CHAPTER SEVEN

TAMIKA’s POV.

I don’t bother to look up as he makes his way out of the house. Somehow I don’t hate his sister as much as I hate him. She looks genuine and maybe in the next one year, she can possibly become my friend.

“You don’t like my brother that much right?” Her voice pulls me out of my train of thoughts and I turn my head to her. My attention was on Malachi before he left. He was putting on a pair of black suit which looked good on him even if I didn’t want to agree to that. His hair was slicked back to perfection and that overly handsome face of his made me so angry. Handsome people are not as cruel as the man who had just walked out of the house.

“I don’t like him,” I blurt out, “your brother disgusts me,”

She doesn’t say anything and smiles at me. I don't allow my mind to linger much on him so I shift my focus to the phone in her hand.

After she is done showing me what she wants, Melisa excuses herself leaving me to my thoughts in this big ass house.

The loneliness of the place finally gets to me and I find myself hating Malachi even more.

I stand up from the dining table and decide to take a walk around the house but as soon as I step into the living room—I see her, the butler. She told me her name yesterday but I have totally forgotten about it,

“You want something ma?” She asks with a smile on her face. I don’t know but since yesterday I have felt a bit uneasy around her, her smile looks too strained for my liking. She looks like she is hiding something from me.

“Nothing,” I shrug, “I just want to take a walk around,”

“I can show you around,” she suggests but I immediately shake my head in the negative. I am not looking for someone who will constantly stare over my head.

“It’s fine,” I tell her, it’s just a walk around the house, I can do that myself”

“The boss asked me to be at your beck and call ma,

“I can do that myself,” I tell her again, trying hard to stop myself from getting angry. Why the heck is she trying to get under my skin?

Before she can say anything, I turn and make my way upstairs. I suddenly don’t want to take a walk again.

As soon as I enter my room and shut the door behind me, I slump on the bed and allow my mind to water off. I saw the way he looked at me like I was some kind of snack. For a moment, the condescending Malachi was gone and I could see a different person.

I let out a sigh as I pick up my phone from the bed and type in his name. Images of him appear on the screen alongside information about him. Some sites even went ahead to speculate that he was part of the mafia. There was no specific reason why but I also believe it.

The amount of security in his home, the way he is under heavy security and from the whole ambiance. He is a dangerous man and I am well aware of that. What I don’t understand is why a man like him wanted me for himself.

I sit in my thoughts for minutes until my phone buzzes and my father’s name pops up on the screen.

I don’t want to pick up but I know he won’t stop calling until I answer the phone so I click on the receive button and his voice filters through.

“I have been calling since yesterday,

“I was busy,” I respond with an eye roll, “why are you calling me? Haven’t you done enough? You sold off your only daughter and now you want to act like the ideal father?”

My tone is laced with disgust and anger but I don’t bother to mask it. If he didn’t feel bad for what he did to me, why should I feel bad for speaking to him in such a tone?

“Look Dad, please stop calling me or I will be forced to disrespect you,”

I don’t wait for his response, I just end the call and fling the phone on the bed. I genuinely don’t know what’s wrong with humans. They think they can do as they please.

I hear a car pull into the compound and I rise from the bed to the window. It is Malachi. I thought he left for work, what exactly is he doing back home?

I take my eyes off him and go back to my bed but before I can settle on it, a knock comes on my door and it pushes open—the butler.

“The boss wants you in his study, Mrs Steene,” she announces and the inkling to roll my eyes to the back of my head envelopes me but I don’t do that—it won’t change anything.

I don’t answer, I only straighten myself and pick up my phone, gesturing for her to lead the way and I follow.

The moment she pushes the study door open and I step in, I press my phone against my ear while my attention shifts to the man who is busy removing his suit jacket.

“Hi baby,” my voice rings out and Malachi immediately turns his head to me but as soon as he sees the phone pressing against my ear, his jaw clenches together. I know exactly what I am doing and I can see how it affects him. Adrenaline pumps through my body as I grip the phone tighter. No matter how much a man says he hates a woman, seeing her with another man will surely bruise his ego.

“I took the morning after pill,” I say again, “did you forget?” My lips curl into a small smile, “don’t worry, I won’t get pregnant, not yet.” The more I talk, the more my lips curl up. Malachi just stands there, looking at me. If he is upset, he is not really showing it. His face remains expressionless but his jaw is still clenched.

“Fine, I will speak to you later, okay?”

With a smile, I end my imaginary call before returning my gaze to the man seated in front of me.

“You called for me,” I finally say.

His eyes remain on me for a few minutes but I cannot decipher what’s going on inside of him. The only thing emanating from him is danger and more danger. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge but I keep my calm. I am not going to let him think that he scared me even in the slightest.

“Rule number one, Tamika,” his deep gruff voice filters across to me, “the next time you speak to that pathetic boyfriend of yours is the day he dies. Trust me, I have killed plenty of his kind,”

“You wouldn’t dare,” my voice is cracking but I try hard to mask it.

Malachi chuckles as he leans against the chair, picking up the small dagger in front of him.

“Try me, princess.”