Whiskey King

Chapter 4

Adella

I woke up to a wave of nausea, probably hungover. Goodness the ride back to Savannah will be rough today. I stretched myself out in the bed and gradually opened my eyes to a lamp lit room with grey walls. As I registered my surroundings, I slowly realized this wasn’t my room. Or any room at the Buchanan House. I immediately sat straight up. Where am I? I looked down and saw I wasn’t wearing my party dress anymore. In its place was a matching pink silk camisole and shorts pajama set. What the f**k happened to me last night? I got up and moved towards an opaque pocket door in the right corner of the room. I slid open the door to find a white marble tiled bathroom with large soaking tub and walk in shower. The pedestal sink stood on a large wooden vanity. I looked in the mirror, a little bed head but everything looked normal. I examined my full body, no major cuts or bruises, no pain or soreness in between my legs so… that couldn’t have happened. I cringed and wrapped my arms around myself. I looked through the vanity drawers to see what kind of toiletries may be stocked but came up with nothing. I started looking around the room, noticing more wooden accents. The whole room had a rustic feel, from the exposed wooden beams to the lamps mounted on either side of the bed.

“Where the hell am I,” I muttered to myself, “I wonder what’s behind door number two.” I steadied myself before opening the door, “You can do this Della, take charge of your situation.”

I opened the second door and peeked into a large open kitchen and living area with a wall full of windows looking out onto some sort of mountain range. No wonder the decorum was so rustic, we were in some sort of mountain house. I could see a tall, slender man dressed in worn jeans and a Vanderbilt hoodie in the kitchen drinking coffee and flipping pancakes.

“Good you’re awake,” he called to me, not even looking behind him. “There’s juice in the fridge, champagne in the bar downstairs if you need a little hair of the dog.” I hesitantly padded out of the little room to large island in the kitchen. I looked across the island, anything I could use to defend myself when I spotted his phone. I acted like I was walking to the fridge and gently slid his phone in my shorts pocket while I took out the juice and poured myself a glass. I sat down on one of the island stools with my juice as the man walked over with a stack of pancakes. He set down the stack and held out his hand, face hardening into a sneer.

“Phone, Adella.” I hesitated, not wanting to give up what could be my only lifeline. “Adella I’m not going to ask you again. Give me the phone. Now.” I slowly slid the phone out of my shorts pocket and handed it to him, not wanting to find out this early what the consequences may be. He snatched the phone and put it in his jeans pocket, then went back to cooking like nothing happened. I sipped my juice slowly and stared down at my pancakes, avoiding eye contact and silently willing away the blush on my cheeks.

“You’re not eating,” the man stated. He leaned against the counter and watched me, sipping his coffee.

“Mama told me not to accepted food from strangers,” I muttered. The man crossed the room and stuck out his hand and smiled, “Alrighty then, I’m Carter. Now I’m not a stranger. Eat your pancakes.” He pointed to the plate and waited.

“How do I know you didn’t put anything in them?”

“Because if I wanted you to be dead, then you’d be dead. And taking my phone is a serious offense, you should be glad I showed so much restraint,” he deadpanned. I slowly dug my fork into my pancakes and took a bite.

“Carter, you know what I said about feeding the animals.” Levi walked into the kitchen shirtless and poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked like he’d just gotten out of bed only wearing flannel pajama pants. I jumped out of my chair.

Carter shrugged, “If you feed them they might follow you home.”

“YOU!” I shrieked, “What did you do to me? Why am I here? Did you f*****g drug me?!” My voice getting higher with every question.

“Adella calm down, we’ll discuss over breakfast,” Levi dismissed me and poured himself a cup of coffee. I could practically count the muscles in his back they were so defined.

“Calm. Down. CALM DOWN?” I sputtered, “We will ‘discuss’ NOTHING over breakfast you will take me back to Savannah this instant. And tell me where my clothes are!” My voice was at full volume, I’m pretty sure the neighbors on the other mountain could hear me. Levi watched me with an amused expression, his mussed blonde hair falling into his face.

“You’re not going back to Savannah, Adella.”

“So you brought me to this random house to leave me with a stranger?”

“I’m not a stranger, I’m Carter, remember?” Carter interjected, handing Levi a fresh plate of pancakes.

“And Carter made you breakfast, say thank you to Carter,” Levi sat at the head of the large kitchen table and looked through the window to the mountains.

I ran through the kitchen and into the main hallway to the thick wooden door. I could see cars parked in the driveway. I looked around for a minute and immediately found the keys on the hallway table. Boys are so predictable. All of a sudden, hands grabbed me from behind.

“You can’t leave yet, we haven’t had our discussion.” Levi threw me over his shoulder and walked me back into the kitchen. He snatched the keys out of my hand and tossed them to Carter who immediately pocketed them. Levi plopped me down at the kitchen table, “Eat or don’t f*****g eat but you’re not leaving.”

“Why Levi? I have a job and an apartment and a life. You don’t even like me, why would I stay here with you?”

Levi sighed and sat down in the chair in front of me. “Because your father signed a contract. Used you as collateral in a business deal.”

“A contract? Collateral? What does this even have to do with me?” I was incredulous. Levi had to be lying, this was illegal.

Levi narrowed his eyes, “It means your father signed a contract right after you were born. His empire was failing and he needed the Wade family support. In return my father needed assurance through a family bond.”

“A family bond?” I asked, nausea slowly creeping into my stomach.

“Yes. Your father sold you to us. You are now my property, you don’t have any other life anymore. You’re never leaving.”