Chapter 3

Kian 

I pace through the tiny apartment this man calls home. 

It's located in the poorer side of Tilburg. The inside is just as desolate as the outside. The dirty dishes are still in the sink, while dusty and stained curtains hang along the windows. In the living room is a green sofa littered with cigarette burns. An old flat screen TV hangs from one wall and a worn-out wooden coffee table sits abjectly in the center of it all.

The only decent things in this apartment are definitely a woman’s touch. The bookcase is filled with books and the basket next to the sofa overflowed with blankets. There is a platter with candles and a small bouquet of flowers.

The man I'm holding hostage in his own apartment fiddles with his phone. His eyes are red from alcohol abuse, fear and sorrow. 

"Call her again." I say, my voice icy cold and the man snaps his attention back to me. 

"Of, of course sir." He stutters and drops his phone from his shaky hands. 

He dials his daughter’s number. She is the only one who can safe his sorry life. His face pales even more, giving the man a grey complexion- The color of a dead man. 

"S... She's not picking up sir." His eyes dart between his phone and me, the stench of fear pollutes the air between us. "I'm sorry, I'll try her friend again. Please give me until the end of the week. She doesn't know yet."  He begs, his voice shaking from despair. 

I look the man over. I know I took everything from him. I played it dirty in order to get what I want and what I want is his daughter. And she is still not in my possession. I release a deep sigh, pretending to think the matter over, but I know my patience is running out and if I don't have her by my side before the night is over, his life is mine. 

"My patience is running out Bart, I give you until the end of the night." I say and stroll to the bookcase. The need to have something that belongs to her in my hands overpowering the need to wrap them around his throat. 

Bart tries a few more numbers while I study the novels stored carefully in the old bookcase. I recognize a lot of fantasy books, some historical novels and a lot of romance novels. My fingers caress the backs of the novels until one in particular speaks to me. 

'Tears of Tess.' I caress the front of the paperback. The cover is simple with the middle half of a woman on the front and the title crossing it. I flip it over and read the blurb. My eyes skim over the text as a small smile plays across my lips when I finish reading. 

My girl has a kink for heavy smut and dark romance! Perfect! 

I carefully place the book back where I found it, not wanting to risk damaging one of her possessions and twist on my heels. I take in the man in the kitchen that nervously fumbles with his shirt, not knowing how to carry himself.

"Relax Bart, your girl still has until the end of the night to come home. You still have some hours before all hope is lost." I say almost casually. 

His hands fall down his side in a heartbeat, regret and sorrow crossing his face. "Sorry sir."

His phone vibrates on the counter. The ringtone blares through the apartment before Bart falls on the phone, desperate for his daughter and for his life. 

Gripping the phone so tightly in his hands that his knuckles turn white, Bart answers. "Baby, Nikki." His voice breaks and silent tears fall down his face. I watch him, every emotion raw and open. 

"Dad, I'm right here. Breathe, tell me what's wrong." Her voice calls through the phone, the melodic sound easing my soul and raw possessiveness crawls up in my body. 

Bart tries to breathe and steady his thoughts, just like his daughter said. Good man. 

He scrambles to find the words., I can see it in his face. The nervousness, regret, insecurity and fear, blocks his throat and my patience snaps. I'm done waiting. 

"Get your daughter home old man, or you'll be dead before the night ends." I say loud enough for her to hear in that cold and gravelly low voice I only reserve for matters of power and possession. And she is my possession. 

She would be my bride in exchange for him being free of any debts AND I would leave him alive- that was the deal. Pretty generous, I thought, especially since I don’t have to provide either.

I hear her gasp, the shock and horror evident, even through the phone. 

"Don't you dare hurt my father!" She shouts through the phone and murmurs softly to her dad. "I'm coming home dad, don't worry." 

I fetch the phone out of Bart's shaking hands. He cries out for his daughter but with one icy look I straighten him out. He should know better by now. 

"Get your ass home princess, now!" I snarl through the phone, and I hear her breath hitch. 

The sound is delightful, and I can't help but imagine all the ways I'm going to make her breath hitch again. The ways I'll make that beautiful body of hers twist and turn underneath me. The ways I'll make her scream out my name.  

Make her completely and utterly mine. 

I hang up the phone before she can say anything else and lean against the kitchen counter, cornering her father. 

"Such a fierce soul, I can't wait to get my hands on her." I grin wickedly and her father slumps down against the wall, his face in his hands and softly crying. 

~~

The door slams open. A whirlwind of silver hair, floral scent and worked up femininity storms into the apartment. Her bright blue eyes scan the apartment frantically and land on her father, still slumped down in the corner of the kitchen. She flies towards him and hugs him tightly. 

"I'm home dad, don't worry, you're okay now." She softly whispers to him, and he just cries harder.

 He apologizes to her and hugs her tightly. I watch it all play out from the dark corner of the room. The dark encases my entire form and my slow breathing masks that I am still in the room with them.

"Dad, are you hurt? Can you stand?" She looks him over, worry and frenzy in all her movements. 

"I... I'm okay baby." His eyes flicker between his daughter and the place I am standing. His movements give my presence away. Nikki whips her head around, half in a crouching position, ready to pounce. 

Her eyes find me at the same time I step out of the shadow. Her eyes widen in fear, confusion, surprise, and anger. It's all there in her gaze, which is mesmerizing. The way her eyes scoop me up into their thunderous pits of rage and make me feel like she just put me under a cold shower is captivating and impressive.

"Nikki, finally you have decided to grace us with your lovely company. Give me the honor to introduce myself to my future wife." I say with a charismatic smile on my face, but my voice leaves no room for discussion. 

Her mouth falls open, shock clear on her face, as she gapes at me. "No wait. Dad? What kind of sick joke is this?" 

Her father opens his mouth to answer her, but I level him with one look. She's mine now. 

"Oh, let me promise you. This is not a sick joke. You are marrying me before the morning comes." 

I walk up to her, backing her up against the fridge and lean my palms on each side of her face.

I breathe in her scent, relishing the small moment she is too gob-smacked to speak and push a lose strand of hair behind her ear. 

"Your old man owes me a lot of money. It was either his own death or the life of his daughter in marriage. He chose the latter."

Her eyes widen even more and anger surges to the surface again. "The fuck I won't, get the fuck away from me and my dad! If you want money, we can work for it, but don't you dare come here and claim me as payment of his debt!" She screams in my face and pushes with all her might against my rock-hard chest. 

I push her flush against the fridge, pushing my entire body against her body and kicking her legs open with my foot. One hand on her throat and the other on her hip, I squeeze the soft flesh hard.

Her heart beats rapidly, pupils dilate, and her breathing grows raspier, so responsive. "Don't test me, you will be leaving with me. I give you a half an hour to pack your things, don't make me do something you will regret." 

I let go of her and she falls forward. Her hands land on both knees as she gasps for air. 

"Hurry up little hellcat, the clock is ticking." I grin and tap the Rolex on my wrist. 

She darts upstairs and starts throwing around stuff. Her father is still shaking and crying on the same spot he was earlier. I nudge the pathetic excuse for a man with my shoe. 

"Go help her you old fool."

~~

After a heartfelt goodbye to her father- one with a lot of crying, hugging and sobbing- she finally came with me. I nearly pulled her into the Maserati. I am done with waiting, but I need her to not see me only as a villain. 

So, now we are here; both sitting in the car, with me driving us over the highway and her ignoring me to my death. 

What a fucking bliss! 

I take the exit to Rotterdam, and her eyes dart over to me. Her nerves are almost suffocating the air in my car. 

"Where are we going?" She asks, her voice shaky and completely void of the anger and rage she felt a good hour ago. 

"Rotterdam, it's where your home is now." I let my eyes roam over her, her expression changing to careful curiosity. 

She is quiet for a few minutes, probably thinking over the fact that she isn't too far away from her friends and her father, as well as what that means for her. 

I watch her from the corner of my eye. She truly is breathtaking, even with her hair tousled, blood shot eyes, messy make up and wrinkled clothes. The only thing that really ticks me off is the scent she is carrying with her, it's not hers and not her fathers. It's male, strong, sharp and somewhat familiar. 

Carefully, I pull her out of her train of thought. "Nikki." Her eyes dart to me, big and unsure. 

I need to do this with some tact; I can't push her to an answer. She'll block. "How was your night?" I make sure to use a gentle tone and wait for the answer. 

She squeezes her eyes, looking at me and unwilling to answer. "Why do you want to know?" 

"I am just showing interest, you came darting into the apartment reeking of alcohol, yourself, sweat and male musk. I was just wondering where you were and if you had a good time." 

Her eyes snap at me, anger coursing through them once again. "I don't need to tell you shit! Don't think you can bait me with kind words and feigning interest. You kidnapped me, threatened my father and now you're forcing my hand in marrying you. You are no knight in shining armor, you're a fucking demon!" Her voice vibrates and cracks under the pressure of her rage. 

I hit the brakes hard, my arm stopping her from flying through the windshield. I stop the car on the side of the road. My full royal aura fills the car, and she slumps back in the seat, uneasiness on her face from the pressure. 

"Use that tone on me one more time and I'll show you just how much of a demon I am, Nikki. Don't underestimate me or think you can get away from me. You are mine!" I snarl in that same cold tone I used on her earlier. 

She buries her face in her hands and a second later silent tears fall down her face. 

"You're a monster."