DETECTIVE SANDERS' SURROGATE

CHAPTER 10

DAMIEN'S POV

"Then get the f**k out of my room, you i***t!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Stop. Shouting." I managed to say, hating the fact that my words sounded like a plea. Just as she was about to respond and most certainly ask me out of her room once more, a knock came on the door and we both froze.

"Damien and Natalie, open this door right now." Pete's balls! That was my father. I couldn't help but shoot her an icy glare. I sighed in frustration as I wondered how my life ever got so complicated. It all started with a very wrong the decision my father had made. Sadly, he was the only man I respected and somewhat feared, a great deal. So I had no choice but to go ahead with the request he had made of me. To marry the daughter of his old friend.

"I wouldn't ask you both a second time!" He threatened from the other side of the door. The tone of his voice making me grimace. Reluctantly, I dragged my feet to the door and unlocked it, letting the angry looking man in.

"Dad." I muttered, finding it difficult to ask him what he wanted. I guess I didn't have to because I already had an idea, added to the fact that the next statement he made answered my unasked question.

"I ask a simple favour from you both, and what you decide to do is shout down my home with your angry yells and screams?!" He reprimanded, making me quickly try to exonerate myself.

"I wasn't the one who had been screaming Dad, It's Nata...."

"Shut up!" He ordered even before I completely said her name. The fact that he addressed me like a child in front of her only did nothing but aggravate my temper.

"I'm sorry Dad." She muttered, putting her head down in an apologetic manner. My brows slightly raised in disbelief as my father sighed deeply and seemed to relax a bit more, after hearing her apology. Way to go! It wasn't going to be easy to get a divorce from this woman when both of my parents loved her so much.

"It's fine." He muttered with slow nod. "It's okay my dear." He said softly, patting her shoulder, before turning to me. "Damien, my study." He ordered, turning his back and walking out of the room. I gritted my teeth against themselves, before walking out behind him. Once we got to his study, he asked me to sit down, before going ahead to pour us both some glasses of wine, and asked me to sit.

"Damien, Just about half an hour ago, I asked you to do something for yourself, not me."

"It's for you." I dared to respond. He quickly raised up his head and looked at me in suprise.

"It's for me?"

"Yes, it's for you!"

"Okay." He nodded, adjusting his position in his chair. "5 years ago, on your 26th birthday, you lost your favourire Aunt Jenny."

"You don't have to remind me of that, Dad." I scowled. "Moreover, what does it have to do with anything?" I asked, sipping from my glass of wine. Hmmm! I loved the way it felt on my taste buds. An unfamiliar but nice taste.

"You have been asking for the money in trustfund she left you." He stated calmly, grabbing my full attention, and making wonder where he was headed with this.

"Yes?" I said in agreement, but it came out like a question.

"Well, Just so you know, the reason the trustfund have been withheld from you is because you haven't met the requirements your late Aunt had insisted you meet, before having access to all the monies."

"What requirements are you talking about?" I asked, completely at loss.

"She had stated in her will that you should have been married with atleast, one child before you have access to your trustfund."

"What?!" I asked in disbelief. Was my father trying to make a fool out of me at the moment? "You never mentioned anything like this initially!" I accused.

"Well, you had wanted to start your business at the time. You needed the money, and you had a girl you loved as well. The daughter of a man I don't consider a friend." He muttered the last part. Slowly, I started fixing all the pieces together. I had always wanted to venture into business, but Dad had wanted me to carry on his legacy in the Naval force. Had it been I had known the requirements for accessing my trustfund at the time, I would have gotten married to Marriet, and started up my business at all costs. That would have spoiled my father's plans..... He would have failed to get me into the navy, and also watch me marry the daughter of a man he sees as an enemy, for no reason. I was right after all. It was all about him.

"So that's why you decided to manipulate me huh?" I tried to remain calm, even if I could feel my temper rising. "You had no right!" I finally burst out, hitting the table hard, and making the glass containing my wine, shake and spill a little bit of the wine.

"No, I did have every right." He calmly replied. Now, that was the problem. It wasn't the fact that he had contradicted me, but the fact he did it, remaining so calm. Anyone could come in and see me as the one raving mad. The man was manipulative and it was unfair that he could bend me to his every will the way he liked. "Don't think I don't have an idea about your plan to withdraw from the forces soon. Your superior had let me know you submitted a request to him two weeks ago. You were planning on divorcing Natalie and following up with your trustfund right? That would be so cruel to the poor girl. Remember she never wanted this as well..."

"Don't!" I yelled in anger, standing to my feet. "Don't you dare try to emotionally blackmail me. Yes, I remember! I also remember how she was dragged in here like a sack of potatoes, and that was definitely not my doing. Own up to your own mess!"

"Then why didn't you outrightly refuse to marry her then? Why didn't you try annulling the marriage all these while you have been away? Why did you let the poor girl waste her time and life here? Why did you go ahead to try getting her pregnant before you left?" He asked, making me at loss for words.

"You." I finally muttered. "You." I repeated. "I wanted so badly to make you happy. That was how much I loved you." I sat down again, and took some more from my wine, to calm my raging mind.

"So what changed?"

"You." I replied. "I had found out about your Influence on my promotions these past few years of being in the navy. That was never the kind of life or legacy I wanted for myself, Dad. I tried to love the force, just the same way I tried to get used to Natalie as my wife, but..... It just wasn't possible."

"Is that why you opted for a withdrawal from the forces? The truth behind your promotions?"

"That's mostly the reason."

"I understand if you want to go into business, because you haven't been able to make yourself love the Navy like I do. But then, you can't say same about Natalie. You were practically married for one night, before you left. And when you returned about a month ago, after 2 years after being away, you haven't tried to get to know her. You haven't tried to have conversations with her, you haven't tried to be in her space, or even do as much as sparing a glance at her for a second."

"I already know what she looks like, so what's the point?" I asked, and he sighed deeply.

"So you want a divorce?"

"Yes. After which, I would marry Marriet and have a kid. Then, I would surely be able to access my trustfund and start a business of my own. Moreover, that was supposed to be my life before you ruined it. You made me waste 5 years of my life for nothing. Thankfully, my savings all through these years would be enough for me to live on, until I finally have child with Marriet."

"I can agree with you, if you think leaving the force is the best choice for you. But I wouldn't let you break Natalie's heart by filing for a divorce." He said, making me completely appalled with the way he had ordered me.

"First of all, this Natalie girl surely doesn't love me. So what's the point of keeping her here? Secondly, I would marry Marriet because starting today, I would be making my own decisions." I suprised both myself with my statement, as I looked him in the eyes, daring him to try stopping me. I watched as he drew backwards and realxed into his chair, looking deep in thoughts.

"You have been in contact with this Marriet girl, I suppose?" He asked, referring to Marriet, the same way I had referred to Natalie.

"For some time, yes." I replied, picking up my wine glass to take another sip, only to find it empty. When had I drank it all? I looked at Dad to see him smiling, and had almost smiled back at him, before realizing myself. I hated myself for loving the man so much. In all honesty, he had been the best father. But the few things he had failed in, were the things that meant the most to me.

"And you informed her of your intentions to divorce Natalie?"

"Not really, but I kinda hinted on the fact that I wanted us back together."

"Damien." He called my name. Whenever he called me in the tone he presently did, it was always a serious matter. "I may have been wrong in so many ways, but trust me when I say Marriet isn't right for you."

"It's funny how you can say that. This is a woman I have literally known for years and grown to love. Meanwhile, you think she is wrong for me, while the girl you made me marry is right for me?!"

"I have said all I should, Damien. For reasons best known to me, I can't say more than I have. I only hope you'd trust me this one time, and make things work with your wife." Hearing him make that statement only pushed me to the brink, and I turned on my heels and walked out of his study. As I walked down the hallway, I contemplated going to my own room but then, my father had the keys. Due to being away for 2 years, I honestly had no idea where the spare keys were. I also knew my sisters wouldn't let me into their room, especially after knowing the situation I got myself into. Going to the library was the best option. Making my way towards the library, I tried opening it to see it was locked. The f**k! I should really get my own place soon.

The only option left, was the sitting room. To my utter dismay, I walked in to meet Mom and Henrietta. The scene didn't sit well with me. Why was Henrietta crying in Mom's arms?

"What's wrong with Henrietta?" I asked, quickly forgetting my quest of finding an empty space to spend the night. Mom looked up at me and gave me a signal to excuse them. How was I supposed to tell my worried looking mom and crying sister, that I needed them to leave the space, so I could sleep. With disappointment, I made my way back to Natalie's room and gently knocked on the door, before entering.

"Courtesy demands that when you knock, you wait to be invited in." She spat. She had laid on the bed, and was on her side.

I quickly scanned the room, and I noticed that unlike the other rooms, they wasn't a couch. Really? A couch? Like I would love to be so inconvenienced as to lay on a couch. I reluctantly made my way the bed, not failing to notice the look she gave me.

"I definitely can't sleep on the floor." I stated the obvious with a glare. She scoffed and turned to the other side of the bed, making me mimick her actions almost immediately. After staying for a few minutes, I realized I was just acting up unnecessarily by looking for somewhere other than Natalie's room to sleep in. It wasn't like we hadn't shared such close proximity before. Infact, we had done more than that. We had s*x. That was part of the reasons I hated her so much. I was still very much in love, and seeing Marriet even when we had gotten married, and I have always been ashamed of the way I had s*x with her that night. Not once or twice, but three good times. I felt I had betrayed the love Marriet and I shared.

What was worse was that even after 2 years, memories of that night still plagued me up until now. I definitely wasn't gonna admit it because I knew it was only lust. I hated the fact that I had loved the way her bare body felt against mine and how..... f**k! The woman just had to be beautiful. I wasn't gonna lie about that fact, no matter how much I disliked her. Even a blind man could tell she had a beautiful face and a hot body. What was I even thinking? I could feel my body temperature rising, and my neck sweating out. I shook my head and turned to the other side, facing her back. My eyes had mistakenly strayed to her butt that had been facing me, and I couldn't help but swallow. I felt my groin go so hard that it made me curse out loudly. For a moment, I thought she would have turned to look at me but thankfully, she remained in her position.

The way my groin felt so tight in my pants was becoming an issue. This wasn't normal. I didn't just go hard at thinking about s*x or looking at a woman's butt. This also wasn't the first time I was thinking of our wedding night, and even if I normally felt horny, I didn't get instant erections. I touched down there, and the need only intensified, the same way I sweated more. No, this wasn't normal. I managed to get up and rushed to the bathroom. I quickly turned on the shower and got in for a cold bath, yet no change. What was going on? The feeling and need only intensified and I felt like I was going crazy. I quickly put on my slacks and tried making my way out of the room, only to see it was locked. I tried unlocking with the key, and it was then I realized I was in a deep mess. The door had been locked from outside.

I remembered the smile Dad had given after noticing I finished my drink. He had definitely spiked it with an aphrodisiac of some sort and now, locked me inside the same room with this woman. I wasn't going to forgive the man in a really long while. So, nothing was actually wrong with Henrietta and mom?! How could they be so cruel? They had this all planned out. With shaky and unsteady legs, I made my way back to the bed and tapped Natalie. Slowly, she turned to me and I couldn't ignore how sexy she looked, in an innocent way. I had been planning on yelling at her, but cat obviously got my tongue. I blamed it on my present situation and need.

"What?" She asked angrily. Why was she angry? Wait.... If she was angry, then it only meant she had no idea my drink had been spiked? She wasn't a part of the plan? f**k me!

"Sorry!" I choked out, wincing in pain as my c**k throbbed.

"Are you okay?" She asked, suddenly looking worried, as she turned completely to me and sat up. All I could do was nod, as It was difficult to make out any words. I touched her by the shoulders, willing myself to push her away, and not pull her to myself. I could feel my eyes dilating as my need for s*x further increased. What the hell was this torture?

"You need to go." I whispered, close to tears. She slightly pulled her head back, with a look of annoyance on her face.

"First, you forcefully come into my room, then you want to me make leave as well?" She asked in a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

"I'm sorry, but you have to go into the bathroom." I quickly got up from the bed, and pulled her towards the bathroom. Surprisingly, she didn't struggle, and just let me pull her in. After successfully managing to pull her inside the bathroom regardless of the discomfort I felt, I made to leave and she whimpered in fear.

I turned to look at her and saw the fear in her eyes, the moment she realized I wanted to lock her in there.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"