CHAPTER FIVE
The horse keeper
The fiery ball in the sky shone relentlessly as they trudged to where the stables were stationed. their boots sank into the soft mound of dirt as they went. Drake paused and cocked his head toward her, his wary eyes softened with worry. It was about five miles from the main compound. The wasteland was very massive about forty-six centimetres acres. A steady rhythm pounded his temples.
"You okay?" He inquired in between pants.
She simply nodded, gasping for breath. Phew! It's been ages since she was at the stables.
She placed her hand on her chest. She could feel the rapid thudding. She has to continue. She doesn't want to leave the impression that she's some spoilt twerp who can't even go for a walk."If you need some time to rest just say so. But we will be there in no time. Say about five minutes more" He glanced at his wristwatch and then back at her through squinted eyes.
"N-No! I'm good. Let's continue" She shook her head frantically.
What's she trying to prove? He thought to himself with a smirk plastered on his face. A gentle chuckle escaped his lips.
"What's funny? Do you think I can't do it? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you!" She glared at him. Thankfully she came along with her sun hat, she steadied it on her head and squared her young shoulders all the while casting Drake a frigid look.
He shrugged. "Alright then".
They continued their journey to the stables in silence. He fell into step with her and then glanced at her shoulders. Her blond hair spiked messily.
"You good?" He said staring down at her. Beads of sweat greased his forehead.
"I'm doing just fine" she replied smugly.
He nodded.
Come to think of it, she doesn't really know anything about this man's past. anytime she asks, he stylishly dodges the question.
"Hey, I don't even know much about you. Are you the only child? And you never mentioned anything about your father", She inquired, her eyes trained on him as they walk.
His brows furrowed in a slight annoyance at her sudden question but she didn't seem to notice how upset these questions made him.
"Why all these questions out of the blue?" He stopped walking which caused Janice to halt in her tracks.
"So what? I can't ask about your life is that it? You know most things about me but I'm not sure I even know you Drake", she said casting him a dubious look with her hands on her hips.
He chuckled and shook his head scornfully.
"But you didn't give a shit about these when I fucked you did you?!" He snorted.
Her eyes flared and her spine bristled at his words.
"Y-You're so unbelievable!!!! You're nuts!" She exclaimed in shock. She lurched away from him.
"That came out wrong I'm sorry!" He said hurrying after her.
A hint of nausea grazed her insides as his hands brushed past her arm.
"You make me sick! Don't touch me!" She flared up, the whites of her eyes glowed pink.
"I said I'm sorry!" He said pitifully.
She had no right to be angry. After all, she had feelings for this man! She bit her lower lip as embarrassment rained down on her.
The stables came into view. The horses neighed loudly as they approached the stables. Drake walked over to the Cleveland Bay Horse, crouched and began stroking its curls. The horse neighed softly in response to his touch.
"That's my girl" he muttered as he stroked the horse.
"How can you tell that's the sick horse? I'm impressed. You're certainly the best fit for a horse keeper after all, not that blockhead Steven. Sometimes he doesn't know what he's doing" she said gazing with amazement.
"So what do you think is wrong with her?"
"She needs to go for a little trot." He jerked his head up at her.
"You wanna ride her? I can walk you." He grunted as he hoisted himself up.
A grin crossed her face. "It's been a while. I'm afraid..."
"You need not worry about a thing. I'm here to help. May I?" He cut her off with a welcoming smile on his face. She recognized it immediately.
That same smile a year ago. They had both ridden on the horses together. It was an incredible experience she had missed badly. She used to be frightened by horses when she was growing up but ever since Drake showed up, the fear ceased and she feels at peace whenever he's beside her like no harm will come her way.
It's strange because she didn't even feel this way when she was riding with her father not even her uncle.
His strong arms gently lifted her from the ground and steadied her on the saddle of the horse. His big hands circled her narrow waist which caused her heart to skip a beat. She quickly swallowed a lump in her throat.
Fuck! Get a grip girl! It's just a mere touch-it means nothing.
Thank God he's not joining her up here otherwise she would probably have lost it! She can't bear him being extremely close, the whispers of his hot breath against the back of her neck, the feel of his tensed torso, his powerful arms around her, and their hands practically interviewed as they both gripped the saddle of the horse. The mere thought of this enticing invitation sends a shiver down her spine.
The horse galloped at a relaxed trot with Drake strolling beside her.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
"Can you manage by yourself for a bit? I have to get this."
She nodded in the affirmative.
He strolled about a meter from her and held the phone close to his ear:
"Surprise?" The voice said
His brows crinkled with confusion.
"Who's this?" He asked and walked a little further away, with his phone crunched to his ears, desperate for the unknown caller to reveal its identity.
Rasps of hearty laughter escaped from the other end of the line, startling him a little.
"It's me Finn" the female voice whispered.
His eyes dilated with surprise and annoyance at the same time. He sighed deeply before bellowing at her.
"Don't ever call me by that name again. You hear?! How the fuck did you get this number anyway?"
"My Little secret. You have been avoiding me, haven't you? You didn't even tell me you were returning to London."
"Look Racheal it's not the time to talk. Could you please just... " his voice trailed off as he checked on Janice, who to his surprise was nowhere in sight.
"...burger off!" He finished and was about to hang up when she said the words he least expected to hear."I'm in London"
His heart gave a little jump. Rachael in London? Fuck no! He can't have her here otherwise she's going to ruin his plans and he can't let that happen.
Not this time.
"Rachael...are you for real?"
He could hear the whistle from the other line and her chuckle before she responded.
"Hell yeah. Besides, I already got a job. I hear you work for some billionaire chic. I may drop by to say hello...properly"
"Look-! You shouldn't be here. London is harder than you think!" He bawled.
"Blah blah. I'm here now and there's no turning back. Not this time. I've missed you badly F-"
"Don't-! Look I'm in the middle of work. Gotta go" he cut her off then hung up, frantically raking his hands through his hair and did a few paces back and forth to steady his breath and the rage brewing inside of him.
He jogged ahead to catch up with Janice. The horse must have taken her further away while he was on the call. Damn it! What's with that Racheal chic? At a time like this? She'd always been like that, springing surprises like birthday presents and he dreaded it.
He was shocked to see the horse by itself, neighing and trotting, its saddle was empty.
Where on earth is Janice?!Perhaps she went for a little walk by herself or she went to the public bathroom to piss or something.Or... Did she fall off the horse?Kidnapped even?!
He hastened his pace, his feet dragging on the hilly pathways close to the little waterfall. He scanned the area desperately for any signs of blonde hair.
This isn't right!
That uneasy feeling began to spew in his nerves with his heart in his throat.
"Janice!!!!" He managed to yell. His voice echoed across through the hilly mountains and the waterfall.
He called out again but was answered by the echoes of his own voice.
CHAPTER SIX*Where is my daughter?!*"What?! How did that happen?" Mr Jordan's desperate voice boomed across the show glass of his well-polished office. His PA stood concerned by his side. His temples crinkled with alarm."Okay. I will be coming over immediately!"In a minute, He slammed the phone on the desk and ran out of the office without glancing back. The sleek black luxurious Benz was already waiting for him in the parking lot. The bodyguard dressed in a black suit held the door open for him as Mr Jordan rushed in. The pA was already on his tail and all he did was signal for him to wait for his commands as the tinted window of the car wound back up and the car zoomed out of the compound with urgency. *************Drake was pacing to and fro the waiting room in the hospital corridor, his hands raking through his dishevelled wind-blown hair, beads of sweat greased his temples. How did this happen?When he found her she was lying motionless behind the rock, downhill.She must
CHAPTER SEVEN*I'm so sorry*The funeral was very private-it was held in a small town in Glasgow, away from the prying eyes of the media. The last glimpse of her mother's stiff whitish body was at the hospital, just before the doctor zipped the leather corpse bag over her lifeless face. "Time of death 8:45 pm, 10th of August, 2009". The doctor had announced.Her eyes had brimmed with unshed tears, blurring her vision and before she realized what was happening, she was rushed to the emergency ward right there in the hospital. It was a tragic moment for the Jordans. Her father was barely getting by and her condition made things even worse as he had to nurse the death of his significant other and his daughter collapsing in the hospital at the same time. She had felt really bad for him, adding to his headache like that. But it can't be helped-she couldn't control the mixed emotions welling up inside of her, threatening to explode any second so her body did the natural thing by shutting do
CHAPTER EIGHT*Let's go Home*"All vitals are good. You're set to go Miss Janice." The Doctor declared gaily as he gently patted her back after running a few checks on her vitals with his thermometer. Mr Jordan heaved a long deep sigh of relief, brushing his fatigued eyes ridden with deep lines underneath them. Drake leaned against the wall at the corner of the hospital room to give them space for a little family time.He was also relieved.Today had been one hell of a day! He glanced at his wristwatch, the time reads 9:09 pm. The day is almost over. He had brought her to the hospital around quarter past five, with his heart thumping in his chest forcefully and his hair wet from sweat clung to his face, he carried her in his arms as he scurried to the emergency ward. He was sacred to shit!Her shaggy blonde hair was pulled up lazily. Father embraced daughter. While locked in their embrace, Drake caught Janice peering her hazel eyes at him. And she mouthed a "Thank you". He smiled c
CHAPTER NINE*Always and forever*"I can't believe you didn't tell me what happened. I kept calling but you weren't answering your phone, I was scared to shit!" Hannah cried out as she perched at the edge of the Queen size bed. Janice was sitting upright on the silky royal golden bed, propped up by pillows. "I was unconscious for a while. My father was greatly distressed. I'm sorry to have made you worry. But I'm doing fine now." She yawned and stretched. Mr Briggs, the chauffeur had picked them up at the hospital and took them home. By the time they arrived, it was already a quarter past 11 pm. When they got home, her father helped her to the bedroom. Sleep had evaded her last night. she glanced at the clock, It was 4 am! She kept tossing on the bed pleading for sleep to come but it didn't. With tired eyes, she stared at the ceiling lost in the whirlpool of emotions, replaying the events of that day. Before she realized it, sleep crept up on her. She yawned and stretched again
CHAPTER TEN* Blind desire*The twin bed creaked beneath his weight as his body sprawled out on the bed. The alarm blared. He grunted as he tossed over the bed to stop the alarm. Time: 11:45 amHe groaned. Yesterday was draining no doubt. They got home pretty late and he slept fitfully throughout the night. Drake sometimes stays at the Jordan's quarters around the wasteland where the stables were located. When he needed some privacy or during his time off, he goes back to his crappy flat downside-the remote area of London.When he's not working for the Jordans, then he's busy with his mechanic work. Occasionally, he does home service for the big guys in London whom he either met at the club or through the recommendation of Janice.He got out of bed, yawning and flexing his muscles. His room was reasonably small for a person or two. The labyrinth of cobwebs clouded his room. He sneezed, almost misty-eyed. The cabin flooring kept squeaking in response as he did a few push-ups wi
CHAPTER ELEVEN*Like black and white*The fuming Drake paced the room in irritation. Blocking her line was a futile attempt. He groaned into the phone."Rachael? Really?! You don't know when to give up, do you?" He growled."And the best thing you thought to do was to block my line? What is the matter with you anyway? What have I done wrong this time? I thought by coming down to London you will be happy to see me. Apparently, I was a fool. Screw you and that rich bitch you've been shagging!!!" She screeched. The phone vibrated in his hand as her shrill voice travelled through it."Look I'm only in London to work. And my personal affairs is no fucking business of yours. Why don't run back home to Scotland and stop making a fuss over everything.""I'm not a child, Finn. For heaven's sake do I disgust you so much that you don't want to even see me? First, you returned to London without my knowledge and now that I'm in London you can't even see me because of some trull you've been bangin
CHAPTER TWELVE*The Jordans 1*He could hear faint laughter and voices emanating from the far corner of the enormous house when he gingerly stepped in. He could see the maid, who was unaware of his presence, darting across the dining room where the faint voices and laughter were coming from with trays laden with sumptuous dishes of all sorts. The tantalizing scent of the food wafted through his nose causing his stomach to grumble. He let the door click shut softly behind him so as not to rouse their attention at the earliest second he stepped in. He did a couple of breathing exercises to gather himself. Thinking about his past made him doubt himself a bit and now he's fidgeting. Fuck! He needs to get his acts together! Alright man, act normal you got this!He took a deep breath and exhaled again. His boots stomped the neatly polished marble flooring as he went. He flinched as the faint voices and laughter became louder and abruptly ceased when he came into view. At this point, he
CHAPTER THIRTEEN*The Jordans 2*"The Jordans?" He asked with a puzzled look. "You mean, the rich folks dad used to work for?" His mum simply nodded, her face now bloated and flushed with tears. He retrieved a neatly folded handkerchief from the pocket of his pants and handed it to her. She wiped her face with shaky hands. Drake felt bad for his mother. He loathed seeing his mother like this, helpless and miserable. She was a poor sight to behold and it wrenched his heart."So you're saying that Dad's employer is the culprit?" "Well, from what I could gather these past few years, yes."He shook his head in disbelief."B-but how?! Dad was his loyal personal bodyguard and assistant. W-why would he betray him?" He stuttered."I couldn't believe it either. Douglas, your father was a brave and loyal man to Mr Thomas Jordan. I just don't get why he would go through the trouble to shut him up even to the point of killing him. I think... " she sat up warily and poured herself a glass of