Taming the Wicked Rogue

Guiding the Flow

I didn’t put the plan in motion right away. That would be brash, abrupt, and could possibly result in failure. So, how does one achieve a predetermined outcome without ‘physical’ coercion? The answer was simple - guide the flow, and ensure that every little detail is well accounted for. No deviations. No what-ifs.

Olah still decisively declined my offer. The hesitation was brief, but it was there which bolstered my desire to pull it off.

Patience was key.

While Olah stayed behind to close up, Jiro and Hammer drove me back. The silence was suffocating. The house felt more empty as I stepped inside. Still tight-lipped, the two men walked over to the couch. They won’t stay silent soon.

I held out a hand to the nicer-looking one -Hammer, who was frowning the whole day. The fact that he could maintain it for almost ten hours convinced me it was his resting b***h face. Which was quite daunting since Hammer is an attractive man, but that natural glower would chase away any female.

He glanced down at my open palm.“What do you want?”

See? I was not the one who spoke first. That's a win for me.

“Can I borrow your phone? I don’t have one, and I want to call Rhys.” I asked politely because I was that polite kind of girl who kept her grudges buried until they all piled up and her patience stretched too thin to take anymore bullsh!t.

His frown deepened. Irritation colored his brown eyes darker. “You can tell me what you need, and I’ll get it for you.” He said dismissively.

Patience Lillian.

“I’m cranky, and I need Rhys with me. Can you get him then?” I wasn’t exactly talking nonsense. All afternoon I had fidgeted in my seat, the uneasiness nipping at my mind. Doing nothing made it harder. I never liked being idle.

He stiffened, and after an internal struggle that was apparent on his stony face, he handed me the phone.

“Good boy.” Give praise when praise is due. Second win of the night. I ignored his deathly glare.

I didn’t immediately call Rhys and instead spent a nice long bath in the wooden bathtub. I was too strung up last night that all I did was a quick shower, but now I had all the time.

The uneasiness lingered at the back of my mind again. Throughout the day, I had felt the stirrings of nausea and a craving for the scent of sandalwood and evergreen. I peered at Rhys’s wardrobe, and his own unique scent compelled me to sift through his clothes. I picked out a slightly smaller shirt. The uneasiness subsided as I wore it.

Rhys didn’t have to know about this. I decided and found a comfortable place in bed before turning to the phone. Hammer’s phone was apparently filled with either gaming apps or dating apps. Poor guy.

I quickly typed in a message and pressed send.

Rhys, it’s me, Lillian.

After a minute, the phone rang. I hesitated for a while before answering it on the fourth ring. I’ve always hated calls.

His gruff voice carried through the line. “Talk.” It sounded like he was walking or maybe running from the whooshing sound at the other end.

The relief at hearing his voice unsettled me. The last bit of the uneasiness faded. “I feel nauseous again.” I blurted without much thought.

“I’ll have Matt come to you.”

“No need. I’ll go visit him tomorrow. “

The other side was silent for a moment, “What do you want?”

“That’s all,” I told him, fighting a smile. Making the phone call was part of the plan. I was about to hang up when his voice sounded again, “Take a picture of yourself in cuffs.”

My body went rigid in surprise. “What? Why do I need to take a picture?”

“I want to make sure you’re settled. Is Olah with you?”

“Not yet. She stayed behind and will probably get here later.”

“And the men?”

“They’re downstairs.” I paused. Why does this sound like we’re about to do something private, and he is ensuring no one is around? I cleared my throat.

“Anyway, you can just call Olah later to confirm if I am cuffed or not.” Taking a picture was just too awkward and kinky. “Also, we don’t have internet, right? How will I send it to you?”

“The phone is connected to a special network only accessible to us. Send it to me soon.” The call was hung up abruptly. I glared at the phone and slipped back into bed, cuffing both my wrists. Quite thoughtful of him to make the chains long to facilitate movement. Very experienced! Who knows how many he had chained?

I took a quick selfie and sent it. Only then did I remember I was in his shirt. I waited anxiously for his reply.

Good girl.

I stared incredulously at those two words. That’s it? No teasing why I was wearing his shirt? The complicated feelings of disappointment and relief warred in me. I placed a hand on my belly and mused, “Baby, your father is very hard to deal with. You must help me with him.”

My fingers flew over the keyboard.

I feel nauseous and borrowed one of your shirts.

His answer made me jump out of bed again.

Looks good on you.

Was that sarcastic or genuine? His shirt was still too large for me. Where does it look good? I tossed the phone to the side and made myself comfortable in bed. The niggling feeling of uneasiness was there, but it was still weak. I sat up and grabbed the phone again.

Don’t forget to delete the photo else, somebody sees it and thinks differently.

I waited for his reply, but when an hour passed and there was still no reply, I gave in to the urge to sleep. It was another sleepless night, yet my energy level was low. I stretched languidly in bed and noticed the key by the bedside table, which Olah must have left. I changed into the other pair Olah brought yesterday. I should visit Smart Bubbles, the laundry shop, later.

“Morning!” Olah greeted. The two men by the dining table just nodded politely. I handed Hammer his phone and was stunned at the panic and fear that flashed in his expression.

“No need. I have another phone. You use it.” He leaned back as if burned.

“I just borrowed it.”

He shook his head like a rattle drum and stood up quickly from his seat. “I’ll go check the truck.”

What’s there to check in the truck? He was acting weird, but for the life of me, I have no idea why.

It was just borrowing his phone. Why was the man so adamant not to even touch it? I glanced at Jiro, who, like Hammer, had dislike plastered on his expression. The only difference was that while Hammer was brusque about it, Jiro was silent and cold. He didn’t meet my eyes and also made a move to get up. I scowled.

“Don’t bother. I want to sit on the couch.” I took the breakfast plate away with me. The L-shaped couch was brownish in color. The color was uneven, and I was pretty sure this should have been originally in cream. Rhys needs to throw this one out soon before it hurts someone.

“You didn’t sleep well?” Olah came over with a worried expression. I touched the area around my eyes. Without looking in a mirror, I knew that I had dark circles despite getting more than eight hours of sleep. I had woken up two times in the middle of the night. The scent on Rhy’s shirt had gradually faded. My scowl deepened. Today was unfurling to be a bad day. Rhys didn’t reply, and the two bodyguards got on my nerves.

I nodded stiffly. “Let’s drop by the clinic first,” Olah suggested and handed me a glass of milk. The scent made my stomach churn. She quickly realized that it was disagreeable to my stomach and moved away.

“Orange juice?”

I shook my head. The nausea started weakly, but the fishy scent of milk made it surge up. I ran to the bathroom and hurled. This wasn’t a good sign at all. I didn’t want to go back to that period of nausea and dizziness. As much as I did not want to admit it, Rhys better come back soon