To Love a Monster

Prologue:  Remembrance   5 years. 6 months. 2 days.    Sitting in the waiting area of the therapists waiting room a frail and exhausted woman sat lost in her own thoughts. It had been so long since she escaped. The scent of Damian still permeating her scenes. A forever reminder that she was his. His toy, his sick demented epicenter of obsession and his captive. Now living under an alias and the request of her benefactor she was seeking treatment to erase him from her memory – only to no avail.    Chapter One: Damian Biel   “If there’s a heaven, it’s a cold place. A dark place. A lonely place.” – Hiroshi Sakurazaka   The moon illuminated the tall glass windows of the luxurious penthouse in the heart of New York City. Tonight, was the night Damian Biel would execute his plan. To capture the object of his obsession and keep her by his side of eternity.    His eyes were ablaze from the dancing flames  raging in the fireplace. Still and statuesque he sat in front of his men.    “Execute the father and bring her to me at the compound” he said in a domineering tone.     Unlike the various nights before tonight was different.    The men were no longer observing the girl in the shadows, they would be following through with their bosses’ plan to take her. His men nodded and left him alone quickly, knowing failure was not an option - not when their lives were at stake. Hell, their whole families were at risk if they failed.    As head of the Biel crime syndicate Damian controlled vast territories and resources.    His empire spanned through various venues; art forgery, stock manipulation, restaurants, drugs, clubs, travel and hotels - Damian was the kingpin. The syndicate was formed in the late 1900s by his great great grandfather and grandmother, the early dons, as a means to secure a better life for their family by any means necessary. To the world they were respected businessmen brimming of vitality and wealth, but to the criminal underworld, they were royalty. Their name sent waves of fear and submission into their rivals and Damian had inherited all of this from his father.    In all aspects of his life he was known for his ruthless cruelty, steadfast demeanor and cunning calculation.    Surrounded by thousands of loyal men and feared by his rivals he was rarely ever opposed. Those that did disappeared without a trace or found mangled beyond recognition.    Anyone who laid eyes on him would shutter in fear. Standing over 6’5, muscular with piercing eyes that put the flames in his golden fireplace to shame and body inked with graphic scenes of death and decay covering the many battle scars he accumulated in his youth. He was a sight to behold.    His only living relatives were his uncle Thomas, who controlled and looked over the families European operations, his mother who controlled the Asia operations and his adopted brother Christopher was his right-hand man.    For the last 6 years of his life he spent it pinning over Azula. She was the only woman who captivated his entire being. Every moment of the day his mind had been obsessing over her. Her pale skin, her deep brown eyes and raven hair - he was possessed by her beauty. Standing in the shadows he observed her from afar. Obsessing. Calculating. Planning. Tonight, she would be brought to his side and she would never leave.    Damian had observed Azula since their first encounter. It was six years ago; Damian was merely 26 and Azula was 22. He was attending the graduation of his closest friend, Isabel, when he bumped into Azula. Instead of shying away from his brooding frame she gazed at him sweetly and at that moment the world stood still – all he could see was her.    Her scent lingered in the summer air he was stunned by the beautiful creature before him. That was all it took for Damian to be intrigued by her. She wasn’t afraid of him, nor did she realize he was one of the wealthiest men alive and she was so gentle, innocent and pure.   During the ceremony, his eyes were fixated on her and only her. Her smile, the way her fully lips curved up and her little nose crinkled with joy. He knew then, he needed to learn everything about her. Soon after the graduation he was able to learn more about her through his teams investigation.    She was the only daughter of a broke ex con turned raging abusive alcoholic. Her mother had passed away when Azula was 12 to cancer. Somehow, she managed to graduate college to make a decent living as an accountant. She supported herself and her father since the age of 18.    Her mother had passed away a few years after giving birth to her and her father drank his life away. Gambling what little life insurance money they received.    His heart ached for her. But his father would never approve of her, therefore Damian waited until he was out of the picture. Thankfully, he was murdered during a shoot-out with a rival mob boss. Damian could have saved him of course, but that mean having to live in her fathers shadow. Without him, Damian would take over the reins of the kingdom and answer to no one but his own desires.    Tonight, with his command his men will bring Azula to him where she will stay forever. He would win her over and they would be inseparable.