’t know for what yet. And I firmly believe that should be okay at my age.
I roll my eyes at the way my brain is running at 90 miles an hour despite the fact I should be asleep and face plant into my pillow. These are things I will have to face tomorrow, assuming Stefan decides to be more forthcoming than he already has. I already had to threaten to take his gun and shoot him for him to tell me anything, which wasn’t that much.
***
I wake up to blaring light blinking through the blinds of the one window in this room and grunt in annoyance. I don’t know what time it is, but it is too fucking early to be so damn sunshiny.
I get up and switch the blinds, getting rid of some of the light as I stretch and think about what my next move will be.
I know now that not only am I being forced to be engaged to this rich prick, but he has already gotten the necessary marriage license. I doubt I am getting out that easy, if at all, considering a man with this kind of money living in a hot bed of criminal activity can forge and get whatever he wants. But there need to be some compromises before this gets out of hand. And the first thing I want to do is talk with my family, if I am allowed to. I don’t know if my things are still anywhere to be found; my purse, my phone, anything, but if they are, I have not had the pleasure of being given them back. But I do know that I ran off to Rio and left college behind for a short break. My parents had probably been furious when they found out, but now that both my girlfriends were back in the states and I wasn’t, they are probably freaked out and wondering if I am even still alive. Especially with my father and his constant paranoid warnings, which I guess aren’t really that paranoid after all.
I go to the closet and settle on one of the more casual dresses, knowing that if I do have to stay here, I also need to ask for more clothes. I am not parading around this place dripping in silk and pearls no matter how much this place costs. He wants it to be my home, it is going to feel like a home, like I can do and wear what I want.
I leave the room quietly and wonder if I am going to get in trouble for approaching Stefan in his room, but I don’t see any other way to do this. As I follow the maze of a house, remembering only by luck where his room is, I catch the time on the clock on the wall and see that it is a little before ten in the morning, definitely earlier than I usually awoke when it was up to me. But I get the feeling not a lot is going to be up to me anymore. not that it was that much before, anyway.
From my daddy’s house to Dalca's house - perfect.
I am about to knock on his partially open door to see if I can come in when I hear him speaking to someone. I decide as I see no one else is watching me, to stand here and listen. I figure out pretty quickly there is no one in his room; he is on the phone.
"Ma, I have made myself entirely clear. I did not want any of the women he showed me. They just were not the right fit. Just because I am important does not mean I have to be miserable with a woman who could never come close to making me happy. And I am convinced none of those women would be happy in my presence either. It is a done deal. You will meet my new wife at a date and time of my. Please, let us enjoy our honeymoon for the next two weeks."
I put my hand over my mouth to hold back a gasp as I flatten myself against the wall outside his room. I can’t imagine getting better insight into him than this. His parents must have been pressuring him to get married, and to marry someone specific, at that. Clearly, he is not a man to take those kinds of orders laying down. He doesn’t want any of them. That still doesn’t explain why me, but more concerning is the fact that he will be introducing me as his wife in two weeks. That means I will be married by then. I don’t know how I feel about that at all. I certainly had not planned on getting married any time soon, but how would I get out of such a thing? I am still sure I can't. So, like it or not, in two weeks my last name will be different, and I will likely be a Brazilian citizen.
I wait until I can hear that he is done before I knock on the door, ready to confront him with what I have heard. I think it is important to let him know I know and maybe hold some of the power here.
He comes to the door, and his eyes open a little wider like he is surprised to see me here. He recovers quickly. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Presley?" he asks, his teeth gleaming at me like a tiger on the hunt. How can a man be so sexy and frightening at the exact same time?
I scoff and shake my head at him. "Well, I was coming to ask you a question, but you should know I heard that conversation with Mommy Dearest. When were you going to tell me, I am an escape from an arranged marriage?"
He clears his throat and adjusts his suit before he steps really close to me, his breath on me as he leans in to speak. "Isn't eavesdropping rude in circles like yours?" he whispers. I simply roll my eyes. "If you must know, yes, I was being pressured to be married to someone they approved. Your main appeal is that you are not one of those someones." His eyes rake over me, and I shiver, knowing there is more to it than just that. If he knows my name, what circles I run in, any more than the simple facts about me, then he wants me specifically. I am still stumped as to why but decide to leave it alone in favor of what I originally came to talk with him about.
"Can I call my parents and at least let them know I am alright?" I ask, changing the subject. He is leaning against the wall now but still close to me.
"No."
"No? You put me through all this and are forcing me to marry you. The least you could do is let me talk to my parents. They are probably freaking out."
"I thought you were a little rebel, not very happy with your family right now." My mouth drops open at what he is saying. How much has he been studying up on me? "What, am I wrong?"
I cross my arms over my chest, trying to put in a barrier between us. "No, you ain't wrong," I say. The southern part of me really comes out when I am pissed.
"Well, wouldn’t this really stick it to them - marrying me out of nowhere?" he asks, already smiling like he has just won a game show.
He is right, though. While I didn’t plan on marrying so young, it is certainly much different than what my parents have planned for me. My father would lose his shit.
When I don’t say anything, he continues. "I plan on the next communication they hear from their precious daughter being an invitation to her wedding in Brazil." I can’t help but allow a smirk to come across my face at that. if only I could be there to see the look on their faces when they see it.
