"It's a simple question, Colton." The older man pressed the end of the gun against my bleeding forehead, his finger resting on the trigger as my fiancée glanced at me with a loveable gaze. "Your future darling or the city."
The look in his eyes qui...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The sun, a lazy, golden eye, peered over the wall of the abundant garden, bathing the manicured lawn in a warm glow. My dark skin catching the light, I leaned back against a marble fountain, allowing Thandi to work her magic on my hair—the scent of jasmine, heavy and sweet, mingled with the earthy aroma of damp soil.
"Thank goodness I'm here to do your hair," Thandi said, her voice a melodic lilt, her fingers deftly weaving my thick, dark curls into intricate braids. Thandi, with her fierce eyes and a halo of tightly braided hair, was Lennox's trusted, and one of few, confidantes.
My mind, however, was elsewhere. It was replaying the night I had spent with Lennox Haven, the man who held me captive, the man I feared, the man who, against all logic, was beginning to pull my heartstrings.
The memory of his touch, rough and yet tender, the way he held me with a possessiveness both frightening and strangely alluring, flickered in my mind, vivid and unsettling. The strange, conflicting emotions I felt – fear and a strange, nascent longing – stirred within me like a restless sea.
Thandi cleared her throat, snapping me out of my reverie. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, her voice laced with teasing curiosity. I feel my cheeks begin to heat up as I assume cheeks a scarlet hue painted against my dark skin. "Nothing. Do you have makeup? I need to cover up these hickeys. They're weird."
Thandi laughed, a full, throaty sound that echoed through the garden. "They're not weird, they're sexy. I'm surprised they lasted this long."
I, my heart beating faster, couldn't help but feel a strange gratification at Thandi's words. Were they so unusual? Was I truly becoming a captive to this man's whims, his cold, calculating, and yet, undeniably captivating, presence?
"He's not what you think," Thandi said, her voice softening, a rare vulnerability flickering in her eyes. "He's just..." She searched for the right word, then continued, "He's wounded. He carries a lot of pain."
The revelation startled me. The image of Lennox, clad in his elegant suits, his features sharp and unforgiving, was so far removed from the wounded man Thandi described.
"Tell me about him," I urged my voice a low whisper.
Thandi, her fingers pausing in their braiding, looked at me, her eyes filled with a strange mix of pity and understanding.
"He was only a boy. He never had the chance to grieve, to heal. The world became a cold, uncaring place, and he hardened himself against it."
I, listening intently, felt a strange sense of empathy for this cruel, ruthless man. What was it about him, this man who held me captive, that drew me in, that made me yearn to understand him, to heal the wounds I felt he carried?
"He's not a monster, Angelica," Thandi continued, her voice soft and sincere. "He's just lost. He's afraid."
The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the manicured lawn. As Thandi finished braiding my hair, I felt a weight lift from my chest.
"I'm not sure you know," I said softly, my voice tinged with doubt. "But I think I might be falling for him."
Thandi's eyes widened, her lips parting in a gasp. "Angelica, be careful. Lennox is a dangerous man. He doesn't deserve your love."
But as Thandi spoke, I felt a strange sense of liberation. I understood the danger. I understood the potential for heartbreak. And yet, I knew, with a certainty that surprised me, that I was already losing myself in the labyrinth of his icy heart.
