Whiskey King

Chapter 6

Levi

“Well I think that went well, she seems extremely pleased to be here,” mused Carter. We’d just sedated Adella and tucked her back into bed in the guest room. I locked the door and flicked on the motion sensor cameras in her room, I needed to know when she was awake. I couldn’t have her hurting herself, I like my property intact and ready to use.

“f**k off, how was I supposed to know she’d be that dramatic?” Towards the end things got a little dramatic, I hadn’t read the file fully and if I knew she had a previous history of panic attacks my approach would’ve been different. But watching pink spots form on her cheeks as she raged, pulling her close, feeling how much she wanted me only to deny herself, I was f*****g turned on. Adella Buchanan was a virgin little vixen, and I couldn’t wait to be her first everything.

“Considering she’s been plucked from everything she loves and now her future hopes and dreams have been dashed and replaced by marrying a guy who she thinks is evil? I was surprised she didn’t start throwing things at you,” Carter started clearing breakfast dishes, “But don’t worry I stood in front of the knife block so at least she couldn’t get those.” I smiled at Carter’s dry sense of humor.

“Careful, she’ll come for you next,” I warned, “But don’t worry, a few weeks of training and she’ll be an obedient future wife. Always ready to serve.”

Carter thought for a minute, “If I’m not overstepping Levi, what’s the plan here?”

I smiled, Carter met me right after the Accident. He watched me turn my grief into anger, anger into motivation, motivation into plans. Now those plans were coming to fruition.

“No matter what I told Adella, The Buchanans hate losing her. They hate losing her to us and now having ties to our family,” I sighed and sat down at the kitchen table, “They’ll stop at nothing to get her back. Each time they come to the table more willing to negotiate, more willing to give pieces of their industries to my father and to me. They’ll keep giving and giving until they’re destitute and we can absorb every site and property.” I took a sip of my now cold, black coffee. “All to get their precious little girl back.”

“And Adella stays here like a pet until they give you what you want?”

I snorted, “She’s never leaving.” Carter frowned, “So you use her to take her family’s fortune, and then what?”

“What do you mean ‘and then what’ Carter?”

“Marriage is a lifelong commitment dude, after you destroy the family business what are you going to do with Adella? Unless there is a divorce clause somewhere in there.”

I smiled, “She’s mine until the end of our days. I have some plans on how she can keep me entertained.” I stretched back in the kitchen chair. Usually the mountains were my place of respite and I hated to bring business here but this property was the most secure, and secluded. I needed a space to train Adella how I wanted, without interruption or distraction.

Carter finished the dishes and sat down at the table with me, pensive.

“Wouldn’t it hurt her family more if she wanted to stay with you?” He quietly asked. I made a face but I could feel where he was going with this. “Hear me out, if Adella hated her family and was happy with you, publicly, even to the point where she doesn’t even invite them to the wedding…” Carter trailed off.

“They would be publicly humiliated too,” I murmured and looked at Carter, “Long game thinking.”

He shrugged, “Long game thinking.” We sat in silence, the proposition hanging in the air. Social capital was almost as important as actual money. If the Buchanans lost both, they’d really lose everything. But that would require being in a relationship with Adella, being her lover not just an owner. I couldn’t do it, Adella is property. Something to touch, f**k, and please me, but I could never love her. I could never love a Buchanan.

“The plan won’t work, Adella and I can never love each other. There’s too much history.”

Carter chuckled and laced up his red converse high tops, “Dude watch a rom com or something, I’m sure you could get inspiration.” He tossed my keys back to me and grabbed his own, “As for me I have to head back to Nashville, will you be okay on your own?”

“Yeah, dude. I got it from here.” Truthfully I was thankful for some time alone. I had to plan and rearrange some furniture before Adella woke up.

“Alright dude, talk to you later and hide the f*****g knives.” Carter fist bumped me then left.

I unlocked Adella’s door to check on her, her little body curled underneath the blankets and her wavy chestnut hair splayed out on the pillow. Her chest rose and fell in even breaths, I checked her pulse and turned her on her side incase she needed to throw up what little was in her stomach. Even sleeping she was beautiful.

I remember when my father first sat me down and told me about the contract. It was a rare visit at boarding school, right before junior formal. At first I was angry, why couldn’t Lucas be the one to marry her? Girls swooned over my older brother Lucas, he was kind and charismatic. People were naturally drawn to him. Why not put this responsibility on him? That night my father locked me in a hotel room with no outside communication to, “examine the contract terms and think about it.” The more I thought about my situation the more I grew to like the idea, Adella wasn’t bad looking and as far as arranged marriages went I could’ve done a lot worse. We got along and had similar interests. Then The Accident happened and my motives shifted.

I sat on the bed beside Adella examining what is now mine, resisting the urge to run my hands up and down her curves, through her hair, in between her legs.

I stood up, double checked the cameras, and locked the door behind me.

This will take time, but I am not a patient man.