Enchanting Don Carter

CHAPTER FOUR

Alec

“I’m not afraid of you!” Alec watched in amusement as the lady in the wrap dress shot him a glare, the waver in her voice betraying her attempt at defiance.

Olivia Bowie. He remembered how the other one who never shut up, immediately became solemn at the mention of this name, after he promised to trace and capture her too. He had gathered information about everyone around her and would get to the bottom of who sent her to his warehouse, by any means. A sinister glint formed in his eyes, as he recognized the situation unfolding in front of him. Two women who were each other's Achilles’ heel. Two for the price of one.

He found her bravado intriguing yet foolish. Why would anyone, a woman, in fact, think to walk into his territory? For the sake of another person?

“You would be wise to be afraid”. He examined her face as she backed away from him further, waving a table knife in the air.

The room was enveloped with the coolness of the air conditioners but beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Strands of her chestnut hair settled in the moisture, exposing the paleness of her skin. Alec sighed, he found her futile resolution revolting. This is exactly why he didn’t do sentiments, they made one weak.

Her fingers wrapped around the knife tightly, turning a bold pink.

Did she truly think the flimsy knife could ward him off?

He found self-sacrificing people extremely distasteful. Their actions only came from a place of weakness and lack of control, masked as loyalty. Noble idiocy, he scoffed. Life had been fair enough to show him the danger of trusting people. Loyalty like that could only end one way; a massive betrayal with the other party asking why your back hurt their knife. But there was something almost… admirable about her determination, even if it was utterly foolish. “I am not afraid of you,” she repeated.

“Fear has a way of catching up, Miss Bowie — whether you welcome it or not” His jaw tightened as he disregarded the glimmer of unwanted intrigue her resolve had stirred.

“Where is she?” Her voice is a hoarse whisper. “What have you done to Julia?”

“Since you want to see your friend so badly…” He matched her backward shifts with strides of his own, closing the gap between them in a few seconds.

“I will gladly end your agony and let you join her” A twitch tugged at the corner of his mouth as he watched her face grow paler “Although, I cannot guarantee you will like what you see.”

“I have seen your face!” He watched her suddenly inch closer to meet his gaze, that unnerving resolve carved into her expressions again. His eyes traveled from the furrowed arch of her eyebrows to her cherry-red lips; sultry and a stark contrast to the pale white of her skin.

“I know what you look like. I bet you don’t want people finding that out” Her voice was kurt, and he couldn’t help the beam that twitched at his lips.

“I can easily silence you, Miss Bowie.” Alec scoffed as his body loomed over her, his gaze not leaving hers. “And not a trace of you would remain”. He searched her eyes for a flicker of panic, but there was none. It bugged him and he didn’t understand why.

His eyes narrowed slightly, irritation building underneath his collectedness. She stared him down, with a look of disdain so raw, it felt thoroughly rehearsed and familiar. He let his expression settle into a sardonic smile, carefully masking his genuine surprise at her continued defiance.

He stepped back, his determination to break her will surging within him. Her friend… that ought to get under her skin.

“Julia. Was it?”. There it is.

He watched as her eyes welled up with tears instantly, the contempt they held, giving way to plea.

“She’s alive.” He said with a cold indifference. “That’s all you need to know”.

“I’m begging you” Olivia dropped to her knees, the knife clanking on the ground. “Take me to her”. She held her palms together. “Please”

Alec smiled, content at her crumbling defense as she was now at his mercy, the way it should be.

“I’m sure you’re starving”, he walked to take a seat on the lone chair at the end of the long table.

“I mean you did come all this way,” he said, every word laced with taunt.

Olivia stood up, her knees wobbling as she walked to join him at the table, seated three chairs away.

“Come closer,” he ordered. “I don’t bite.”

Alec snapped his fingers and a chef walked in, a huge silver tray balanced in his palm.

He watched Olivia, relief and exhaustion spread on her face. Oh, now she calms down. How dare she and her friend try to play on my intelligence?

“You can do whatever you want with me” She interrupted before he could speak again. “Just release my friend, I’ll do anything”

“Anything?” He asked,

“Anything,” She said, not looking at him.

“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep, Miss Bowie”. He expertly separated the head of the swine on the table, from its body.

Olivia looked away. That poor pig. She couldn’t stand Alec, but he was right. She would be wise to be afraid.

“I know more about your secrets than she does.”

“I am way more valuable as a hostage, I assure you.”

“I.. I ..” Alec watched her search for more reasons she should be held captive and not her friend.

What a strange woman, he thought.

“I would grant your friend her freedom” he finally said, seeing Olivia’s attention immediately summoned. She turned to face him squarely like he was Thor and she was his hammer.

“Thank You” she sighed heavily and bit her lips.

He found his eyes lingering seconds longer than he intended.

“On one condition” he held her gaze, now soft and completely void of the reproach that flooded her eyes earlier.

“You would sign an undertaking,” he said, a smirk tugging at his lips, “rendering yourself to me.”

“I.. I don’t understand”, Olivia replied.

“You will be bound to a contract that keeps you by my side until I am satisfied this wasn’t a plan to attack me”

He watched as Olivia gulped and shifted in her seat, pondering what to say.

“You said you would do anything”. He stood up, pacing around the room.

“How do I know for sure that she’s alive, and you would keep your word?” He heard her voice tremble.

He could feel her eyes following him as he traced the chairs around the dining table.

“You don't,” he said, facing her.

He hated that he caught himself thinking about how she would react to what he said. This was an intruder, someone who had just threatened him with a knife and seeing his face, a face he had successfully kept hidden from the media for a good decade. She should be bothered, not him.

“Allow me to correct myself if I made it seem like you had a choice”, he heard himself say.

“As you mentioned, you have already seen my face. We can’t let that slide now, can we?” He bent and whispered in her ear before turning her chair to face him, with a strong swing of his arms.

“But I am no savage, Miss Bowie. I can be a reasonable man”, he continued, watching her eyes oscillate from one of his to the other. Her trembling lips stirred something in him. He couldn’t place it, but he wanted her. And he wanted her to be his, totally his.

“Marry Me, Olivia Bowie, and I will set your friend free,” he said, staring so deeply into her eyes, that he could see the flecks of gold in them. She stared back at him, her lips parted and her chest heaving as she blinked again and again.