Hearts And Daggers: His Bleeding Obsession

HIM AGAIN

I felt like punching him, but I can't be rude to a client, and at the same time, I can't let myself be laid against my will. All my skills in the art of self-defense are useless now.

My mind betrayed me; however, instead of thinking of a way out, it focused on the weird feeling flushing through me as he drove his tongue into my mouth while tearing off my clothes with his free hand.

"Please, no," I begged miserably, feeling tears sting my eyes. This is how I get deflowered, against my will and by some rich hunk who thinks he can have his way as he pleases.

He didn't stop; he even lifted me off my feet and moved me to the bed. It was at that point he broke the kiss and I used it as an opportunity to escape.

In my attempt at escaping, I hit his jaw with my foot as I scurried backward on the bed. This caused him to retreat, and when he looked at me, his eyes screamed murder.

I ran off the bed with as much speed as I could. He looked at me, anger evident in his eyes.

"I'll burn this whole establishment down for receiving such treatment from you, and I'll make sure I'm the first man that ever gets into that underwear you treasure so much," he roared, picked up his jacket, and stormed out of the room.

My heartbeat picked up its pace at the gravity of the situation. What on earth have I done? I ran out behind him, holding the pieces of the robe he had ripped. He took the elevator, leaving only one option: the stairs.

Thankfully, Madame Belle's office was just two floors below. By the time I arrived, he was walking out, leaving Madame Belle spluttering with a pale look on her face.

My eyes met with the man's for just a second, and then he walked past me, leaving only me and Madame Belle, who had her face in her hands.

"You had one job, just one. Is it bad that I decided to aid your miserable life?" she said, all the while refusing to look at me.

" Madame Belle, I...

" Not one word," she warned, raising her head to look at me, "do you know who that man is? He can burn this whole place down, and the government would not be able to do a single thing about it," she said through clenched teeth.

"Just let him do what he wants; he paid so much to me to sleep with you for the night," she said, making me realize one thing.

"You knew about this," I voiced out, "but I thought..." I said, feeling my own anger begin to rise.

"Thought what? It's time to quit this; I've had enough of it; I've lost a lot of money trying to keep your wishes so far; he chose you out of all the girls we have; you should be proud, yet here you are", she said and walked closer to me.

"I'll reach out to him now, and I want you to apologize; tell him you were being stupid and are willing now. Hopefully, he'd withdraw the suit he threatened to file against us," she ordered, pointing her long, manicured finger at me.

I clenched my fists as I looked at her. She was shorter than me, but her heels made it look like we were the same height.

"And make sure you don't forget, your cousin is still undergoing treatment," she said finally, walking towards the desk to pick up her phone.

Helplessness settled over me like a cloud. They're the reason I'm here; she knows that, and she's using it against me.

I felt a tear slide down my cheek, wondering what I'd been reduced to as I watched her engage the man in a conversation. She brought the phone to me, and I had no choice but to dance to the rhythm of the song.

The man sounded pacified, and he promised to be back for what he claimed was his. I clenched my teeth in a bid to calm myself down, but it wasn't working.

Madame Belle called Jane in and she led me to the dressing room and offered to help with my makeup I had ruined. She rarely speaks to me, but tonight she did; she encouraged me not to give up, that my savior would show up.

I didn't know what she meant by that, and I didn't care to know. I'm doomed to hell; no savior is coming to die for my sins or, in my case, poor life circumstances.

When she had left, I changed out of my torn robe into a new one. I mentally prepared myself for what was bound to happen. My body shook with anger and despair; I dislike not having control when I want it.

I stayed in the changing room alone for a while, pacing before I was finally alerted that he had arrived.

Taking deep breaths to steady myself, I proceeded to the executive lounge with Jane and was left alone in the large room a few seconds after. At first, no one seemed to be in the room until I noticed a silhouette standing by the open window overlooking the city.

He didn't acknowledge my presence, so I called out his name and moved closer. I tapped his broad shoulder gently when I was close enough, and he slowly turned to face me.

My heart jumped into my mouth the moment I didn't meet a certain pair of brown eyes. Instead, I met cold steel blue ones.

"Riev," I whispered, taken aback by surprise.

He moved closer to me until he towered right above me, both his hands in his pockets.

"We meet yet again, Principessa," he said, the tip of his lips curled into a ghost of a smile.

He looked around the room before settling his eyes back on me.

"You work as a slut; I never guessed someone so innocent looking would," he said, walking past me.

I finally broke out of shock, my thoughts rushing back to me like a wave. Why is he here? I'm supposed to meet with that other man.

"I'm not a slut, and what are you doing here? You're not the person I'm supposed to meet", I asked, turning to face him. He had settled himself on a recliner facing the strip pole.

"I heard you can dance on that," he said instead, avoiding my question," Why not show me."

"Are you still after my life? Do you want to kill me?" I found myself asking. I don't think I'm ready to face the terrors that come with my past. The dark memories were already rushing in.

I knew for a fact that if he wanted to kill me, he would have done so by now.

"I paid heavily to get access here, you know; it's only fair I get my money's worth," his deep voice was very calm and almost hypnotizing as he eluded my questions once again.

"You're not the man I'm supposed to meet," I said and crossed my arms defiantly. I knew I was being stupid, but I couldn't bring myself down to dance for this man in particular, not after what he did.

"I heard your family is in the hospital," he began saying lazily, a small smirk on his face, "it would be a shame to hear any bad news from them after sacrificing your dignity, wouldn't it?" he said, and my heart sank to my feet.

I tried opening my mouth to say something but couldn't bring myself to say anything at all. Instead, I slowly slipped out of my robe and walked to the pole to do as he said.

My eyes didn't leave him throughout the whole performance; I observed him quietly. Some parts of his face wore a red hue, definitely from the fight he had earlier, but other than that, he looked good.

I tried comparing my memories of him to him now, and I could only note very few differences in him. He still had that dangerous yet appealing appearance about him. His body looks even more built, and he now carries a very domineering aura.

Back then, he looked to me to be in his early twenties, so now, I presume he'd be in his early thirties.

As I performed, I noticed he looked at me with a bored expression, unlike the other men from earlier today, who seemed to want to pounce on me.

There was no lust, no desire, no admiration in his eyes. His eyes remained as tranquil as a calm ocean, which greatly affected my pride, so I just stopped.

"I never told you to stop," he said, his gaze hanging lazily on me.

"You don't seem interested in this; why don't we just stop wasting our time?" I said, crossing my hands and looking away.

" Why do you say so?" he queried, his left brow arched elegantly.

"You're not paying attention." I turned to face him, burrowing my brows.

"I've been looking at you all through your little display," he said with a small wave of the hand.

Little display? Did he just call what I did a little display?

He chuckled lightly, then stood up and began moving closer to me, his stoic face taking on a dangerous shade. I've gotten a new skill in ticking men off.

Like I did earlier this evening, I backed away as he approached me until my back came in contact with the wall, and once again, I was held captive between his two muscular arms.

Something was different about him; however, unlike that other man, the lust wasn't evident in Riev's eyes. An unrecognizable gleam hovered in his steel-blue orbs, making me catch my breath. Despite how much I hated him right now, my body betrayed me and allowed some awkward feelings to course through me.

I remember the first time I ever saw him several years ago; as clear as day, he was hovering over me, just as he is now. A wave of nostalgia washed over me.

"What did you expect of me, Principessa? Hmm...you wanted me to drool over you like a dog to increase your poor self-esteem?" he asked, a ghost of a smile on his face as he mocked me.

I so badly wanted to place a slap on his handsome face, but I knew doing that would be writing a death sentence, not just for myself, but for my family as well. I wouldn't have cared much if I only had to think about myself alone.

"Riev, I have no time for this; I'm expecting someone," I stated and attempted to push him away, but he caught my wrists.

"You know, I'm surprised you kept my name in your memory after so long, and who exactly are you expecting that's more important than me right now?" he said, his face way too close for comfort.

"I'm that someone; now get your hands off what's mine," a familiar voice said in a loud yet deceptively calm tone.